Seafood Basics
Fishin’ Around
As a person who has lived in Roorkee for 5 years, I realized the importance of good quality seafood that I would take for granted in Pondi and Bombay. Being one of the primary sources of proteins for most of the people in the world with significant health benefits like anti-inflammatory properties (because of the presence of Omega-3 acids, life-saving stuff), I insist people on incorporating more seafood in their diet.
Firstly, there’s a misconception of ‘fresh’ fish being better than frozen fish as all seafood are (or should be) frozen as soon as they are caught. Leaving them in the open allows for bacterial growth, whereas keeping them in a cold environment as soon as they are caught and gutted kills harmful microorganisms. This process is important for meats that are meant to be eaten raw, like sushi and sashimi, which is all about the ‘fresh’ fish flavour (Sushi and sashimi is my favourite way of consuming seafood by a mile). In India, the process of curing the fish isn’t taken as seriously as most fish are either fried or grilled and not consumed raw, so bacteria and other microorganisms are killed in the heating process.
There are so many flavours to be discovered, from squids and uni to shelled clams and oysters, each having their inherent ‘seafood’ smell and subtle to drastic variations in taste and ‘umaminess’, a sense of taste that comes because of the amino acid glutamate (present in MSG as well, hence we love it). I have always felt that light flavours go well with seafood, and the use of too many masalas is an overkill. I do enjoy a fried fish that’s been marinated in a good combination of masalas, but I prefer the subtle tastes given by the use of a few herbs and butter.
Anyway, we’ll get to all of them.
Firstly, consume seafood the day you buy it. Avoid thawing and re-freezing.
I prefer using white pepper( milder tone) with white meats like seafood and black pepper with red meats. It’s not necessary for you to do so, but using freshly ground pepper is a must. When it comes to herbs, I prefer using milder flavours like sage, dill, and sweet basil, refraining from herbs like rosemary that would suit red meats (Don’t hesitate in experimenting with all herbs). Also, you don’t have to empty your wallet on pomfrets and surmai all the time. Fishes like Rohu,Rawas, and Bombay duck are inexpensive and taste great when cooked right.
In Indian dishes, say fried fish, seasoning the fish with salt and lemon is the primary step for marination. Tamarind juice is used as a substitute for lemon in many dishes in South India. Acidity, from lemon or tamarind, helps break down bones and protein bonds for a faster-marinating process (don’t leave the marination for too long, anywhere between 30mins to a few hours will suffice). An overnight marination would not require the use of an acidic marinade, but if you like the flavour of lemon and want a lemony kick you can add in the zest. Enzymatic marinades, on the other hand, work by breaking down the muscle fibre and connective tissue (collagen). Kiwi, papaya, raw pineapple, honeydew melon, and figs all contain protein enzymes (proteases) and can be used for longer marinations. Again, there’s no need for extensive marination.
The quickest fried fish recipe that I’ve seen is fish marinated in salt, tamarind juice (hint of sweetness when cooked), chilli powder(sharp notes, spice), coriander powder(base notes, moderately spiced) allowed to marinate under sunlight till dry (when salt is added to meats, it draws out moisture), and then deep-fried. My Grandmother makes her fried fish by marinating the meat in turmeric powder, chopped tomatoes, and sambhar powder(acidity coming from the tomatoes helps in marination).
North India goes for the typical butter chicken marination, using lemon, ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric, and other spices if need be. Chettinad fish fry relies on tamarind juice, green chillies and lots of pepper. In the end, there’s not a lot that can go wrong with marinating your fish and frying/grilling them with hot oil. Just remember- salt+acid+spice mix.
Prawns are more delicate and can use similar fish recipes, but I prefer grilling them as they can easily overcook when fried. Prawns love garlic and butter- butter garlic prawns being one of the easiest and popular dishes in India with subtle spice variations in different regions.
When it comes to crabs and lobsters, getting the meat out from the shell is tricky. Most households here end up making crab gravies(spicy masalas and coconut cooked on low flame) and crab soups without removing the shell, and manually remove the shell as they eat. Both are fine, although cooking with shell off reduces the cooking time.
Crabs, scallops, and lobster love butter. I cannot emphasize on that. Seriously, when you think you’ve added enough butter, just add another spoon of it. Garlic goes well, as once cooked it gives a sweet taste. Pepper, garlic, lemon, butter, herbs are what you need for a simple but delicious crab/lobster dish. You can add in some spaghetti in the end to make amazing seafood pasta (shrimp scampi, linguine)
The same butter sauce recipes go well with oysters, clams and mussels. It is important to use them only if their shell is sealed tight, and cooked till the shell opens up nicely. Cooking oysters, clams, mussels that have their shells opened is a bad idea as they’re probably old.
Finally, the image of the prawns on the blue plate is a honey garlic prawn dish. The recipe is as follows:
- 100gm deveined prawns, shell removed
- 1tbsp good quality honey (don’t even think of dabur)
- 0.5tbsp soy sauce
- 0.5tbsp oyster/fish sauce (optional), *umami overload* woohooo
- minced garlic, ginger
- 1tbsp raw mango, diced
- few leaves of sage
- lots of butter
Method- Mix the honey, sauces, garlic&ginger, mango in a bowl. Use half of this marination to coat the prawns and leave the rest aside. Marinate for at least 20 minutes.
Now, in a pan, add butter, sage, and prawns. Let the prawns gain colour(from white to pinkish-red), and then add the remaining marination. Add more butter, the sauce should coat the prawns and smell rich. Garnish.
PS: Thank you for reading this article and I hope you liked it. I love exploring new recipes and knowing that a lot of traditional Indian knowledge on cooking is dying out is heartbreaking. I encourage you to talk to your grandparents and learn more about their cuisine (most of you already do), and learn it! You don’t want these recipes to die out with them now, do you?
If there’s something you’d like to share, do dm me or leave a comment here :)
