Some things are simply unignorable. Such as the fact of my husband Arron (WAC founder + CEO) being a pescatarian. This variable of reality in our household — along with the fortuitous fact that I also love eating seafood — is basically the guiding light for which I am, on a daily basis, compelled to prepare and serve as many different and delicious iterations of wild Alaskan seafood as possible.
And in order to meet this need, not only must I consistently work toward dynamism and variety with my seafood species (which is easy to do when you receive a box of assorted wild Alaskan seafood every month!), but I must also have a rotation of regular family favorites on which I can always rely. Dishes and meals that are no-brainers because they are a) easy to pull together and b) foods that I know loved ones and/or guests will unequivocally enjoy.
So, without further ado, behold some of those tricks that I regularly keep up my sleeve, to keep the seafood meals at home simple, nutritious, interesting and most importantly, delicious.
The Sure Shot — Crab Cakes
The delight experienced when biting into a hot, freshly sizzled crab cake is also, frankly, unignorable. And with WAC’s Dungeness crab meat packs — in which the meat is already extracted from the shells — making these guys has truly never been easier. The crab cake is a crowd-pleaser (also true for all seafood cakes), because it has texture, flavor and an all-around comfort food vibe.
The Flavor Bomb — Miso-Mirin-Honey Glazed Sablefish
I’m not exactly sure why, but the miraculous trifecta of miso, mirin and honey (you can also use sugar) as a marinade for sablefish always yields a delectable decadence of sweet and buttery perfection every single time. Whenever I make this dish, we collectively marvel at its deep, exquisite flavor, which pairs beautifully with a nice white or brown rice (or honestly, any grain).
The Cozy King — Prawns on Polenta
Alaskan spot prawns are high on my list of all-time WAC favorites because their flavor is so sublime that they’re essentially foolproof when it comes to their preparation. You can toss them into a pasta, use them in tacos, serve them on a bed of rice, or my favorite way: lay ‘em on a hot steaming bowl of polenta or grits. The hearty, umami-ness of the prawn against the reliably sweet corn flavor is, again, in the category of unignorably delicious.
The Make-It-Feel-Like-Saturday Meal — Fish Tacos
I have a theory about fish tacos, which I may have shared here before, but here it goes again for those who may have missed it: I believe tacos are the culinary equivalent of everything-is-going-to-be-okay — and inevitably, when I do serve them, say on the proverbial Taco Tuesday, for some magical reason, a little bit of Saturday energy seems to seep into our home.
The Forever Classic — Pan-Seared Sockeye Salmon
Last, but certainly not least, is our family’s absolute classic, the one effortless entree that always wins for flavor, nutrient-richness, ease of prep and of course, connection to our family legacy. Sockeye salmon has a distinct flavor, at once robust and approachable, that when pan-seared on a hot skillet and served immediately alongside a veggie side, is truly the perfect anytime meal.
I hope that these meals inspire your own go-to Alaskan seafood menu ideas — dishes that you, too, will be able to repeat and reimagine again and again.
Live Wild!
Monica
Pictured above (from upper left, clockwise): a fish taco, which I made with panko-crusted lingcod and served with a simple cabbage slaw, avocado cubes, green apple pico-de-gallo and laid on a quinoa-chia tortilla; a fillet of pan-seared sockeye salmon; a plate of miso glazed sablefish alongside a nice kale salad and some black beans with rice; the aforementioned panko-crusted lingcod chunks freshly pan-fried in avocado oil; a pair of Dungeness crab cakes paired with a bright farro salad; a pile of prawns on a bowl of creamy, cheesy, hug-in-a-bowl polenta.
