Making Better Seafood At Your House
Seafood is a popular choice among those who enjoy eating out. However, when you try to recreate seafood meals at home, you may wonder why your creations aren't as tasty as your favorite seafood restaurant. Here are four seafood cooking tips that will help your own dishes to be better.
Use High-Quality Seafood
The first thing that will improve the seafood you cook at home is to start with high-quality shrimp, fish, clams, and other items. That means bypassing the freezer at your grocery store and heading to the seafood counter or going to a local fish market or fishmonger. You should ask questions about the source of the seafood you want to buy and find out the date when it was caught. If possible, you want to be sure that you're using the freshest pieces available to you. Fresh seafood should not have that stereotypical "fish" smell; if something smells "fishy," it may not be that fresh.
Heat the Pan Before Adding the Fish
If you're trying to cook a fish fillet, it's important that you wait until you've got a hot, oiled pan before dropping your fish in. If you don't take the time to heat the oil and get the pan nice and hot, you run the risk of overcooking your fish. A nice hot pan will give you a crisp outer layer and a tender interior.
Flatten the Fish
Another thing to remember when cooking fish is to use a spatula to push the fish down when the edges start to curl up. If you see curling edges, that means that the fish is not cooking evenly; pushing it down will help the entire fillet to cook.
Explore Seasonings
One of the most common reasons that people can't recreate many restaurant dishes is that the chefs use their own blend of different spices to create unforgettable flavors. While you may not be able to copy those dishes exactly, it's a good idea to go beyond salt and pepper and start exploring different spices and herbs to see what your family likes. You can start with paprika and basil, but even ginger, cinnamon, and other spices can give your seafood unique flavors that everyone likes.
With all these ideas, you should find that the seafood you cook for your own family tastes better and is a hit with everyone. To get more ideas about the flavors and dishes you can create, check out local seafood restaurants in the area.
