Seafood Basics

Book excerpt: Cooking fish and seafood is not the place to make mistakes. Inferior taste, a waste of expensive ingredients and even contamination can be the consequence. Seafood Basics ensures the best results. Step-by-step photographs demonstrate how to prepare fish and seafood using chef's skills. Tutorials demonstrate basic techniques, such as filleting a cooked round fish and butterflying shrimp, and concise instructions remind cooks of the do's and don'ts of handling fish and seafood. Seafood Basics is divided into eight chapters: - Basics. - Raw & Cured. - Soups & Stews. - Whole Fish. - Fast Fish. - Baked & Shallow-fried Fish. - Seafood Starters. - Seafood Main Courses. The 86 original recipes include Tuna Carpaccio, Bouillabaisse, Crab Bisque, Moroccan Fish Tagine, Louisiana Seafood Gumbo, Salt-encrusted Sea Bass, Sole with Beurre Noisette, Razor Clams in Garlic, Quick Monkfish Curry, Maryland Crab Cakes, Lobster with Cayenne, Stuffed Baked Squid and Spanish Seafood Paella. Cooks with experience will enjoy these imaginative recipes, while those intimidated by cooking fish and seafood will discover that with a few basic skills, seafood can be a tasty regular on the menu. AUTHOR: Abi Fawcett is a freelance food stylist whose clients have included Jamie Oliver. She is the author of Cake Basics. ILLUSTRATIONS: Colour photographs