For a Christmas with the best product on the table
There is no Christmas without nougat. But Nor should there be Christmas Eve without prawns, crabs, spider crabs... A classic in any self-respecting Christmas banquet is to at least share a plate of prawns with the family. And, as everyone knows, even those who sell it to you, the prices on these dates go up to take advantage of our traditional pleasure. There is no other, you have to pay for it, but at least if you follow these tips, you will know that you are paying for good quality.
We have asked advice from Adolfo Escobar , behind the Galician restaurants ogrelo Y orecanthus and the gourmet space with kitchen to go The Fish Market of O Recanto ; that is, an expert in bringing the best of Galicia to the landlocked capital, to find out what we should buy on these dates.
The Fish Market of O Recanto
HOW DO WE KNOW IF IT IS GOOD SEAFOOD?
First of all, easy: “ Seafood, especially spider crabs, barnacles and small crabs, if it is of Galician origin better ”. It seems obvious, but we often forget and get carried away by the price.
Later, to know if it is fresh, expert tricks. “When choosing a good spider crab it is very important see that it has hair underneath and that it is an intense red color although the intensity of the color will depend on the waters and where they live. When it is picked up it is very important that it weighs because so we can tell if it is full or not ”, explains Escobar.
“ The shrimp has to be bright orange and that it has a good size and the barnacle has to be fat but not very long –he continues–. It is better fat, but short. It is commonly said that they have to be 'like the carpenter's finger'. The darker and more intense the color, the better”.
Barnacles, blessed treasure of the sea
WHAT SEAFOOD SHOULD WE BUY?
It is time to share and enjoy together, so Escobar recommends seafood to place in the center of the table. “There is nothing better for this than Huelva prawns, shrimp, spider crabs, barnacles and red shrimp”.
WHEN SHOULD WE PAY?
“ Seafood is not a cheap product and in fact in many cases the price also determines the quality ”, Escobar tells us. And so that you know how much you should pay and, sorry, how much you will pay: “The average price of a crab is around €22.50 and during the Christmas season it can be around €45. The spider crab has an average price of €55 and in season high reach 80. Barnacles are usually at €75 and now they can reach €120 ”.
QUALITY SEAFOOD AT A LOWER PRICE
If those prices are beyond the family Christmas budget, Adolfo Escobar offers us other alternatives "also of high quality" for which you will pay much less. "For example, scallops, periwinkles, razor clams, clams and oysters that don't rise as much on these dates and they maintain their prices, which range from €1.50 per unit of scallop to €4 per unit of oyster (the smallest can be €1.95)”.
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Oysters from Vigo, Galician delicacy