How Alaskan Seafood Helps You Turn New Habits Into Effortless Rituals

There was a time when I’d make annual resolutions to change up the way I eat — to eat “better,” to indulge in less takeout, to share more meals with friends. Over the years, those resolutions for new-and-improved eating habits have waxed and waned, reflecting different eras of my life.

But when I married Arron (WAC founder + CEO), I entered into my Alaska era of life, one where a lot of those eating “habits” are already built into the way that we, as a family, live. Breaking bread as a shared activity and indulging in more nourishing meals on a regular basis — they’re not resolutions. They’re simply part of the rhythm of our lives. 

It might sound like a bit of an exaggeration, but I truly have found that having an abundance of wild-caught seafood from Alaska in our kitchen makes eating well feel less like an effortful “good habit” and more like an effortless, quotidian ritual. And with those essential needs more than taken care of, I’ve found that my personal New Year's resolutions can revolve around loftier goals. Last year’s big resolution was to finish writing our cookbook (which is finally heading to the printer later this month). Eat Wild: Cooking at Home with the Seafood of Alaska will be available for purchase soon — I’ll share the details as soon as I can. 

Short of marrying a wild Alaskan, I have a few ideas that might just help you herald in a nourishing and effortless Alaska era of life, too.

Lean into cooking from frozen: The air fryer is one of our most reliable tools for cooking from frozen. Its convection heat cooks frozen fish more evenly than other methods, allowing the fish to retain maximum flakiness and juiciness. Pre-marinated offerings like teriyaki-glazed sockeye and miso sablefish are my go-to frozen options — no chopping or planning ahead needed, and both options caramelize beautifully in less than 15 minutes. 

Let soup season do some of the work for you: Lately, I’ve been flaking ready-to-eat hot smoked sablefish or hot smoked sockeye salmon into pots of chowder — they add a deep, savory, almost bacon-like richness without actually being bacon. And a frozen pack of Quick Cuts (either Pacific Halibut or Wild Alaska Pollock) poaches easily in any stew or soup. Add ‘em to a pot of nearly-finished soup, put a lid on it, and simmer gently for 10 minutes or until the fish is flaky and cooked through.

Always add another portion of fish: This is one of my favorite and most basic hacks. Anytime you’re already baking, broiling, grilling, or air-frying — add an extra portion of fish to the pan. You don’t need a plan for it. You don’t even need to sauce or season it beyond a pinch of salt and drizzle of oil. Let it be a culinary bystander. Then, simply stash it in the fridge. Tomorrow, you’ll have a portion of cooked seafood ready to flake into eggs, toss into a salad, or snack on straight from the fridge. Future-you will be very grateful.

Let your box adapt to how you aspire to eat: One of the things I’m most excited about heading into this new year is our new Seafood Market experience. It’s the most flexible way we’ve ever offered to shop through your WAC membership, because you can stock your freezer in a way that reflects your habits and preferences from box to box. This makes it far easier to keep wild-caught Alaskan seafood at the center of your meals, since you get to shop for exactly what you want, when you want it.

Eating more seafood doesn’t have to mean cooking more elaborately or trying harder. Often, it’s just about setting yourself up with systems that work with your life, not against it. That’s the kind of habit that lasts well beyond January, teeing you up for the best year (and perhaps best era) yet.

Live Wild,

Monica

Pictured above: A portion of caramelized, flaky, buttery miso sablefish — a Limited-Time Product that you can shop for in the new Seafood Market. It’s one of my absolute favorite offerings to cook from frozen when I’m craving a quick serving of protein.