| Alabama Recipes |
A
labamians are lucky to live in a state where the bounty of available fresh seafood is the envy of chefs and home cooks alike. “There are roughly 23 types of Alabama seafood available to consumers in our state, from oysters, shrimp and crab to fin fish of all shapes and sizes,” says Tommy Cauthen, marketing director for Alabama Gulf Seafood. Although the group hasn’t done any scientific polling, his opinion that shrimp would likely be the favorite of that group. “Nearly every restaurant has a shrimp po’boy,” says Cauthen. “I always try to make sure they are Gulf shrimp.” Alabama seafood is revered by commercial and home chefs simply because it’s harvested from waters off our state’s coast, “which means it’s a fresher product than other seafood options that might be available,” he says. “Fresher naturally tastes better! It is harvested in a sustainable manner and inspected for safety. The variety is such that everyone can find a favorite.” Many types of seafood are great candidates for cooking on the grill, according to the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Among them are amberjack, bluefish, catfish, cobia, dolphin (mahi mahi), drum, grouper, king mackerel, rainbow trout, shark, snapper, Spanish mackerel, striped bass, swordfish, triggerfish and tuna. Clams, mussels, oysters and scallops can also be grilled, as can softshell crabs, lobster tails and shrimp. When cooking seafood at home, the Extension System recommends purchasing fish the day it’s going to be used. When that’s not possible, take care to appropriately refrigerate or freeze seafood until it’s ready to be cooked. Another key point to remember is not to overcook seafood, because when cooked properly, fish should be moist and flavorful. In addition to the recipes on our pages, you can find more recipes at eatalabamaseafood.com and recipes, cooking and freezing tips at aces.edu. 42 AUGUST 2021
AL STATE AUG21.indd 42
www.alabamaliving.coop
7/16/21 3:03 PM
