• Lemon zester. Lemon goes with 

 seafood like cream with coffee. Lemon- 

 flavored sauces and marinades often 

 specify lemon zest — the outermost 

 colored peel of the citrus fruit. A zester 

 removes this thin peel without 

 incorporating the bitter white pith 

 beneath it. Cost is $8 to $1 2. 



• Lemon squeezer. Lemon juice and 

 butter are simple but delicious flavor 

 enhancers for many species offish. 

 Place a lemon half in the jaws of the 

 utensil and squeeze. The juice flows 

 through the holes while the seeds are 

 held back. Cost is about $5. 



• Plastic cutting board. When it comes to 

 fighting bacterial contamination in the 

 kitchen, Taylor recommends a plastic 

 cutting board. Available in various shapes 

 and colors, the boards can be placed into 

 the dishwasher or cleansed with hot water 

 and bleach after use to kill any bacteria 

 associated with raw fish and shellfish. A new 

 type of plastic board claims to inhibit the 

 growth of bacteria with an odorless, 

 colorless, germ-fighting agent named 

 Bacteron™ that is impregnated into the 

 polyethylene boards. Costs range from $8 

 to $25. 



• Basting brush. A basting brush is a must- 

 have for outdoor grillers if you're going to 

 roast less oily fish such as flounder, grouper 

 or triggerfish. These fish need to be basted 

 with oil, butter or a marinade to keep them 

 from becoming dry while grilling. Cost is $5 

 or more. 



• Oyster knife. (Top) Use this knife to 

 sever the oyster's hinge muscle, which 

 holds the shell tightly closed. For raw 

 or steamed oysters, insert the knife's 

 flat point between the upper and 

 lower shell at the side. Slide the knife 

 to the back to cut the hinge muscle 

 and pop open the oyster. Cost is $7 

 to $12. 



•Crab knife. (Middle) If you've ever 

 cleaned a freshly steamed blue crab, 

 then you know it has more compart- 

 ments than a woman's purse. To ease 

 the removal of the sweet, flavored 

 meat from the nooks and crannies of 

 the shell, invest in a crab knife. These 

 are found at coastal bait-and-tackle 

 shops. Cost is $8 to $10. 



• Fillet knife. (Bottom) Good cooks 

 consider their knives the most 

 important tools in their kitchen. For 

 filleting delicate fish, Taylor suggests a 

 7-inch fillet knife. She recommends 

 investing in the best knife you can 

 afford and a good sharpener to go 

 with it. Costs range from $8 to $40. 



• Garlic press. Like lemon, garlic is 

 often used to flavor seafood sauces, 

 marinades and stews. Invest in a high- 

 quality garlic press that is easy to 

 clean. New to the market, garlic 

 peelers remove the papery covering 

 from garlic cloves with little effort and 

 no lingering smell on your hands. 

 Each costs $8 to $16. 



• Grilling basket. The grill can be 

 a tough place for seafood. 

 Delicate fillets and small shellfish 

 (shrimp and scallops) can stick 

 to grill slats, fall apart on the 

 grill or drop to the coals below. 

 To prevent these mishaps, 

 purchase a grilling basket that 

 keeps the seafood on top of the 

 grill and permits easy turning 

 when it's time to cook the other 

 side. You can find these at 

 housewares, hardware and 

 discount stores for $8 or more. 



• Skewers. Skewers, metal or bamboo, 

 offer another alternative for holding 

 your seafood together on the grill. 

 Shrimp and scallops and chunks of 

 less delicate fish — mackerel, tuna, 

 swordfish and mahi-mahi — are easy 

 to skewer. If you choose bamboo 

 skewers, soak them for a half-hour 

 before grilling. Otherwise, they'll burn. 

 Costs range from $1 to $5. 



• Mortar and pesde. This age-old 

 combination is used to crush 

 herbs, spices and garlic to make 

 them finer and to release more 

 flavor. Cost is about $20. 



• Stainless steel or enamel stockpot, A 



stockpot (8-, 1 2- or 1 6-quart) is ideal 

 for seafood chowders, stews and 

 gumbos. Add a fitted steamer or pasta 

 insert and you can steam oysters, 

 clams, mussels, blue crabs, shrimp or 

 lobsters. A good stockpot is a must- 

 have for any seafood cook. Costs 

 range from $1 2 to more than $50. FJ 



COASTWATCH 9 



