I once heard that the actual hardest part of taking a cycling class is clipping onto the bike. Well, I would argue that a similar logic applies to many things that are ultimately beneficial to one’s well-being. What I mean is that success most efficiently happens when we swiftly position ourselves for it.
I, for example, wasn’t always the kind of person who effortlessly cooked seafood meals at home three times per week. I was, admittedly, more of a last-minute-sushi-takeout or throw-some-pasta-together kind of gal. But when you marry a pescatarian who also happens to be a third-generation Alaskan fisherman, the tides turn (pun fully intended). In my role, as chief chef of our household, I would face two challenges: to routinely incorporate homemade seafood into my menu rotations, and to do so while keeping said menus both interesting and appealing. So, you ask, how did I make this so?
The simple answer is that I learned how to set myself up for success. I set the stage for effortless seafood cooking by sticking to some elemental rules:
Tip 1 — Choose Recipes You Can’t Wait to Eat
You’ve heard of the Vision Board — think of this one as your Delicious Board. It’s essentially a working list of seafood recipes that you keep and add to each week, ideally two-three new recipes per week. The goal here is to simultaneously grow the list and attempt to make at least one (ideally two!) of the recipes per week. Try to find recipes that appeal to your eyes, taste buds and needs of your household, and if you don’t know where to start, head to the cooking + recipe section of our blog as a starting springboard. This is a great way to keep the juices of inspiration flowing, and to get your head around which types of recipes work best for you.
Tip 2 — Keep Your Pantry Stocked With Staples
If you always have what you need at your fingertips you know what you never have? An excuse. Which is why I love to keep my kitchen stocked with some of the basics. From gear such as paper towels or clean kitchen towels to pat your fillets dry, to basic condiments and spices, to fresh vegetables and grains that make for good pairings — being ready with everything makes action possible.
Tip 3 — Master the Various Cooking Techniques
Embrace the dynamism inherent to cooking seafood — and learn how to go about all the various techniques. There’s poaching, searing, grilling, baking, frying, steaming and so much more (and more searchable on the blog). You can cook en papillote, you can make soup, you can make a seafood boil, you can master the art of sauces. The point is that there are endless possibilities, which should make the act of regularly cooking seafood interesting and fun. With so many different species and so many different ways to go about preparing them, the sky — or sea, as it were — really is the limit.
In sum: choose what appeals, keep your kitchen ready and learn the various techniques. And you’ll see that cooking seafood regularly will start to become second nature, as it did for me.
Live Wild!
Monica
Pictured above: A still life of pantry staples that can make cooking seafood second nature.
