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.

Tips to Order Seafood Online

Fresh fish and shellfish are a treat any time of year, but the early spring brings out the best and most flavorful fresh halibut, diver scallops, salmon and ahi tuna. If you don’t live near the ocean or have a fresh seafood market right on the water near you, the best way to get the freshest shellfish and fish is to order seafood online from a fresh fish market. These tips can help get the freshest seafood available when you order seafood online.

What To Look for When You Order Seafood Online

When you buy seafood at a local fresh fish market, you have the luxury of examining the available catch before you put down your cash to buy. Unfortunately, unless you live close to the ocean, you’re not going to find much of a variety of fresh fish and seafood online. These are some of the most important factors to consider when you order seafood from a fresh fish market.

Selection

The best seafood market websites offer a large selection of seafood, including fresh fish and shellfish. The selection may include smoked fish and smoked seafood as well as fresh halibut, ahi tuna and diver scallops, frozen fish, cooked shellfish, canned and smoked salmon, smoked seafood and many others. The bigger the selection offered by an online fresh fish market, the better – both for you and for the seafood. You should be able to buy all the seafood and fresh fish you want in one place so you don’t have to shop around and pay multiple shipping charges.

Customer Service

Whether you’re buying from a California fish market or another online fresh fish market, look for the contact information. You should be able to pick up the telephone and call the shop, send them a fax, email them or use a contact form on the website. You should get excellent customer service, including fast responses to any questions, an online Frequently Asked Questions document and a full explanation of the shipping policy and any customer guarantees offered.

Extra Stuff

A truly customer-focused fresh fish market website will also offer a variety of extra services for those who order seafood online. These might include recipes, like scallop recipes and chowder recipes, an online seafood catalog with descriptions and information about the fish and seafood available, preparation tips for smoked salmon and other seafood and condiments, sauces and go-togethers for your online seafood purchase.

Whether you’re looking to buy smoked fish or fresh fish, shellfish or tuna, you’ll find all that you’re looking for when you order seafood online. Look for a seafood market with a clear seafood delivery policy, a great selection and a great reputation within the online community and you can’t go wrong.

How to Cook Fresh Halibut Cheeks

It’s fresh fish season on the sunny California coast. That means it’s time for one of America’s favorite fish – fresh halibut. The Pacific native is a firm-fleshed white fish that is prized for the sweetness and tenderness of its meat. Fresh halibut is among the most versatile of fish choices. It lends itself equally well to broiling, baking, grilling, sautéing, pan-frying and deep-frying – and even works well in sashimi and sushi dishes. If you’re not lucky enough to live near a California fish market, you can still enjoy fresh halibut – as well as diver scallops and a variety of other fresh fish and shellfish – when you order seafood online through one of the many fresh fish markets that offer seafood delivery nationwide.

Halibut is available in many forms, including steaks and fillets, but a particular favorite is halibut cheeks. They are, exactly as the name suggests, the cheeks of the halibut, located on the fishes’ face, above the mouth. The meat is melt-in-your-mouth tender because it involves so few muscles. Fresh halibut cheeks look a great deal like large diver scallops, and are actually quite similar in flavor and texture to them as well. You’ll find them listed on the menu of many of the best seafood restaurants in the country. In fact, they’re so popular on restaurant menus that they can be difficult to find on the retail market. When you find a fish market that offers them for a reasonable price, make a note. There aren’t many places where you can buy fresh halibut cheeks on a regular basis.

Not sure how to cook fresh halibut cheeks? Halibut is already a sweet, delicate fish with a fine flake, but halibut cheeks are even more of all those things. The simplest preparations are the best because they let the fish’ natural flavor shine through. These tips and cooking suggestions will give you some ideas of how to cook and serve this delectable seafood treat.

Sprinkle halibut cheeks with salt, then quickly sauté in a pan coated with olive oil. Remove the halibut to a warm plate. Add a tablespoon of butter to the pan, squeeze in the juice of half a lemon and stir while the butter melts. Spoon the lemon-butter over the halibut and serve with rice pilaf and grilled asparagus.

Brush fresh halibut with butter or olive oil and place in a hinged wire grill basket. Cook about 4 inches above hot coals for 4 to 5 minutes per side. Be careful not to overcook, or the halibut will be dry and tough.

Cut halibut cheeks into bite-size pieces and toss in a glass dish with lime juice, salt and onion. Marinate for an hour in the refrigerator. Discard the liquid and pat the fresh halibut dry, then toss the pieces with chopped fresh tomatoes, diced onions, cilantro and chopped jalapeno or poblano peppers. Serve with rice or blue corn chips.

Don’t miss out on the chance to enjoy fresh halibut in season. It’s so easy to order seafood online that you can enjoy your favorite fresh fish no matter where you life.

Five Healthy Ways to Prepare Fresh Halibut

If you were looking for a reason to celebrate, look no further. Fresh halibut is in season, opening a world of wonderful, healthful recipes for one of the world’s most delicious and healthful fishes. The delicate, mild whitefish is a favorite choice for menus in all types of operations, from family dining tables to upscale restaurants. Its slightly sweet flavor and firm texture are among the reasons that many chefs choose fresh halibut as the base for one or more signature dishes. Those characteristics make it easy to prepare halibut in many healthy, delicious ways. Here are five different deliciously healthy ways to prepare fresh halibut.

As an appetizer, consider fresh halibut tartare as a substitute for tuna tartare, or prepare halibut sashimi. The thin, delicate flesh slices easily and holds its shape beautifully.

Brush halibut fillets with a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice infused with fresh dill. Grill over coals or broil under the broiler. Olive oil adds calories, but it’s among the healthiest of fats you can use – and the earthy flavor adds depth to the sweetness of the halibut.

Arrange serving size 1-inch thick portions of fresh halibut in a steamer basket. Lay a thin slice of fresh ginger root on top of each portion. Steam the halibut for 7 minutes. While the fish is cooking, heat soy sauce with fresh minced ginger, garlic and sesame oil. Plate the halibut, spooning the sauce over each portion.

Marinate fresh halibut in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and pepper for 15 minutes. Coat with a mix of toasted sesame seeds and minced thyme. Roast at 450 F for about 12 minutes. Serve with a salad and lemon wedges.

Marinate fresh halibut cheeks in any citrus and olive oil marinade for 15 minutes. Grill over medium heat on an oiled rack until the fish is opaque in the center. Serve with your favorite salsa.

Nutritional Information for Fresh Halibut:

Calories 115
Protein (g) 22
Total Fat (g) 2.5
Saturated (g) .5
Monounsaturated (g) 1.0
Unsaturated (g) 2.0
Carbohydrate (g) 0
Sodium (mg) 60
Potassium (mg) 460
Cholesterol (mg) 35

As you can see, halibut has a lightweight, healthy nutritional profile, making it an ideal addition to any healthy diet. For best flavor, you can always order seafood, including fresh halibut, and buy seafood online at a California fish market that provides seafood delivery nationwide.

Five Minute Tipsy Scallops Recipe

Scallops are among the most versatile of all seafood. Cooked properly, the tender morsel of mussel meat is buttery soft and sweet, practically melt-in-your-mouth sweet. They both hold their own texture and flavor while absorbing the flavors of sauces and spices with which they are cooked. This year, take full advantage of the plentiful harvest of diver scallops with this delicious and very simple Five Minute Tipsy Scallops recipe.

When choosing the scallops for this recipe, don’t settle for the frozen seafood available at your local fish market. Instead, order seafood online from a California seafood market that offers fresh-caught seafood, such as fresh halibut, diver scallops and Ahi tuna. You’ll be assured of getting only the best, fresh fish and seafood, packed fresh in ice and shipped directly to you, ready to prepare and serve.

Five Minute Tipsy Diver Scallops Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. Diver Scallops

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup Sauterne or other dry white wine

1 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. panko breadcrumbs

Rinse and lightly pat the scallops dry. Strip the needles from the rosemary and chop them finely. In a small, non-reactive, non-metal bowl, mix the lemon juice, Sauterne and rosemary together. Place the scallops in the bowl, turning them to coat with the mixture on all sides. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes.

In a flat-bottomed frying pan, melt the butter. Place the scallops, one by one, into the frying pan, searing on both sides for no more than 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Add the marinating wine, lemon juice and rosemary to the hot pan and let it come to a low simmer.

With the pan still over the heat, sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the scallops and wine sauce. Allow them to sit for 2 to 3 minutes to soak up the sauce before removing the scallops to serving plates.

Serve over a bed of jasmine rice with a side of wilted spinach sautéed in olive oil with onions and raisins.

Enjoy fresh scallops and other fresh fish and shellfish two to three times a week as part of a healthy diet. If you don’t live on or near the seashore, check out the many online fish markets that offer seafood delivery to anywhere in the country, usually within 24 hours of placing your order. You’ll love the fresh taste, and your body will love the healthy fats you get when you choose fresh fish like this light scallops recipe as a protein option.