Ranging from a common staple of local cuisine to a popular luxury depending on where you go, the wide range of shellfish out there adds an extensive selection of flavors, textures, and recipe possibilities. Whether you’re looking to expand your palette, improve your cooking skills with new options or you’re putting together a themed menu, finding the right shellfish can help you enjoy the diversity that’s out there. Here, we’re going to look at some of those options.
Oysters
Known as a delicacy when served fresh, the culinary world of oysters is a complex one, with different regions bringing very different tastes to the menu, with some being more crisp and others more creamy and briny. Oysters can be eaten raw, often as a starter, or can be grilled with garlic butter, and served with bread or potatoes. If serving raw oysters, it’s a good idea to have seasonings available, like mignonette sauce, lemon juice, or hot sauce.
Crabs
Sweet, succulent, and incredibly tender, crabs are treasured on plates across the world. There is a very wide range of species available, so it’s important to choose the one that best fits the taste profiles you’re looking to serve. For instance, when choosing between red king crab vs golden king crab, it’s a choice between a sweet, savory flavor with a firmer texture or a milder but softer and chewier texture. Crab works well when served with melted butter or other dipping sauces, or a simple dressing.
Shrimp and Prawns
An easy crowd-pleaser and a party food favorite on all kinds of occasions, there are many different types of these. Larger prawns, for instance, can make an excellent main for all kinds of meals when steamed or fried, while shrimp can work excellently as the meat constituent of seafood pasta, for instance. If you’re offering a platter of shrimp or prawns for dipping, there are a host of options like cocktail sauce, tartare sauce, or sweet chili.
Lobsters
Much like crab, lobsters are well known for their rich taste and chewy texture but are often more closely associated with luxury dining experiences. They’re often served open and ready to eat, with drawn butter to add to their sweetness. However, they can also be grilled and served as lobster tails, claws, and the rest of their meat used for dishes like lobster rolls.
Mussels, Clams, and Scallops
Some of the more subtle flavors available in the world of seafood, each add their flavors to a dish. Mussels have a slightly saltier and more mildly sweet taste and are often enriched with white wine and garlic. Clams can be steamed or baked, with a slight tang to their taste and a much chewier texture. Meanwhile, scallops are sweeter and smoother and are best seared on a pan and served on a plate as an accompaniment to a salad.
Of course, for all of the shellfish above, there is a plethora of different ways to prepare, serve, and accompany them. These rich and delicious ingredients can fit meals of all types.