What should be done to seafood before cooking to enhance its flavor?

Marinating or seasoning seafood appropriately before cooking is essential for enhancing its flavor. This process involves immersing the seafood in a mixture of acids (like citrus juice or vinegar), oils, herbs, and spices, which allows the flavors to penetrate the flesh. Marination not only adds flavor but also helps to tenderize the meat, making it more palatable. Various ingredient combinations can be used in marinades, allowing for creativity and diversity in flavor profiles according to the desired dish.

Processing methods such as boiling, freezing, or blanching have different purposes. Boiling seafood can lead to a loss of flavor if not done properly, freezing can alter the texture and does not necessarily enhance flavor, and blanching, while useful for preserving color and texture, also does not add flavor in the way that marination does. Therefore, marinating or seasoning seafood is considered the most effective method for enhancing its overall taste before cooking.