Get to Know Your Seafood Market for Healthy and Delicious Eating

How well do you know your local or online seafood market? Do you know which seafood harvest fruits are best for your diet? From fresh albacore to swordfish steaks, the seafood market is one of the healthiest places for you to shop for your food. Not sure whether you should buy swordfish steaks or buy king salmon? Here are some nutritional facts about some of the best seafood available at the best West Coast seafood market websites and stores.

Swordfish

Why should you buy swordfish? According to the Harvard School of Public Health, foods that are high in protein slows the emptying of your stomach so you feel full longer. Fresh swordfish provides 20 g. of protein in a 3 oz. serving, and costs you only 146 calories. Swordfish is also packed with healthy omega 3s, which help your body build new cells, and provides 93% of your daily recommended value of vitamin D, which your body needs to use calcium.

Try: Grilled swordfish steaks with tangy lime butter and cilantro

Fresh Dungeness Crab

Dungeness crab provides a whopping 300-500 mgs. Of omega 3 fats, which add to your healthy cholesterol and provide the building blocks your body needs to repair cells and build new cells. And unlike many hard shell crabs, live Dungeness crab is remarkably low in contaminants like mercury and PCBs. They’re also a good source of selenium, vitamin B12, phosphorus, copper, zinc and niacin.

Try: Spicy crab curry with healthy 7-grain pilaf

King Salmon

A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in March 2013 found that people who eat oily fish like salmon live an average of 2.2 years longer. These fish are a good source of omega 3 fatty acids, which are one of the main building blocks your body uses to build new cells. Eating fresh king salmon twice a week could add a couple of years to your life.

Try: Grilled Salmon with Lemon-Hazelnut Sauce

Diver Scallops

Not a seafood fan? Diver scallops have a light, fresh, non-fishy taste and a delicate texture that practically melts in your mouth. In addition, they provide 20 g. of protein in a 3 oz. serving for just 95 calories. Fresh diver scallops also provide a healthy heaping helping of magnesium and potassium, which can be difficult to get from other foods.

Try: Pan-seared diver scallops on rosemary skewers

Albacore Tuna

Albacore is the white meat of tuna, the type that you’ll pay a premium for if you buy canned tuna. If you’re used to canned tuna, though, fresh albacore will be a surprise to your taste buds. The flavor is lighter and fresher, and the texture is much meatier. Albacore is high in healthy omega 3s, and provides lots of protein at a relatively low calorie-count.

Try: Brush albacore tuna steaks with wasabi and soy sauce and sear in a pan on the stovetop.

Next time you’re looking for a healthy meal idea, head straight for the seafood market and load up on all the nutrients your body is craving.

To Bulk Up Your Recipe Repertoire, Buy Smoked Seafood

Eating seafood is one of the best things you can do for your health. Ocean fish and seafood provide a host of healthy nutrients that your body needs and can’t get in many other places, including omega 3 fatty acids. Nutritionists recommend that you eat at least two servings of fish or seafood a week. If you’re not used to cooking with fish and seafood, that can stretch your recipe repertoire to the breaking point. One way to bulk up your menus, especially during the months that fresh seafood is not in season is to buy smoked seafood from a top notch seafood market and use it in recipes like these three.

Smoked Salmon and Chive Potato Pancakes

This nod to potato latkes and lox is lusciously different for brunch or dinner. You can buy smoked salmon from a fresh seafood market, or buy king salmon and smoke it at home.

Shred and finely chop 2 lbs. of Russet potatoes and 1 medium onion. Strain the mixture in a large strainer, pressing it to extract all the liquids. Mix two tablespoons of matzo meal, two egg yolks and two tablespoons of chives. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in two beaten egg whites. Cook in hot oil over medium-high heat. Garnish with smoked salmon and caviar.

Smoked Tuna Tacos

Fish tacos are a hot item on many Mexican menus, but these smoked tuna tacos turn up the taste with the deliciously delicate flavor of smoked albacore tuna.

Mix 1 1/2 pounds of smoked albacore tuna with one cup of mayo and 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro. Spoon into heated tortilla shells. Top with shredded cabbage and a mixture of diced avocado, tomato and green onions. Garnish with a dollop of spicy salsa.

Smoked Diver Scallops with Tomato and Mozzarella on Crostini

Get a head start on this tasty Mediterranean treat when you buy smoked scallops from your favorite seafood market. You can also buy fresh diver scallops and smoke them in your grill at home.

Slice a baton of Italian bread in diagonal slices. Brush each slice lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with chopped parsley, basil and oregano. Toast lightly under broiler. Meanwhile, slice 3 to 4 firm-fleshed tomatoes, one pound of fresh mozzarella and eight smoked diver scallops into 1/4-inch thick slices. On each slice of toasted bread, layer a large basil leave, a slice of mozzarella, a slice of tomato and a slice of diver scallop. Sprinkle with wine vinegar and serve with a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.

Freshness hint: For the best flavors and quality, avoid tinned seafood. Instead, buy smoked seafood from a seafood market that smokes its own king salmon, diver scallops and other fresh catch favorites.

How to Prepare Live Dungeness Crab

Marylanders go all ga-ga for blue crab and Alaskans swear by Alaskan King crab, but when it comes to sweet meat, delicate flavor and melt-in-your-mouth buttery texture, none of them can hold a candle to the Pacific Coast’s claim to fame, the Dungeness crab. From mid-November to June, West Coast restaurants put live Dungeness crab on their menus, and backyards up and down the coast turn into makeshift crab shacks. This year, the Dungeness crab season started late – as late as January 15 for many parts of California – leaving seafood lovers waiting for their favorite delectable treat, but we’re full into Dungeness crab season now, and the quality of the harvest is absolutely amazing. If you’ve never prepared live Dungeness crab, these instructions provide a general guideline.

How to Buy Live Dungeness Crab

For starters, note that the title of this section is how to buy LIVE Dungeness crab. If you don’t live on the West Coast, general wisdom has been that the only way you could really enjoy fresh Dungeness crab in season was to buy your crabs already steamed and ready to eat. These days, thanks to the Internet and great shipping lanes, you can buy live Dungeness crab from a seafood market online and have it delivered to your doorstep.

If you buy Dungeness crab this way, it will be delivered to you on ice (or with insulated frozen gel packs) in an insulated cooler. It may or may not still be alive when it reaches you, but it will still be fresh and ready to cook. It’s vital to cook it on the same day it arrives – preferably within a few hours – so place your order to take that into account. That is, if you plan to serve fresh Dungeness crab for a dinner party Friday night, order it from a seafood market that will ship it live for delivery on Friday.

How to Cook Fresh Dungeness Crab

Many online recipe sites will tell you to cook Dungeness crab by “submerging it completely in boiling, salted water”. We prefer this method:

1.       Put 1 to 2 inches of water into a large steamer pot. Add a teaspoon or two of salt.

2.       Place a steaming rack in the water. If you don’t own a steaming rack, improvise one by coiling a length of aluminum foil and shaping it into a figure eight in the bottom of the pot.

3.       Bring the covered pot of water to a boil.

4.       Place the crabs in a single layer on the rack. Cover and steam for about 8 minutes per pound of average crab weight. That is, if the average crab weight is 2 pounds, steam for 16 minutes.

5.       Remove the cooked Dungeness crab from the steamer pot using tongs. Let them cool until you can handle them without burning your fingers.

Preparing Cooked Dungeness Crab

1.       Turn the crab over on its back. Pull off the triangular belly flap.

2.       Turn the crab over. Insert your thumb between the body and shell at the open space left by the belly flap and pull the top of the crab shell off in one piece.

3.       Twist off the claws and legs. Crack them open with a hammer or nutcracker and pick out the meat

4.       Break off the crab’s mouth, and remove the lungs and colored connective tissue.

5.       Rinse away the internal organs under running water.

6.       Split the body in half and pick out the meat.

Serve the picked meat with melted butter, aioli or another dipping sauce.

If you’re not up to the task of preparing live Dungeness crab, you can also order cooked fresh Dungeness crab from an online seafood market and have it delivered to your door ready to be heated and served, or used in other recipes.

Fresh King Salmon: Delicious and Nutritious Eating

There’s nothing to compare with the flavor and texture of fresh king salmon bought from a seafood market on the pier. King salmon, also known as Chinook salmon, can grow to well over 100 pounds, and is caught off the West Coast from California to Alaska. Last year’s fresh king salmon season ended early in Alaska last year, but this season looks to be shaping up into a good one. Here’s what you should know when you buy king salmon this year.

Fresh King Salmon

Look for king salmon filets that are bright, vibrant orange. If they have the skin on, the skin should be bright, silvery chrome. Avoid salmon with dark or red skin – the flesh will be practically tasteless and mushy. Always look for Pacific salmon, preferably wild, ocean-caught king salmon, which will taste better and be less fatty than river-caught salmon or farm-raised salmon. Farm-raised salmon is still tasty, but it doesn’t approach the same quality of taste and texture as ocean-caught wild king salmon.

How to Tell the Difference

Keep in mind that wild king salmon commands a higher price, so a seafood market will always advertise it as such. If it doesn’t specifically say “wild” or “ocean-caught,” assume that the salmon is farm-raised.

Sustainability

When you buy fresh king salmon that is wild-caught, you are buying seafood responsibly. Sustainably fished Alaskan king salmon are considered a “best choice” in sustainable seafood by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, and California king salmon are listed as a “good alternative.”

Cooking Fresh King Salmon

King salmon is among the most versatile and easy to cook of the big ocean fish. Kings are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids – they are the fattiest of all salmon, in fact. The extra fat makes king salmon a very forgiving fish for novices, unlike other fish that will get tough and dry if they’re overcooked by just a minute or two. King salmon are ideal for grilling, slow barbecuing and smoking, make great sushi and sashimi and are delicious cooked just about any way you can imagine.

However, the high fat content also means that king salmon must be used quickly or it will go rancid. If you buy fresh king salmon fillets, cook it immediately, or keep it in your home freezer no longer than three months.

You’ll find king salmon for sale at your local seafood market, or you can buy king salmon fillets from a seafood market online. If you choose to buy fresh king salmon from an online market, always check their delivery policies to ensure that your salmon will arrive fresh and ready to prepare.