Beating Kitchen Intimidation: Budget-Friendly Seafood

Seafood is underrated in a number of households in America, and intimidation could be the reason behind it. Where do I buy it? What do I buy? Is it in my budget? How long is it good for? How do I prepare it? Is it cooked thoroughly? Until just a couple of years ago, I, myself, was intimated by and nervous about preparing fish. I grew up cooking shellfish, so I'm pretty sure I can prepare that in my sleep, but I certainly felt like a fish out of water when it came to the other stuff at the seafood counter. Restaurants gave me the ability to indulge in various forms of seafood I never dreamed of preparing at home. While fish camps are a dime a dozen here in the south and will happily serve you a huge plate of THE BEST battered and fried seafood, the nicer restaurants allowed for more of a variety for me. After a major news story broke exposing a large number of restaurants serving us inexpensive fish and claiming to be sea bass and grouper, it really motivated me to tackle that intimidation.

The fish counter at my grocery store is a sea of red. Salmon everywhere; in every type of marinade you can imagine. Since salmon isn't something I like, shellfish was my typical go-to when getting thawed or fresh product there. I know, I know. I am likely one of the few seafood lovers that don't eat the ever-so-popular salmon, but, we like what we like, ya

know?

My Instagram followers often ask me where I purchase my seafood and the answer is everywhere. Harris Teeter, Publix, Whole Foods, Costco, and in my area, we are fortunate to have two pop-up type markets. I don't often buy from the latter because the majority of my favs are pre-order and I like to look at what I am buying when deciding. I hear such negative things about frozen seafood, but in reality, unless you are lucky enough to live in an area close to water, it's just not possible to have it all of the time. I am a mere four hours from the coast and have little access to fresh seafood. The key is always to work with what you have and buy properly sealed packages. Frozen seafood is great. Don't listen to those other people.

PRO TIP: Get to know your meat/seafood department employees, they are a wealth of knowledge. It will benefit you. Ask them questions and recommendations. They know how long something thawed is good for. They can suggest how to cook an item. They will tell you what is fresh and what has been previously frozen. They know stuff! Lots of stuff! I had not seen crab legs for several weeks last month and I finally asked: apparently, there was a shortage. If you don't see what you want, ask. If they can't get it, ask about a good substitution. If you are a budgeter: ask them if they reduce meat and seafood for "quick sale" and if so, do it on certain days or times? My Harris Teeter has a wonderful team in their meat/seafood department, as well as my local Whole Foods. Make friends and you will not regret it.

Buying in Bulk: There is no better way to save money or be prepared for those last-minute meals than to buy in bulk. My freezer always stays stocked because I am a budget shopper. While you can use freezer bags or containers, I splurged on a Foodsaver 10-15 years ago, not knowing if I would actually use it enough, but trust me when I say it's so worth it. One of my grocers runs a sale on shrimp every few months: Buy 2 bags, get 3 free. While upfront it seems expensive when you break it down to a per-pound price it's as cheap as you can ever get it! I bring them home, separate them into individual servings, and vacuum seal using my Foodsaver. When fresh shrimp is available on sale, I do the same. I also keep a size variety on hand since I like different sizes for different preparations. I will likely always bulk purchase, seal, and freeze in portions to help me reduce food waste, stay on budget and make easy meals.

Right now, this is what I have in my freezer: cod, sea bass, shrimp, scallops, lobster claws, catfish filets, and red snapper. My freezer stock varies depending on availability and what's on sale, and recent purchases are from these locations:

*Whole Foods (free Delivery through Amazon Prime): Cod, sea bass

*Harris Teeter: Lobster claws, catfish filets, shell-on shrimp

*Costco: Red snapper, baby shrimp

After dining in Wilmington a few years back, I fell in love with red snapper. Whole Foods offers fresh snapper on the weekends, but after they filet it, it only yields 2. With those two filets averaging over twenty bucks, it meant red snapper was a treat to splurge on for me. Compared to the restaurant meal cost, it's great, but when you are budgeting at home, that price range can be rough for some of us. While strolling Costco recently I found Fresh whole red snapper (3 per pack) priced around 12 bucks, as well as individually sealed frozen filets. After a quick messenger conversation with my fileting-experienced sister, the whole snapper didn't seem worth it, and I tossed the package of frozen filets in my cart.

Fast forward to preparing and it was wonderful. Not only did I not have to wrap and freeze myself, but they were also fantastic and super simple to cook from the frozen state.

Mussels are something I had added very recently to my occasional meal list. These are quite cheap, and I, once again, started by having them at a restaurant first. I found a bag for less than five bucks at Harris Teeter in the freezer section fully cooked! The package literally says not to worry about any not opened, taking away the seafood fear that might come with cooking raw ones. While I like to cook things from the raw state most often, there is likely no need for me to ever switch to raw mussels, but stores do carry those as well, and once again they are cheap. I mentioned having lobster claws in my freezer. I don't often keep them, but they were on sale for like seven bucks recently so I snatched a bag knowing it had several meals in it. They are very useful for quick meals or when you want a restaurant-style meal at home. Lobster definitely gives your plate a five-star restaurant feel, and this is the way to do it within your budget.

Cooking and Thawing: Seafood cooks in a matter of minutes, no matter how you cook it. Sear, bake, broil, steam, fry, ceviche, sous vide... I could keep going, but I'll save you the time. Another good thing is seafood thaws super quickly. A lot of seafood preparations can be done from the frozen state too. My biggest recommendation is to make sure it is size consistent for more even cooking as with anything.

Here is my number one recommendation for learning to beat the intimidation of cooking fish yourself: Buy a great thermometer. I've always had some cheap version shoved in a drawer somewhere. That damn thing was never in the right spot, always hiding and buried and a pain to read. Enter the digital age. Hello, my friends, it's a new world for me. My favorite is the Classic Thermopen by Thermoworks. I don't have to play the "Is it done?" guessing game that leads to tossing it back in the pan after starting or even worse, dry because I took it too far out of fear it wasn't done. Yes, it really happens. Temperatures don't require any stress either. Simply pick up your phone and Google. "Cooking temp red snapper", "cooking temp scallops"...Google is your best friend. You don't need to dig into recipes for temps.

Trying new things: If you are looking to try some new varieties, you may not want to buy in bulk at first. As much as I love seafood, I had no idea I would hate the taste of salmon or not be a big fan of flounder. One way to try new foods is at a restaurant, but not only is that not budget-friendly, but you also cannot find everything you may want on a menu. Buy only what you want. It is totally okay to ask the employees weighing your product for 1 or 2 of something. I have purchased 2-3 scallops before. I also ask for 4 slices of cheese at the deli counter. It seems odd at first, but don't overbuy. This makes it easier to stick to your weekly budget and not waste food. Just because it is sold by the pound, doesn't mean you must order it by the pound.

PRO TIP: Ask your seafood department to steam your seafood. Is your mind blown? Don't let it be! I've been ordering steamed shrimp from grocery stores since childhood. I ask for extra seafood seasoning (Old Bay for me) because I like it a little spicy and well coated. It takes about 10 minutes, so I order it, then shop for my other items while it is cooking, or call ahead if that's the only thing I want to pick up from the store. A lot of grocers will steam other seafood items from their counter for you too. Just ask! This goes back to my previously mentioned "get to know your seafood department employees". I am picky about my steamed shrimp, so an additional tip is to poke a hole in the package once done, so it doesn't overcook on your way home. Please give your cashier a heads up about the hole, so they are gentle.

Be sure to keep an out for easy seafood recipes!