[Sca-cooks] scallops

[Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius]

On Oct 4, 2008, at 2:54 PM, Nick Sasso wrote:

>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> I wouldn't even mind skate-wing "scallops". It's the surimi ones that
> are really pretty horrid, but then to me the only acceptable form of
> surimi is Chinese and called "fish cakes" or "fish balls".
>
> Adamantius > > > > > >
>
>
> Mmmmmm . . . reformed, artificially flavored fish paste.


Let's not forget the healthy dose of cane sugar to make it taste more  
like seafood...

The Chinese fish cakes are exactly what they claim to be: ground-up  
raw fish, usually with a slightly rubbery binder like potato starch,  
cooked (fried or steamed) in the form of cakes, or one-inch balls.  
Sometimes the identity of the fish changes, and you get essentially  
the same product made of various fin fish, shrimp (very slightly  
different in color in flavor, but not worth the extra money IMO),  
squid or cuttlefish, etc. They're stable in fridge or freezer, almost  
impossible to ruin by over or undercooking, taste like fish, nothing  
more and nothing less, are relatively nutritious, and can be cooked  
and served in a variety of ways.

But that fake crabmeat (with or without artificial flake/fiber  
structure molded in), with sweeteners, artificial flavors and colors,  
and the aforementioned quasi-scallops (which seem to be made from a  
paper-thin sheet of surimi rolled into a cylinder, then pressed,  
sliced, and coated with crumbs for frying) are the lowest of the low  
in the faux seafood-maker's art.

Adamantius (yes, making that cassoulet)




"Most men worry about their own bellies, and other people's souls,  
when we all ought to worry about our own souls, and other people's  
bellies."
			-- Rabbi Israel Salanter