Quick Cooking Instructions
Seafood is incredibly easy to prepare in a variety of quick and easy methods. Once you begin to get a sense for how to cook it, you'll be able to explore hundreds of methods and become a true seafood cooking aficionado! Start with our expert tips for perfectly cooked seafood.
- General Seafood Cooking Tips
- Salmon
- White Fish
- Tuna
- Swordfish
- Oysters
- Shrimp
- Scallops
- Clams
- Mussels
- Lobster Tails
- Live Lobster
- Smelt & Anchovies
- Crab Legs
- Additional Tips
General Seafood Cooking Tips
- Pat the seafood dry with a paper towel before cooking.
- These cooking times are general approximations based on the quick preparation. Cook all seafood to 145°F.
- No thermometer? No problem. Cook until the fish is no longer translucent & shiny and is opaque.
- Refer to our Storage Instructions for guidance on how to keep your seafood fresh before cooking.
- Preheat your oven or pan before cooking.
Salmon
Portions & Fillets
Pairs great with all citrus, dill, ginger
Prepared best by pan searing, broiling
Average cooking time 6-8 minutes per side
Quick Preparation - Brush the salmon with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and cook skin side down for 6-8 minutes until the lower quarter of the fish begins to opaque. Flip and add butter and finely diced garlic to the pan and baste the salmon for another 6-8 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes. Top with fresh chopped herbs before serving.
PRO TIP – Salmon is excellent for cedar plank preparation in the oven or on the grill.
Pairs great with full bodied white wine, amber ale, IPA
White Fish
Portions & Fillets
Pairs great with capers, lemons, herbs
Prepared best by pan searing
Average cooking time 2-3 minutes per side
Quick Preparation - Brush with olive oil, season each side with salt and pepper and cook for approximately 2 minutes per side.
PRO TIP – If you’re drinking white wine with your fish, add a splash to your cooking liquid.
Pairs great with any white wine, lagers and pilsners
Tuna
Pairs great with parsley, thyme, rosemary
Prepared best by pan searing, grilling
Average cooking time 2 minutes per side
Quick Preparation - Brush with olive oil, season each side of the steak or portion with salt and freshly ground black pepper and sear two minutes per side. Serve with steamed asparagus.
PRO TIP – Cook tuna steaks to rare to medium rare or 125-130°F.
Pairs great with rosé, light red wine, wheat beers
Swordfish
Pairs great with oregano, basil, rosemary
Prepared best by pan searing, grilling
Average cooking time 2 minutes per side
Quick Preparation - Brush with olive oil, season each side of the steak or portion with salt and pepper and sear two minutes per side. Remove from heat. Add 2 Tbsp of softened butter to the hot pan and melt. Chop garlic and chives and add to the pan with a squeeze of lemon and a grate of zest. Cook for 1 minute and pour over the fish.
PRO TIP – Cook swordfish steaks to medium rare or 135°F.
Pairs great with chardonnay, rosé, german gose
Oysters
Pairs great with mignonette, horseradish, hot sauce
Prepared best by serving raw
Quick Preparation - Clean the oysters and carefully shuck attempting to retain all of the brine and loosen the meat from the shell. Place on a platter with a bed of crushed ice and lemon to garnish.
SAFETY TIP – Don’t shuck oysters with a kitchen knife - get a proper oyster shucker and cloth.
Pairs great with muscadet, sauvignon blanc, sherry, dark stout
Shrimp
Pairs great with garlic, parsley, thyme
Prepared best by grilling, pan searing
Average cooking time 2-3 minutes per lb (until pink)
Quick Preparation - Clean and devein shrimp - dry well and season with salt, pepper, and chopped garlic and parsley - sear in hot pan with olive oil and butter until pink - serve with crusty bread.
PRO TIP – Top with coarsely chopped herbs and lemon zest.
Pairs great with sweet to dry white wines, pale ales
Scallops
Pairs great with thyme, tarragon, parsley
Prepared best by pan searing
Average cooking time 2 minutes per side (based on colossal size)
Quick Preparation - Heat vegetable oil over medium heat - dry scallops and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Sear the scallops 2 minutes per side
PRO TIP – Top with coarsely chopped herbs and lemon zest.
Pairs great with chardonnay, champagne, American IPA
Clams
Pairs great with basil, tarragon, parsley
Prepared best by steaming
Average cooking time 6-8 minutes
Quick Preparation - Prepare linguine separately. Pick out any clams that are open or chipped, and discard. Add 2 tablespoons salt to 1 quart of water, then allow the clams to sit in the brine for 30 minutes. Gently rinse and brush, if necessary. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Chop and add 2-3 garlic cloves and basil, tarragon and parsley. When you smell the garlic, add 1 cup of white wine and bring to a simmer. Add the clams, cover and steam for 6-8 minutes, until all clams are open (discard any that are not). Add the cooked linguine and cook for an additional minute while stirring.
PRO TIP – Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and lemon wedges.
Pairs great with sauvignon blanc, saison
Mussels
Pairs great with garlic, lemon, parsley
Prepared best by steaming
Average cooking time 7-9 minutes
Quick Preparation - Clean the mussels and discard any that have opened. In a large stock pot, heat oil and add 3 Tbsp minced garlic. When you smell the garlic, add 1 cup of a dry white wine and bring to a simmer - salt to taste. Add mussels - cover with a lid and steam for 7-9 minutes or until mussels have opened. Top with freshly chopped parsley. Serve with plenty of crusty bread.
PRO TIP – Squeeze a lemon over the finished product before serving.
Pairs great with pinot grigio, Belgian pale ale
Lobster Tails
Pairs great with parsley, dill, tarragon
Prepared best by steaming, broiling
Average cooking time 5-10 minutes depending on size
Preparing to Cook - Using kitchen scissors, cut down the middle of the lobster tail. Using your fingers, spread open the shell to expose the lobster meat. Gently push the lobster meat up to separate it from the bottom shell.
Quick Preparation - Broiling Place oven rack 6-8 inches from the broiler. Turn broiler on. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the lobster tails on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil on the lobster tails then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and broil for 5 to 8 minutes, depending on size, until shell is red and meat is firm. Serve with melted butter.
Quick Preparation - Steaming Place a steamer basket or upturned colander into a large pot to keep the lobster tails from being in the water. Pour in 2-inch depth of water. Cover tightly and bring to a boil. Quickly add the lobster tails and cover again. Steam the lobster using the following sizes and times:
3-6oz: 4-6 minutes
6-7oz: 6-8 minutes
8-10oz: 8-10 minutes
PRO TIP – Add a dash of lemon juice to your melted butter for an extra fresh finish.
Pairs great with chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, Belgian tripel
Live Lobster
Pairs great with parsley, dill, tarragon
Prepared best by steaming
Average cooking time 10 minutes per lb for the first 2 lobsters, add 3 minutes per additional lobster
Quick Preparation - Bring a few inches of salted water to a rapid boil (1/4 cup sea salt per gallon) in a large pot. Remove the bands from the claws, add lobsters to the pot of boiling water and cover with a lid. Once 10 minutes has elapsed, check the lobsters for a bright red color - if they are not all red, recheck every 5 minutes. Serve with melted butter and lemon wedges.
PRO TIP – Submerge the lobsters into an ice bath right after steaming to stop the cooking process.
Pairs great with chardonnay, pinot grigio, blonde ales
Smelt & Anchovies
Pairs great with garlic, oregano, basil
Prepared best by frying
Average cooking time 2 minutes fried in hot oil
Quick Preparation - In a large pan, add oil to reach ½ inch up the sides of the pan. Heat the oil until 350°F. In a wide, shallow bowl, mix together the flour, garlic powder and salt. Dredge smelt or anchovies in the flour mixture and gently slide into the hot oil. Cook for 2 minutes on each side. Do not overcrowd the pan. Remove smelt or anchovies from the oil and drain on a wire rack. Season with salt and pepper while hot. Scatter with herbs and serve hot with lemon wedges and mayonnaise or tartar sauce.
PRO TIP - Submerge the lobsters into an ice bath right after steaming to stop the cooking process.
Pairs great with chardonnay, pinot grigio, blonde ales
Crab Legs
Pairs great with parsley, chives, tarragon
Prepared best by baking or steaming
Average cooking time 4 minutes
Quick Preparation - Simply thaw overnight in the refrigerator, rinse and serve. To serve warm, gently reheat by steaming, baking, or grilling the crab legs in their shells for a few minutes. Serve with melted butter or add to your favorite soup or entrée.
PRO TIP – Our crab legs are already cooked - so simply steam in a pot or bake for 4-5 minutes and serve!
Pairs great with sauvignon blanc, Belguim wheat, lagers
Additional Tips
- Wonder why the water turns white when you boil shrimp? Don't worry! It doesn't mean the shrimp have gone bad. It is denatured protein, meaning the heat has caused the protein molecules to change their structure. This can also happen with crab, fish, lobster, even chicken. Although it doesn't happen all the time, it can depend on the shrimp and how fast the water came to a boil. Simply rinse and enjoy!
- When pan searing, cook skin side down first (if applicable) and apply light pressure with a spatula to prevent the skin from curling.
- Check out some of our other blogs for a more in-depth look at how to cook seafood.