How Shell I Eat Thee?
There are few things more pleasurable in life than tasting the succulent taste of fresh seafood. When it comes to tucking into that platter of chili crab, half the fun comes from removing the meat from the shell. That is, if you know how to do it properly, which means extracting the maximum amount of flesh gracefully with minimum mess involved.
Lobster
The first thing you do is to remove the large claws from the lobster’s body, which can be done with a firm twist. Once the claw has been severed from the main body, use a nutcracker to open the claw. Remove the meat with chopstick, lobster fork or even your fingers if you want.
To get the flesh out from the lobster’s tail, first you have to break the tail away. Sometimes the tail has been split, so the meat can be removed easily. Otherwise, remove the little flaps and use a pick to push the flesh out. Cut the meat with knife and fork, dip, and eat.
You can extract the flesh from the legs by simply twisting the limbs off the body and sucking the meat out. If your lobster is served hot, dip the extracted flesh in some melted butter to bring out its full flavour. Slather some mayonnaise if served cold.
Besides the lobster flesh, the male lobster’s tomalley, or the green liver, and the roe of the female lobster also can be eaten. Once you are done, place the empty shells in a separate plate or bowl so it can be cleared by the waiter/waitress.
Crabs
When it comes to local cuisine, chili and pepper crabs must surely rank as one of the top choice for many a foodie. Most restaurants now serve their crabs halved or quartered, but it still takes some skills to extract the juicy white meat from within the claws.
To remove the leg, break it away from the body, and crack the upper portion with a nutcracker or small mallet, usually provided by the restaurant. Use a seafood fork, chopstick or pick to scrape the meat out.
To remove the flesh from the crab’s claws, the most succulent part of the crab, place the claw securely between the jaws of the nutcracker. Apply gentle pressure until you hear the resounding crack. There is no need to break the shell completely. A deep fissure of two in the claw is enough for you to pry open the claw with your bare hands and remove the fleshy and juicy white meat within.
To extract the roe from the main body, simply turn the shell on its back and remove it with your chopstick or fork. Mop up the thick sauce with the bread buns or man tou, which comes with the dish.
Mussels
Mussels are usually served in their shells, either steamed, baked, or immersed in a robustly flavoured seafood stew. The cooking process opens up the shells to reveal the plump, orange-hued flesh within. Simply spear the meat with a seafood fork to remove it from the shell.
It will separate easily if the mussels has been cooked thoroughly. Add some lemon juice or Tabasco sauce before popping this nautical morsel in your mouth whole.
Oysters
Oysters and clams are usually served raw on a half-shell and reclining on a bed of ice with lemon wedges. Use the cocktail fork to spear the soft flesh rather than slurping the entire contents of the shell into your mouth if you are dining in a five-star restaurant. Of course, this is perfectly fine if you are in a more casual eatery. Eat this delightful delicacy in one bite, but not before adding a dash of savoury sauce and a spritz of juice from a fresh lemon wedge.
Snails
Snails are commonly served with a pair of snail tongs, gripping the hot shell so you can easily extract the meat whole with a cocktail fork. If tongs are not provided, use the edge of your napkin to grip the hot shell. When the shell has cooled a bit, you can lift it in your hand and tilt it into your mouth.
The snails are usually seasoned with garlic and herb butter dressing, but you can still spice it up with a light spritz of lemon juice.
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(Probably) related entries:
Se Ra Bel Korean Restaurant
Premier Thai Traditions Restaurant
Comments
Trackback from Nautical Star
Time: September 9, 2006, 9:58 pm
Dave…
Interesting topic… I’m working in this industry myself and I don’t agree about this in 100%, but I added your page to my bookmarks and hope to see more interesting articles in the future…
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