How to prepare
Use tail and jaw cuts for baked, fried and grilled items. Tenderize body and leg meat and use in soups, gumbos, picantes, casseroles, etc.
Tenderize all cuts for aren’t tender and cut across the grain for increased tenderness.
Remove all fat before preparation and freezing – this is easily done since it does not marbleize throughout the meat.
Crabmeat should be used in dishes that allow the delicate flavor to come through.
How to Fillet a Fish
Step 1
Lay the fish on one side. Place knife blade under front fin and cut at angle toward the head and downward, stopping at the backbone.
Step 2
Turn the knife so the blade runs parallel to the spine and cut slowly and carefully, sliding the knife along the backbone until you reach right above the tail.
Step 3
Pull fillet away from the body of the fish, flipping it away from the head. At this point you can simply cut the fillet away from the tail and leave the skin on for grilling.
Step 4
To remove the skin, place knife at the point where the fillet is still attached to the tail and slide it under the meat along the skin. Keep the blade flat and parallel to the countertop, being careful not to cut deeply into the meat.
Step 5
Many people remove the rib cage and belly because though there is some meat, it is mostly bones. To remove the rib cage and belly portion, cut along the vein from the head end to the back edge of the rib cage.
Step 6
Then, cut from the vein to the edge of the fillet. The end result is a skinless, boneless ready for cooking!
The Louisiana oyster. There’s nothing quite like it. For many people, they’re best by the dozen, cold and salty, with cocktail sauce and crackers, or just a little hot sauce and a cold beer. But for every traditional oyster preparation, there’s one less expected and just as tasty. Try them panneed, charbroiled or baked. Try oyster stew, oyster pie or Oysters Marie Laveaux. More than a third of the nation’s oysters come from our waters, so it’s no surprise that Louisiana oysters are showing up in great recipes and celebrated kitchens from coast to coast. Just when you thought you knew what to expect from the Louisiana oyster, it’s time to expect the unexpected.
The traditional Louisiana raw oyster is shucked (see How to Eat) and place in its half-shell on a bed of ice with lemon wedges and cocktail sauce.
Shrimp can be cooked with the shell and head still on, which can both be removed after cooking, or the shell and head can be removed before cooking.
Shrimp can be cooked with the shell and head still on, which can both be removed after cooking, or the shell and head can be removed before cooking. If possible try to cook shrimp with the shell intact, as this will ensure a stronger and tastier flavor, with extra moisture added from the shell.
Deveining the shrimp is a matter of taste. Some people choose to remove the black “vein” that runs along the back of the shrimp. These veins are in fact edible but can sometimes taste gritty, particularly with larger shrimp. While it isn’t necessary to remove the vein, some people say the shrimp look and taste better when de-veined.
- Shrimp cook well in or out of their shells, but they’re easier to de-vein before cooking.
- Run the de-veiner or the tip of a small knife down the back of the shrimp. This will allow you to remove the vein.
- You may remove the shell at this time or boil with shell on and remove after cooking.
- If frying, shell should be removed first.
- You can de-vein shrimp while leaving the shell on (the shell adds flavor and can protect the meat if you’re grilling the shrimp.)
