Yes! You Can Buy Sustainable Seafood Online

If you enjoy fresh swordfish, live Dungeness crab, fresh salmon, abalone, diver scallops and other quality seafood, you’ve probably heard a lot about “sustainable seafood” lately. It’s a hot topic on all the Food Network and Cooking Channel cooking shows, and you can’t miss the labels on the restaurant menus. Whether you buy swordfish, crab and diver scallops in your local fish department or buy seafood online from a reputable online seafood market, you can make sustainable seafood choices that will help maintain the supply of seafood and reduce damage to the environment caused by overfishing in general and particular fishing methods. These tips can help you make sustainable seafood choices so that you can continue enjoying fresh king salmon, fresh swordfish, fresh albacore tuna and all your other favorite seafood for a long time to come.
Buy from Someone You Trust
There are lots of places you can buy seafood online, but many of them are wholesale suppliers that sell lots of frozen, imported, low-quality fish, often passing them off as higher-priced domestic and sustainable fish. If you decide to buy seafood online, look for an online seafood market that is an actual, physical market located near the ocean. Check them out online – not just their website, but on websites where their customer reviews will tell you all you need to know about their quality, service and trustworthiness. When you find swordfish for sale or buy king salmon from a trustworthy online seafood market, you can rest assured that you’ll get exactly the fish and shellfish you order.
Check a List
There are a number of organizations that maintain sustainable seafood lists to help consumers make choices about the seafood they buy. They include the Monterey Bay Aquarium-Seafood Watch and the Blue Ocean Institute Seafood Choices Guide.  You’ll find a list of seafood guides at the URI Sustainable Seafood Initiative.
One of the best ways to use a sustainable seafood list is to look up the types of seafood you most enjoy and learn about its sustainability. When you buy king salmon, for example, you’re buying a Good Alternative, according to the Seafood Watch. While some species of salmon are endangered, king salmon are carefully managed to ensure that the population of king salmon remains stable or increases. Ablacore tuna is another sustainable seafood choice with a high, stable population and well-regulated fishing industry.
It’s easy to buy sustainable seafood online when you take the time to research each online seafood market you consider. Once you find a market you can trust, learning whether or not a seafood choice is sustainable is as easy as asking.

What Are Dry Scallops and Other Interesting Seafood FAQs

What are dry scallops? It’s a question that any online seafood market hears frequently. Knowing the answer to that question can mean the difference between a seafood recipe that’s absolutely amazing and one that’s barely passable. In fact, understanding a lot of seafood terminology can help you choose the best seafood for your recipes and meals. These simple answers to frequently asked questions about seafood will help you pick the right fish and shellfish for your recipes.
What Are Dry Scallops?
In a word, awesome. In more specific terms, dry scallops are wild, natural scallops that have not been treated with any chemical preservatives. When you buy diver scallops from an online seafood market, they will most often be dry scallops.
Okay, so What Are Wet Scallops?
Wet scallops – and you’re not likely to see them advertised that way – have been treated with sodium tripolyphosphate, a preservative that makes them absorb water. Wet scallops weigh more than dry scallops – and while you’ll be paying for that added water, you probably won’t be eating it. It evaporates when you cook the scallops, taking a lot of the flavor and succulent texture with it.
How Can I Tell the Difference Between Dry Scallops and Wet Scallops?
For starters, if it doesn’t say “dry scallops,” they’re probably soaked in preservatives. Most seafood lovers will happily pay a premium for wild-caught seafood without preservatives, so if an online seafood market is selling dry scallops, they’ll definitely market them that way. Color is another giveaway. Treated scallops tend to be snow-white and look almost opaque. Dry scallops are darker, closer to a natural vanilla color, and they tend to be more translucent than opaque.
So What Are Diver Scallops?
It’s pretty self-explanatory. Diver scallops have been brought up from the ocean floor and cliffs by – you guessed it – divers. Having divers harvest scallops is a lot more labor-intensive than dredging the ocean floor with nets, but it’s far friendlier to the environment and to other critters that might get caught up in the nets.
So… They’re Sustainable, Right? Is There Any Other Reason I Should Care?
The best reason of all, of course. Dry scallops – and nearly all diver scallops are dry scallops – cook better and taste better. Wet scallops won’t sear properly, and they tend to get stringy and dried out very quickly when you cook them. Dry scallops, on the other hand, stay plump, juicy and succulent and are the perfect choice for any scallop recipe, cooked or raw.

Buy King Salmon and Fresh Albacore Tuna for Sushi and Sashimi

Are you a lover of raw fish dishes like sushi and sashimi? You can make your own at home, if you follow some safety guidelines for buying seafood online or off. For example, did you know that you can buy king salmon from an online seafood market and get sushi-grade fresh king salmon delivered right to your door? If you decide to buy king salmon or other delicious seafood online, make sure you take these precautions for safe eating.
Always Buy Fresh King Salmon and Albacore Tuna
Freshness is vital to both taste and health. Fish can spoil rapidly, and carry nasty bacteria that can make you very sick. If you decide to buy seafood online, make sure you buy from a reputable online seafood market with a reputation for delivering high-quality fresh fish.
Understand the Risks
When eating fresh fish raw, there are two dangers to worry about: bacteria and parasites. Careful handling and choosing the right fish will protect you from both risks.
Ask for Sashimi Grade Seafood
In the United States, fish sold as “sashimi grade” must be handled and treated in a way that reduces the chances they’ll carry parasites. That means that they are flash-frozen at a minimum of -4 F and kept at that temperature for seven days, or flash frozen to -31 F for at least 15 hours. In either case, the freezing will kill any parasites, and will not compromise the texture and flavor of the fish because it freezes so quickly. Much of the king salmon sold as “fresh” salmon has been flash frozen at sea because it preserves the freshness, but it’s always best to ask.
Check the Shipping Method
Before you order seafood online, call the online seafood market and ask about their shipping method. Only order from markets that ship seafood overnight in insulated coolers packed with cool-packs to keep it at a safe temperature. Keeping the fish cold is essential to food safety because it prevents bacteria from breeding.
Keep Your Fish Cold
When your albacore tuna or king salmon arrives, immediately remove it from cooler to inspect it for freshness.  If it smells fishy at all, don’t use it for sushi or sashimi. If it passes the sniff test, either freeze it or place it in your refrigerator on a bed of ice to keep the temperature below 41 F until you’re ready to serve it.
Practice Clean Food Handling
Always wash your hands, utensils and any cooking surfaces before you touch fish. Wash your hands and utensils again after handling fish and before handling any other foods. Keep raw fish away from hot cooked foods.
Refrigerate Immediately
As soon as your sushi rolls and sashimi are prepared, get them back into the refrigerator and keep them on ice until you’re ready to serve.
You can buy king salmon and fresh albacore tuna for sushi from an online seafood market as long as you take the proper precautions in preparing and serving your treat. 

Fun Facts About Seafood: Why You Should Buy King Salmon

Why should you buy king salmon and add it to your regular repertoire of healthy foods? Fresh king salmon may be one of the healthiest, most health-giving foods you can eat. In fact, the more you know about fresh salmon, the more you’ll understand why nearly every nutritionist tells you that you should be eating more of it. Here are some fun facts about king salmon – also commonly called Chinook salmon.
King salmon is the largest of the salmon species – you don’t think they call it king for nothing, do you? The royal fish is also known as Tyee salmon, Columbia River salmon, black salmon, chub salmon, winter salmon, blackmouth and hook bill salmon. It’s one of the most highly regarded fish, both for sport and for eating. The succulent bright orangey-pink flesh is everything that makes people love to eat fresh salmon.
The largest king salmon on record was caught on May 17th, 1985. The 97.4 lb. beauty was nearly 5 feet long. While that particular fish was exceptional, it’s not at all unusual for fishermen to bring in fresh king salmon weighing between 10 and 50 lbs., and king salmon of 100+ inches are not uncommon in some waters. That’s an awful lot of king salmon fillets.
King salmon are strictly West Coast fish. You won’t find them hanging out off the boardwalk in Jersey or lazing around the Florida shores. They’re native to Alaska, British Columbia, California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. In other words, if you’re not from the West Coast and you want to buy king salmon, you won’t find fresh king salmon in your local fish markets. Luckily, you can buy king salmon from an online seafood market on the West Coast.
While the king salmon is the least abundant of all salmon species, the population is carefully managed to ensure that there are abundant stocks of salmon, as well as other Pacific fish. That means that when you buy king salmon, you’re making an ecologically responsible choice – it truly is sustainable seafood.
Much of the fresh king salmon available is caught in the pristine northern waters off the Pacific Northwest coast. Wild-caught fresh king salmon is a treasure trove of heart-healthy omega-3s. High in protein, low in saturated fat, king salmon packs a whopping 1,700 mg of omega-3s in a single serving.
Cook it or eat it raw, you can’t beat fresh king salmon for flavor. The high fat content makes them the ideal candidate for grilling, broiling, baking or sautéing. If you decide to buy king salmon for sushi, make sure you only buy the freshest fish available. Check out an online seafood market to get the freshest king salmon steaks and king salmon fillets possible without living on the wharf.

Nothing says 4th of July weekend like a clambake – but why not give your clambake a decidedly West Coast flavor this year with fresh Dungeness crab, diver scallops and abalone? You don’t have to live on Fisherman’s Wharf to enjoy fresh swordfish, live Dungeness crab, albacore tuna and other delectable Pacific seafood. Thanks to the Internet, you can easily order seafood online from some of the best seafood markets on the West Coast. Looking for ideas for your 4th of July shindig? Here are a few ways to turn your New England Clambake into a Pacific Jamboree.
Substitute Dungeness Crab for Lobsters
You can buy Dungeness crab online from a reputable West Coast seafood market and have it delivered to your doorstep, still live and ready to cook. Live Dungeness crab is as easy to cook as lobster, and has a buttery, sweet flavor that’s delicious in just about any recipe calling for lobster meat. Buy it live for a clambake, or picked to make crab cakes, lazy crab pie or crab fritters.
Supersize Your Mussels
Forget those tiny steamers. Find an online seafood market that has abalone for sale and upgrade your clambake experience. Abalone are not actually mussels, but they can take a similar place in your menu. Clean and prep the abalone in advance and then let the kids pound it tender with a hammer. Grill sliced abalone on the grill, or fry up fritters to serve on the side.
Grill It Up
Fresh king salmon, fresh swordfish and fresh albacore tuna are all incredibly grillable fish. You can buy swordfish steaks, tuna fillets or king salmon fillet from an online seafood market and know that they’ll be fresher than anything you find in your grocer’s freezer or seafood case. The simplest preparation is often the most flavorful. Brush the grill with olive oil. Sprinkle the steaks or fillets with salt and pepper and brush with olive oil, then grill over hot coals just until the flesh is opaque.
Spice Up the Fixings
Give the sides a decidedly Pacific flavor as well by tuning up the seasonings you use. Add a salsa – with lime and cilantro, of course – to the table, and spike the potato salad with a hit of cayenne and some diced jalapenos.
Fresh salmon, whole Dungeness crab, swordfish steaks and fresh king salmon can tune up your 4th of July clambake and turn it into a West Coast party. Just order your seafood online by midweek to have it for the weekend.

Buy Seafood Online Because Freshness Matters

There are lots of great reasons to add seafood to your diet, especially fresh salmon and shellfish like live Dungeness crab, which are high in omega 3 fatty acids, but there are also some great reasons to buy seafood online rather than from the supermarket or your grocer’s freezer. One of the most important reasons to buy from an online seafood market is because the best-tasting seafood is the freshest seafood you can get.

Freshness Matters

When it comes to seafood, freshness matters. Even a few hours can make a difference in the flavor of king salmon or delicious swordfish steaks. Most fishing boats these days are outfitted with cooler compartments to keep the fish they catch fresh on ice until they get to port – but there’s not as much control once the fish or shellfish leaves the dock. Unless you’re on the coast where the fish was caught, your seafood has to travel across the country to get to you. Your supermarket fish made the trip crowded in with hundreds of other fillets, steaks and whole fish, generally in a solidly frozen block. It could have taken as much as a week – or longer – to reach your grocer’s freezer, and in that time, there’s a significant chance that it partially thawed at least once.

When you buy seafood online from a reputable online seafood market, your fish still has to travel to reach you, but that’s where the similarity ends. When you buy king salmon, for example, your order will be picked from today’s catch, packaged in a Styrofoam cooler with ice packs to keep it cool and shipped to you via overnight UPS or FedEx. In other words, you’ll get your king salmon days – if not weeks – sooner than the grocer gets his. Which fresh salmon fillets would you rather eat – those that had a cushy, air-conditioned ride to your front door or the ones that bumped over the rails and roads for as much as a week?

For decades, the only way to really enjoy the freshest abalone, live Dungeness crabs, king salmon and Pacific swordfish was to live on – or travel to – the West Coast. These days, thanks to the Internet and next day delivery services, you can enjoy the fresh taste of Pacific seafood no matter where in the country you live. Don’t settle for albacore, diver scallops and king salmon that’s been dragged all over the country on the open rails. Buy Dungeness crab, swordfish and other Pacific delicacies from a California seafood market that sells online

Fresh Abalone for Sale Online Improves Your Health and Tastes Great

If you’ve never had properly prepared fresh abalone, you’re missing out on a unique, tasty treat from the sea. The edible mollusk, found along the U.S. Pacific coast, as well as off the coast of Mexico and Japan, is a delicacy, but it does have to be prepared properly. While you can buy canned abalone, it’s not always easy to find fresh abalone for sale unless you live on the coast. If you’re not lucky enough to have a fresh seafood market nearby, though, you can sometimes find fresh abalone for sale at an online seafood market on the West Coast.

Availability of Abalone

Abalone season runs from April to July, and again from August to November. During those months, divers with a license can dive for fresh abalone in the waters off the California coast. It is, however, illegal to sell wild-caught abalone in California. All of the abalone for sale at a seafood market is harvested from one of several long-running abalone farms. Farmed abalone from these closed-system California farms top the list of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s sustainable seafood best choices list.

Preparation

Abalone is a tough, chewy mollusk with a rich, unmistakable flavor. The edible part of the shellfish is the adductor muscle, generally called the foot, that helps it cling to rocks. After removing the abalone from the shell and cleaning away the guts, the skirt and the mantle, the foot must be tenderized to reduce its toughness. The most common way to tenderize abalone is to slice it thinly and pound it with a heavy object. Marinades can also help break down the tough flesh.

Cooking

Abalone can be eaten raw or cooked in a number of ways. In Japan, it is often served raw in thin strips with wasabi and soy sauce. Abalone can also be stewed slowly to tenderize the meat, or cooked very quickly in a stir-fry. It may be served pan-fried, steamed or poached, but one of the most popular ways of eating abalone is in minced and mixed with batter to make abalone fritters.

Abalone meat has a texture that absorbs other flavors well, making marinades a delicious way of adding more flavor, and because its strong flavor stands up so well to other flavors, it can take flavors like ginger, wasabi, citrus and garlic.

Nutrition

Abalone is a good source of omega-3 EPA and omega-3 DHA, as well as omega-6 AA. Three ounces of abalone provides 89 calories, of which 6 calories are from fat, nearly all of it polyunsaturated or monounsaturated. It also provides 14.5 g of protein and 15% of the DV for iron.

If you’re lucky enough to find fresh abalone for sale, it’s a treat that’s not to be missed. Check at your favorite place to buy seafood online for availability of fresh abalone, abalone steaks and abalone skirts.

Prep Tips for Sustainable Seafood from Online Seafood Market Websites

Thanks to the Internet, anyone in the country, anywhere in the country, can now enjoy fresh seafood in season, delivered directly to their door from an online seafood market. Depending on the season, you may be able to buy swordfish steaks, fresh albacore tuna and diver scallops just off the fishing boat. It doesn’t get much fresher than that. You may choose to buy king salmon fillets, or buy Dungeness crab live. Whatever your choice, these preparation tips will help you best enjoy today’s catch of the day at an online seafood market as your dinner tomorrow night.

Fresh Swordfish

Swordfish is among the favorite choices of chefs and foodies around the world. Domestically caught swordfish are on the Monterey Bay Aquarium sustainable seafood list as a Best Choice or Good Alternative (depending on the specific area). The relatively high oil content gives swordfish a velvety texture that’s buttery and flavorful.

Serving Tip: Rub swordfish steaks with thyme leaves, salt and pepper and broil for about 12 minutes. Serve with a squeeze of lemon.

Albacore Tuna

Americans have always considered albacore to be the prime rib of tuna. Albacore  tuna from Canadian and U.S. Pacific waters are among the Best Choices on the sustainable seafood list, so you can enjoy the mild, meaty flavor and firm, moist texture without guilt.

Serving Suggestion: Marinate tuna steaks in soy and wasabi sauce with minced scallions, then pan-sear over high heat and serve with fresh vegetables and rice.

Live Dungeness Crab

Buy Dungeness crab from an online seafood market to ensure that they’re sustainably caught. The West Coast’s favorite crustacean is generally plentiful in season, and the 2013 harvest, which started off looking a bit slim, is shaping up to be one of the most plentiful harvests in years.

Serving Tip: Drop live Dungeness crab into boiling water seasoned with salt and Old Bay seasoning. Cook for about 12 minutes, or until crabs float. Serve with drawn butter or aioli for dipping.

King Salmon

Fresh king salmon caught along the Pacific Coast from California to Alaska is a delectable, buttery fish that practically melts in your mouth. The bright orange flesh is chock full of healthy omega-3s and protein, making it an excellent choice for your menu. Buy king salmon from Alaska, California, Oregon or Washington to ensure that you’re getting sustainably caught fish.

Serving Tip: Keep it simple. Fresh king salmon is delicious with very little accompaniment. Try broiling it – don’t overcook – and serve with basil pesto on the side.

These are just a few of the many delicious and healthy seafood choices you’ll find when you shop for seafood online at a good online seafood market that features fresh Pacific fish and shellfish.

The Best Seafood Online Tips for Raw Seafood Dishes

What do ceviche, sashimi and crudo and capacio have in common? If you watch the cooking shows on the Food Network, you know the answer to this: they’re all dishes that feature fresh, raw seafood (or other meat, in some cases). They’re also best made with the freshest fish possible. Until fairly recently, that meant you were out of luck if you didn’t live close to the ocean. These days, though, you can easily order fresh albacore, live Dungeness crabs, fresh king salmon, diver scallops and from an online seafood market, fresh off the boat. If you’re ready to enjoy the flavors of seafood as they were meant to be tasted, without the intervention of fire and heat, these tips will get you started in the right direction with sushi, sashimi, ceviche, carpacio, crudo and other raw seafood dishes.

Only Serve the Freshest Seafood Raw

Freshness is vital when you’re serving food raw. Buy from an online seafood market that will ship out only products from today’s catch, and ship them out on the same day. Check their packaging and shipping information to make sure that they ship your live crabs, swordfish steaks, king salmon or what have you on ice – and with enough ice to keep your purchase chilled until it reaches your doorstep.

Start with the Easy Stuff

Those wafer-thin slices of diver scallops are gorgeous – but they’re not for the inexperienced. Start with a more forgiving fish, like albacore tuna or king salmon, and choose a dish that doesn’t rely so much on precision knifework. Ceviche and tartare are user-friendly raw seafood dishes. Just dice and toss with condiments. Save the sashimi fans for when you’ve had a bit of practice slicing raw albacore and fresh king salmon.

Chill Out

Warm fish is hard to slice. It gets mushy and tears easily. Keep your fish in the refrigerator on ice until you’re ready to start slicing – preferably on the bottom shelf where it’s nice and cold. The colder the fish, the easier it will be to get a thin, even slice for sashimi or crudo.

Sharpen Your Knives

Razor-sharp. Honed to the perfect edge sharp. You’ll need it that sharp if you’re going to cut thin slices from delicate-fleshed fish, diver scallops or abalone.

Don’t Buy King Salmon – Or Any Other Sushi Fish – Pre-sliced

You can often buy fish pre-sliced for sashimi at Asian markets. Don’t. The more surface area is exposed, the more quickly the fish’s flavor will decay. If you’re looking for baby steps, find an online seafood market that sells pre-trimmed albacore or buy king salmon ready for slicing.

Always Work with Dry Scallops

If you’re doing a scallop ceviche, crudo or other raw scallop dish, always work with dry scallops – that is, diver scallops that have not had water added to keep them fresh longer. You can usually find diver scallops dry at fish market that sells seafood online.

Order Seafood Online and Other Summer Fresh Seafood Tips

It’s summer, the best time of the year to enjoy seafood, especially if you live along the coast. From swordfish steaks to fresh albacore, from abalone to Dungeness crab, this is the time that the ocean is literally brimming with the most delectable treats of all. If you’re not lucky enough to live near the docks, you can still enjoy the sea’s bounty. There are plenty of online seafood markets that let you order from an online seafood market so you have a ready source of the freshest fish, shellfish and ocean treats. That’s just one of the quick summer seafood tips we’ve got to share with you. Here are five more great summer seafood tips to help you enjoy all that the ocean has available for your grill or sashimi bar.

Make Sure It’s Fresh

When you order seafood online, it will arrive in an insulated cooler, packed with ice packs to keep it properly chilled throughout its trip to your door. As soon as you receive it, give it the smell test. Any seafood you buy should smell like the ocean. If it has any off smell, for example, if it smells too fishy or has an iodine-like smell to it, contact the online seafood market and let them know. Most are dedicated to ensuring that their customers only receive the freshest swordfish steaks, Dungeness crabs, diver scallops and other seafood. Most will find a way to make it right.

Keep It Fresh

If you’re not going to immediately start marinating or cooking your fresh king salmon or other fish, put it – in its original wrapping – on a bed of ice in the lower part of your refrigerator to keep it chilled and fresh for another day. If it will be longer than that before you’re ready to cook your fish, wrap aluminum foil around the original wrapper and freeze it.

Start Skin Side Up, Then Flip

Swordfish steaks, fresh albacore, king salmon and other fish filets and steaks are delicious grilled, but there’s a trick to sealing in the juices and keeping the fish in one piece. Oil the grill with vegetable oil and let it get smoking hot. Place your filets skin side up on the grill for just about 4 minutes. Carefully slide a spatula underneath the fish and turn it skin side down to finish cooking. The char will sear the fish and seal in the juices, and the skin will keep the fish together as it finishes grilling.

Dry It Off

Yes, it may have come from the ocean, but if you’re grilling fresh seafood, you’ll want to dry it off before you put it on the grate. Use paper towels and lightly pat the flesh all over to sop up any water or moisture on the fish so that it will brown over the heat.

Take full advantage of the ocean’s bounty this summer, no matter where you happen to live. Order seafood online and get ready to do some serious grilling.

Three Delicious Ways to Prepare Fresh Swordfish Steaks

If you’re looking for a healthy, delicious protein to serve your family, you can’t do much better than fresh swordfish steaks. With no carbs at all and a whopping 43 g of protein in a 6 oz. serving, it’s ideal for anyone following a high-protein, low-carb diet. The bulk of the calories in fresh swordfish steaks derives from fat, but most of the fat is of the healthy omega-3 and unsaturated variety. Most of the remaining calories come from protein, including essential amino acids that are difficult to get elsewhere. The essential amino and fatty acids in swordfish can help reduce inflammation and lower your risk of heart disease, arthritis and some cancers. Omega-3 fatty acids are also essential to nerve health and vision. Add in selenium, vitamin B12, vitamin D and calcium, and you’ve got a chemical composition that’s great for your health.

Fresh swordfish steaks are a strongly flavored fish with firm flesh. There’s nothing delicate about swordfish, neither in flavor nor in texture, making them the perfect foil for other strong flavors. You can pair it with sauces and rubs that you’d never use with the sweet, delicate meat of Dungeness crab or diver scallops. Swordfish from the seafood market is delicious in any recipe you’d use with fresh albacore tuna or fresh salmon, or you can try some of these delicious ways to prepare swordfish at home.

Orange Ginger Grilled Swordfish

Marinate swordfish steaks with fresh orange juice, garlic, ginger, rosemary and black pepper in the refrigerator for about three hours. Remove the fish and discard the marinade. Brush a grill lightly with olive oil and grill the swordfish over hot coals for about 4 minutes on each side.

Poached Swordfish Steaks with Orange Ginger Sauce

Marinate the swordfish as above, but instead of discarding the marinade, add about half as much water to it. Bring the diluted marinade to a simmer in a skillet. Add the swordfish steaks to simmering liquid and poach them for six to eight minutes. Serve the swordfish on a bed of rice or couscous and spoon the sauce over it.

Moroccan Spice Rubbed Swordfish Steaks

Combine a tablespoon each of coriander, cumin, chopped chile and brown sugar. Add a teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon each of cinnamon, ground fennel seed and ground black pepper. Brush swordfish with olive oil and coat with spice rub, rubbing it gently into the flesh. Set aside in a covered dish in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Heat a cast iron pan under the broiler for at least 15 minutes. Arrange the swordfish steaks in the hot pan and place them under the broiler for 7 minutes on one side. Turn and broil for 4 to 5 minutes on the other side. Serve with a light couscous salad and fresh ambrosia of oranges, mint and honey.

One note about buying swordfish steaks and other seafood. Seafood is always at its most delicious when it’s fresh. If you don’t live close to a seafood market where you can buy swordfish fresh, you can look for an online seafood market where you can buy swordfish steaks and have them delivered to directly to your door.

Time to Buy Dungeness Crab. Here’s How to Select It, Prepare It and Enjoy It

Have you had your Dungeness crab fix yet this year? Dungeness crab is a West Coast tradition that’s making its way across the country thanks to the ease of buying fresh and live Dungeness crab through an online seafood market. The taste Pacific crustaceans are easy to prepare, easy to cook and deserve a place on your kitchen table. Here’s what you should know when you buy Dungeness crab.

Dungeness Crab Season

The Dungeness crab season is a long one, running from November through the end of July in California this year, so you’ve still got plenty of time to buy live Dungeness crab before the season runs out. And since crab season got a late start further north this year, you’ll have even more time to enjoy Dungeness from Oregon and Washington waters.

Sustainable Seafood

Multiple watchdog groups have rated Dungeness crab as a best choice sustainable seafood. They’re plentiful with no risk of depleting the crab population. Since the crabs are caught in pots rather than by trawling, there’s also little risk of catching up more delicate or endangered species in the nets. The sustainable seafood rating means you can enjoy your Dungeness crab guilt-free.

Where to Buy Dungeness Crab

If you live in the San Francisco Bay area, you probably don’t need any help finding Dungeness crabs to buy. Most local folks have their favorite spots to buy live Dungeness crabs – the preference of most fans of the taste shelled creatures. Sometimes, as the season winds down, it’s harder to find live Dungeness, and you may have to settle for cooked whole crabs or picked Dungeness meat.

If you’re not lucky enough to live within easy driving distance of a fresh fish market, look for an online seafood market with a physical location on the bay or the docks for the freshest seafood possible. You can usually buy just about any type of seafood online that’s typically in stock, and have it shipped directly to your door.

How to Prepare Live Dungeness Crab

The best way to cook live Dungeness crab is to boil them whole. Fill a big pot with salted water and bring it to a boil. You can add spices or seasoning to the water before adding the crabs, if you like – a lot of folks swear by Old Bay seasonings, but others have favorite crab boil spice mixes they prefer. When the water is at a rolling boil, drop the crabs in one by one. Cover the pot and let it boil for about 15 minutes, or until the crabs float. Wait about two minutes longer, then remove the crabs from the water with a pair of tongs.

How Much Should I Buy?

Most experts recommend figuring on two to three crabs per person. The typical Dungeness weighs about 2 pounds, but you’ll only get about ½ pound of the buttery, creamy meat out of that.

Buy Dungeness crab for your next cookout, and chill a nice bottle of German Reisling, a Chardonnay or an edgy white California wine and enjoy.

Let an Online Seafood Market Cater Your Graduation Barbecue

School’s out forever! Alice Cooper’s blaring and you’ve got the grill fired up to celebrate your graduation. Skip the boring hot dogs, burgers and chicken wings at your graduation party and serve up food that will really set your barbecue apart from the rest. Check out the ocean’s bounty to spark your cookout menu. Not anywhere near an ocean? Don’t worry. You can buy swordfish steaks, fresh albacore, diver scallops and just about anything else the sea has to offer from an online seafood market. Check out these suggestions for making your graduation barbecue totally sea-licious.

Swordfish Kabobs

Just because you buy swordfish steaks doesn’t mean you have to grill fresh swordfish that way. Cut the swordfish into 1-inch chunks, marinate the cubes in lime, garlic and cilantro, then thread them onto skewers with onion wedges, mushrooms and pineapple chunks. Brush with lime-garlic marinade during grilling and serve with a piquant fruit salsa on the side. Totally yummy!

Skewered Salmon

Skewers are always a great hit at barbecues. They’re easy to cook and even easier to eat. But the chicken, beef and pork on skewers with tomatoes, peppers and onions is just more of the same-old-same-old. Spark up your graduation party menu with barbecued king salmon and fruit skewers. Just buy king salmon in season at an online seafood market. You can usually get salmon steaks and salmon filets, but if you poke around a bit, you may find a place to buy seafood online that offers cut up salmon chunks. Mix together lime juice, olive oil, honey, minced garlic and finely minced chives. Toss fresh king salmon chunks with the marinade and thread them onto a skewer with chunks of mango, fresh peach, pineapple and pepper. Grill over hot coals until the salmon is just translucent.

Grilled Diver Scallops on Rosemary Skewers

Skewers can do more than hold your food together. Grill diver scallops on rosemary sprigs for flavor that infuses the delicate flesh from the inside out. Just strip the leaves off the bottom six inches of each rosemary sprig, but leave the tops leafy. Put the sprigs in water for about 20 minutes to soak. Meanwhile, chop the rosemary leaves, and mix with olive oil, salt and pepper. Combine the marinade with the scallops and let them chill in the refrigerator for about half an hour. Thread three diver scallops onto two rosemary skewers held close together. Grill over medium-high coals for 2 to 3 minutes on each side and serve on a bed of rice.

Note: make sure you get dry scallops when you order. If you don’t, your scallops will end up shrunken and dry on the grill.

Your graduation day is something special, and your celebration barbecue should be, too. Make your cookout one that stands out. Order fresh seafood from an online seafood market and grill with the freshest summer produce you can find.

Five Reasons to Buy from a Fresh Seafood Market

Are you looking for great food additions to your menu? Do you crave exotic tastes and flavors? Are you trying to add healthy new foods to your diet? Seafood is both delicious and nutritious. Studies show that people who eat fish or seafood – especially fatty fish like king salmon or albacore tuna – cut their risks of many major illnesses significantly. But don’t visit your local seafood market just because it’s good for your health. Here are five delicious reasons to put the seafood market on your list of must-visit shops when you do your weekly grocery shopping.

Dungeness Crabs

Crab is high in protein, but also high in cholesterol. If you can’t get enough of the sweet, delicate flavor of crab, though, you can indulge more often when you buy Dungeness crab. Dungeness crab is lower in calories, fat and cholesterol than most other shellfish, but still has a smooth, sweet, almost buttery flavor. Buy live Dungeness crab for the freshest flavor and most tender meat.

King Salmon

Fresh king salmon is one of the most forgiving of all sea fish. Its high fat content makes it tolerant of overcooking, so it’s perfect for broiling, frying, baking, smoking and grilling. The fat in salmon is of the healthy type that’s packed with omega-3 fatty acid, making it just as good for you as it is tasty. You can buy king salmon frozen, but if you want to enjoy it as sushi or sashimi, look for a seafood market that has fresh king salmon for sale. For a real treat, try smoked salmon, or smoke it yourself on your home grill.

Diver Scallops

Sweet, tender and easy to cook, diver scallops are nearly the perfect food for hot summer days. Why should you buy diver scallops as opposed to dredged scallops? In a nutshell, they’re better. Divers tend to hand-pick the most mature scallops, so you’re getting the cream of the crop. On top of that, divers don’t indiscriminately scoop up all sorts of other shellfish and sea creatures when they’re harvesting diver scallops.

Swordfish Steaks

Swordfish is one of the “meatiest” of all fish. Its steak-like texture and mild flavor make it a seafood favorite even with people who don’t particularly like seafood. Swordfish steaks are a low-fat, low-calorie protein choice that’s high in omega-3 and potassium. You can buy swordfish steaks, fillets or kabobs, and bake, broil, grill or pan-fry swordfish for a delicious alternative to meat.

Albacore Tuna

Albacore is the premium tuna most sought by consumers, and with good reason. Fresh albacore is firm-fleshed, succulent and milder in flavor than other types of wild-caught tuna. Try tuna ceviche for a delicious change-of-pace from typical seafood entrées.

In addition to fresh fish in season, a good seafood market will also offer a variety of frozen fish, smoked seafood and condiments to add to your seafood recipes. Step outside your typical menu and enjoy fresh fish from your local market or an online seafood market this week.

Time to Hit the Seafood Market – Simple Recipes for Healthy Meals

If there’s one thing that says spring loud and clear for foodies, it’s the sudden abundance of fresh seafood flooding the local seafood market. The early spring months bring live Dungeness crab, fresh king salmon, diver scallops and swordfish steaks, among other delectable seafood treats. Just thinking about the bounty of fresh treasures from the sea is enough to make your mouth water. If you’re lucky enough to live near a seafood market, this is the time to start making regular visits. If you live inland, you can still enjoy the ocean’s bounty. Thanks to the Internet, anyone can buy swordfish steaks, fresh king salmon, albacore tuna and a wealth of other seafood without ever leaving their living rooms.

When fresh seafood season rolls around, it’s always nice to have a few new recipes to try out. These are a few favorite seafood delights to grace your spring table.

Tipsy Dungeness Crab in Wine Garlic Sauce

Buy Dungeness crab at your local seafood market if possible, or order live whole Dungeness crab from an online seafood market that ships nationwide. Add 4-5 cloves of chopped garlic to 2 cups of Chardonnay in the bottom of a steamer pot. Bring to a simmer. Place 2 live crabs on a steamer rack in the pot and let steam above the wine and garlic for about 8 minutes per average pound – that is, if the crabs are about 2 pounds each, steam them for 8 minutes. Chill the crabs quickly in ice water. Crack and clean them. Serve with melted butter whisked with a few tablespoons of the pot liquor from the crab steaming.

Grilled Diver Scallops on Rosemary Skewers

Mix a teaspoon of finely minced rosemary with olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour over a dozen diver scallops and turn to coat on all side. Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Cut 8 12-inch rosemary sprigs. Pick the leaves off six inches of each sprig. Soak the rosemary sprigs in water for 20 minutes. Hold two rosemary sprigs together and thread 3 scallops onto them. Repeat with remaining sprigs and scallops. Grill over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Seared Swordfish Steaks

Coat two swordfish steaks (about 1 pound) with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the swordfish steaks for 3 minutes on one side. Turn them over and add 1/4 cup of dry white wine to the pan. Cook for three more minutes. Serve over orzo pilaf.

Looking for more fresh ideas with seafood? Ask for recipes at your local seafood market, or check out recipes at your favorite online seafood market.

Five Ways to Cook Fresh Albacore

It’s almost that time of year again, when fresh albacore is plentifully available at your local seafood market and you can enjoy the succulent, juicy flavor that you’ll never get from frozen albacore tuna from your grocer’s freezer. Albacore tuna is generally regarded as the steak of tuna – the highest quality and most flavorful of all varieties. While yellowfin tuna is more available, many people prefer the milder tuna flavor and firm, meaty texture of albacore above all others.

Buying Fresh Albacore

There are a few signs to look for when buying fresh albacore on the dock or in a seafood market. If you’re looking at whole tuna, the eyes should be clear and the skin should not be slimy. The color should be silvery. Reject fish with a dull gray color. If the fish has already been cut into steaks or fillets, look for clean, white meat without bruises, discolorations or dents. Expect a mild fishy odor that is not so strong as to be unpleasant.

If you buy albacore tuna online, you’ll have to trust the seafood market from which you are buying. Look for a market that offers a variety of fresh seafood, including fresh swordfish, live Dungeness crab and fresh king salmon, as well as other Pacific fish and seafood. Always check the site’s shipping policies and research its reputation online before placing your order.

Five Ways to Enjoy Fresh Albacore

Albacore tuna is a versatile fish that can be prepared in many different ways. Try these five to get you started.

Sauté: Seared Tuna with Salsa

Rinse tuna steaks with clear water. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper, then rub with minced garlic. Lightly baste both sides with olive oil. Sear on both sides in a sauté pan, cooking for about one minute on each side. Mix 1/4 cup of sake with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Add to the pan and remove it from the heat. Turn fish frequently as it cools. Top with salsa made with tomatoes, green onion, cilantro, lemon juice and soy sauce.

Grill: Charbroiled Albacore Tuna with Red Pepper Sauce

Combine roasted red bell pepper, garlic, chipotle pepper, cumin seed, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar in a food processor and process till smooth. Add a cup of extra virgin olive oil slowly to emulsify. Mix in rosemary and parsley. Coat fresh albacore steaks with half the mixture and marinate for 30 minutes. Grill the marinated tuna steaks over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side, basting with reserved sauce, and serve with the remaining sauce on the side for dipping.

Poach: Citrus Basted Albacore Tuna Fillets

Heat 1 cup of olive oil over low heat. Add the rind of one grapefruit and continue heating for about 3 minutes to allow the grapefruit essence to infuse the oil. Immerse the tuna fillets in the oil, cooking them to the desired doneness.

Bake: Lemon-Dill Tuna Steaks

Pat albacore tuna steaks dry with paper towels. Brush both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place steaks in a baking dish. Place a sprig of dill and several lemon slices on top of each steak. Cover and bake at 400 F. for 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Ceviche: Fresh Albacore Apple Ceviche

Cut sashimi grade fresh albacore tuna into 1/2-inch cubes. Toss with the juice of three limes and a tablespoon of chopped, seeded jalapeno pepper (you can substitute habanero or another hot pepper variety if you like). Add 1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced. Cover and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes. Peel an apple and shave the flesh into the ceviche immediately before serving. Serve with cilantro, tortilla and cold beer.

What to Know When You Buy Swordfish Steaks (And a Bonus Recipe)

Fresh swordfish is one of the better choices for lean protein. Low in calories and fat, swordfish steaks provide about 22 g of protein and clock in at just about 150 calories for a 4 oz. serving, grilled with no sauce. When you buy swordfish steaks, you’re buying one of the highest quality sources of lean protein and healthy omega 3 fatty acids that you can get. And while you can buy frozen swordfish in your grocer’s freezer, you won’t understand just how incredibly delicious and satisfying fresh swordfish can be unless you live near a seafood market that offers swordfish for sale. If you live nowhere near the ocean, though, don’t despair. You can still buy swordfish steaks from a seafood market online and enjoy the tasty, healthy treat in its fullest flush of flavor.

Fresh Swordfish Steaks: Nutrition Information

Grilled swordfish steaks are a good source of protein – 4 ounces provides as much as 30% of your recommended daily intake of protein – and vitamin A. Swordfish is low in fat and a good source of calcium, vitamin C and iron. It is also relatively high in sodium and cholesterol, something to keep in mind if your diet restricts those.

How to Tell If Swordfish Steaks Are Fresh

When you buy swordfish steaks in the store, you can look for certain telltale signs that the fish is fresh. When you buy swordfish steaks online, on the other hand, you have to depend on the seafood market to deal fairly and honestly with you. Always buy fresh seafood from markets that ship fresh fish in insulated coolers, packed with ice or insulated gel packs to keep the temperature in the right range to preserve freshness. When your swordfish arrives, examine the meat carefully. It may be anywhere from white/ivory in color to pink/orange, depending on the variety of the meat. The raw swordfish steaks should show a clear whorl pattern, and the meat should be firm with no dull or discolored skin. If you’re planning to grill them, buy swordfish steaks that are at least 1 ¼ inches thick.

The Best Ways to Cook Fresh Swordfish

Swordfish is best cooked and served simply. You can bake, broil, grill, smoke or sauté it, as long as you don’t overcook it. One of our favorite ways to enjoy swordfish is grilled with lime, sage and rosemary. Simply combine lime zest, garlic, sage, rosemary, lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Lay the swordfish steaks in a 13 x 9 x 2 ½ inch baking pan and pour the marinade over them. Let them marinate for about 15 to 20 minutes. Grill the swordfish steaks over hot coals for about 4 minutes on each side. Serve with rice pilaf and a tomato and cucumber salad.

When you buy swordfish steaks online, especially fresh swordfish, always arrange to have them shipped for delivery on the day you intend to cook them. If you can’t cook them the same day, wrap each steak separately and freeze immediately.

Seafood Market Tips for Cooking Shellfish and Fresh Fish

Fresh fish and seafood aren’t just healthy and good for you – they’re a delicious treat, especially if you can get it fresh caught. That can be tricky unless you live on the pier and know how to find the freshest fish and seafood – or it used to be. Today, thanks to the Internet, anyone can order seafood online and have it shipped direct to their front door within 24 hours. You don’t need to live next door to a seafood market when you can order up a seafood delivery anytime you want.

Of course, many favorite seafood recipes are loaded with calories, cholesterol and other unhealthy things. If you’re used to baked stuffed lobster and lazy lobster pie, deep-friend fish and chips and breaded baked fish, you’re missing out on some of the most delectable ways of preparing fresh fish and seafood. These favorite seafood market tips can give your recipe repertoire a boost and tease your family’s palate with some of the most flavorful, healthful seafood recipes available.

Keep Flavors Simple

Whether you’re cooking diver scallops or fresh halibut, the secret to delicious seafood is to keep the flavors simple. Most fresh white fish – especially ocean fish – have naturally sweet, delicate flesh that flakes easily and cooks quickly. Heavy sauces, breading and betters overwhelm the flavor instead of letting it shine. Instead of heavy breading, try a light dusting of semolina flour or corn meal, and pass up the heavy butter sauces in favor of citrus reductions or a splash of white wine.

Keep Cooking Times Short

Most fresh fish and seafood tastes best when it is just cooked through. The best way to cook diver scallops, fresh halibut cheeks and even specialty seafood like conch meat is to sear it quickly over high heat. Delicate white fish overcooks easily, and becomes dry and unpalatable.

…Or Cook It Longer

On the other hand, while mussels and other seafood can get tough and chewy if you overcook it, cooking it longer can make it tender again. If you’re cooking conch meat, for example, you can either pound it thin and fry it up quickly, or cut it into bite size pieces and simmer it in broth or chowder for at least an hour.

Try It Raw

A favorite way to “cook” seafood is with citrus juices or other acids. Ceviche is a Latin style of preparing fresh seafood like diver scallops, fresh halibut, conch meat and bay scallops. Lime is a favored citrus for preparing ceviche, though some recipes call for lemon, grapefruit or even tangerine. Add chopped peppers, onions and mango for a tasty Caribbean or South of the Border treat.

If you’re looking for a taste of spring to liven up your family’s dinner table or your next dinner party, visit an online seafood market and check out the fresh fish and seafood available for delivery. Even your pickiest eaters will love it.

What You Should Know About Conch Meat

Conch meat is taken from the conch, often called the queen conch, a marine snail that is most commonly found in the waters around the Caribbean island. With the exception of the shell, all parts of the conch are edible, but in the U.S. conch meat usually refers to the foot that attaches the conch to its shell. It is found in the southern Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, but cannot be harvested in U.S. waters because it is an endangered species in the U.S. Nevertheless, it is widely available frozen, and can often be bought from an online seafood market or fresh fish market.

Conch Sources

Conch may be caught wild or farmed. Farmed conch is generally smaller, more flavorful and more tender. Wild caught conch can grow as large as 4 to 5 pounds, and is usually tougher than farm-raised conch because the muscle is more developed. The flavor is slightly sweet and similar in both taste and texture to fresh clams. Cleaning and preparing fresh conch meat is a chore that includes removing a tough outer skin and pre-cooking to tenderize the meat. Frozen conch meat is often ready to use, though it may have to be pre-cooked.

Cooking Tips for Conch Meat

Conch can be used in nearly any recipe that calls for clams, but the meat is notoriously easy to overcook, at which point it goes from being delightfully chewy to shoe-leather tough. These tips can help you cook tender, sweet conch in many different recipes.

Eat Conch Raw

Conch is delicious raw as ceviche. Slice conch meat thinly and marinate it in lime juice to let the citric acid “cook” it.

Cook Conch Meat Fast or Slow

Conch should either be cooked very fast or very slow. For fritters, steaks and other fried or grilled recipes, cook conch just until the pink flesh turns white and opaque. In soup and chowder, cut conch in small, bite-size pieces and simmer over low heat for at least an hour.

Spices for Conch

Conch is a naturally sweet, firm-fleshed shellfish that blends well with nearly any spices you please. Experiment with Caribbean spice blends, Mexican flavors and Louisiana style spices. Enjoy conch meat in gumbo, stews, chowders, soups and fritters. It is easily one of the most versatile of all seafood.

If conch isn’t available at your local fresh fish market, you can nearly always order it from a California fish market that sells seafood online and offers seafood delivery throughout the country.

What To Expect When Buying Seafood Online

If you’re a foodie, the Internet is completely made of win. Thanks to the proliferation of fresh fish markets online, seafood lovers are no longer stuck with the selection at their local seafood market. Instead, they can order seafood from an online California seafood market or any other fresh fish market that can provide them with the delectable treats they crave. If you’re new to idea and aren’t sure what to expect when you buy seafood online, this simple explanation may make the whole process clearer for you.

Find a Reputable Seafood Market

Before you place your order, do some research online to make sure you’re dealing with a reputable fresh fish market. Many online seafood sites are actual fish markets, located on the pier in their own towns. You can find out about their reputation for quality and service by checking online customer review sites. Generally, if a fish market is known for quality locally, their care will extend to any seafood delivery options they offer.

Read Descriptions Carefully

Since you can’t actually see and smell the fish when you order seafood online, you have to trust that the market will fill your order with the freshest seafood available. There are a few ways to make an educated guess about the freshness of the fish and seafood you order, though. First, know your seafood so that you know when the fish and shellfish you want are available fresh in season. Thanks to modern fishing methods and worldwide fish harvesting, you can nearly always buy just about any kind of seafood you want at any time of the year. There are, however, times when those selections will only be available frozen, canned or smoked. Before you order, make sure that you know exactly what you’re ordering, whether you're wanting to buy smoked seafood, frozen fish of fresh fish.

Check Delivery Policy

Next, check the delivery policy posted on the fish market website to find out when they ship seafood for delivery. The busiest markets ship daily, but your order will only be shipped if it’s received by a specific time. If you miss the cutoff hour, your order will be filled the next day – from the next day’s catch. In most cases, your seafood delivery will be shipped in a cooler packed in dry ice to keep it fresh without freezing it. You should have it within 24 hours of packaging it.

When Your Seafood Delivery Arrives

When your order arrives from the fish market, you should remove the cooler from the outside packaging and check the condition of the contents. Fresh fish and shellfish go bad quickly, so it’s best to prepare it as soon as possible after it arrives. If you’re not  ready to prepare it immediately, store the packaged fish on a bed of ice on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator, away from other foods.

Whether you’re craving fresh diver scallops, Ahi tuna or fresh halibut, you’ll always be able to please your palate when you order seafood from an online fresh fish market. Why take a chance with anything but the very freshest fish?