Inspired Alaskan Seafood Appetizers for Your Next Gathering

The importance of social ties has been clearly demonstrated, as studies have shown that they help people live healthier lives. If you like playing host, inviting friends and family over for dinner or a weekend lunch is also a very fulfilling experience. However, it is defining the menu that often poses the greatest challenge. When you are looking to bring something entirely new to the plate, shellfish is a great base to begin with because of the creative dishes that can be made with it.

Alaskan crab, for example, can be prepared in lots of ways that will keep your guests’ palates entertained. Cream cheese is an ingredient that is common to many recipes given that it complements the texture in a wonderfully creamy and subtle way. You can try your hand at wontons or just make mini quiches with these two main ingredients, seasonings, and dough for filling. A delicious dip idea is to combine canned crabmeat with cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, hot sauce, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Bake in the oven in a glass dish, and then get out some onion or garlic-flavored crackers for dipping.

Clams can also be used in lots of ways as part of scrumptious appetizers. If you are looking for another dip idea, try mixing minced onions with clams with cream cheese and a bit of lemon juice. Then, take a loaf of sourdough bread and cut out a circle in the center in order to make a bread bowl. Fill it up with the mixture, and send it into the oven for a bit.

Scallops are another shellfish delight and there are lots of simple ways to enjoy them. One idea is to briefly simmer them in lightly-salted water. Drain them and put them into a glass jar along with French dressing and diced garlic for additional flavor. Pop the jar in the refrigerator, and the next day you have an instant appetizer to share with guests. Just arrange them on a plate and add toothpicks.

When you are shopping for shellfish to prepare these and other appetizer recipes, be sure to pay attention to the source. Important regions like the Alaskan coast focus on sustainable fishing practices that ensure a long-term supply of tasty seafood dishes, so that you and your children can make these dishes for many years to come.

Versatile and Delicious Pollock From the Icy Alaskan Waters

Alaska Pollock just might be the most widely consumed seafood species that nobody’s ever heard of! The quality of the product that comes from the icy waters of Alaska makes this particular variety of whitefish extremely popular, and the sustainability and quantity make is economical for use in a wide variety of products. This versatile fish can be found anywhere from gracing the plates of five star seafood restaurants to fast food fryers.

When Alaska Pollock is harvested from the pure waters of Alaska it is then frozen only once thereby locking in the great flavor, flaky white meat texture and the freshness. This type of fish meat is very consistent, meaning that it is guaranteed to create products that live up to a certain standard each and every time. While it can be harvested from all over the North Pacific Ocean, the product that comes from the Bering Sea of Alaska and the Gulf of Alaska is the most desirable. Strict environmental and sustainability standards guarantee that the product will be of the top quality without having much effect on the price.

One of the largest fisheries on the planet, and the largest in the United States, the harvesting of Alaska Pollock is carefully managed not only by national standards but by those of the state of Alaska as written into the 1959 state constitution. A real pioneer and leader in the area of natural resource management, development and sustainability, Alaska has put its best foot forward when it comes to the seafood industry. When supporting a seafood species that can be found in thousands of consumer products around the world, it is important that such standards be not only put into place, but reinforced. Luckily in this case the politicians have lived up to their word and mission as far as seafood sustainability goes.

Common uses for Alaska Pollock include fish and chips meals, fillets, fish sticks, and many other breaded and battered fish products. It is also commonly found in surimi, more commonly known as ‘imitation crab.’ This can be found in everything from fast food sandwiches to fine sushi dishes. When fast food chains serve fish baskets, fish sandwiches, or even salads, often this particular seafood species is the featured ingredient. In Japan and Russia the roe is often used, and smoked or salted to give an interesting and complex flavor to traditional dishes. It’s the most versatile fish that most people never knew they’d already been enjoying for years!