The Chef Shares These Techniques for Cooking Seafood - He Doesn't Easily Tell Others
Seafood is not eaten much, mainly because it is expensive! Seafood is occasionally bought, although the cooking process of seafood is not difficult, but a lot of seasonings are used. If it's not delicious, it's a waste of money. Technology is key.
1Don't soak for more than 15 seconds
Seafood generally needs to be blanched for no more than 15 seconds, firstly to remove mud and sand, secondly to save time for the next step of cooking. However, soaking time must not be too long, especially for shellfish. The correct operation method is: when the water in the pot boils, put the small seafood into the pot, blanch for 15 seconds, and then take it out and drain it. At this time, the shellfish are usually in a semi-open and semi-closed state, so you can peel and cut the meat for the next step of cooking.
Blanched seafood is suitable for secondary cooking methods such as stir-frying, baking, and steaming. However, the cooking time should not be too long, and quick seasoning and maturity are beneficial for preserving the original flavor of the ingredients.
3The most tender seafood is 80% cooked
Small seafood has a very delicate and tender texture, so when cooking, it should not be overcooked. It is most appropriate to cook it to 80% or no more than 90%. Especially when a lot of seasonings are added, the seasonings will affect the protein of the meat, and overcooking will make the meat hard, tough, and firm.
4Seafood cannot be deep-fried
Deep-frying will severely damage the meat fiber. Delicate seafood ingredients are most taboo to deep-fry, otherwise they will become old and hard, which is not palatable.
5Seafood loves olive oil
Seafood is not compatible with all types of oil. Cooking seafood with strong-smelling oils such as peanut oil and rapeseed oil will make it too greasy. Soybean oil also has a bean-flavored aroma, which is not suitable for cooking seafood. Clear and translucent olive oil is the most suitable for small seafood.
6Make your own scallion oil instead of sesame oil
Using a homemade scallion oil instead of sesame oil can enhance the aroma of seafood dishes. The specific method is: pour 5 kilograms of olive oil into the pot, add 1500 grams of chopped coriander and 1500 grams of chopped scallion, and slowly simmer over low heat until the coriander and scallion are cooked and fragrant. When cooking seafood dishes, drizzle the scallion oil into the dish at the end of cooking or before serving. The fragrance is rich and the seafood is more fresh.
7Salt is not the only thing that can produce savory flavor
Experienced chefs will cut dried wood ears, pickled vegetables, and winter shoots into small pieces and steam them with seafood. This not only adds saltiness but also adds flavor to the dish.
8Vinegar is the enemy of seafood
Why is this the case? Because vinegar will make seafood harden and become tough when cooked with seafood for a long time. Moreover, the strong de-odorizing power of vinegar will completely remove the freshness of the seafood if cooked for too long. Our method is: put all the seasonings into the pot and cook normally, only add vinegar at the end, do not let the vinegar soak in the ingredients for too long, and then immediately serve, at this time the guests will taste the dish with both acidity and the freshness of the seafood.
