Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / May 16, 1991, edition 1 / Page 16
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Fish Flakes Perform Solo Or As Crabmeat Extender BY SUSAN USHER Joyce Taylor blended dry wit with an abundance of practical in formation Friday at the Calabash fire station as she answered ques tions and demonstrated seafood preparation techniques for a group of more than 30 cooks. "Bringing seafood to Calabash is a lot like carrying coals to New castle," she suggested, though no lightly battered and fried seafood ? synonymous with Calabash ? would be on her menu that day. While there's nothing "wrong" with fried seafood "fat and calories arc the big reasons people avoid fried foods," Ms. Taylor said in re sponse to a question from Douglas Kerr of Southport, director of the Robert Ruark Foundation. "Maybe moderation is the key." Ms. Taylor, a seafood education specialist with Sea Grant, showed her audience alternative ways to prepare seafood rhat are not only tasty, but also hcalth-conscious and economical. Assisting was Mary Russ, home economist with the Brunswick County Cooperative Ex tension Service. The agency hosted demonstration talks by Ms. Taylor's in Calabash and Long Beach last week. Her two-hour program focused on making fish flakes at home to use as an extender, to make an item such as locally-popular crabmeat go farther, just as bread crumbs or Hamburger Helper "extend" ground meat A deviled crab recipe made with half crabmeat and half flaked finfish was a hit with testers at N.C. State University's Seafood Laboratory at Morehead City, where Ms. Taylor works when not on the road, and with audience members at Friday's program. She interspersed her demonstra tion with tips on buying and storing fresh seafood as well as cooking it Ms. Taylor recommended taking advantage of seasonal availability. "Don't go to the market saying. Is It Fresh? ?Eyes bright and slightly pro truding? ?Gills bright red, not dark red or brown? ?Colors true, unfaded (Is the red snapper red?) ?Is any blood in the body cavity bright red? ?Is the flesh firm, springing bsck when touchcd? ?Is there no "fishy" odor? Answer yes to all of the above questions and you can feel cer tain the fish you're buying is fresh. Mrs. Taylor said she'd rather use month-old frozen fish that has been properly handled and stored than a fish "caught yester day and not iced". STAFF PHOTOS BY SUSAN USHER STAFF PHOTOS BY SUSAN USM EXTENSION HOME ECONOMIST Mary Russ dishes up mini-senings of gumbo made with Bruns wick County farm-raised catfish as (from left rear) Harriet Olson, Bernice Elwood, Elaine Bowes, Lena Mintz and Shirley Leonard make their way along the tasters' line. 'I'm going to have flounder to night," she suggested. "Instead go saying, 'I'm going to have fresh fish for dinner."' As they watched she steamed red porgy (commonly called pink or sil ver snapper though there is no such thing) on a bed of sautced vegeta bles in broth and poached a fillet of red snapper. The results were fast and similar: tender, lean fish that flaked easily front the backbone when cooled for use in a variety of recipes. "People are afraid to poach fish and I don't know why," she said. "It's one of the easiest and best ways to prepare fish." Steaming the fish in vegetables can boost nutritional content by as much as 10 percent, she said. But she uses the vegetables "because they are pretty and they taste good." If the fish is fresh, the vegetables will retain their own flavor and not acquire a "fishy" flavor. Most of all, though, she stressed personalizing seafood cookery ? from the herbs and spices used for seasoning to basic tech niques employed. "You need to use what you like," she said. Though using fish heads makes a richer, more flavorful broth, if it bothers you, she said, don't use them. Washing her hands frequently in a bowl of sudsy warm water, Ms. Taylor cautioned, "When handling raw seafood yea need to be very careful not to handle uncooked foods or utensils afterward." When flaking fish, she removes the rib area for food safety reasons and the dark top meat because it is stronger flavored, less attractive in salads, and, she said, "because it's good cat food and I have a 21 1/4 pound cat." Fish flakes, said Ms. Taylor, are high in protein, but low in fat, calo FISH FIAKES are a primary ingredient in this attractive and quickly-assembled macaroni salad. ries, cholesterol and sodium. They can be used as the star in gredient in dishes such as chowders and salads, or as an extender in items such as deviled crab. They show up in spreads, appetizers, sandwiches, patties, casseroles and sauces. Fish flakes prepared at home arc more economical and also more versatile than canned tuna or salmon, both of which arc fatty fish. A one-pound, dressed fish yields about 1 1/2 cups of flakes. You can used what you need and store the rest, in recipe-size, air-tight pack ages, in the freezer for up to three months. For better flavor and quali ty, add a small amount (1/2 cup for each 1 1/2 cups of flakes) of cook ing broth to each package. A moderately flavored fish is pre ferred for flaking, and it is more economical to choose a less expen sive species of fish. , Whole fish, dressed, with the heads left on, give the maximum flavor and yield. But the more ex pensive fillets or steaks can be used, she said. Before flaking, the fish should be poached, steam, baked or mi crowaved. Leftovers from an earlier meal can also be flaked. "But there's no real advantage to microwaving fish bccausc it cooks so fast anyway," said Ms. Taylor. The vegetables used to season the broth can be used as is or mashed and returned to the broth as puree. tka Krnth should Jjc cooled in the refrigerator until congealed. Then remove the solid fat layer from the lop and strain broth before using. Fresh, or thawed in the refrigera tor, the flakes are ready for use. Catfish Gumbo Addition of orzo, a small-size pasta, stretches the gumbo and also thickens it slightly. 4 medium catfish fillets 1/4 C. vegetable oil 1 C. coarsely chopped celery 1/2 C. chopped green onion, with tops 3/4 C. chopped onion 4 isp. minced garlic 4 C. chicken broth 2 16-oz. cans of tomatoes, choppcd, undrained 1/2 tsp. thyme 1 small bay leaf 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp. oregano 1 tsp. salt 2 10-oz. frozen sliced okra 4 oz. orzo (optional) Cut fillets into one-inch pieces and set aside. Heal oil in large pot over medium heat. Lightly saute celery, green onions, onions and garlic. Add broth, tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf, cayenne, oregano and salt. Bring to boil and add okra. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add orzo. Cover and continue simmering 15 minutes. Add catfish and simmer 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Remove bay leaf. Serves 8-10. Deviled Crab With Fish Fish flakes can be used as an ex tender for more costly crabmeat, re ducing both the cost and the choles terol count. 1/2 lb. fish Hakes 1/2 lb. crab meat 2 T. chopped onion 2 T. margarine 2 T. flour 3/4 C. skim milk 1/4 tsp. salt 1/8 up. freshly ground black pepper 1/2 tsp. powdered mustard 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1/2 tsp. sage 1/16 tsp. cayenne pepper (or to S AAA A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A AAA H THE COFFEE CUP *? /A Family Restaurant-Servina breakfast and lunch !? A Family Restaurant-Serving breakfast and lunch OPEN: 5 AM-2 PM ? CLOSED WEDNESDAY Take Out Orders Available M 1 R . ROAST BEEF PLATE Incites + 2 vegetables & Bread coffee or tea OR ROAST BEEF HOAGIE WITH THIS COUPON-ONE PER CUSTOMER. Expires May 2 ^ Jet. Boones Neck & Kirby Rd. Next to aa Bill's Quick Stop, Holden Beach ? 842-3909 ~4fi V V V "V WVVVVWVVW DYKES Your Full Service TIRE CENTER Main Street, Shallotte, 754-6333 "Seethe man with red socks" Regul m&A tippq >\v< ? TIRES XL RADIAL $^095 FOR SIZE 155-80-13 ?Good value in an economy radial. ?Dual steel belts for trend stability. ? Polyester body plies for soft, comfortable ride. ?White side wall styling. Try Quality Regul? Tires By B.F. Goodrich Regul Sport Radial Size I Price 175-70-13 185-70-13 185-70-14 195-70-14 Regul XL Radial Whiteivalls Size I Price $39.00 $41.75 $43.75 $44.85 155-80-13 165-80-13 195-75-14 205-75-15 225-75-15 $32.95 $34.50 $39.50 $43.00 $46.00 Other Sizes & Models Available * Quality Tires From People You Trust! taste) 1 T. fresh lemon juice Hot pepper sauce to taste 1 egg or 1/4 C. liquid egg substitute 1 T. chopped fresh parsley 1 T. margarine, melted 1/4 C. dry bread crumbs Remove any shell or cartilage from crab meat. Cook onion in mar garine until tender. Blend in flour. Add milk gradually and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Add sea sonings and lemon juice. Stir a little of the hot sauce into egg; add to re maining sauce, stirring constantly. Add parsley, crab meat and fish flakes. Place in greased, individual crab shells or baking dishes. Com bine margarine and crumbs; sprin kle over top of each. Bake in mod erate oven (350 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, depending on your oven) for 15 to 20 minutes or until brown and bubbly. Serves 6-8. Fish Flake And Macaroni Salad Flaked fish stars is this main dish salad. 1 1/2 C. fish flakes 4 oz. shell macaroni 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 C. chopped celery 1 hard boiled egg, chopped (option al) 1 small onion, chopped 1/4 to 1/2 green pepper, chopped 1 small jar choppcd pimento, drain ed 1/2 tsp. celery seed 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper Paprika Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain. Rinse with cold water. Let drain while cut ting up celery, egg, onion and pep per. Mix all ingredients except pa prika together lightly, but thorough ly. Chill well before serving. Ar range on lettuce leaves. Sprinkle with paprika. Serves 8-10. (Excel lent when made one day and served the next.) More information on seafood preparation is available from the Brunswick County Cooperative Ex tension Office at Bolivia, 253-4425. SEAFOOD EDUCATION SPECIAIJST Joyce Taylor quickly flakes fish from a steamed red porgy. The skeleton pulls away neatly, leaving only a few stray bones. POOi MAY SPECIAL! $ 18-ft. round inground pool 8-ft. steps ? I Concrete deck ' Installed 4,949 HALL'S CUSTOM POOLS CALL 579-8828 OR (919)738-5697 First Class Checking "Checking At Its Best" Unlimited Checking Free Travelers Checks Free Safety Deposit Box Free Notary Service 6 0/0 INTEREST PLUS Free Checks Free Cashiers Checks Direct Deposit Free Signature Guarantee IF YOU'RE 55 OR OVER en joy all of the benefits of FIRST CLASS CHECKING with no minimum balance. 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The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
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May 16, 1991, edition 1
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