As we draw closer to Easter time there seems to be an increase in seafood consumption, predominantly fish. But this shouldn’t be the case as seafood is an incredible source of protein and is loaded with countless benefits. We often hear the argument that seafood is expensive. Not true! Much like meat, the price of seafood depends on the type of seafood it is and the “cut” that you buy. The fishmonger department at Food Lover’s Market stores offers a range of budget-friendly, healthy, and sustainable sources of fish and seafood. The fishmongers can also clean and fillet the fish for you..
Here are a few of our seafood favourites, reasons why you should eat them and recipes. Let’s dive in.
Seafood – crustaceans, molluscs and shellfish.
Seafood in general is a super source of essential vitamins and Omega-3s. Omega-3 helps build and maintain a healthy body and it is a key component in our cells. Usually, when we consume seafood, we follow the failsafe method of serving it with starch. With that in mind, test your culinary skills with our amazing Seafood Paella recipe, and Seafood Risotto, or simply buy a bag of Food Lover’s Market’s frozen seafood mix and add it to your favourite pasta. Yum!
Haddock and Mackerel
Both haddock and mackerel help maintain beautiful skin, boost immunity, and promote brain function amongst other benefits! If you love butter chicken be sure to try our Kingklip “Butter Chicken”, simply substitute the kingklip with haddock. Keen on a taco Tuesday? Give our fish tacos a bash, switch the hake for mackerel for a tasty and quick weekend dinner.
Pilchards or Sardines
This miracle fish is big on bone health – it builds healthy bones, fights osteoporosis, promotes calcium absorption and maintains the balance of collagen and minerals in bones and the surrounding tissue. Growing to a maximum of 30cm, dynamite definitely does come in small packages! A great choice for fishcakes, just on toast, in pasta or even in a salad, like our Pilchard Salad ( A smart recipe for load-shedding moments.), or try this seriously delicious sardine crostini recipe.
Pickled Fish
For some reason, we tend to eat pickled fish around Easter time, but interestingly enough, it originated from Cape Malay cooking methods hundreds of years ago. It was a way to preserve fish in the early Cape colony and wasn’t linked to this holiday. If you are not excited about making your own from scratch, Food Lover’s Market sells delicious ready-made pickled fish. Remember pickled fish isn’t one specific fish. It can be any fish but pickled and it can be served in many ways. Try it on tacos, spring rolls or keep it traditional and eat it with crusty warm farm bread or hot cross buns.
Head over to your favourite Food Lover’s Market for freshly caught, sustainable seafood options, as well as a wide variety of frozen seafood.
Looking for more tips on cooking everyday seafood?
Shell prawns like a pro, cook crispy fish, make tender, juicy calamari and enjoy perfectly cooked mussels and much more, check out these nifty tips and tricks to cook seafood like a pro.
Make use of this SASSI green, orange and red list pocket guide to make sure that you are purchasing sustainable seafood.
