Hotel Mopan - RECIPE BOOK - Seafood Recipes

WELCOME TO THE SEAFOOD PAGES OF THE RECIPE BOOK.

Here is some vital information about fish that you may find very useful.
Read on and click onto the recipes whenever you are ready.

As a food, fish has much to recommend it. Perhaps today the greatest attraction is the fact that it is not fattening, although its chief food materials are protein and fat. It is a body-building food and is so easily digested that even invalids and babies can eat it. Of course the white, non-oily fish are the most suitable for the latter. The course fibers of shell-fish make them more difficult to digest. As does also the salting process of salt fish. Another point in favour of fish as a food is that, although it is cooked until it is well done, it takes far less time than meat.

Fish can be divided into three groups:

1. Fish with dar, oily flesh.
2. Fish with white flesh.
3. Shell-Fish

Dark and Oily		White Flesh		Shell-Fish
Mullet Tarpon Shad Jack		Barracuda Grouper Snapper Kingfish Grunt Red Fish		Conch Crab Crayfish Lobster Shrimp Turtle

Each of these groups is rich in animal protein or complete protein and can take the place of meat in meals. It has in fact one advantage over meat, since weight for weight, fish has a lower calorific value. Shell-fish provides more satisfaction with fewer calories than almost any other food. This is why fish is body-building but non-fattening.

There is little difference in the protein content of the various fish, but there is a great difference in the fat content. The dark colour of oily fish is due ot the presence between the fibres of oil, rich in vitamins A and D. In white fish, the oil is stored in the liver which is thrown away when the fish is gutted.

Fish supplies the body with vitamins A, B and D and excellent in protein. Fish of which the bones are eaten provides and excellent source of calcium and phossphorous while sea-fish and shell-fish are rich in iodine.

Dried fish has a particularly high food value for, with the loss of moisture, the protein and minerals are more concentrated. There are no carbohydrates in fish and therefore it should be combined with carbohydrates to make it a balanced food, e.g. cookin fish with rice or potatoes, fish sere with green plantain.

SELECTION OF FISH

1. All Fish should have a pleasant smell.
2. The eyes should be bright and bulging and the gills red.
3. The scales should have a high sheen and not come off easily.
4. The flesh should be firm and unwrinkled.
5. Select medium size fish. The fibres or large fish are coase and the flavour of small fish poor.
6. Use fish as soon as possible after purchase as it deteriorates rapidly.

If it is stored in the home it should be washed to free it from any surface baceria, wrapped and kept cold as possible. If placed in a refrigerator, care must be taken not to place it close to milk, fats or other foods which might absorb the flavor.

TO SCALE THE FISH

Scale the fish, using the back of a knife from the tail towards the head, holding the knife nearly flat against the fish. The head and tail are usually left on fish to be served whole. Make a slit down the body cavity from gills to vent, remove entrails and wash well in cold water. Remove the fins, gills and eyes.

TO FILLET FISH

Slit the fish down the backbone with a sharp knife. beginning at the tail run a sharp knife under the flesh, close to the bone, removing half the flesh. turn and remove flesh on the other side. The fillets can be baked or fried... e.g. grouper.

SALTED FISH-PREPARING

Salted fish should be washed first and then placed in a saucepan, cover with water and bring it to boiling point, throw away the water. Repeat this process if necessary.

PREPARING CRABS FOR COOKING

Drop live crabs into fast boiling, salted water. Cook 20 - 25 mins, drain and rinse. break off the claws and remove the hard top shell. Take out the spongy fibers and the black sac. Turn the crab over and remove the apron or small, loose shell running to a point about the middle of the udnershell. Crack the claws and remove the meat from the body and legs.

PREPARING LOBSTER

Plunge the live lobster into boiling water to cover. Cook 20 - 45 mins., according to the size of the lobster. Over-cooking toughens the meat. Plunge the lobster immediately into cold water. When cool, pull off hte claws and crack them to remove the meat. Break off the tail, push out hte meat and remove any signs of the intestinal canal which runs down the centre of the tail. Turn the lobster on its back and split the body lengthwise with a very sharp knife, being careful not to break the stomach, a small sac at the back of the head. Remove the intestinal canal runing along the body near the back. Chill the lobster and serve in the shell.

COOKING FISH

Fish can be cooked in many ways, some methods are more suitable for certain varieties than others. the only fish is best cooked without added fat, but the white fish, which contains less oil, needs the addition of fat in its preparation. When baking white fish, it is best covered with vuttered paper. For frying, white-fleshed fish is the most suitable.

It is important not to overcook fish, nor should it be left waiting before a meal, for it loses flavour and food value. This applies particularly to fried fish which becomes hard and un-appetizing when over-cooked, or soggy with fat. The white fish should be flaky and light textured whatever the method of its cooking.

TO BOIL OR POACH FISH

While the term "boiling" fish is often used, this is incorrect, as fish must not be boiled, it would break and the flavor be spoiled. It should be poached, i.e. cooked gently in a small amount of water and salt depending on the amount of fish. Just allow sufficient water to cover th fish.

Put the fish int o cold salted water, bring the boiling point, lower the heat and simmer. When finished lift fish from water, drain, then serve with butter or a sauce. Cookin time depends on the kind of fish.

TO GRILL FISH

Pre-heat the grill before cooking the fish. Brush the grid of the grill with melted butter or margarine to prevent the fish sticking or place the fish on a piece of greased aluminum foil. Put this on the grid or the rack of the pan. Brush the fish with melted butter or margarine, season lightly and add a little lemon juice. Cooking time depends on thinness or thickness or gillet fish.

TO BAKE FISH

Put the fish into a greased shallow oven-proof dish, season and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Thin fillets may be rolled or folded. Bake in the center of a moderate oven (350°FF) to prevent the fish browning on top add 1-2 tbsps. milk, cover the dish with greased paper or foil. Stuffed fish will take a longer time. Another way of baking fish is to wrap it in a "parcel" of greased aluminum foil.

TO STEAM FISH

Put the fish on to a buttered oven-proof plate large enough to fit over the top of a saucepan. Half fill the saucepan with water and bring this to the boil.

Season the fish, add a dab of butter or margarine, and 1-2 tablespoons milk, then ocver with a second plate, the lid of the saucepan or greased foil. Leave over the boiling water and cook.

This is a particularly easy method of cookin gwhite fish. As it is easily digested, the fishis suitable for invalids, small children or elderly people.

TO FRY FISH
There are two methods:
1. Shallow frying
2. Deep frying

TO FRY FISH IN SHALLOW FAT
Dry the fish very well after washing and coat in either seasoned flour or egg and breadcrumbs. Test the temperature of the fat. Suitable for small fish.

TO FRY FISH IN DEEP FAT
1. Put the pan of deep fat to heat with the frying basket in position.
2. Coat the dry fish with seasoned flour then with egg and crumb.
3. Test the temperature of the fat. A cube of bread should turn golden brown within 1 minute in fat.
4. Lower the fish carefullyinto the frying basket, never bend over the pan of hot fat in case it splatters.
5. Reduce the heat slightly.
6. Lift the fish in the frying basket out of the pan of hot fat, let surplus fat drain back inot the pan.
7. Drain off excess fat on kitchen paper.
8. Serve with fried potatoes suitable for fillet and steaks of fish.

Salt Fish Water		Fresh Water Fish
King Fish Queen Fish Sailfish Redfish Blackfish Mutton Red Snapper Mullet Snook Barracuda Dog Porgy Grunt Stonebass Dolphin Pompano Tuna Hog Rock Silver Shark Drummer Grouper Tarpon Yellow		Tuba Crana Baysnook Sheephead Greenteeth Buttersi Tarpon Hogfish Mullet

SEAFOODS AND THE GARIFUNA THANKSGIVING RITUAL "DUGU"
In the Garifuna Thanksgiving Ritual "Dugu", the most sacred of all Garifuna Rites, the Buyae insists that the following seafoods be included in preparations for the ceremony. Included are barbeque fish, conchs, lobster and turtle. These items must be fresh and specially caught for this purpose. Usually, about five men are selected to go out in search of these marine foods about three days before th Dugu ceremony.

On their arrival on the thrid day, the Buyae, and his appointed gorup of female singers and two drummers with their drums go out to meet these five fishermen and to escort them with their catch to the Dabuyaba or Garifuna temple. The Dugu ceremony is never complete without these seafoods previously mentioned.