Local Seafood Resources

 

Where to Find Local Seafood

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Where to find local seafood during COVID-19

This is not a comprehensive list of all markets that offer local seafood. Instead, we have compiled and shared lists compiled by other sources of places you can find local seafood during the COVID-19 crisis. These lists are being updated the owners of the lists and so if your market or business isn’t on the list, contact the list with your information to get added. If you know of other lists that we should include, please share by emailing kate@eatingwiththeecosystem.org.

National or Regional

Maine

New Hampshire

Massachusetts

Rhode Island

Connecticut

Where to find local seafood normally

During regular times, i.e. non global health pandemics, most local markets including supermarkets, have at least some New England seafood species for sale. If the market you shop at doesn’t offer local seafood or much of a diversity of species, ask your market for local species! You asking creates demand which encourages the market to carry more local seafood and they may be able to special order the species you are looking for. If you find a local species you are particularly excited about or think others may be interested in, let us know and we will share so that we can send people to go support that market and their efforts to sell local seafood! You can let us know by emailing us at kate@eatingwiththeecosystem.org or tagging us on social media.

 

Tips and Resources for Preparing Local Seafood at Home

JOIN NEW ENGLAND SEAFOODIES!

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New England Seafoodies is a place where local seafood lovers of all levels can come together to learn, share, enjoy, and nerd out about our local seafood and fisheries. Through the New England Seafoodies facebook group and instagram hashtag (#SeafoodiesNE) you will be able to hear from local fishermen about what they are catching, share with your fellow seafood lovers where you have had luck finding these species, share and receive tips and recipes for preparing local seafood, and ask us and each other questions!

To participate, join the New England Seafoodies Facebook group and follow/ use the hashtag #SeafoodiesNE on Instagram.

Free Online Seafood Cooking School

Milk Street Cooking school is currently offering a free online course called “Fearless Fish” during the month of April. While they don’t necessarily focus on New England seafood they teach you a variety of general seafood cooking techniques and recipes that can be applied to cooking our delicious New England species and will make you a more confident home seafood cook.

How to Filet a “Round” Fish

Round fish refers to any "regular" fish that swims upright vs a "flat fish" which would refer to fish like flounders. This method can be used on any round fish. The images show a black sea bass.

There are many ways to filet a fish so if you have a preferred way of doing it, feel free to share with us. This method was taught to us by Johnson and Wales professor chef Rizwan Ahmed! Each step corresponds with the photos below.

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Step 1. Trim the fins.
Step 1. Trim the fins.

This prevents them from stabbing you when you are handling the fish and ensures they do not get in your way. (This fish had already been gutted and scaled. You can ask your fish market to do this for you.)

Step 2. Make a diagonal slice behind the fish's head.
Step 2. Make a diagonal slice behind the fish's head.

You will make this slice right behind the operculum which is the hard bone in the fish's head.

Step 3. Flip the fish over and make this same slice on the other side.
Step 3. Flip the fish over and make this same slice on the other side.
Step 4. Cut through the spine of the fish and separate the head.
Step 4. Cut through the spine of the fish and separate the head.

This will require you to put some pressure on your knife to cut through the bone. (Don't throw out the head, you can save it along with the other bones for fish stock or roast it!)

Step 5. Make a shallow slice along the top of the spine back towards the tail.
Step 5. Make a shallow slice along the top of the spine back towards the tail.

You will make this slice slightly to the side of where the dorsal fin (top fin) was.

Step 6. Following the cut you just made, continue slicing the meat away from the bones.
Step 6. Following the cut you just made, continue slicing the meat away from the bones.

You should be able to feel the bones of the fish with your knife and use those as a guide as you cut the filet away from the spine.

Step 7. Separate the filet.
Step 7. Separate the filet.

You can either cut other the ribs as shown here or cut through them and then cut that part off after the filet is separated.

Step 8. Trim the filet.
Step 8. Trim the filet.

Use your knife to clean up the edges and cut off any bones.

Step 9. Use fish tweezers (or pliers) to remove the pin bones.
Step 9. Use fish tweezers (or pliers) to remove the pin bones.

It is helpful to have a container of water nearby to drop the bones into. You can use your fingers to feel for the pin bones. If you miss any, you can always remove them after cooking when they are easy to pull right out.

Step 10. Flip the fish over and repeat steps 5-9.
Step 10. Flip the fish over and repeat steps 5-9.

How to Filet a Flat Fish

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Step 1: Layout your tools.
Step 1: Layout your tools.

Make sure your knife is sharp. This will make the process much easier and also safer.

Step 2: Trim Fins.
Step 2: Trim Fins.

Use kitchen scissors to cut the fins off the fish.

Step 2 Continued
Step 2 Continued
Step 3: Make a cut along the lateral line
Step 3: Make a cut along the lateral line

Start this cut behind the head and follow the lateral line down towards the tail.

Step 4. Angle the knife and slide it along the backbone, peeling the fillet off the bone.
Step 4. Angle the knife and slide it along the backbone, peeling the fillet off the bone.

Step 5: Continue to cut the filet away from the bones.
Step 5: Continue to cut the filet away from the bones.

Repeat this knife stroke a few times until the fillet comes loose. You will want to be carful when you get closer to the organs and try to cut over them without puncturing them.

Step 6. Turn the fish around and slide the knife under the flesh on the other side.
Step 6. Turn the fish around and slide the knife under the flesh on the other side.

Run the knife under the flesh from tail to head until the fillet is free from the backbone.

Step 7. Flip the fish over and follow the lateral line on the bottom of the fish with your knife.
Step 7. Flip the fish over and follow the lateral line on the bottom of the fish with your knife.

Step 8. Work knife along bones and separate the filet.
Step 8. Work knife along bones and separate the filet.

This will be similar to how you remove the filet on the top side of the fish.

Step 9. Repeat step 8 on the other side.
Step 9. Repeat step 8 on the other side.
Step 10. Clean up the filet.
Step 10. Clean up the filet.

Slice off the ridged edge. This is a different texture than the rest of the filet.

Step 11. Remove the skin.
Step 11. Remove the skin.

To remove the skin, lay the fillet flat on a cutting board and grip the tail with one hand. Lay the knife flat and slide it under the fillet, separating it from the skin.

From Boat to Plate: learn how your seafood is caught and gain inspiration for how to prepare it

This video showcases a variety of New England groundfish species being caught, sold at market, and then prepared at home in some delicious dishes! Inspiration for this dishes are posted below.

The dishes in this video were loosely inspired by these recipes. In the video we took applied our own twists on the recipes based on what we had at home or were able to find at our local marketplace. We encourage you to do the same and share with us how your recipes turn out by either sending a photo of your dish to kate@eatingwiththeecosystem.org or by using the hastag #SeafoodiesNE and tagging @eating_with_the_ecosystem on Instagram or @EatingwiththeEcosystem on Facebook.

Fishermen’s stew with haddock, flounder, squid, and littlenecks inspired by Food 52’s Dad’s Favorite Seafood Stew

Changes we made:

  • We added onions and leeks. (The onions and leeks were added at the same time as the garlic.)

  • We added extra fish (about 1.5 lbs vs 1lb) and used haddock and flounder.

  • We subbed shrimp and scallops for squid and littlenecks. (Scallops would have been great too we just didn’t have them).

  • Used parsley and thyme vs basil (again just didn’t have basil).

Pan seared monkfish with silky braised fennel in pink sauce

Changes we made:

  • We had monkfish filet so there were no bones. (The filet is just half of the loin)

  • We made our own sides.


How to Poach Fish in Olive Oil

Our friend David Dadekian from Eat Drink RI shared with us how to poach a piece of local halibut in olive oil at home. This simple method prevents the fish from drying out and allows the fish to take up the flavors of whatever you add into the oil, in this case garlic, sage, and lemon. Yum!

Fried Skate Wing

Our friend David Dadekian from Eat Drink RI shared with us how to prepare fried skate wing at home. This mouthwatering dish can be adapted to your own flavor preferences and can also be used on a variety of other fish such as butterfish, pollock, haddock, acadian redfish, or whiting.