Terms of use of oysters, snails and crabs

For the majority of lobsters, crabs, oysters, snails and other sea delicacies are not familiar dish. Before you try "seafood", you need to learn how to carve them.

Agree, we have no difficulties associated with the consumption of so-called "normal" food - the one to which we are accustomed to the traditional region of our stay. What to do if you have to taste the "exotic"? How to eat oysters, snails or even some outlandish for the average Russian victuals? It's not too difficult.

"So that means oysters!"

Now science knows about 50 kinds of oysters (Latin Ostreidae.) - bivalve molluscs of the family. Most of them live in the relatively warm seas. However, there are several types of oysters living in the cool waters of the northern seas. Live oysters can and colonies, and one by one. Their populations can be detected at a depth of 1 to 70 m, both close to the shore, and at a considerable distance from it (oyster beds). Oysters may exist in seawater of varying degrees of salinity (at least - 12 ppm). The degree of salinity of the water affects the growth of oysters and the taste of their meat. The best are clams that developed and assembled at salinity of 20-30 ppm. If the water is saltier (about 35 ppm) - the oysters are growing rapidly, but their flesh becomes tough.

The main commercial species - the edible oyster (Latin: Ostrea edulis.). They can be found off the coast of Europe, in the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean. Edible oysters are rocky (O. sublamellosa), Black Sea (O. taurica), Adriatic (OG adriatica), Portuguese (Crassostrea angulata). In addition, the known "giant" oysters (Crassostrea gigas) - they are now the so-called "base" rock oysters grown in the coast of France. Oysters on the shape of the shell are flat and concave. Latest today the most popular in Europe. Although flat oysters are not forgotten. Is there also a classification of oysters in magnitude. These clams are size №00, №0, №1, №2 and №5 on up. Oysters №00 - the biggest. Moreover, they are distinguished by the method of cultivation. Oysters are "full of the sea" - the ones that were born and grew up fishing in the sea. And yet known oyster "refined" -oblagorozhennye that part of his life spent in the man-made "greenhouse" conditions.

Next - will focus on the rules of eating oysters. Classical - feeding oysters on a tray with ice, inlaid, for example, round, lemon slices in the center. The number of oysters must be a multiple of six. Usually this dozen (12 pcs.) Or half a dozen (6 pcs.). But there are alternatives: a lot depends on the size of oysters, a dish or tray quantities, the number of participants of the meal. Wine is always served with oysters white, dry. It can also be champagne "brut". Too expensive either wine or champagne should not be - their task is to emphasize the taste of oysters.

Admire blissful picture? Now it's time to destroy the oyster-ice beauty. Take the left hand mollusk, turn it to his pointed end. In his right hand, you must have a special knife, which must always be fed to oysters. You insert it between the doors and pushed them. In the middle of the shell to see the film, it must be removed. Gently, in a circle, cut in front of her with the same knife to hook and put on the edge of the plate. Then - set aside the knife, take a slice of lemon and squeeze the juice with your fingers directly into the sink. Incidentally, this is done not only "to taste."

The tradition originated in the days when oysters are still transported in tubs or barrels, and not in special chambers, transportation was slow, and shellfish could deteriorate in the road. If in contact with oyster lemon juice is reduced - is still alive, and it can be eaten. If nothing happens - the oyster is dead, there it is not necessary. Actually, now this method of determining the freshness of oysters can be useful. Oyster seasoning can also be freshly ground black pepper, dipped in acetic sauce, seasoned shallots. Seasonings? Now, quietly, without smacking of lips, mouth to suck out the contents of the shell. Here, actually, and all the ingenuous science absorption oysters. By the way, in restaurants so that customers themselves do not bother, to avoid ridiculous and not very incidents, oysters are usually served already open with clipped "attachment" muscle. So just sprinkled with lemon juice and send an oyster in his mouth, a special two-pronged fork oyster may be filed for even more convenience.

If oysters are served cooked (and prepare them can be a lot of things), then eat them only devices. Cold oysters - dessert devices, and warm or hot - dining room.

There is a widespread belief that oysters should be savored only in months that contain the letter "r" (September to April). Actually, it is not so at the same time. The fact that in his time in France, in order to avoid uncontrolled catch of oysters, which threatened their disappearance, a law was passed prohibiting the fishing of shellfish during their breeding season. A multiply oysters since the late spring, during the summer.

Also, during reproduction from the oyster shell is formed inside the milk. At autopsy, she pours out, giving the meat a bitter taste. However, now known breeding technology oysters, clams using which do not breed. Experts also learned to shift the period of reproduction of oysters for several months, so that in the summer they are still not taste bitter. And in general - when Europe's summer in Australia, for example, winter - The local oysters on the reproduction and do not even think.

Speaking about the oysters, can not remember Anton Chekhov. He has a story, which is called "Oyster". It was the famous writer, perhaps, can be considered the author of the legend that oysters squeak when they are before you eat, pour the lemon juice (in reality is not anything going on, of course). Here is what he writes in his work: "So that means oysters! I imagined an animal, like a frog. Frog sitting in the sink, looking out the big sparkling eyes and plays his hideous jaws. I can imagine how bring to market an animal in the shell, with claws, with sparkling eyes and slimy skin ... Children are hiding, and cook, grimacing in disgust, taking the animal for the claw, put it on a plate and is in the dining room. Adults take it and eat ... eat live with the eyes, teeth, paws! And it squirms and tries to bite his lip ... ".

What is there to add? It's hard to compete with the classic, who had a great sense of humor. Perhaps, in order to complete the picture, it is worth noting that the oyster is a strong aphrodisiac. That they had dinner Casanova before proceeding with the amorous exploits. A quote from his "Memoirs": "companions sitting around a table. First visitor takes an oyster lips and, without swallowing, transmits it from mouth to mouth beautiful neighbor. So oyster "bypasses" the entire table, sometimes lost in someone's neck. Then you need to find the fugitive, but his lips ... ".

"and elephants and even a little snail ..."

About Elephant talk next time, as long as pay tribute snails. The fact that they eat, think, know all the readers of "The culinary Eden." And here is how to absorb these small and tasty gastropods having outer shell, know for sure less people. No problem - I'll tell.

So the snail. First of all, we should understand that it is not necessary in a fit of culinary experimentation eat first available snail. First, eat, usually only snails. This species, however, a variety of names: great of a snail, the lid snail, Burgundy snail, the apple snail, Roman snail, moon snail, edible snail. Snails are considered the most delicious, but they generally fall into several types (mainly geography of origin). Secondly, the snails, unlike oysters, do not eat raw and alive. Thirdly, it is not necessary to erect snails consumption in the cult: a long time it was a simple, affordable, healthy food that ate everything and princes and paupers. The French word "escargot" (escargot), translated into Russian as the times and represents a snail. It gave the name of the snail variety of other dishes, called "escargot" (seafood, for example). Prepare snails, usually in a special pan, roasting pan (eskargotnitse). On the bottom should be 12 or 24 recesses to accommodate gastropods. In eskargotnitse snails most often fed plus tongs (eskargotny tweezers) for securely holding the shell in position (opening up), plus a special narrow fork with flat teeth (there may be one, two or three) to the cochlea of that shell to extract . However, if the snail shells are not too hot, they are allowed to take arms, wrapping cloth. Snail eating entirely. Its like an oyster, not cut. Before you send a snail in your mouth, you can carefully to drink out of her shell oil (often preparing escargot with garlic butter) or pour them a piece of baguette.