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Mollusks and shellfish
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The bounteous seas that surround the Italian peninsula constitute a constant invitation to people who enjoy good food. At any time of the year it is possible to purchase a wide variety of mollusks and shellfish that can be used to create tasty dishes for any occasion. These could range from important dinners featuring different varieties of lobster, to informal get-togethers with friends over a piping-hot plate of Spaghetti with clam sauce.
Here are a few simple hints regarding the cleaning and preparation of mollusks and shellfish. |
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A good way to start familiarizing yourself with mollusks is to get acquainted with clams, mussels and sea snails.
These items should always be purchased fresh and eaten shortly thereafter, without keeping them in the refrigerator too long. The only real problem you may encounter is that of sand inside the clam shells. The remedy, however, is simple. All you have to do is leave them in lightly salted water for a few hours and then rinse them thoroughly before cooking them.
You should cook them in a large pot over a lively flame, making sure to pour a glass of white wine over the clams before you cover them with the lid and wait for them to open (indicating they are done). Garlic and parsley provide a nice touch, but make sure you don't go overboard.
It's a good idea to clean the mussels with a metal brush before beginning the same procedure you used for the clams. The only thing different is that, in the case of the mussels, you remove with your fingers the little "peduncle" that the mollusk uses to attach itself to its underwater support in the sea. Their removal is a simple and quick operation. When it comes to sea snails they should be left to expel their waste for several hours in running water, after which, without further ado, they can be cooked in a tomato sauce.
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The problem of sand is a little trickier when it comes to scallops, which are often full of undesired miniscule pebbles. Given the large size of the shell, there's simply no way around it, you have to roll up your sleeves and wash them, one by one, removing all the sand that tends to deposit under the mollusk. In the case of razor clams, you often have to remove a sort of translucent "sack" in which the sand tends to accumulate, holding the clam the whole time under running water.
Once they have been carefully washed, the scallops are put back into their lovely shells so they will look their very best when served at the table.
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CUTTLEFISH, SQUID AND CALAMARI |
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Having come to the end of the section on mollusks with shells, we now come to another, no less delectable, group, the tantalizing triad composed of cuttlefish, squid and calamari. This combination serves as the "raw ingredients" for a number of first courses, stewed and fried dishes, as well as baked preparations.
Here, as well, you will have to muster a bit of extra patience because it is necessary to clean them all under running water and pay special attention to a few important things. The cuttlefish, for example, are endowed with a little vesicle in which they store their famous ink, which serves as a defense mechanism for this timid sea creature. This tiny sack should be carefully removed so you don't get any on the rest of the cuttlefish, which would lose its delicate white color during cooking. Once you have performed this simple operation, for heaven's sake do not throw the ink away because it can be used for adding dramatic color and flavor to a special Spaghetti dish, a real seafood classic.
In the case of the calamari, if you want to bread them with breadcrumbs and various herbs, you have to be extremely careful not to tear the tender body tissue when washing them, while, needless to say, at the same time making sure you remove all the gritty sand.
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SCAMPI, SHRIMP AND PRAWNS |
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Shellfish are considered the kings of fine cuisine due to the exquisite flavor of their succulent meat. And this is not their only virtue, they are also extremely easy to prepare.
All you have to do is rinse them off under the tap and toss them into a pot of boiling water. From here they will emerge in just a few minutes perfectly cooked and ready for any dish you desire, whether it be a scampi salad, a creamy shrimp sauce or something more exotic.
Otherwise, you can add them raw to a hearty fish soup or sauté them in sizzling butter for a few moments before dousing them with liqueur and serving them flambé.
Basically, there's only one rule here: when their shell changes color due to the heat, taking on that characteristic lobster-red hue, the shellfish is ready to be eaten. And remember, like it or not, according to tradition all the members of the shellfish family, including crab and lobster, should be placed into boiling water while still very much alive.
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Let's conclude our survey of mollusks and shellfish with the mantis prawn, that peerless protagonist of delectable sauces and cold antipasto dishes.
In order to allow your guests to maximize their enjoyment of the mantis prawn, we suggest that you prepare it by "opening it up" with a pair of scissors before serving. Then remove the shell from the upper part of the abdomen section in order to reveal the tender meat below.
By the same token, it may be a good idea to cut off the numerous legs of this denizen of the deep before cooking it. Indeed, people often prefer to remove the entire head and thorax (cephalothorax) segment as well, leaving - apart from the meat - only the decorative tale with its hallmark false eyes.
Of all the thousands of shellfish and mollusk recipes available, we would like to recommend Bavette with Genoese pesto, enhanced by the flavor of scallops and shrimp, and Fusilli with prawn tails and spinach, for a dish with a delicate, irresistible flavor. But we encourage everyone to try shellfish and mollusks in the plainest, simplest way possible, with just a dribble of extra-virgin olive oil and a few drops of fresh lemon juice. Often well-intentioned sauces and fancy preparations only succeed in covering up the unique flavor of these classic ingredients of Italian cuisine.
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