seafood

[blueschef]

What type of clams are you using?
Fresh chopped?
Strips?
Frozen?
Canned?

I use fresh chopped and add them at the end and just bring the pot to heat (not boil) all the way through and Never had a problem.

[cinabun]

I am using canned. I am in the midwest and don't have a fresh seafood shop readily availible. I have tried the minced thinking that smaller would be better, but no luck.

[panini]

cinabun,
Have you checked to see if the clams are not already tough in the can to start? We have a few different brands here. Some are usable and some not. Also, remember that you are recooking the clams, most are cooked already. So like Blue, you may want to treat them more as a garnish than an ingredient.

[cinabun]

Well, most likely they are. I actually have not tried them ahead of time but I will next time. Doesn't using them as a garnish defeat the purpose of "Clam chowder"? I see the reasoning, but I want them IN it.

Is there no solution to this problem?
I apprreaciate the suggestions Is there anything else I could do?

[panini]

cinabun
Garnish was the wrong word. Like blue said add them when your heating and cooking process is finished. They are like shrimp. If you actually cook them in the broth they will curl and the clams are probably getting tough.
You should be able to find bottles of clam juice next to the clames. Drain your clams and add the bottled juice to to prepare your stock. There is also nothing wrong with using different seafood scraps. Like shrimp heads and stuff.
There is always a solution for every oportunity with foods.
Also, if you post your question as a new thread in a forum you will have hundreds of readers with suggestions..
HTH Panini

[cinabun]

thanks I'll try that!!

[MikeLM]

Tom-
I haven't run into the "corn flour" product. What is it? Is it just very finely ground cornmeal - similar or identical to masa - or what?

A Google search led me to the Bob's Red Mill site, where it is listed as a product, but without much description.

I can get most of his stuff at Whole Foods.

We spent a month in an RV park around Melbourne Beach, FL a few years ago, and found a restaurant that offered Grouper Cheeks (or was it Grouper Fingers?) - fried of course - that was some of the best seafood I've ever eaten.

Dang near as good as Dungeness crab, for seafood.

(Not that you fry Dungeness crab, of course.) Boiled, or even better, parboiled, thoroughly cracked, infused with an olive oil-cayenne-garlic slurry, and grilled with robust smoke.

Mike

[shroomgirl]

corn flour is a fine grind as fine as AP flour. I've got some Bob's Red mill and glorious oysters....now to find the right bread quickly!!!!

I walked in to an interesting scenerio Sat., a proficient home cook was making gumbo for 50 and measuring ingredients.....but the weirdest thing was he preboiled his shrimp for the gumbo. Um ok, guess those babies are going to be thoroughly cooked (killed).

Fat Tuesday is Tomorrow.....I'm athinkin' oysters bienville in fillo cups, as well as rockerfeller.....crawfish pie or ?.....found some andouille in the back of the freezer (as well as some 2" loin lamb chops......jiminy gotta go through it more often!)....possibly bananas foster......seafood salad with remoulade sounds pretty good too! Any of you got plans?

[blueschef]

I am making Jambalaya, bread pudding with white chocolate cream anglaise, Oyster po-boy and meat pies (so far), going out to party and see some folks. I have lots of beeds to give away!

[shroomgirl]

I've got the original Laysonne's meatpie recipe.....oh man that guy could make meatpies.

[gonefishin]

Thanks for the threads guys and gals...I've got me a taste for some Clam Chowder!

Thanks!

dan

[gonefishin]

Originally Posted by blueschef

I saw a prior fourm with seafood was deleted, it might be cool to start something for the non pros to read. I get lots of seafood questions regarding cooking, buying and finding some seafood. Seafood can be trickey to cook and there might be some culinary ideas / tricks to help the pros. Anyone gettin warm fuzzies over this?
Tom

It would certainly be nice to have a fresh seafood/fish market near my house...but I don't

Have you got any advice when buying frozen seafood?

Would a local butcher do? or could you do better buy buying online? If so...any suggestions?

thanks,

dan

[panini]

I have definately started reading all labels on seafood in the past few years..
A lot of farm raised seafood from Asia is not something I would like to consume. I have seen documentaries about farming in poluted waters.
I am 4 hrs. from the Gulf of Mexico and won't find one shrimp from there in Groceries,Sams,etc.
I am fortunate to have a great fish monger nearby,but that does eliminate the craving on a Sunday night

[blueschef]

Sorry, I started this thread and have not been posting here to much. If you use Sysco tell them you want to special order Corn Flour (they sell it in the Louisania area). I had to bust there chops to get me a bag (50 pounds) but they fianally got it for me. It is a cool secret ingredent to do lots of Breaded stuff!
Grouper cheeks! they are amazing (as is lots of cheeks - Halabut, Cod, Veal, Beef, Pork, Cherryl Crow (opps did I say that)
They are getting very hard to come by because there are fewer and fewer good size fish (the best grouper is the black or nassau - I stay away from the strawberry and others they are to mushey and not like real grouper).

Shroom I would like to see that recipe. espically the dough!

I would say the same as Panini, read the lables and get as little additives as possible. I also agree about some of the asian products (god I HATE Tiger Shrimp, they truely suck, I HATE even more when so called Chefs tout them on a menu as if they are so great - I will have the Chalk Scampi please).

Dan, I would try to contact a local Seafood wholesaler and show up there with a case of good beer, a smile and a desire for some information.

[shroomgirl]

last night I went to Cask and Cod, saw the worlds largest fryer (no kidding)....it was as big as a good size commercial grill took 140# of oil.

The homemade ketchup and tartar sauce were spectacular....the fish and chips were greasy and not up to their normal standard.

Met a chef from Iceland who flew over for this event.......

I did get to make the oyster poboy, added shrimptoo.....good to feed the jones.

I'll dig through and see if I can locate it.....