The Food Glossary, Part II: Seafood

Clam

Often refers to hard clam/quahog (KWAW-hog) and can be served raw or in chowder.  Soft-shell clams can be steamed and dipped in butter.  A common dish, clams casino, consists of baked breaded clams served on the half-shell with bacon.  Shells are usually rounded or oval.

(Photo via Wikipedia)

Mussel

Shells are elongated, asymmetrical, and dark blue or black.  The strong filament that the mussel uses to secure itself in the sand is called the byssus or “beard,” and it gets removed before food preparation.  The Belgian/Dutch/French dish of moules frites consists of mussels and french fries.  Live mussels should shut tightly when disturbed.

(Photo via Flickr)

Oyster

Oysters are healthiest when eaten raw on the half-shell, although Gulf Coast oysters can contain harmful bacteria. East Coast oysters tend to be mild, briny, and salty, whereas West Coast oysters tend to be creamy and sweet. Raw oysters can be served with lemon juice, cocktail sauce, and hot sauce. To eat them, use the cocktail fork to make sure the oyster is detached. Then, you can pick up the shell with your hand and slurp the oyster from the wide end. You can leave the empty shell face up or face down in the ice.

Scallop

The white, meaty adductor muscle that is considered the edible “scallop” is often sauteed in butter or breaded and deep-fried.

Squid

Often marketed in English-speaking countries as calamari, the Italian word. Squid can be stuffed whole, sliced into flat pieces, or cut into rings.

(Photo via Wikipedia)

Crab

Some species are eaten whole, including the shell (soft-shell crab), but typically only the claws and legs of others are eaten.  Claws are meatier than legs, but also require more effort to crack open. For the more adventurous eaters, legs can be cracked open by simply snapping them in half down the middle or by using a fork to pry it open.

When using a fork, one prong is wedged inside the shell as the fork slides down along the leg, tearing the shell open. Metal shell crackers are often used to open the shells of the legs and claws if the shell is too hard to open by hand.  Crab meat can be mixed with flour and other ingredients to form crab cake, and crab can flavor bisque, a thick French soup. 

Lobster

Common recipes include Lobster Newberg, which contains butter, cream, and other ingredients; Lobster Thermidor, a creamy mixture of lobster meat stuffed into the shell; bisque; and lobster roll, a sandwich filled with lobster meat.  Scampi is a type of lobster, but the name oftenrefers to a preparation in garlic butter and dry white wine.

Whole lobsters are often boiled or steamed (seven minutes for the first pound and three minutes per additional pound), and the meat can be dipped in clarified butter. Eating whole lobsters can be tricky for first timers. The key is knowing which part of the lobster to open first.

Crayfish/Crawfish

Resembles a small lobster.  Only the tail portion is served in most prepared dishes such as Cajun etouffee (ay-too-FAY), which is shellfish served over rice.  Mushy tail meat should be avoided.  Louisiana provides 98 percent of the U.S. supply.

Shrimp/Prawn

While prawn refers to freshwater and shrimp refers to marine, commercially, the two terms are roughly interchangeable.  Preparation involves removing the head, shell, and “sand vein” (actually the digestive tract).  Hold the tail while peeling off the shell and then remove the tail or leave it on for presentation.  To devein the shrimp, make a shallow cut lengthwise along the outer curve of the shrimp and use a pointed utensil to remove the vein.