KennethT

I've never used frozen fish (yet) either, and like @Margaret Pilgrim, in the past, I've always defrosted shrimp in a bowl of cold water and never had any problems. Part of me can't believe I've been putting in so much research into the best way to defrost the fish, but I think I'm doing it just because it's so expensive compared to fish I usually buy in the supermarket.

Interesting. I haven't thawed any fish yet - I think I'm going to do one set tonight - maybe the cod. They have a blog on their website, and one of the posts talks about how to thaw. They recommend taking the fish out of the vacuum bag and thawing on a rack in the refrigerator - that way, the fish won't be sitting in a puddle of salt water melted glaze. There's also a video showing a bunch of different defrosting methods. I think that I would only thaw in salt water if I wanted to do it in a hurry - then I would use salted cold tap water and leave it on the counter - possibly changing the water once it starts to feel really cold.

Back to an old favorite tonight , Cafe Mogador. First time in a year and a half. We've gotten delivery but it's definitely not the same. Fresh squeezed lemonade with mint Various mezze to start - sauteed shrimp with a lot of garlic, homemade tabouli, and babaganoush - served with just baked pita. 2 lamb tagines - lamb charmoulla and lamb with preserved lemon and olives, served with their fantastic couscous.

I'm no professional, but I've eaten the tops of the baby leeks I get in my local Hmart - htey're like big scallions.

I used my first package of spot prawns yesterday. After all the hemming and hawing, I decided to do something with them that I've done with my normal shrimp supply, so better compare them. Singapore style bak kut teh - the healthy version (no pork ribs). I make my broth with a lot of pork bones, and then completely defat it. The stock is then infused with a lot of garlic and a special black peppercorn from Sarawak (Malaysia) which is not as strong as most other peppercorns and maybe has a fruitiness to it? Anyway, the spot prawns were fantastic - sweet, wonderful texture.

It's odd eating good food on disposable plates. Even though NYC has largely opened up, some restaurants are still serving the outdoor tables in the takeout containers, with disposable plates and cutlery.

I agree with @rotuts - please give us your thoughts!

This place popped up on my facebook feed - has anyone tried them? https://wildforkfoods.com/ The quality and prices look too good to be true, and they ship with dry ice.

@ShelbyI wanted to like and sad face simultaneously....

They look a lot like bakpia - an Indonesian snack specific to Yogyakarta - they make them with a variety of fillings but the bean paste filling is the most popular.

Many years ago, I used to buy wild gulf shrimp from somewhere on Florida's Gulf coast... unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the place, although I think I still have a large piece of grouper in my laydown freezer that may have their label on it. But doing a fast search for "gulf seafood shipping" brought up a whole bunch of options - none of which I have any personal experience with.... but worth a shot.

Evidently they've been glazed with seawater prior to freezing... but yes, I usually salt for 10-15 minutes before cooking...

One last question - the prawns were individually frozen, glazed with sea water (which is supposed to be best for not altering them once defrosted). Typically, I but 2# bags of IQF shrimp, and I defrost whatever I'm about to use in a bowl with cool water, changing the water once it gets freezing cold. They defrost that way in about 15 minutes, if that. The company recommends defrosting them for like 10 hours in the refrigerator. Does it make a difference?

Wow - that's quite a list... thanks! Yes, they were frozen heads off, so no worries there. I haven't gone through the list yet, but would you recommend any raw preparations or do you prefer them cooked?

Mine came in in a similar fashion - the dry ice was fully intact. In fact, I left the dry ice in the box (after taking the fish out) and it was still mostly htere this morning too! How does one dispose of dry ice? I know that it will sublimate on its own, but that leaves my apartment filled with a blanket of CO2 on the floor (CO2 is heavier than air). I'd rather not open up the windows - first of all, the external windows are like 100 years old and I'm afraid if once I open it, I won't be able to close it (the building has plans to renovate them soon). Also, the apartment is well sealed - there's even a rubber gasket between the hallway door and frame. There is an exhaust in the kitchen and bath, but since very little makeup air can get in, that means you won't have a lot going into the exhaust.

Hmm... Personally, I don't see how a 6oz portion of fish is enough for 2 people unless you have multiple courses (appetizers, desserts, etc.) For the two of us, I usually make about 3/4# of salmon to go along with rice or orzo, typically.

I was definitely going to do it SV. That was a given in my head. The question is what to do flavor-wise. I gather the coho is pretty mild, whereas the sockeye is quite strong, so that will play into it.

Yes, the heads were removed and unfortunately not included - I would have loved to have had the heads deep fried just with some salt. But thanks for the links - they're helpful.

After all the discussion, I finally got my sushi (with some sashimi)

Do you know what he'll be primarily using it for?

Are spot prawns anything like rock shrimp? I'm trying to imagine their flavor texture without defrosting any....

I don't mind the preheat - I just turn it on and let it sit while I do other stuff - like salad dressings, chopping herbs, whatever.... Now, with the induction, I can just stick it on there at a medium/low power and forget about it. By the time I get to it, it's ready for me.

At 38F I'd say not.

Yeah, this is similar to the Thai prep I talked about.

Also, what was its storage temperature? If your meat drawer is close to freezing, what is the temperature of the area where the pork belly was stored?