One of the best courses to serve during summer is smoked seafood. For a light yet delicious meal, consider an appetizer of smoked oysters to start. These tasty treats can be bought in most markets as well as chosen farms that specially breed them to sell. If you are lucky enough to live by a port or in a town near the ocean, you will probably find oysters easily. Some may need to venture further away, but the trip will be worth it.
Smoked seafood treats can be enjoyed year around. Don't let the small fact that Summer is over stop you from enjoying the delicious, smoky flavors of smoked seafood all year around. Truly when you get right down to it, smoked seafood is a year around treat. Throwing a social event in the fall and winter months is always a good idea. Spice up the level of entertainment by including a few smoked seafood treats.
Smoked seafood also includes clams, smoked scallops and mussels. Farm-raised cultured mussels are fresh and readily available. Wild varieties are equally delicious. Clams are a very popular addition to pasta dishes. Hard clams, also called quahogs, live in sandy coves and can be caught when the tide is low. A great dish to enjoy with butter and garlic is stuffed quahogs. And, of course, there is always clam chowder!
Scallops are meatier than clams and require very little preparation. Sea scallops are delightfully large, though must be shucked (removed from their shells) almost immediately after capture to ensure they don't lose moisture and die. It is important not to overcook smoked scallops, or you will end up with a chewy, inedible morsel.
Their meat is usually an orange color and they are full of protein. As with clams, mussels taste great smoked and should remain encased in their shell until cooked. Mussels have blue-black shells and brown hairs called byssal threads attached to their shell.
More smoked seafood includes smoked crab and smoked shrimp. Crab is maybe the most popular shellfish and is widely bought and eaten. The crabbing industry is a multi-million dollar one. While eating crab can be messy and often difficult, special tools have been created to make cracking crab easier. Once you get down to the meaty goodness of crab legs, you will want to make this smoked seafood part of your diet everyday.
Shrimp can be added to any meal and is a great variation in burritos, tacos, pasta dishes and more. Smoked shrimp spices up stews and soups. It adds a Cajun flavor to classic Creole dishes such as Jambalaya and gumbo. Whatever way you choose to serve, it, shrimp cooked in this manner will make any meal one to remember.
When all other food choices have been exhausted, there is always smoked seafood. Not only is this an under utilized seafood dish, it is also extremely tasty. Serving smoked seafood will certainly liven up any social event you either throw or attend. Surprise everyone by showing up with a serving dish full of different types of smoked seafood.
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The king of seafood is the live lobsters, and to ensure you're getting the freshest, order it online. Accompany your healthy meal with lobster clambake. To order ocean-themed meals please visit Quality Fresh Seafood.
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