KitchenSavvy

Lox and Gravlox

As an appetizer for entertaining at Easter, I was planning to serve Lox and Caviar on Blini.  Now I wonder, "What is the difference between Lox and Gravlox?"  Which one was I thinking of?

--Ruth

Lox is salmon that has been brined and then cold smoked.  The brine contains salt and sometimes sugar.  Smoking is done at temperatures ranging from about 70°F to 90°F ( 21°C to 32°C).  Brining enhances the flavor and helps to preserve the fish, as does the smoking.

Gravlox (or gravlax) is a Scandinavian dish where salmon is liberally covered with a mixture of salt and sugar, and usually dill weed, and then left to cure for several days, during which time the salt cures the meat in that same way as corned beef, for instance.  Other ingredients such as sliced onions may also be included.  Supposedly the start of the word gravlox ("grav") refers to the original method being to bury the salmon ("lox") in the earth while it cured, that is in a grave.  Nowadays, gravlox is made in the refrigerator.

In either case, once cured the meat is sliced into thin strips which are then eaten raw.  Either lox and gravlox would be suitable to serve.  The choice is up to you, and depends on whether you would enjoy the smoky flavor of lox against the taste of the caviar or would prefer more of a sweet and salty combination, which you would get with gravlox.

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Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Deveining Shrimp

What does it mean to devein a shrimp?  How is this done?

--Zack

Along the back of a shrimp, on the outside curve, there is a black line running from head to tail.  To some people the term deveining mat be confusing, as this line is actually the intestinal tract of the shrimp and not a vein at all.  On larger shrimp (or prawns) this tract may have bits of grit that are unpleasant to bite down on.  For this reason, the digestive tract is usually removed.  On small or medium shrimp, there is less chance of grit, but some people like to remove the vein for aesthetic reasons.

While there are any number of gadgets from plastic hooks to electric processors available to the home cook, unless you are doing hundreds of shrimp all you really need are your hands, a sharp paring knife and a large bowl of ice cold water.  If the  shrimp have their heads on, the first step is to twist them off.  Set those aside for future use, or discard them.  Heads and shells can be used to make a stock for dishes such as shrimp bisque.

Now take the shrimp, one at a time, and peel the shells off.  To do that, hold the shrimp in one hand, and with the fingers of the other hand pry the shell away from the belly and peel around to the other side.  The shell has a space just near the legs to make this easy.  If you want tail on shrimp, leave the tail and the last ring of shell before it in place.  Sometimes some of the legs will remain behind, so pull those off.

Next, hold the shrimp in one hand, and with the other hand use the paring knife to follow along the back right over top of the digestive tract from head to tail.  It will take a little practice to learn how deep you need to cut, but once the tract is exposed, you can use the edge of the knife blade to scrape out the tract.  Rinse the shrimp in the cold water to remove any last traces.  I also always swish the knife in the water to take off any bits that may have stuck to it, too.

If you are butterflying the shrimp for the dish you are making, go back and deepen the same cut until it goes about three quarters of the way through the flesh, them spread the shrimp out so that it lies flat.  Some recipes may also suggest lightly pressing or pounding the flesh to get lie even flatter.

This process is really quick and a few dozen shrimp can be done in no time.

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If you have food or cooking questions, send them to Questions@KitchenSavvy.com



Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Cooking Shelled Shrimp in a Casserole

Q: I am planning a shrimp dish which is basically a casserole of black tiger shrimp layered with thin slices of 2 lemons and 1 onion.  Over this is poured a butter and herb mixture and then the casserole is cooked in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Some cookbooks say that raw shrimp should be cooked in the shell so as not to dry them out.  Is it necessary to leave the shells on to cook shrimp or could we shell them before hand?

-- Cy S.

Raw shrimp may be cooked either in the shells, or peeled.  While leaving the shell on may prevent some surface drying, it also lessens the degree to which the shrimp can absorb any seasoning or flavors that may be used.  Depending on the recipe, this may or may not be desirable.

For a dish such as the casserole you describe, you could use shrimp either in the shell or peeled.  In this dish you want the shrimp to be infused with the other flavors, so I would be inclined to use peeled shrimp and toss them in the butter/herb mixture before assembly of the casserole, to help keep them from drying out at such a high temperature.  Not only will the shrimp be more flavorful, eating them will be less messy.

For a more complex dish, you may wish to leave the shells on.  That way, the shrimp will have a more distinct taste from all of the other flavors.  When shrimp are used in jambalaya, curries or stews, pre-cooked shrimp can be added towards the end and cooked on low until they are just heated through.

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If you have food or cooking questions, send them to Questions@KitchenSavvy.com
Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward