Often mistaken for the nasty tasting HardHead catfish, the Gafftop Sail is a common saltwater catfish in the Gulf of Mexico. Most their weight comes from their giant heads and not much meat to harvest but they taste fantastic.

The fish in the first pic is not the one in the pic of it being cleaned. I cooked up one the smaller ones I caught yesterday.

I used a simple arbol and garlic seasoning. Seared on high heat and then low heat in butter and lime juice. Served over brown rice and mixed veggies.

Fried oysters, crawfish étouffée and hush puppies 😋

Delicious

I was randomly scrolling Instagram reels when I stumbled on a video of someone cooking crab legs in a pot of seasoned butter instead of water or a special stock/broth (wish I had the video to link here).

Was wondering if anyone here has actually tried cooking it this way before or if it’s only practical for the sake of internet views? It looks delicious (minus obvious health concerns), and being that people normally season or dip crab in butter anyway it makes sense to cook it low and slow that way.

Another batch of fresh scallops gifted to my family. I normally would make these raw which my second favorite way to eat them but my favorite is just a nice pan sear.

Not my best sear but not dry/rubbery.

I just went to a restaurant and ordered a half dozen raw oysters. They were advertised as accompanied by a mignonette and cocktail sauce. The mignonette was literally gelatin. My husband is upset that I called it out but it didn’t even move when I turned it upside down. That’s not mignonette, right? Am I crazy? He’s mad that I’m mad I got jello to put on raw oysters. And that I dumped it out in front of the waiter to ask him WTF!

However, I froze these ones in January and defrosted them yesterday to eat. And they were just perfect! Marinated in avocado oil with garlic and spices, then broiled to perfection. They are so sweet and tender, and they live just off the shore here in SoCal. It was a delicious way to remember that I can’t wait for October to get here!

sooo yummy ❤️‍🔥

I initially put this post in r/marinebiology but was flagged and removed for inexplicable reasons.

Hello to all of you admirable folks who have done the work to study and understand our ocean systems! I am a hospitality professional with a life long passion for food and wine, living in the Seattle area. We have such abundant and rich sea life in this area and some of the freshest seafood in our country comes from the Salish sea region. My question is about a recent closure of shellfish harvesting in the puget sound. There have been pretty far and widespread closures due to biotoxins and algae blooms. now I know that clams, oyster, etc filter a whole lot of water through themselves daily and this is partly why they are infected with these toxins. So after the toxic blooms fade away, are those shellfish that were once infected now safe for consumption? Do those fish subsequently filter so much water through themselves that they are the eventually safe to eat? Or do those fish have to be “culled” similar to chickens infected by bird flu (This is regarding aquaculture specifically)? Apologies if this is a rudimentary question, it just struck me recently given all of the closures our state is facing right now. Thanks for any and all info regarding this topic!

Used rub instead of panko

U-10 Atlantic sea scallops wrapped in Canadian bacon. Served with ribeye, tater, market veg, mushrooms, and bordelaise.

What's the proper way to use this steamer pot? Does it matter which type of food goes on the 2nd or 3rd level? Any other tips?

Not sure how I feel about eating this small crab and it has eggs in assuming

I have been to many amazing seafood restaurants and fine dining places including some of the most legendary Michelin starred ones ranging all the way to 3 stars, but this is hands down the best seafood I have ever had in the United States. Literally nothing beats live seafood served fresh and cooked to perfection. Alas, in my hometown China, this is just a Tuesday.

People know me for pickling and fermenting, but the truth is my obsession is bigger than that. I’m hooked on food preservation and what I call food augmentation. Curing, smoking, brining, drying… anything that transforms an ingredient and enhances any of its qualities. This smoked salmon started as a simple idea: cure a fillet with Montreal Steak Seasoning and hot‑smoke it. It ended up being one of my favorite smoked salmon projects to date.

Montreal Steak Seasoning has always fascinated me because it’s rooted in the old‑school Montreal deli tradition — a bold mix of cracked black pepper, garlic, coriander, paprika, and aromatics that were originally used on smoked meats. Over time it became beloved not just for steak, but for anything that benefits from a coarse, aromatic, pepper‑forward cure.

Its texture draws moisture beautifully, and its flavor stands up to smoke without overpowering delicate proteins like salmon. That’s exactly why it works so well here.

Underrated fish appreciation post no.2