While many might reserve fish and other seafood for more elegant events or special occasions, I personally love to incorporate at least one different variety into my meals each week. I believe there are certain benefits to enjoying a varied diet including a wide variety of different foods.
I’ve found that one of the reasons people don’t prepare seafood as often is because of a lack of fresh options or simply because they don’t know how to prepare it properly. To that, all I can say is that it depends on what you are eating. Using some of the most popular seafood and fish options, I’ll show you my favorite cooking methods and recipe inspiration with RiceSelect® to go along with it.
White Fish
Mild in flavor and one of the most common types of seafood eaten, white fish is often the most difficult to perfect in terms of taste. White fish includes bass, cod, grouper, haddock, and halibut among others.
My trick to perfecting dishes with white fish is to not let it dry out. In order to do that, I add liquid to the cooking tray or in a sauce such as tomato. In fact, that is the key to making the famous dish bacalao en tomate, or cod in tomato sauce. Other liquids could include water, wine, butter, milk, lemon, lime or orange juice, oil or a little stock.
Try it in this dish of Wine Poached Halibut using water, wine, lemon slices, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, shallot, garlic, peppercorns and salt. Everything is served with a side of Texmati® White Rice and sauteed greens.
Another one of my favorite methods is to “cook” the white fish in citrus lime juice, salt, onion and pepper like in this Peruvian-inspired Ceviche. I love to prepare it with avocado, peach, a drizzle of quality extra virgin olive oil and RiceSelect® Royal Blend® Rice.
Blue Fish
In contrast to white fish, blue fish tend to be characterized by their bolder flavor including anchovies, tuna, white tuna, mackerel, sardines, salmon and even eel among others. In my opinion, more common blue fish such as salmon or tuna carry loads of flavor on account of their more fatty texture which leads to more flavorful meals.
I prefer to cook salmon in a skillet with oil or in the oven like in this recipe for Curry Risotto with Baked Salmon. Prepared with the Arborio Rice in creamy coconut milk, the flakey salmon complements each flavor perfectly.
While I always prefer fresh options, I do enjoy the convenience of canned fish such as tuna or salmon. I choose quality options and find ways to enhance my dish in other ways such as with presentation. Try these Spicy Salmon Avocado Towers layered with aromatic Jasmati® Rice, avocado, onions and cilantro.
Shellfish Seafood
Unless you live in a coastal area, it might be hard to find and cook with completely fresh shellfish at home. What many don’t realize is that fisheries often catch fresh seafood and freeze it immediately. Supermarkets may thaw out the food items and sell as fresh meaning that frozen items are often fresher options for your meals! Unless I am cooking in a coastal city, I tend to buy frozen seafood more often.
Seafood Medley
When I can’t decide what to use in my recipe, I use a blend or a medley of different shellfish including sea kelp, clams, sea scallops, shrimp and calamari like in this Italian Seafood Risotto Recipe. For another Mediterranean favorite, this Spanish Meat and Seafood Paella is perfect for transporting yourself to the southern coast with a glass of white wine.
Another method I use to add flavor to each seafood bite is by sauteing the flavors together with orzo. Try it in this Royal Seafood Bake with onions, celery, and pepper in butter, add to cooked Royal Blend® with shrimp, crab, pimiento and mushrooms.
Shrimp
I love to showcase just how fantastic this little pink crustacean can be. Whether it be grilling, stir frying, simmering or boiling. Use these recipes below to learn how to do each one.
Grill Shrimp: This Jerk Shrimp Quinoa Bowl recipe is a fusion of both Thai and Caribbean flavors topped with grilled and marinated shrimp.
Pan-Fry Shrimp: This recipe for Shrimp Scampi sautées them quickly over high heat, with a flavorful sauce in this couscous recipe. For more information on this useful ingredient check out the What is Couscous? section on our website.
Simmer Shrimp: When you’re craving a bit of southern comfort flavors, this Shrimp Jambalaya with juicy shrimp simmered in a pan and RiceSelect® Royal Blend® infused with tomato and spices. Note: This is a great Mardi Gras recipe idea for March gatherings.
Boil Shrimp: This Spicy Thai Shrimp Salad shows you how to boil the shrimp for just 2-3 minutes and toss with a homemade dressing.
Lobster and Langoustines
For something that tastes exceedingly fancy with an ultra-luxe summery feel, this Summer Lobster and Corn Risotto is one of my favorites. Within the same lobster family, these Langoustines with Tri-color Pearl Couscous are an elegant touch for your next get-together or family meal.
Experiment and get creative in your kitchen with different varieties of seafood and shellfish. Whatever I choose, I know that with the help of RiceSelect® I can elevate any dish to be something unforgettable. If you want to learn more about our products along with information such as arborio rice to water ratio.