New Jersey Seafood: A Partial Guide
Do your part to build and sustain our local seafood industry. For New Jersey fishermen and women, chefs and restaurateurs, part of the challenge is encouraging consumers to be aware of, ask for and buy the expansive bounty of fish caught in New Jersey waters. When visiting your local fishmonger or favorite restaurant, go beyond the more traditional, popular options (imported tuna, salmon, shrimp) and try some of NJ’s delicious but lesser-known varieties. Here is a partial list of New Jersey seafood:
FIN FISH
Blackfish (a.k.a. tog)
A late-summer species with dense white meat enriched by its diet of shellfish
Black Sea Bass
A true bass with lean meat and a soft flavor, often prepared whole
Bluefish
Assertively flavored with dark, moist meat that can stand up to strong flavors
Dog Fish (a.k.a. sand shark)
Mild with a large flake, used for fish and chips across the pond
Fluke (a.k.a. summer flounder)
Flaky with a delicate flavor, a favorite of recreational fishing fans each summer
Mackerel
Packed with omega-3s, tastes softly of the sea when just caught
Mahi Mahi
Moderately firm yet still sweet, especially delicious grilled
Monkfish
Firm and dense, sometimes compared to lobster in flavor
Porgy (a.k.a. scup)
Gently flavored and savory when baked, broiled, or fried
Sea Robin
Delicate like fluke, but with firmer flesh and thick skin that’s good for searing
Skate
Prized for its telltale “wings” (fins) that contain lean, white meat
Swordfish
Mildly sweet with a meaty texture and distinctive red bloodline, fantastic grilled
Tilefish
Low in fat and tasty like a lobster, with thick fillets and a flaky texture
Tuna (Yellowfin, Bigeye, Bluefin)
Caught sustainably in our waters, well worth savoring in season
Wahoo
Known as “ono” in Hawaii, a mild fish with a large flake that’s ideal for fish tacos
SHELLFISH
Blue Crab
Briny and sweet, rivaling those from our neighbor to the south
Hard Clams
Toothsome and perfumed by the sea, hallmarks of summer
Oysters
Evoking the waters in which they are grown, new varieties are hitting the market every year
Scallops
Some of the best scallops in the world are landed right here in Jersey: sweet, meaty and elegant
FIND LOCAL 130 NEXT TIME YOU DINE OUT
Local 130 Seafood partners with chefs throughout the state and in Philly who transform the state’s local catch into crave-worthy dishes.To see where they are lately, check out Local 130’s Instagram feed (@local130seafood), or search the hashtag #locaI130seafood. You may even find some recipe inspiration.