Fresh seafood like Alaskan sockeye salmon is one of the best parts about living in the Pacific Northwest. Summer is the sockeye salmon season in Alaska, and it’s easy and delicious to reap the benefits of cooking the seafood. Fresh, high quality ingredients are the bread and butter of a cooked salmon meal —And Tacoma Boys has all the fresh produce and ingredients to get you there.

Alaskan Sockeye Salmon

Compared to other types of salmon, fresh wild Alaskan sockeye salmon is a nice dark pink. It’s sometimes smaller and may have a more intense fish flavor. Salmon filets are commonly prepared with garlic, butter, lemon, and herbs like dill and chives. Salmon is known as a healthy fish because it’s rich in protein and nutrients: Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins B-12, D, and iron. Alaskan sockeye salmon is a great main entree because it’s naturally an excellent source of protein. It’s versatile to prepare and cook and well liked by many seafood lovers. 

The Pacific Northwest specifically is a great place to eat salmon because it is fresh and commonly prepared around the area. People will eat salmon for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s often enjoyed with other light and subtly flavored sides like Lotus Foods Forbidden Rice and sauteed vegetables. Or, try the salmon marinated in Stonewall Kitchen Honey Orange Balsamic Dressing and served on salad.

In addition to fresh wild Alaskan sockeye salmon, you can also find canned Henry & Lisa’s Wild Alaskan Pink Salmon at Tacoma Boys. Canned salmon is a great option for camping, quick snacking, and last-minute meals.

Fresh Seafood at Tacoma Boys

Fresh seafood is easy to prepare and delicious to enjoy. There are several ways to enjoy seafood with basic ingredients and fun recipes. Fresh seafood is always available at Tacoma Boys in addition to fresh produce and everything else you need for a seafood dinner. Summer is a good time to enjoy seafood because there is a wide variety available throughout the season. In addition to fresh wild Alaskan sockeye salmon, Tacoma Boys offers a rotating selection of fresh seafood, including:

• Fresh wild red rock snapper filets: These rock snapper filets can be baked, pan-fried, grilled, poached, etc. Season and cook them similar to salmon.
• Wild royal red prawns: Prawns are easy and quick to cook in several methods and recipes.
• Wild ahi tuna medallions: Tuna can be pan-seared or grilled. Season or marinate it however you like!  
• Beer battered cod fillets: Prepared cod fillets make fish and chips or tropical fish tacos a deliciously quick dinner plan.

Check out our weekly specials to stay updated with deals and specials on fresh seafood at Tacoma Boys.

Salmon Recipes

The best thing about cooking salmon recipes is how simple and delicious it is to prepare. All you need is a few fresh, quality ingredients to get started. Some salmon recipes may require marinating the fish or using fresh citrus and herbs for a light and bright flavor. You can also use sauces or make your own to add even more flavor. If you’ve never cooked salmon before, don’t hesitate! It’s actually quite easy and often quick to prepare and cook salmon. All the different methods to cook salmon may seem intimidating, but they are all good for different reasons. 

1. Baked

Baked salmon is easy and convenient, but may take a bit longer than other methods. It’s a good method when using marinades and sauces. Try a mixture of sour cream, garlic, dill, chives, and lemon for a refreshing sauce!

2. Broiled

Similar to baking salmon, you can broil it for a quicker and crispier result. But keep an eye on it! Broiling can easily lead to burning. Simply prepare the salmon with your oil and seasonings and pop it under the broiler for 15-20 minutes.

3. Pan-fried

One of the more common ways to prepare salmon is by pan-frying the fish. You can use lots of salty, buttery, lemony ingredients alongside the salmon filets. Or, make a sauce to go over top. This recipe for a creamy feta garlic sauce by Half Baked Harvest sounds perfect for salmon! 

4. Grilled

Sockeye salmon is a great fish for grilling! Hot and fast, grilled salmon is popular because of the buttery, smoky flavors. Tacoma Boy’s recipe for Citrus Herb Grilled Salmon is one simple and delicious way to cook salmon.

5. Poached

Low and slow, salmon can be poached in water or a flavorful sauce. Try this recipe for curry poached salmon featuring coconut milk, curry paste, and fresh garlic and ginger.

Shopping for Salmon

There’s no right way to enjoy your wild Alaskan sockeye salmon — It’s all about eating what you prefer, prepared simply with quality ingredients. Tacoma Boys looks forward to helping you prepare your delicious salmon dinner with fresh produce and specialty food products, too! To stay up to date on insider deals and specials, sign up for Tacoma Boys’ text list. Just text (253) 246-1661 to tell Paul you want to be on the list!

Fresh seafood is hard to pass up. It’s easy to cook and so satisfying when prepared with other simple, fresh ingredients and seasonings. Tacoma Boys has all the fixings for a fresh seafood dinner, like spring mix for a side salad, an assortment of pastas, sauces, and seasonings. Tacoma Boys has you covered for all of your fresh seafood basics – from different cooking methods to one-of-a-kind seafood recipes, and what to serve alongside. The options for incorporating fresh seafood into your cooking routine are endless!

Tacoma Boys’ Fresh Seafood Selection

There are several varieties of fresh seafood available over at the deli counter at Tacoma Boys. The selection of fresh seafood rotates regularly, so check out our weekly specials to stay up-to-date! Then, match the fresh seafood with sides like roasted potatoes, stir-fried vegetables, or a garden salad dressed with your choice of one of Tacoma Boys’ dozens of different salad dressings. In addition to the following, you’ll find scallops, shrimp, lobster, and much more to choose from. 

Fresh Norwegian Steelhead

• The Steelhead Trout comes from a freshwater and saltwater environment in Norway, where fjord-fed rivers meet the sea.

Fresh King Salmon

• Fresh filets of King Salmon are easily prepared and cooked through many different methods, like baking in the oven or grilling hot and fast.

Wild Alaskan Coho Salmon

• Try the Wild Alaskan Coho Salmon with Johnny’s Salmon Finishing Sauce, a northwest blend made just for salmon with dill and garlic at center stage.

Wild Alaskan Halibut

• The most adventurous might batter and fry strips of the Wild Alaskan Halibut and serve it with french fries alongside Tacoma Boy’s Tartar Sauce or Lemon Caper Sauce.

Fresh Red Snapper

• Filets of fresh Red Snapper are firm, making them easily manageable when preparing and sturdy enough for a spicy rub.

Boneless Skinless Tilapia

• The mild, white-fleshed Tilapia is already deboned and skinned in preparation for your fresh seafood meal.

How to Cook Seafood

If you’re looking for advice on how to cook seafood, look no further! After selecting your seafood of choice at Tacoma Boys, you’ll need something to season it with. Get creative with your own blend or rub, choosing spices and tastes to preference, or skip the prep and grab a bottle of Garlic Gourmay to use when you cook seafood. Several different flavors will elevate fresh seafood, from garlic mesquite or garlic jalapeño, to Jamaican jerk, honey lime, and more.

Grill

Grilled seafood is popular for its resulting flavor and tender texture. It takes a couple simple steps to prepare your ingredients, preheat your grill, and cook seafood quickly. Grill seasoned filets of salmon or several shrimp hot and fast to cook fully and lock in flavor. If you don’t see those nice grill marks, don’t worry and don’t wait: It may very well be fully cooked without the perfect marks, and hot grills can burn food fast!

Fry

Pan-frying is a straight-forward and common method to cook seafood. It should yield crisp, succulent bites of fish with or without the skin. Using a batter, flour, or breadcrumbs will add a bit of a crust, but isn’t necessary. To cook fish filets in a pan, place the battered or seasoned fish in a hot, well-oiled pan. When it’s crisped and cooked to your liking on one side, flip the fish and cook the other side. If the filet is thick and fatty, it may need to be baked in the oven to finish cooking to temperature. 

Oven

Baking fish in the oven is easy and efficient because you can leave a well-seasoned piece of fish in the oven for a few minutes while you prepare your sides. At the right oven temperature, seafood will cook to temperature throughout without overcooking on the outside. Just be sure to keep an eye on the clock!

Seafood Recipes

Seafood recipes are plentiful as they generally require basic ingredients and kitchen staples to round out a satisfying meal. If you’re not ready to create your own seafood recipe, there are several tried and true recipes you can try:

• Grab a couple of Tacoma Boys’ sweet and juicy heirloom oranges and a lemon for a balanced finish to this Easy Honey Citrus Sheet Pan Salmon seafood recipe by Killing Thyme. 
• Smooth garlic butter tops baked steelhead in this Garlic Butter Steelhead Trout in Foil seafood recipe by Kitchen Swagger.
• Scallops are commonly seared to create a crispy crust. Scallop Fra Diavolo by Champagne Tastes is one way to go when a big bowl of pasta sounds just right.

Simple Baked Halibut Over Seasoned Wild Rice

This baked halibut seafood recipe uses Tacoma Boys’ Wild Alaskan Halibut and one of our favorite rubs with local ties: Tom Douglas’ Seafood Rub boosts the flavor of any type of fresh seafood with a flavorful blend of spices. On a bed of Lundberg Whole Grain Rice & Wild Rice, this basic seafood recipe is as tasty as it is quick to whip up.

Ingredients

• Two 5-ounce boneless halibut filets (skin on)
• 1 teaspoon cooking oil of choice (such as avocado oil)
• 2 tablespoons Rub With Love Seafood Rub
• One 5.5-ounce box Lundberg Organic Whole Grain Rice & Wild Rice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Follow package directions to cook Lundberg Organic Whole Grain Rice & Wild Rice: Combine rice, water, and seasonings in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes.
2. While the rice is cooking, preheat the oven to 400° F. Set filets in a medium baking dish and sprinkle rub evenly on filets. Rub gently over all sides of the filets.
3. In a large nonstick or greased baking dish, set halibut skin-side down and drizzle with oil. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the halibut is flaky.
4. When 30 minutes is up, remove rice from heat. Let stand covered for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork. Serve halibut over rice hot.

Shop for Seafood at Tacoma Boys

Pop into your local Tacoma Boys to peruse our selection of fresh seafood and all the ingredients you’ll need for your next seafood dinner. The guides behind the counters are eager to answer any questions and help you choose what’s best for you.

Or, stay up to date on insider deals and specials from afar when you sign up for Tacoma Boys’ text list. Just text (253) 246-1661 to tell Paul you want to be on the list! 

When you search for a “butcher near Tacoma,” do you consider the different services they may offer, and ways they cut and season the meat? Here are 5 things a butcher can do to improve your meat market experience.

A recent USDA study found that pre-packaged meat (the stuff on Styrofoam, wrapped in plastic) had over 211 different drug residues. Why? Because those meats are sourced from “factory farms”.

So, if you’re not interested in eating meat with residual antibiotics and hormones, then it’s time to visit your local  butcher!

Sourcing meat from a local butcher near Tacoma is an easy and sustainable way to incorporate organic meats into your meals.

Read on for the 5 things you didn’t know you could ask your Tacoma butcher.

1. They Cut and Tenderize for You

Some cuts or dishes require special equipment (like a bone saw). If you don’t have one of those in the depths of your pantry, there’s no need to fret.

Just ask your butcher to cut or tenderize the meat for you.

They’ve got the necessary equipment and space. Plus, it’ll save you a load of prep time once you get home.

2. They Season Your Meat for You

Who better to season the meat than a person who works with meat for a living?

At Tacoma Boys and H&L Produce we have our own brand of rubs and sauces that perfectly pair with the cut you’re looking for. Most butchers have their favorites for beef, pork and chicken.

All you have to do is ask, and prior to the packaging, the butcher can season the meat to perfection.

Now that the meat is cut and seasoned, it just leaves the cooking to you! All you have to do is gather your ingredients and recipe to get dinner going.

3. Your Butcher Near Tacoma Can Special Order

Are you looking for something a little out of the norm? Maybe a goose or a turducken (that would be a chicken inside a duck, inside a turkey)?

Ask the butcher! They can work miracles behind the meat counter.

They may not have what you want on hand, but if you give them a few days’ notice, they can most likely order it for you!

If you’re short on time, you can always give one of our stores a call and the meat department will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have.

4. They can Teach You a Thing or Two

Some people avoid the butcher counter because they don’t know what kind of meat to ask for or what to do with it once they get it home. If that sounds like you, it’s okay! Just tell the butcher.

It’s actually a lot of fun for us if you have no idea what you’re looking for. It’s like giving an artist a blank canvas and letting them create a masterpiece. The butcher might ask you some questions like:

• Which cuisines you typically enjoy?
• What type of dish you’re looking to cook?
• What’s your skill level?

The butcher can then  offer suggestions as and instructions on the best way to prepare the cut.

The average American consumes about 200 lbs. of meat each year. So, you might as well learn how to shop for it, and cook it well!

5. Your Butcher Can Help You be Environmentally Friendly

Last but not least, a butcher near Tacoma can help you source your meat sustainably. They know that purchasing an entire animal from a local and reputable farmer is the best way to guarantee that the meat is a high quality and doesn’t get wasted.

If you don’t live with 12 other people, then buying a whole cow or pig is unrealistic. One option is to find a group of friends who are interested and having a butcher divide, package, and prepare the animal into equal parts for the whole group.

You’ll have fresh, frozen, meat for an entire year!

Now Try it Out!

At Tacoma Boys and H&L Produce, we are proud to be an amazing option when looking for a Butcher near Tacoma. Not only do we offer an amazing meat section, but thousands of labels of beer and wine, fresh produce, and amazing specialty food items. Not to mention our ceramic pottery, floral and planting options.

Come and visit one of our expertly trained butchers, and embrace what Tacoma Boys and H&L Produce are proud to offer the greater Tacoma area. You’ll never find our meats under plastic or on Styrofoam plates. Our all-natural deli case meats are fresh, organic and hand wrapped, just like in the old days.

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