A PREMIUM QUALITY FISH FOR EATING AND SMOKING. FINE FLAVOR.  FIRM TEXTURE. THE MEAT IS PINK TO RED. ATLANTIC SALMON THANKS TO AQUACULTURE IS CONSISTENTLY HIGH QUALITY. AVAILABLE FRESH YEAR ROUND. GOOD BAKED, BROILED, POACHED AND GRILLED.

ATLANTIC COD'S TRANSLUCENT WHITE MEAT TURNS OPAQUE WHEN COOKED. THE LEAN MEAT HAS A FLAKY TEXTURE AND A MILD, DELICATE FLAVOR. COD FISH IS FOUND FROM THE ARCTIC TO VIRGINIA AND IS AVAILABLE YEAR ROUND. MARKET SIZE IS 2.5 TO 10 POUNDS. COD CAN BE BOILED, BAKED, BROILED OR DEEP FRIED.

THE YELLOWTAIL FLOUNDER IS FOUND FROM NEW YORK TO NEWFOUNDLAND IN WATERS 50 TO 200 FEET DEEP. IT WAS ONCE THE MOST IMPORTANT FLATFISH FISHERY IN THE UNITED STATES. AVAILABLE YEAR ROUND, THE RAW FLESH IS SLIGHTLY MILK COLORED BUT COOKS UP WHITE. IT IS MILD TASTING, SLIGHTLY SWEET WITH SOFT TEXTURE AND SMALL FLAKE.  FILLETS ARE BONELESS AND LEND THEMSELVES TO MANY PREPARATIONS.

GROUPERS ARE FOUND IN WATERS FROM THE MID-ATLANTIC STATES AND FLORIDA TO SOUTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO. MOST DOMESTIC GROUPER IS SOLD FRESH AND IS AVAILABLE YEAR ROUND. THEY RANGE FROM 5 TO 15 POUNDS. GROUPER HAS A MILD SWEET TASTE. THE MEAT IS FIRM, WITH A HEAVY FLAKE, AND REMAINS MOIST AFTER BEING COOKED. A FISH THAT CAN BE BROILED, FRIED, GRILLED, OR USED IN CHOWDERS AND SOUPS.

THE MONKFISH IS FOUND ALONG THE ATLANTIC FROM THE GULF TO THE SOUTHERN COAST OF SOUTH AMERICA. ALMOST ALL MONKFISH IS HARVESTED BY DRAGGERS. MONK IS AVAILABLE YEAR ROUND.  FRESH MONKFISH COMES AS WHOLE SKIN ON TAILS AND AS SKINLESS, BONELESS FILLETS. IT HAS A MILD SWEET, CLEAN TASTE. THE MEAT IS FIRM LIKE SCALLOPS OR LOBSTER.

MAKO SHARKS ARE FOUND WORLD-WIDE. MAKOS ARE TARGETED BY LONGLINERS AND TAKEN AS A "BY CATCH" BY SWORDFISH GILL-NETTERS. GENERALLY AVAILABLE YEAR ROUND, FRESH MAKO COMES AS STEAKS AND LOINS. FRESH RAW MAKO IS IVORY PINK, OR REDDISH COLOR THAT TURNS OFF-WHITE WHEN COOKED. IT HAS A FULL-BODIED FLAVOR AND FIRM TEXTURE.  BOTH FLAVOR AND TEXTURE ARE SIMILAR TO SWORDFISH, BUT THE MAKO IS MOISTER.

Boneless

FOUND FROM CANADA TO THE GULF OF MEXICO WITH MOST U.S. HARVEST OCCURRING BETWEEN CAPE COD AND NEW JERSEY.  AVAILABLE YEAR ROUND DEPENDING ON THE REGION. RANGING IN SIZE FROM SMALL TO LARGE ARE LITTLENECK, TOP NECK, CHERRYSTONE AND CHOWDER CLAMS. RAW MEAT IS TRANSLUCENT, RANGING FROM IVORY TO GOLDEN BROWN. THE MEAT IS FIRM AND RESILIENT AND TASTE SWEET AND BRINY.

Boneless

THE SOFT SHELL'S WHITE SHELL IS VERY BRITTLE.  ALSO KNOWN AS "STEAMERS."  THESE OVAL SHAPED CLAMS AVERAGE 1 TO 3 INCHES ACROSS.  FOUND ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC, THEY ARE AVAILABLE YEAR ROUND DEPENDING ON THE REGION.  CLAM MEAT SHOULD BE FIRM AND PLUMP. COLOR RANGES FROM IVORY TO GOLD.  STEAMERS HAVE A SWEET, DELICATE FLAVOR. THEY ARE EXCELLENT BATTERED AND FRIED.

Boneless

BLUE CRABS AVERAGE 4 TO 6 INCHES ACROSS WITH SHALLOW BODIES THAT TAPER.  A LONG SHARP SPINE RUNS ON EACH SIDE OF THE CARAPACE. MALES HAVE BLUE CLAWS AND FEMALES CLAWS ARE ORANGE-TIPPED.  FOUND IN BAYS FROM CAPE COD TO THE GULF OF MEXICO. AVAILABLE IN MOST REGIONS APRIL THROUGH OCTOBER.  COOKED SHELLS ARE ORANGE-RED IN COLOR.  BODY MEAT IS WHITE AND DELICATELY FLAVORED. CLAW MEAT IS BROWNISH AND NUTTY.  OVERALL THE FLAVOR IS SWEET, TENDER, SUCCULENT AND BUTTERY.

Boneless

THE COLDWATER AMERICAN LOBSTER IS NOTABLE FOR TWO POWERFUL CLAWS-A CRUSHER AND A RIPPER. LIVE, THIS SPECIES HAS A VARIETY OF COLORS, THOUGH THE MAJORITY ARE BROWN WITH BLACK SPOTS.  FOUND FROM EASTERN CANADA TO NORTH CAROLINA.  MAINE CONTRIBUTES THE BULK OF THE U. S. CATCH.  HARVESTED FROM DEPTHS OF 15 TO 1,000 FEET WITH WIRE MESH TRAPS.  COOKED MEAT IS BRIGHT WHITE WITH RED TINGES. THE MEAT IS FIRM, MILD AND SWEET.  BOILED, BAKED, GRILLED OR STEAMED, LOBSTER IS HARD TO BEAT.

Boneless

FOUND IN THE ATLANTIC FROM GREENLAND TO NORTH CAROLINA.  MOST U. S. SUPPLY COMES FROM EASTERN CANADA, MASSACHUSETTS, MAINE AND WASHINGTON. USUALLY SOLD LIVE, SHELL COLOR VARY FROM BLUE-BLACK TO LIGHT BROWN WITH GREEN STREAKS.  MUSSELS ARE HARVESTED AT 2 TO 3 INCHES. AVAILABLE YEAR ROUND. MEAT COLOR VARIES FROM CREAMY PALE TO BROWNISH ORANGE WITH NO QUALITY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COLORS. THE FLAVOR IS TENDER, RICH AND SWEET. USED IN SOUPS OR STEWS, STEAMED IS THE POPULAR WAY TO ENJOY.

Boneless

CALLED THE AMERICAN OYSTER, THIS SPECIES HAS A CUPPED, ELONGATED, IRREGULAR SHELL RANGING FROM GRAYISH WHITE TO GRAYISH BROWN.  MARKETED AT ABOUT 3 INCHES, IT GROWS TO 6 INCHES.  FOUND IN SHALLOW, BRACKISH WATERS FROM EASTERN CANADA TO THE GULF OF MEXICO. COMMERCIAL FISHING BOATS USE DREDGES TO HARVEST THEM.  AVAILABLE YEAR ROUND, THE MEAT IS CREAMY TO LIGHT BROWN.  COOKED MEAT TURNS IVORY. THE FLAVOR AND TEXTURE VARIES UPON LOCALE.  SOUTHERN OYSTERS ARE SALTIER THEN OYSTERS FROM NORTHERN WATERS. AVAILABLE YEAR ROUND, QUALITY IS BEST SEPTEMBER TO MAY.

CHILEAN SEA BASS HAS A RICH, MELT IN YOUR MOUTH FLAVOR. THE MODERATELY OILY MEAT IS TENDER AND MOIST. AVERAGE MARKET WEIGHT IS 20 POUNDS.  HARVESTED AT DEPTHS OF 5,000 PLUS FEET OFF THE COAST OF CHILE, ITS MEAT IS SNOW WHITE.  EXCELLENT FISH FOR GRILLING.

BLACK TIP SHARK IS REGARDED AS ONE OF THE BEST QUALITY SHARKS TO EAT.  IT INHABITS COASTAL WATERS WHERE IT IS OFTEN CAUGHT BY SPORT FISHERMAN.  THE MEAT IS PINKISH IN COLOR WITH A SWEET FLAVOR.  CAN BE FRIED, BROILED, GRILLED AND BAKED. THIS FISH IS REGULATED DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS WITH QUOTAS ENFORCED.

ATLANTIC HALIBUT ARE THE LARGEST OF ALL FLATFISHES AND ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE.  THEY ARE FOUND IN THE COOL WATERS OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC. THEY GROW FAST AND LIVE FOR 30 YEARS OR MORE AND REACH WEIGHTS OF 200 POUNDS.  HALIBUT IS ONE OF THE FINEST OF ALL WHITE FLESHED FISH.  THE MEAT IS FIRM YET TENDER STANDING UP TO EVERY COOKING METHOD WITHOUT TOUGHENING.

BLUEFISH MIGRATE ALONG THE EAST COAST FROM MAINE TO FLORIDA.  FOUND IN NEW ENGLAND IN THE SPRING AND IN THE FALL THEY HEAD SOUTH.  MAJORITY IS CAUGHT BY ROD AND REEL.  AVAILABLE YEAR ROUND.  UNCOOKED MEAT COLOR RANGES FROM PUTTY TO BLUE-GRAY.  BECOMES LIGHTER WHEN COOKED.  BROIL, BAKE, GRILL.