NEWS LETTER
THE SEAFOOD ISSUE APRIL 2022
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“Most seafoods should be simply threatened with heat and then celebrated with joy.” - Jeff Smith
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 4-5
MANAGING FOOD COSTS
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FEATURED BRANDS / FOLLOW US
8-9
SHRIMP: WHAT TO KNOW
10-11
SPICE UP YOUR SEAFOOD
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RECIPES
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Managing Food Costs at Your Restaurant
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f you are like many restaurants today, you are constantly looking for ways to lower food costs without consuming too much time or resources from operations already stretched thin. The practices below should be used (ideally together) to optimize various areas of operations for managing and improving food cost percentages. Tracking Food Waste Track waste in your kitchen and in the dining area. If certain dishes aren’t getting completely eaten, you should cut back on your portion size. One way to do this is to tell staff to notice the plates that come back clean more often. Another idea is to keep another trash bin designated for
the leftovers to help determine food waste. However, if you find you are throwing away excess inventory in the long term, adjust menu items. Another big way to control food waste is having consistent expectations on how much a recipe should yield. Are you using the amount of oil to fry 5 portions of fries but you are only frying for two– throwing out the excess? This waste can be costly over time. Try using things like measuring jars and cups to keep measurement accurate and consistent Inventory Audits Given the issue many face with not having enough labor to operate at
5 times, this may be pushed to the side on your list of priorities. It is proven that setting aside just 10 minutes a day could make a big difference and could save you hundreds. Costs of Key Items A far less time consuming way to track inventories to control unexpected heightened costs is to prioritize those key items. To do this, decide which five items you purchase the most consistently each week. Each time you place an order, record it on a spreadsheet. If you see a steady consistent rise in price over time, you may want to ask your vendor if there is a cheaper alternative. The Use of Seasonal Menus Depending on where you are geographically, there may be a benefit to purchasing
certain produce when it is in season because there is more availability in that season, lowering prices. Check with your vendor to see which are in season that time of year. Try to use these seasonal items in several different menu items, to optimize inventory on hand. For example, using spinach on pizza and in your limitedtime offer salad. Analyze your Menu Analyze your menu and figure out which dishes aren’t passing the profitability test. Begin with your most purchased menu items that you can find from your data. Then, calculate to see if your best selling dishes’ food costs are 35% or less. Remove these items from your menu or, if you decided to still keep them, put them further down on your menu.
Keep in mind, menu items that have low profitability and low popularity hurt you the most financially. Three ways you can handle these types of items is to rebrand the item as a limitedtime special so you can purchase less ingredients, revise the recipe, or get rid of it completely. Take an honest look at these underperforming items and decide whether it is worth trying to revive them. Managing food costs is a crucial part of running a successful restaurant. Adopting one or more of the practices above is a great step towards minimizing costs and improving your restaurant’s business operations. Source: How to Reduce Restaurant Food Costs in 2022 Margin Edge Feb. 2022
“It is proven that setting aside just 10 minutes a day could make a big difference and save you hundreds.”
Click here for Louisa recipe inspiration
Quality Ingredients Do Make the Difference!
DELCO FOODS is proud to offer real authen�c Italian foods. Our gourmet line of pasta is made from the same ingredients found in scratch prepared recipes and contain high quality cheeses and other fresh ingredients. Our meatballs are made from premium quality cuts of meat that is carefully blended with authen�c Italian herbs and spices. We are confident that these fine Italian recipes are sure to please your customers – try our products and see what they can do for your business! Round Breaded Eggplant #1002722 2/5 lb
Square Medium Meat Ravioli #320350 2/5 lb
1 oz or 2 oz Cooked Meatball #1005319 / 260000 2/5 lb
Italian Sausage Mezzaluna Ravioli #1005080 2/5 lb
Cooked Sliced Spicy Italian Sausage #1007610 3/4 lb
2.75 oz Traditional Cheese Manico� #320380 6/12 ct
Jumbo Cheese Stuffed Shells #990238 60/2.75 oz
Stuffed Rigatoni with Cheese #320388 10 lb
Frozen Lasagna Sheet #320010 40/4 oz
Tri-Color Tortellini #320400 2/5 lb
Frozen Ripple Lasagna Sheet #320030 32/5 oz
Cheese Tortellini #320420 2/5 lb
Round Jumbo Cheese Ravioli #320300 2/5 lb
Meat Tortellini #320500 2/5 lb
Round Jumbo Meat Ravioli #320340 2/5 lb
Potato Gnocchi #320551 2/5 lb
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DON’T FORGET TO FOLLOW US
“Like Us” on Facebook or follow us on Instagram & Twitter and be the first to get all the latest information about new products, upcoming events and more! Want the lastest Market Reports? Make sure to sign up by emailing twells@delcofoods.com.
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SHRIMP: What to Know Wild vs. Farm Raised
Wild Shrimp Over 2000 species of wild shrimp exist but only a few are marketed. Whites, Browns and Pinks are most recognizable. Relative to farm raised shrimp, wild caught shrimp; tend to run larger, have a firmer bite and more pronounced flavor and have harder more durable shell. Wild Shrimp Species – White: Available in USA waters: SE Atlantic, Eastern Gulf of Mexico and Pacific waters off California and Mexico. Sweet taste USA gulf whites have distinct iodine taste; Mexicans don’t. Wild Mexican whites’ texture similar to cold water lobster. Sizes range from U-10 to 31-35 count. Brown: Harvested domestically off the coasts of Mexico and the U.S.A. Appear in different colors – off white to reddish brown with tinges of blue or purple on legs and tail. Meat is firm with a mild taste. Domestic gulf browns have pronounced iodine flavor; Mexican browns from Pacific Ocean do not. Pink: Very sweet flavor profile. Wild caught; found in greatest abundance on Mexico’s Campeche banks. Deteriorate quickly due to fragile digestive organs; bisulfates are used to slow this process. Cold water Pinks: from Bering Sea, North Sea, Iceland, Russia, Canada and Greenland Much smaller, with sizing at 250 to 350 count Benefits of Wild Shrimp Flavor – More pronounced than farm raised Price – Can be higher; greater, more frequent price fluctuations. Sulfites – Can be treated with sulfites to maintain color/appearance. Quality & Consistency – Potential quality issues due to product handling in supply chain
Farm Raised Shrimp Most farm raised shrimp are from the Far East; Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, India and China. Some are from Latin America; Ecuador and Honduras. The Majority are White or Tiger species Whites range from larger sizes (16–26) in India to mid/smaller sizes (26–51) in Thailand, Indonesia and Ecuador. Tigers can grow to larger sizes (13/15–4/6), but global production reduced due to lower yields in comparison to whites. Farm raised shrimp do not have as much natural flavor as wild shrimp. Farm Raised Shrimp Species – Black Tiger: Fast growing shrimp that produce market size adults in 18 months. Farmed in Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Indonesia. Product usually packed and frozen same day it is pulled from pond. Sold raw or cooked, shell on or off, tail on or off. Has a mild, sweet flavor and firm texture. Cook faster than Whites, Browns, or Pinks.
Farm Raised White: Product of Thailand, China, Indonesia, Ecuador, Mexico, Venezuela, India, Honduras. Sizes: large (16/20 – 26/30) in India mid/small (41/50 – 26/30) in Asia and Latin America. Sold raw or cooked, shell-on or off, tail on or off. High quality white shrimp should have a bite or snap and a pleasant shrimp taste.
9 Tips There is one size loss (per pound) for peeling and cleaning. There is an additional size loss (per pound) for cooking. Two sizes per pound are lost from shell on to a cooked tail equivalent size.
Benefits of Farm Raised Shrimp Availability – a year-round industry. Quality – processed shortly after harvest with little risk of decomposition. Consistency – Color, appearance & size of finished product tends to be more consistent than wild shrimp. Price – generally priced lower
Shrimp Product Sizing Product sizes specify the number of shrimp contained in a pound of product. For example, the 16/20 “count” tells you there will be between 16 and 20 shrimp per pound.
Farm Raised Points of Difference Flavor – Can be less flavorful depending on processing techniques, handling etc. Variety – Tiger/White Shrimp are two of most commercially farmed shrimp around world. Size – Large sizes of farm raised white shrimp now commercially available in India. Yield Factors Shrimp lose a size with each step in value addition, but gains more usable pieces per pound purchased.
Recommended Uses for Sizes: U/10 Colossal- Feature solo to show them off for great plate presentation. U/12 & U15 Colossal- Use when featuring shrimp as the main course. 26/30 & 31/35- Classified as “average sized.” Good for scampis and sautées. 41/50 & 51/60- Good for salad, soups, gumbo and rice dishes.
Click here for our full Seafood Catalog
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SPICE UP YOUR SEAFOOD Looking for new ways to add flavor to your favorite seafood? There are plenty of herbs and ground spices to give an exciting punch of flavor. Seafood is the perfect way to begin experimenting with flavor and spice blends. Ground spices offer a way to bring out the natural flavors of fish, shellfish, calamari, and various other seafood dishes. While fresh is still ideal, using the dried, spice form can be very effective. The spice form also last longer and adds more of a concentrated flavor to give your dish the desired pop or subtle hint of flavor. Spices Most Commonly Used With Seafood:
Garlic Garlic powder is a good choice for enhancing the flavor of your seafood. Using ground garlic powder, you can add a concentrated flavor that could be used in sauces or marinades. Basil Basil is great for fish or shrimp recipes. Use this in herb blends for blackening fish. You can make an excellent marinade for fish with basil and balsamic vinegar. Or how about just a simple grilled fish with lemon and basil
Bay Leaf Its aroma is perfectly paired with a delicate tasting fish, like tilapia. They are great when used in fish soups. Cayenne Consider making a cayenne and garlic sauce for your grilled fish. This would be great with any nice white fish fillets as well.
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Seafood is the perfect way to begin experimenting with flavor
Cumin You can add cumin to thyme, paprika and lemon pepper as a spice blend to rub into fish fillets before pan frying. You can also combine cumin with other spices such garlic, coriander and chili powder. Parsley This herb has an earthy and somewhat peppery taste that helps add a balance of flavor to dishes with fish. Use it as a garnish and sprinkle it over any kind of seafood. It pairs well with lemon and in a butterbased sauce. Paprika Paprika is a useful spice in a variety of ways. Paprika is a unique powder because it’s very mild in heat, but adds lots of flavor and a vibrant pop of color. Recipe recommendation: Garlic Lemon and Paprika Tilapia Rosemary The combination of rosemary, lemon, and capers are absolutely delicious with white fish. It is both easy and simple to make white fish taste much better. Recipe Recommendations: Grilled Rosemary Shrimp Thyme Thyme is a herb you should be careful with. Cook with it lightly because the longer you cook it the more pungent the flavor becomes.
Turmeric Turmeric works well with fish and shellfish dishes.
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ANTIPASTO SALAD Yields: 6 smaller servings or 4 larger For the Salad: 2 heads romaine lettuce: chopped about 8 cups (#1003965) 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (#1007295) 1 cup mozzarella balls (#140701) 12 oz marinated artichokes, drained & chopped (#361055) 1/2 cup mixed olives (#1002239) 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped (#360150) 4 oz salami, sliced (#1001943) 4 oz pepperoni, quartered (#250500) 1/2 cup pepperoncini, sliced (#360022) 1/4 cup red onion, sliced – optional (#1007418) For Italian Vinaigrette: 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (#1007769)
1. In large bowl, toss lettuce, tomatoes, mozzarella balls, artichokes, olives, red peppers, salami, pepperoni, pepperoncinis and red onion together. Set aside. 2. Add oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic powder, oregano and red pepper flakes to jar and seal with lid. Shake vigorously. Season with salt & pepper. 3. Dress salad with vinaigrette and serve. Alternately, portion salad into individual servings and dress with vinaigrette on the side.
3 tbsp red wine vinegar (#1004236) 1-1/2 tbsp lemon juice (#1001492) 1-1/2 tsp dijon mustard (#390094) 3/4 tsp garlic powder (#450381) 3/4 tsp oregano (#450122) 1 pinch red pepper flakes (#450242) 3/4 tsp salt (#1006605) pepper to taste (#450441)
Notes: Make it Dairy Free: Use vegan mozzarella Make It Vegetarian: Up the veggies and skip the meat. You can use chickpeas instead – just drain and rinse first! Italian Vinaigrette: Refrigerate any leftover dressing in an airtight container up to 3 weeks.
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CREAMY SHRIMP PASTA INGREDIENTS: 8 oz whole wheat penne (#310770)
sea salt & pepper to taste (#1002252 & 450441)
1 lb jumbo shrimp p&d (#1003851)
2 cups baby spinach (#1003942)
2 tbsp olive oil (#1007769)
1-1/2 cups whole milk (#1005398)
3-4 garlic cloves, minced (#340051)
1 tbsp flour (#100140)
4 oz sun dried tomatoes, drained and chopped (#350030)
1 tbsp dried basil (#450001) 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (#450242)
1. Cook pasta in salted boiling water to al dente. 2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, one minute. 3. Add shrimp, dried tomatoes, chili flakes, dried basil and a pinch of salt. Cook until shrimp are pink, about 3-4 minutes, set aside on a plate. 4. In the same pan, add milk and flour and cook, whisking constantly until sauce thickens (about 3-4 minutes). Season with salt and pepper to taste. 5. Add baby spinach and cook until just wilted, about 1 minute more. 6. Stir in the cooked pasta and shrimp and gently mix to combine. Enjoy!