THE NIBBLE Gourmet News & Views
Trends, Products & Items Of Note In The World Of Specialty Foods
Read all of our content on TheNibble.com, the online magazine about specialty food.
Archive for Fish/Seafood/Caviar
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March 12, 2008 at 11:11 am
· Filed under Fish/Seafood/Caviar, Daily Food Holidays
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| We love scallops, so National Baked Scallops Day isn’t a hard day for us to fit in to our eating schedule. Scallops are found in all the world’s oceans. They are a member of the oyster family, Ostreida, and have the familiar central adductor muscle that attaches their two shells. The adductor muscle of scallops is larger and more developed than that of oysters, because the little dudes are active swimmers. Not just content to hang around at the bottom of the ocean, waiting to be scooped up, they exercise their inner Michael Phelps (or does Michael Phelps exercise his inner scallop?) by rapidly opening and closing their shells. Another fun fact: Scallops are hermaphrodites, and switch sexes. Both sexes produce roe. So, here’s an example in the animal kingdom where dads can give birth (if you call expelling your roe into the water, where it is fertilized by by some other scallop’s expelled spermatozoa, and then sinks to the bottom of the ocean to hatch, giving birth). |
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Bake me tonight. |
| Scallops were traditionally caught by dredging (dragging) the seabed, but scuba divers now catch the quality ones—hence the term “diver scallops” or “dayboat scallops” (the divers go out just for the day) on menus of better restaurants. If you saw or read “The Perfect Storm,” you understand that seafood can spend two or more weeks on ice in the hold of a boat before getting to port. Diver scallops get to market quickly, and thus are so much are fresher and tastier. Now, onto baked scallops: Perhaps the most famous baked scallop dish is Coquilles Saint-Jacques, translated as Saint James’s scallops, a rich mixture of butter, cream, mushrooms and Parmesan cheese, baked in a scallop shell. The scallop shell is the emblem of Saint James the Greater. The saint’s association with the scallop shell is based on a legend that he once rescued a knight covered in scallops, or alternatively, that while his remains were being transported to Spain from Jerusalem, the horse of a knight fell into the water and emerged covered in scallop shells. As a result, Medieval Christians making the pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint James in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, often wore a scallop shell symbol on their clothing. You can easily find a delicious recipe for Coquilles Saint-Jacques online (we use the one from Mastering The Art Of French Cooking by Julia Child. It’s easy to make—pick up the ingredients and enjoy it tonight. You can buy the scallop shells in any cookware store (including chain stores), and they’re useful for serving other foods, from desserts to hors d’oeuvres (olives, for example). And of course, you can serve the dish on any plate—scallop shells not required! |
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March 8, 2008 at 6:26 pm
· Filed under Fish/Seafood/Caviar, Books, Recipes, Daily Food Holidays
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The whitest, biggest chunks of crab—known as Jumbo Lump crabmeat—are also the priciest. |
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How can you celebrate National Crabmeat Day and still have change to spare? Here’s the secret: Those pretty puffs of lump white crabmeat on the buffet are up to three times the price of the darker body crabmeat. But the darker meat is actually tastier. If you’re mixing the crab into a salad for sandwiches (think crab rolls, like lobster rolls, or serve it on brioche, as a crabmeat BLT) or to stuff eggs or omelet, save money—and enjoy crab more often—by using dark crabmeat.
Also celebrate National Crabmeat Day by:
- Learning about the different types of crab and crabmeat, and what you should look for when you purchase canned crab.
- Read our review of Miller’s Select, our favorite brand of crabmeat (it’s shelf-stable too, no refrigeration required).
- Make one of these crabmeat recipes.
- Buy this nifty little crab cookbook: Crab: Buying, Cooking, Cracking, by Andrea Froncillo and Jennifer Jeffrey. |
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March 7, 2008 at 3:27 pm
· Filed under Fish/Seafood/Caviar, Tidbits (Food Facts)
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Identity crisis? The fish is variously called daurade, dorade, porgy, sea bream, tai, zeebrasem…. |
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Daurade: When you see it on a menu, doesn’t it sound elegant and exciting? Would it sound as exciting if it were called porgy or sea bream? We think not. We bring it up because a reader wrote to ask if daurade referred to the fish or the preparation. It’s a fish. In France, daurade refers to Sparus aurata, the gilthead seabream, a member of the porgy family. Daurade, also spelled dorade, is ubiquitous in France, where there are four varieties: gray, pink and marble dorade, known by their coloring, and royal dorade. The “royal” is so named because it has a gold-yellowish bump between the eyes that, with imagination, can be considered a crown. While “royal” also has the firmest flesh, the flesh of all varieties is delicate and can fall apart if filleted. Thus, monsieur le daurade is often cooked and served whole. |
| The Japanese black porgy is a different species (Acanthopagrus schlegelii), as is the American porgy (Lagodon rhomboides). The flesh is firmer, so you’ll find daurade fillets in America (sometimes it’s flown ove from France, sometimes it’s porgy—because daurade sounds a lot better), and tai sushi and sashimi (tai being the Japanese word for porgy). No matter what part of the Sparidae fanily it comes from, you can tell from its teeth that the daurade/porgy is a carnivore (if you don’t like the eyes staring up at you from your plate, wait until you see those choppers). Those teeth help it feast on other fish, oysters and mussels (hey, save some for us). While the flesh can be delicate, the flavor of the fish is not shy. Cook it with lemon, wine, garlic, tomatoes, rosemary—any of your favorite hearty herbs and spices work. Learn more about fish, fisch, pesce, pescado, poission, etc. in the Fish, Seafood & Caviar Section of THE NIBBLE online magazine. |
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March 4, 2008 at 7:47 am
· Filed under Fish/Seafood/Caviar, Ethnic Foods, Gourmet News, Restaurants
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Now, your surf clam can surf over to you via
conveyor belt. |
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Is America about to experience conveyor-belt sushi in a big way? Known as kaiten-sushi, a branch of the largest chain, Sakae Sushi, has made the leap to America (“leap” is an appropriate analogy, since the company logo is a frog on a lily pad—although no frog sushi is served). The premiere is the launch of a goal to be, ostensibly, the first successful sushi chain in America. The company, based in Singapore, has 40 sushi restaurants there, and 20 in other countries—none of which offers the market potential of the large and sushi-hungry American public. |
| The high-tech restaurant should also appeal to the experiential dining desires of Americans. There’s a patented interactive menu at each table, enabling patrons to create custom orders, as well as a hot water tap to refill cups of green tea. There is three-tiered pricing—three different colored plates, priced at $1.90, $3.90 and $6.90, depending on the value of the contents. In a bit of architectural irony, the two conveyor-belt restaurant, totaling 97 feet of rolling sushi, sashimi, soups, salads, dumplings, ramen, yakitori and other bites, is located in the venerable Chrysler Building, one of the country’s most dignified architectural landmarks. It’s an easy location for anyone to get to, right across the street from Grand Central Terminal, at 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue. Taking the train into town? Drop in for some sushi before heading to your destination. The speed with which consumers can get their sushi from the conveyor belt gives new meaning to the term “fast food.”The chain was established in Singapore in 1997 with the goal of offering affordable Japanese food. In New York City, which is not known for conveyor-belt restaurants, it will certainly be the king of kaiten. The restaurant, located at 405 Lexington Avenue at 42nd Street, is open 7 days for breakfast, lunch and dinner, from 7 a.m. to midnight. A 24-hour delivery service will be offered. For more information, visit Sakae-Sushi.com or telephone 1.877.SAKAE-USA. |
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February 29, 2008 at 10:00 pm
· Filed under Meat & Poultry, Fish/Seafood/Caviar, Daily Food Holidays
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You can order this feast online from Abernook LLC. |
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Now, we must ask: Why would anyone make Surf & Turf Day fall on February 29th? Should we celebrate this tasty holiday only once every four years? Perhaps it’s put on Leap Day because of its ostentatiousness—it is, after all, a dish that combines the two most expensive dishes on the menu, lobster tail and filet mignon. (Shrimp and steak can be substituted.) Surf and Turf, or Surf ‘n’ Turf (to be even more vulgar), is an American invention. Two coasts vie for inventing rights. The earliest-known published use is in a 1967 advertisement in the Buffalo, New York Yellow Pages, where it was advertised by Michael’s House of Steaks. |
| However, there is a second claim, without printed proof, that the same dish by the same name was served at the Sky City restaurant, in the Space Needle, at the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. The dish is called “Reef and Beef” in Australia. Evidently, ostentatious displays are not limited to the U.S. |
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February 13, 2008 at 12:10 pm
· Filed under Fish/Seafood/Caviar, Recipes, Tip Of The Day, Valentine's Day
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Take those heart-shaped cookie cutters and make heart-stopping hors d’oeuvres—or a first course—with toast, sour cream or crème fraîche and red caviar. Buy the best white bread or brioche, toast it, let the toast cool, and then cut the heart shapes. Spread with sour cream/crème fraîche, then top with one or several different red caviars: salmon caviar, tobiko, beet-colored whitefish roe (available from Tsar Nicoulai, a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week), lumpfish or capelin roe. Drape a chive across each heart as the “arrow.”- See the full recipe.
- See more red caviar recipes.
- Learn more about caviar in our Caviar Glossary.
- See all of the articles, recipes and product reviews in the Caviar Section of THE NIBBLE online magazine |
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Make red caviar into heart-shaped hors d’oeuvres. Photo courtesy of Red-Caviar.com. |
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February 9, 2008 at 1:03 pm
· Filed under Fish/Seafood/Caviar, Bread, Crackers, Muffins, Tip Of The Day
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February 9th is National Bagels and Lox Day. “Lox” is an old generic term that is fading away, replaced by much more complicated choices. So how does one decide among the Irish, Danish, Nova Scotia, Norwegian, Scottish and other smoked salmon contenders? They differ in saltiness, smokiness and fishiness; the only way you’ll know is to taste. If it’s sliced-to-order, you can try a piece at the counter; but packaged salmon (which can be equally fine or better quality depending on manufacturer) is often less expensive because factory slicing is cheaper than store labor). Buy small amounts of each and compare. You don’t need bagels: Slices of salmon with a sprinkling of dill and capers, a lemon wedge and an optional garnish of crème fraîche make a lovely first course for brunch, lunch or dinner. TIP: Once you decide what you like, write it down—they sound so similar, it’s easy to forget.
- Learn about the different types of smoked salmon.
- Discover sustainable, line-caught smoked salmon from Nantucket Wild Gourmet & Smokehouse.
- See David Burke’s smoked salmon pops.
- Try a savory, smoked salmon cheesecake (for hors d’oeuvres or a first course). |
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 How many types of smoked salmon can you name? |
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November 30, 2007 at 10:35 am
· Filed under Fish/Seafood/Caviar
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| If you start to salivate at the thought of a bowl of steaming hot clam chowder…then grow sad, wondering where you’re going to get that authentic vacation-in-Maine experience…we have the solution. Bar Harbor Seafood makes the real deal and cans it, so you can stock your shelves to get you through the winter in fine style. This is such hearty clam chowder, you can eat it as your main meal—no oyster crackers needed (but, feel free). The amazing thing is, this gourmet experience is just twice the price of a can of Progresso. Bar Harbor Seafood also cans lobster, clams and other seafood right out of the water (the boats pull up to the dock right in front of their cannery). The chowder is so good, you can give it as stocking stuffers—but make sure you don’t give it all away, or you’ll find yourself growing sad again. Read our full review. And, read more about our favorite favorite seafood products in the Seafood Section of the THE NIBBLE online magazine. |
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No oyster crackers needed with this delicious New England clam chowder. |
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November 26, 2007 at 1:10 pm
· Filed under Fish/Seafood/Caviar, Gourmet News
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Look at my big, meaty claws. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia. |
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A cargo ship headed for South Korea ran into a Bay Bridge tower earlier this month, spilling 58,000 gallons of oil into the San Francisco Bay. The spill polluted beaches across the bay and beyond. As reported by the Modesto Bee, the oil spill will delay the traditional December 1 start of crab season for the San Francisco fishing fleet, which will drive up demand for Dungeness crab caught elsewhere on the West Coast. Restaurants and seafood stores need to rely on supplies from the Pacific Northwest—Oregon and Washington state. |
| Some stores are going without; some restaurateurs report the price has doubled. The Dungeness crab, King crab and the Snow crab are the three main U.S. Pacific Ocean crabs. Dungeness, King and Stone crabs (from Florida and the Gulf Coast) have large, meaty claws and are eaten in the shell. Learn more about the different types of crab in our article, Crab Types & Grades Of Crab Meat, including a Crab Glossary. It’s one of 50 food glossaries in THE NIBBLE online magazine. The Dungeness crab, by the way, is named after Dungeness, Washington, but is found from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska to Santa Cruz, California. For holiday party recipes, try the spectacular jumbo lump crabmeat from Miller’s Select. |
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November 15, 2007 at 1:41 pm
· Filed under Fish/Seafood/Caviar, Top Pick Of The Week, NutriNibbles, Entertaining
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If you already love caviar, or would like a chance to study it more closely, The Little Pearl wants to help. A purveyor of sustainable caviars from all over the world, including those farmed in the U.S., there is no intimidation, mystery or pretentiousness here: It’s a friendly place to learn about caviar (so is THE NIBBLE’s Caviar Section).
The caviar is very fresh, with a firm texture and mild taste—no saltiness or fishiness. You can taste the species character and terroir in each bite. Each jar is packed to order. The black caviars include American Sturgeon, Bowfin, farmed Osetra from Germany, Spoonbill Paddlefish, Transmontanus Rex (our favorite!) from the U.S. and Uruguayan Baerii (runner up). There are three types of salmon caviar—Keta, King and Yukon Gold—plus Golden Whitefish and Rainbow Trout. (Read more about them in our Caviar Glossary.) While The Little Pearl has some products for high rollers (for $1,200 and up plus travel expenses, a caviar sommelier will come to you and conduct a tasting for eight to ten), the rest of us can enjoy a tasting sampler for $150 or can join the Caviar Club and get a different shipment each month ($65/month). It’s a perfect treat or luxury gift; low calorie and high protein; sustainable; and very special. |
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You don’t need to have deep pockets: You can buy an ounce-size taste of anything at TheLittlePearl.com. |
| Now, you don’t have to envy how the other half lives—you can be the other half. Equally important, you’re saving precious resources: All of The Little Pearl’s caviar is sustainably fished or farmed. Read the full review in THE NIBBLE online magazine. You can also read more about our favorite Seafood and Caviar. |
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