Fishing in the Cupboard

Your kitchen cabinet may seem an unlikely place to look for seafood. Sure, there are a couple of cans of tuna; if you’re a typical American, you eat 3.6 pounds of it each year. Or you may find an ancient can of salmon that you bought during a health kick.

But chances are slim that other varieties of shelf-fish will be lurking there. Supermarkets offer such an enormous variety of fresh and frozen food products that canned seafoods are often overlooked. And today’s culinary trends are toward high-quality fresh foods, so it’s easy to see why shelf-fish get short shrift.

That’s too bad. Canned seafood can make a great base for quick, inexpensive, delicious meals. There are plenty of species to choose from: shrimp (small and medium); crab meat (regular or lump); clams (minced, chopped or whole); salmon; oysters (regular or smoked); sardines (in tomato sauce, olive oil or several other ways); mussels (in jars, plain or marinated); anchovies; mackerel, and, of course, tuna.

Tuna’s rise in popularity is self-evident--it is tasty, convenient, low in cholesterol and fat (if you buy the water-packed variety) and remarkably inexpensive. And while more than 90% of all canned tuna probably is eaten in tuna-noodle casseroles or tuna salads, it works well in soups, pasta sauces and even hors d’oeuvres.

Other canned seafoods offer the same qualities as tuna, but most of us purchase them only occasionally (except for canned salmon). They have been given a bad rap, some of it fairly, some of it unfairly.

Granted, canned fish and shellfish don’t compare with their fresh counterparts in quality. But they can be used successfully in dishes where the texture and taste of the seafood are secondary to the success of the dish as a whole.

Canned seafood is thoroughly cooked in the canning process to kill the bacteria that cause food poisoning. Because seafood cooks so quickly, the intense heat and lengthy cooking involved in canning diminishes texture as well as size--oysters are reduced to a fraction of their fresh size, as are shrimp and mussels.

While the individual pieces of seafood found in a can may be small, there are plenty of them packed in the necessary liquid. A 6 1/2-ounce can of smoked oysters, for example, contains about 2 dozen oysters; a can of shrimp yields roughly a cup of meat.

You may find that cooking successfully with canned seafood takes some practice. Here are a few suggestions for using them to their best advantage:

* Since canned products have a more pronounced, less subtle flavor than their fresh counterparts, use them in recipes where the other ingredients are fairly robust, to compensate.

* Don’t use them in dishes where seafood is the star ingredient, such as shrimp salad or deviled crab. The integrity lost in the canning process will prevent the dish from being a show-stopper. Try them instead in soups, stews and pasta sauces.

* Add the seafood during the last few minutes of cooking to prevent any further loss of quality or flavor.

SMOKED OYSTER-STUFFED POTATOES 4 medium baking potatoes, scrubbed 1 (6-ounce) can smoked oysters, drained 2/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 1/4 cup light sour cream 2 green onions, finely chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried chives 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper Dash cayenne pepper Paprika

Pierce potatoes and bake at 450 degrees until just tender, about 50 minutes. Cut each potato in half lengthwise and scoop out insides into large bowl. Add oysters, cheese, butter, sour cream, green onions, salt, pepper and cayenne. Mix well.

Stuff each potato half with mixture and place in shallow baking pan or dish. Sprinkle with paprika. (Potatoes may be made ahead to this point and frozen. Thaw before baking.)

Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees and bake 15 minutes, or microwave on HIGH (100% power) 6 to 8 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

Variation:

Replace Cheddar cheese, butter and sour cream with 4 ounces Boursin cheese or cream cheese.

CREOLE CRAB AND RICE 3/4 cup rice 2 tablespoons butter 1 small onion, minced 1 small green pepper, cored, seeded and chopped 1 (15-ounce) can tomatoes, chopped, juice included 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 bay leaf 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1 (6-ounce) can crab meat, white or lump, drained 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Cook rice in 1 1/2 cups water until just tender and water is absorbed, about 18 minutes. Melt butter in medium skillet over moderate heat. Add onion and green pepper and cook until onion is transparent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice, Cajun seasoning, pepper, sugar, Worcestershire, bay leaf and cloves.

Bring mixture to simmer and reduce heat to low. Cook, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove bay leaf. Stir in rice and crab meat. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Transfer mixture to 1 1/2-quart casserole and sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees 20 minutes. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

My version of a hearty, delicious soup served at Celia’s Porta Via in Charleston, S.C. The recipe makes a large pot, but it freezes well.

SICILIAN TUNA SOUP 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 medium zucchini, chopped 2 (15-ounce) cans tomatoes with juice 4 cups chicken stock or canned chicken broth 2 tablespoons dry Sherry 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 (19-ounce) can white kidney beans (cannellini), drained 1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained 2 (6-ounce) cans chunk light tuna in water, drained

Heat olive oil in large pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and zucchini and saute until onion is transparent, 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes with juice, stock, Sherry, oregano, basil and pepper. Simmer over low heat 15 minutes. Add beans and tuna and simmer another 15 minutes. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

This classic recipe should be a standard in every kitchen--even non-cooks can put it together in minutes.

LINGUINE WITH CLAM SAUCE 1/4 cup olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 (6-ounce) cans minced or chopped clams with juice 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1 (8-ounce) package dried linguine or spaghetti, cooked Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and saute gently until just golden, about 1 minute. Do not let garlic brown. Add clams and their juice, red pepper, oregano and lemon juice. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes over low heat. Add parsley and cook 1 minute.

Place cooked pasta in serving bowl. Pour some sauce over pasta and toss to coat. Pour remaining sauce over top of pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to taste. Makes 3 to 4 servings.

SHRIMP CURRY IN A HURRY 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons flour 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder or to taste 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups chicken broth 1 cup milk 2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans medium shrimp, drained 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 cups cooked rice Garnish with choice of shredded coconut, sliced almonds, raisins, chutney, diced apples, diced bananas and/or cucumbers in yogurt

Melt butter in skillet over low heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until onion is transparent, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour, curry powder, ginger and salt. Whisk in chicken broth and milk and stir vigorously until mixture is smooth. Cook over low heat, stirring, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add shrimp and lemon juice and cook over low heat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over hot cooked rice. Garnish with choice of coconut, almonds, raisins, chutney, apples, bananas and/or cucumbers in yogurt. Makes 4 servings.

SALMON AND PASTA SALAD 1 (6-ounce) can red or pink salmon, drained 1 1/2 cups seashell pasta 1 cup chopped celery 1 small carrot, shredded 1/2 cup sliced black olives 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or other fresh herbs Creamy Dressing Lettuce leaves, optional Tomato wedges, optional

Flake salmon and remove bones. Place salmon in large bowl.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain and rinse briefly with cold water. Add to salmon along with celery, carrot, olives and parsley. Pour Creamy Dressing over salad and toss until lightly coated. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

Serve on lettuce leaves and garnish with tomato wedges. Makes 4 servings.

Creamy Dressing 1 tablespoon cider vinegar 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup reduced-calorie mayonnaise

Combine vinegar, lemon juice and zest, salt, mustard, pepper, olive oil and mayonnaise in small bowl or jar with tight-fitting lid. Whisk or shake until thoroughly combined.