Specialist: Doris Hicks SEAFOOD COOKING CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAYS SAFELY WITH SEAFOOD Oysters, smoked salmon, crabmeat, and shrimp are popular holiday foods. Doris Hicks, Delaware Sea Grant Seafood Specialist, suggests these tips for holiday cooks: "Keep cooking area, utensils and hands clean. Raw and cooked seafood should be kept away from each other to prevent cross-contamination. Keep seafood as close to 32°F as possible, and use it quickly. Fresh fish should be used within two days of purchase; smoked fish stores no longer than four or five days. The shelf life of shellfish varies, however, from as long as ten days for oysters in the shell to one day for squid". Hicks notes small platters for replenishing (prepared ahead and stored in the refrigerator or kept warm in the oven) are safer than adding to a food platter already on the table. In addition, any foods at room temperature for more than two hours should be discarded. For more information on seafood handling, click here.   These pictures were taken at a recent seafood class held at the Southern Delaware Academy of Lifelong Learning (SDALL) at the University of Delaware.   In this picture, Doris Hicks is adding the bread cubes to the Oyster Stuffing recipe. Click here for more information about oysters.     Another popular shellfish year round and at the holidays is clams. Here Ms. Hicks is adding clams to an electric skillet to prepare garlic clams.    Ms. Hicks and members of the class from SDALL are seen assembling a Shrimp Christmas Tree.       Here is the Shrimp Christmas Tree. The Tree is finished and ready to grace a holiday buffet table.   A great appetizer for the holidays is Scallop Rumaki. In this picture, Ms. Hicks is assembling the scallops, water chestnuts and bacon before placing under the broiler or in the microwave. Click here for more information about scallops.  In these two pictures, the members of the class get to sample the holiday bounty from the sea.For more information about seafood, email Doris Hicks, Seafood Specialist at dhicks@udel.edu    Return to Seafood Technology   Delaware Sea Grant © Delaware Sea Grant, University of Delaware