if i buy my xmas seafood today...

[scottsins]

i know i can avoid freezing it by icing it down in the fridge.

would that be acceptable until I cook it on tuesday?

i am specifically dealing with whole shrimp and snapper/redfish.

 

[shorty]

Is there any way you can wait until tomorrow at least? Keep it on ice in the refrigerator and make sure it never gets immersed into water from the ice melting. Three days is about max on sea food and keep in mind you don't really know how long your market has had it on ice. Monday would be even better if possible.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

scott- that's pushing it just a tad on the long side. If you can wait even until sunday, you'll be better off.

after all, you're spending a fair bit of time and effort on your meal, it'd be a ***** to have it less than stellar because of aging seafood.

 

[scottsins]

great news, sort of.

my heb only had whole shrimp frozen from the gulf. i need the heads for stock. they can thaw in the fridge for the next couple of days and be fine. the snapper was also frozen, but looks nice. it is cryopacked, so it can definitely thaw in the fridge until then. same for my halibut scraps/bones and blue crab scraps.

everything being frozen actually turned out well for me. and the product looks nice as well.

i did want to make the stock tonight, but if i thaw the shrimp to get the heads/shells, there is no way I can keep them until tuesday. maybe I make the stock tomorrow?

Or, I could jsut make the gumbo with the shrimp, but hold out the oysters (packed in tub, by the way) and lump crab until xmas day.

thoughts?

I really just like to cook ahead as much as possible. i will make the bread pudding tonight for sure, since there is no downside to having that made 3 days in advance.

 

[tonytexan]

Don't put any of the seafood in until right before serving. You might consider even waiting to add the crabmeat until gumbo is in the bowls. That way it won't disintegrate.

 

[scottsins]

that's what i thought. maybe I thaw the shrimp tomorrow night and make the stock. then, the thawed shrimp could sit for 2 days, still icing them down constantly.