The fruits of the sea, in French fruits de mer, have long been appreciated by gourmets all over the world and the art of preparing these delicacies is one which has been developed carefully over many centuries.
Shellfish opens with a brief history of this ancient source of food, then gives a comprehensive directory of all the main types of seafood which are available. Each entry clearly describes the particular species to enable you to identify and select ingredients with confidence. Notes on the various names, origins and world-wide availability of seafood are also included as is a wealth of background information about the individual sea creatures.
It is probably true to say that many people are deterred from buying fresh seafood, even the more common types of shellfish, because they are not sure how to tackle the preparation and cooking techniques which are involved. In the second part of the book Anton Mosimann concentrates on the practical aspects of dealing with seafood. The instructions he gives are clear and simple to follow and they cover all the basic methods of cooking and preparing seafood. The recipes include all the traditional classic dishes which you would expect to find and in addition there are lots of specialities from all over the world. The delicate nature of seafood renders it perfectly suitable for current light cooking methods and this is reflected in many of the recipes.
Shellfish is illustrated throughout with clear photographs of individual types of seafood, detailed step-by-step pictures and superb examples of the finished dishes. With this book as a guide every aspiring cook will be adequately equipped to master the art of shellfish cookery.