Seafood items have mixed receptions towards them. Seafood is generally disliked for a number of reasons but they are one of the best tasting and expensive ones around. Seafood generally ranges up to fish, crustaceans, octopuses, and anything that is caught in the sea or water. Perhaps one other reason that seafood isn’t pretty much a hot seller is that some people are allergic to them which is true in some cases. Never the fewer seafood dishes have different interpretations around the world. Their taste contributes to their fame and it’s hard to imagine a world without seafood items. Seafood generally relates to underwater creatures but how they are cooked and presented differs internationally.
1. Shrimp / Prawn Cocktails
The shrimp or prawn cocktails are renowned as one of the best party or finger foods around. They are usually boiled or steamed and peeled off of their shells and skin. The way they are presented is usually piled up or hanging on a martini glass. There are a few variations when serving the cocktail. One way is to stuff the glass or container with a sauce and several spices.
The typical cocktail sauce includes either mayonnaise or ketchup. There are some that present this with shaved ice inside the glass and top it with a special sauce other than the above mentioned. The purpose of the cocktail was portability and the satisfaction of a light appetizer in the process.
2. Steamed / Poached Lobster
The lobster is considered to be one of the most expensive dishes around and for good reasons. One of the reasons is that the lobster has a very exquisite taste and it makes up for the expensive price. The other reason is that lobsters are commercially packaged and raised due to the somewhat rarity of their nature. One of the most expensive types of lobster is the Maine lobster from America which can cost a fortune in one dinner setting. The steamed and poached lobster seems to be the most popular one and is abundant in Western Cultures.
Eating a whole lobster can be a challenge considering that you have to break the shell and harvest the meat yourself but the flavor makes up for it. The lobster truly is one of the most high-end dishes around seafood or otherwise.
3. Fish and Chips
The fish and chips hail from European countries like the UK, Ireland and so much more. The dish is made of two components and one being the fish. The fish normally used would be either a cod or a haddock. The fish are marinated then dipped in a special batter then deep-fried for a couple of minutes. When they are golden brown or to a desired colored and cooking temperature they’ll be ready for consumption.
The other component is the chips which are cut potatoes that look like French fries. The thing is that Europeans call them chips while in the US they’re called fries. The chips on the European side on the other hand are called crisps. Then it is served with a basic tartar sauce and you have an ideal snack or lunch.
4. Sushi
Sushi is one of the high ranking dishes in the seafood world. They are raw slices of fish or any other type of seafood. The common sushi is called the tuna nigiri where a slice of raw tuna is placed on top of a neatly rolled piece of sushi rice. The inside is smothered with a bit of wasabi for a little extra heat but not too much that it becomes inedible for other people. Then again dips like wasabi and soy sauce are available in case the taste is too bland for your taste.
The other type of sushi is called the sushi roll where the rice is wrapped around a seaweed wrap. The seaweed wrap is the black thing that covers the rice and the contents inside. The inside of the rice is filled with raw slices of fish, avocado, and other vegetables or spices.
5. Paella
The paella originates from Spain specifically in the regions of Valencia. Paella is basically a large dish composed of various ingredients and one of them is rice. The rice serves as the base of the dish and is usually cooked first to simulate a boiling and cooking stage then the other ingredients are cooked and sautéed at a different cooking vessel. The other primary ingredients would include various seafood, vegetables, and spices. There are variations of paellas that use meat like pork or chicken but the seafood type is more on the traditional aspect. Once the rice has cooked but not really all the way it will be time to mix the ingredients in its pot.
The usual ingredients would be pieces of fish, crab meat, vegetables, and others. Then the sauce is applied along with other preferred spices like paprika or chili. Then once the dish is cooked it will be topped off with other seafood like shells, mussels, langoustines, and many more. The dish is big enough to feed a lot of people.
Seafood dishes have various representations all over the world. There are those that aren’t well known but their taste and flavors back up their representation. Seafood dishes have a taste that is unique to them.