By Patrick Mould

With springtime in full swing and summertime just around the corner if you haven’t done so already it’s time to break out the outdoor grill and fire it up!

One of my favorite ingredients to put on the grill is seafood. The health benefits of eating Omega-3 rich seafood are well documented. Omega 3 is an oil found in seafood that has been proven to be beneficial to your health.

If you visit your local seafood monger you would discover that there is an abundance of fresh seafood available for grilling. Each coast of our country offers a variety of fresh seafood.

One of the advantages of being from Louisiana is that we are blessed with a plethora of ingredients and the Gulf of Mexico provides some of the best seafood in this country. I spoke with Randy Pausina of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries about the state of Gulf seafood.

“For the past 3 years we have had mild winters and little hurricane activity. The drought we are experiencing has had little effect on the fish population so we are predicting that seafood coming out of the Gulf of Mexico will remain plentiful. Some of the variety of fish you’ll find coming out of the Gulf during the summer months include wahoo, amberjack, dolphin, grouper, yellow fin tuna and shark.”

With the start of shrimp season in May there will also be an abundance of fresh jumbo shrimp available at the market. One of my favorite varieties of seafood coming out of the Gulf is the soft-shell crab. A blue point crab will shed its hard outer shell every time it goes through a growing spurt. The result is a completely edible crab.

One of the most sought after of all fishes, especially for New Orleans restaurants, is pompano, which will begin its season August 1st and run through October 31st. Black Drum, cousin to the Redfish, is also available in the summer months.

If you happen to live on the left coast there is never any shortage of fresh seafood coming out of the Pacific waters. Unfortunately if you are a fan of the popular rockfish, which is similar to snapper in taste but a little firmer in texture, you will be disappointed in the supply.

Rob Collins, Eco-system manager for the California Department of Fish and Game explains, “Due to unfavorable recruitment replacement the quota for commercially harvesting the fish will be cut for the next 3 to 4 years.”

Collins goes on to say, “We have experienced several bad reproduction years due to El Ni√±o and are now feeling the effect.”

However there are numerous other species available in good quantity according to the California Seafood Council. From Washington State to the Baja of California, halibut can be found in good supply year round. This large bottom dwelling flatfish is mild in flavor and usually cut into steaks, which are great for grilling. As with any seafood be careful not to overcook. If you do the fish will fall apart.

California also ranks fourth in the world behind Japan, Chile and the Philippines in swordfish landings. The firm textured steaks that are cut from this fish make it one of the finest grilling fishes available. The king salmon is the king of California fishes and the peak of the season runs from May to September.

If you want an indication of what is available along the East Coast there is no better indicator than Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. With its large coastline it is a fishing paradise for both sport and commercial fishermen.

Randy Gregory, a marine biologist for North Carolina Marine Fisheries explains, “The cold Labrador Current from the north and warm Gulf Stream coming in from the south converge at the Cape. When this happens it becomes a very fertile ground for both warm water and cold water species. It is the only spot along the eastern seaboard where this happens.”

In this water you’ll find cold water species like monkfish which is often referred to as poorman’s lobster, and the tautog or blackfish. It has a sweet firm-textured flesh that is similar to grouper, and both fish are excellent for the grill. Warm water species such as Spanish and King mackerel, wahoo, dolphin and shark can also be found in these waters.

No matter what coast you live on there is a great variety of fish or seafood available for the grill this summer. So break out the charcoal, throw on a few chunks of mesquite or hickory and fire it up!

Happy grilling!

Here are some recipes for grilling fun!

Grilled Soft-Shell Crabs with Lump Crabmeat Sauté

Grilled Dill Salmon

Grilled Black Drum with Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Filed Under: Food Talk