Food Adventures in summer - Safe Seafood

Summer can be so often associated with seafood. Maybe it’s because of the time we spend on the beach or at the lake, or may be the light feeling that fish gives us after we eat some, that seafood becomes a favorite with many as summer approaches. Heavy meats and even chicken are passed up for fish, which is light and healthy. Grilled, steamed or poached, fish is also healthy for the heart. Packed with omega-3 fatty acids, seafood does not have a lot of saturated fats and is a superb source of protein. 

Seafood Safety Tips:

• Since it can get very hot in summer and food can spoil easily, shop for seafood (if you aren’t fishing) the last, when you’re done with all your chores.

• If your home is quite some distance from the store, carry cooler or cooler bags to stow the seafood in. You can even pack in dairy products and eggs in this cooler.

• If you want to cook a pack of frozen seafood, then thaw it in the fridge, under cold water or in the microwave. Please do not leave it on the counter on a hot day to thaw.

• Keep raw seafood away from other raw foods to prevent contamination.

• Wash raw seafood before cooking, however clean the fish look.

• If you’ve cut fish or any other raw seafood, then wash the kitchen counter, the knives and the chopping board in hot water with disinfectant, to prevent contamination.

Cooking Seafood

You can have a lot of cooking adventures grilling seafood in interesting ways.

• Planning to cook fish fillet? If these are an inch thick, then grill them directly on the charcoal; if more than that, then cook them to the side of the charcoal. The centre will be cooked perfectly this way.

• Seafood is delicate and you can use indirect grilling to cook. When you are doing so, make sure that you do not keep looking in as this will release the heat.

• Before you begin browning seafood in a pan, make sure to pat the seafood with a paper towel as otherwise, the wet surface may not brown properly.

• Brush some oil on the seafood before you begin grilling as this will prevent it from sticking to the pan and will brown well.