Hey seafood lovers! Now, because I enjoy connecting folks to great food and helping people discover new flavors, I asked the fishmongers over at The Lobster Place (from the video below) if they could put together a list of some pretty cool seafood items that they carry in-store – things that seafood fans might not find in other shops that sell fish in New York City. Below is a treasure chest of ocean fresh options that they came up with – items that their restaurant clients/chefs enjoy as well:
1. Head-on Blue Shrimp (New Caledonia) – Super sweet…perfect w/ a generous sprinkle of sea salt and then sautéed over high heat with a little butter and olive oil.
2. French Bottarga (Dried Mullet Roe) – Salt-cured, dried and waxed to preserve freshness. Clean, briny, caviar-like taste. Shave it onto pastas or salads!
3. Spanish Squid Ink – great for making that perfect batch of paella.
4. Laughing Bird Shrimp (Belize) – From a family-owned, eco-friendly aquaculture system, soft & tender w/ a great balance of sweetness & brine.
5. Widows Hole Oysters (Greenport, LI) – Clean, crisp brine and perfectly plump meat. As local as oysters can get here in New York. (I did a story on them last year!)
6. Blowfish Tails (Maryland) – Mild, sweet flavor similar to monkfish – dredge in flour, pan sauté in butter and garlic and eat like a mini drumstick.
7. California Uni – Silky, buttery & sweet. A favorite of many customers and the perfect way to impress any dinner guest.
8. Kippered Salmon (Samaki Smokehouse, New York) – Hot smoked – moist, flakey texture & very rich, fatty flavor.
9. Pink Snapper (Maryland) – Firm/flaky flesh with a moist texture and mild, sweet flavor.
10. Irish Organic Sea Trout (Clew Bay, County Mayo) – Cultivated by a co-op of Irish farmers committed to raising fish sustainably, this certified organic sea trout delivers a firm, flaky texture and high fat content rich in Omega-3’s.
11. Fresh Portuguese Sardines – why buy them canned when you can eat them fresh off the grill. Just add a little sea salt, olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
Thanks again to fishmongers Ian and Brendan for their personal recommendations. Hope it gets you to their stores and excited for trying something new at your dinner table… Happy eating!
Great list! When I lived in New Caledonia we occassionally had the local prawns (shrimp) and they were delicious. Interesting that you can get them there (in NY) and they’re not available here in Sydney, which is only 3 hours away!
I’ve had The Lobster Place’s uni just sitting outside (how can you wait till you get home?!) and it is exactly that: buttery, sweet and creamy. My favourite!
Great list! When I lived in New Caledonia we occassionally had the local prawns (shrimp) and they were delicious. Interesting that you can get them there (in NY) and they’re not available here in Sydney, which is only 3 hours away!
I’ve had The Lobster Place’s uni just sitting outside (how can you wait till you get home?!) and it is exactly that: buttery, sweet and creamy. My favourite!
never heard of grilling fresh sardines…really? lived too long in the midwest.
never heard of grilling fresh sardines…really? lived too long in the midwest.
Great list… I didn’t know they had uni there. Last couple times I have been they didn’t have any. By far my favorite fishmonger in nyc.
Hey Pablo, we appreciate the complement. As for the uni, we typically have it available at out our sushi bar and will sell plain pieces if you’re not interested in having it as sushi. If you’re looking for a full tray, just give us a day’s notice and we can bring it in no problem. We have access to both the Maine and California product. Look forward to seeing you in the store!
Great list… I didn’t know they had uni there. Last couple times I have been they didn’t have any. By far my favorite fishmonger in nyc.
Hey Pablo, we appreciate the complement. As for the uni, we typically have it available at out our sushi bar and will sell plain pieces if you’re not interested in having it as sushi. If you’re looking for a full tray, just give us a day’s notice and we can bring it in no problem. We have access to both the Maine and California product. Look forward to seeing you in the store!
As a postscript to your suggestion for what to do with fresh sardines – a little olive oil, s&p, grill or pan fry. Toasted sourdough or Irish soda bread, bitey horseradish mayo, the grilled sardine, top with pickled cucumber or red onion and more fresh pepper. Oh yes.
I love anyone who knows how to make a good sandwich…thanks for the tip Julia!!
As a postscript to your suggestion for what to do with fresh sardines – a little olive oil, s&p, grill or pan fry. Toasted sourdough or Irish soda bread, bitey horseradish mayo, the grilled sardine, top with pickled cucumber or red onion and more fresh pepper. Oh yes.
I love anyone who knows how to make a good sandwich…thanks for the tip Julia!!
Thank you so much, this was very interesting. I was actually born in Spain (I’m not telling what year though!) but was moved around various parts of europe and lastly settled in the UK when I was 6. I dont remember an awful lot of the few years I was in spain, but the smell of spanish food always seems to ring a bell in me or something. Funny, how I dont remember anything except the smells,isn’t it! I actually found a internet site dedicated to spanish recipes, which gave me great delight and thought I ought to share with your readers. Anyway, thank you again. I’ll get my son to add your cast to my rss app…
Thank you so much, this was very interesting. I was actually born in Spain (I’m not telling what year though!) but was moved around various parts of europe and lastly settled in the UK when I was 6. I dont remember an awful lot of the few years I was in spain, but the smell of spanish food always seems to ring a bell in me or something. Funny, how I dont remember anything except the smells,isn’t it! I actually found a internet site dedicated to spanish recipes, which gave me great delight and thought I ought to share with your readers. Anyway, thank you again. I’ll get my son to add your cast to my rss app…
You had me at Lobster!!!!
You had me at Lobster!!!!