Whole Story

Seafood for dinner is a popular request in my house. My husband grew up on the water in Long Island, and he not only loves to eat a variety of seafood but he is quite the cook as well.

When we recently found out that some of our favorites were on the list of red-rated seafood (unsustainable) and soon to be unavailable at our local Whole Foods Market, I took on the challenge of recreating some of our seafood suppers with different species.

To be honest, it wasn’t that tough.

When swapping out one fish or seafood for another in a recipe, it’s most important to look for similar size and texture. Because many fish have a mild flavor, there’s a good chance that your new selection will blend in perfectly with whatever recipe you’re making. If you’re unsure, don’t hesitate to ask a seafood Team Member at your local store.

They are more than happy to help you figure out what to use for your delicious dinner. One of the varieties my husband and I were most disappointed to lose was octopus but squid (calamari), also one of our favorites, is a great substitute and easy to work into many dishes that call for octopus.

• Although we have enjoyed plenty of calamari as tentacles and rings, it turns out that calamari steaks most closely replicated the meaty texture of octopus that we were missing. Try these Grilled Calamari Steaks with Mediterranean Salsa.

• We recently fell in love with this classic: Seafood Risotto with Squid, Scallops and Shrimp. It’s a creamy and rich saffron risotto studded with seafood. Calamari Pasta also pairs my two favorites, seafood and pasta, in a weeknight-friendly dish that is now in our monthly rotation.

• In this mixed seafood ceviche — Fiery Frutas del Mar Ceviche — since squid was already featured, we swapped out shrimp where it previously called for octopus.

We love halibut so I was happy to hear that all halibut available at the Whole Foods Market seafood counters will now be from fisheries certified sustainable by Marine Stewardship Council or rated green or yellow by Blue Ocean Institute or Monterey Bay Aquarium.  

We’ll continue to enjoy these favorites.

• Cornmeal Crusted Halibut Fish Sandwich with Creamy Coleslaw
• Poached Halibut with Ginger and Cilantro
• Halibut with Watermelon Salsa
• Halibut Tacos with Creamy Corn and Tomato Slaw

We also tried some responsibly farmed trout recipes for the first time and realized how versatile a fish it can be. Whether baked whole with a stuffing or sautéed with a pan sauce, trout is a thin quick-cooking fish that’s usually sold butterflied so it’s easy to adapt to whatever preparation you choose. Try these tasty recipes.

• Trout Stuffed with Sundried Tomato and Basil Quinoa
• Lemon Trout Fillets with Capers

If you have any questions about the status of your favorite seafood or want to learn more about responsibly caught seafood, strike up a conversation with your fishmonger or read about Whole Foods Market's "reel big news."

What new responsibly caught fish will you be trying?