Thawing frozen seafood mix is a lot of work
I buy 1-lb bags of frozen seafood mix from Trader Joe’s. It includes shrimp, calamari, and scallops. I usually want to fry it in a pan, so I first need to thaw it and remove as much water as I can — otherwise it becomes boiling (or soup) instead of frying.
My process right now is:
- Separate the 1-lb bag into two bowls
- Put both bowls in the microwave oven in “defrost” mode, which takes about 9 minutes.
- Drain the water from both bowls. Mix the seafood in the bowl to make thawing more uniform.
- Put both bowls in the microwave oven for another round of defrost mode.
- Drain the water from both bowls. Mix the seafood.
- Put both bowls in the microwave one more time for another round of defrost.
- Drain again.
That seems like a lot of work, taking about half an hour before I even begin cooking it! I find it hard to believe that everyone who buys this mix goes through this — but I really do get a lot of water after each round of defrosting, so I don’t think I can skip it.
Am I thawing this seafood in the best way?
Best Answer
Any time you cook the seafood mix it will shed moisture, which it has a lot of and probably on the outside of it as well. I love that mix and I just soak it in a bowl of cold water then drain it. If you keep driving the moisture out before you use it, it will be shriveled up and dry. As you simmer it over time, the level of moisture you want to drive out of it will steam off.
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How do you defrost frozen seafood mix?
For our Seafood Medley, we recommend thawing in the refrigerator overnight before lightly rinsing with cold running water. (Ensure that the mix is drained well before transferring.) If you're in need of a faster thaw, place the mix in a colander under cold running water for between 5 and 7 minutes.Should I defrost seafood mix before cooking?
For most recipes, you'll thaw frozen seafood, then cook it just the same as if it had never been frozen. For a hands-off method, simply move the seafood to your fridge the day before you're ready to cook \u2014 24 hours is ideal.What is the importance of thawing frozen seafoods properly?
It is very important that the product does not get too warm during thawing, as thawed seafood will spoil as quickly, or faster than, fresh (unfrozen) seafood, if chilled temperatures are not maintained. Once thawed, seafood must be kept chilled or processed immediately.Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Anna Shvets, Andrea Piacquadio, Gary Barnes, RODNAE Productions