5 Pro Tips for Cooking Your Fresh Seafood

Fresh seafood deserves simple preparation that lets its natural flavor shine. Our Fresh & Wild program showcases premium wild-caught salmon, cod, and more from the waters of the Pacific Northwest, delivering quality straight to your table.

From cooking temperature to seasoning, a few simple techniques can make all the difference.  These five simple tips will help you get the most out of every fillet to prepare tender, delicious seafood every time.

1. GO LOW & SLOW!

Most directions tell you to cook at 350 degrees or higher.  This cooks the fish rather fast, can dry it out, and leaves little room for error. We believe the complete opposite -- cook at a much lower temperature, for a longer time.  This results in a moister, more succulent preparation, and since you are going slower, if you do cook it a little bit too long, it is much more forgiving.  In the oven, we suggest 290-300 degrees.  Stovetop, keep the flame low.  On the grill, same thing.  You'll have to wait a few more minutes for your feast, but trust us, it'll be worth the wait!

2. SKIN SIDE UP

When grilling or preparing stove top in a pan, if your fish has skin on it, start with the skin side up.  The heat below will pull the natural oils by the skin down through the fillet.  Then, when you flip it, you can finish it off with the skin side down.

3. FLIP ONCE AND ONLY ONCE

When cooking on the grill or in a pan, don't flip more than once.  Let most of the fish cook skin-side up, then flip to finish.  

4. REMOVE FROM HEAT BEFORE IT'S COMPLETELY DONE

You want to serve your salmon, halibut, sablefish, and cod with the larger flakes mostly opaque, with just a little bit of the flake translucent.  Remove the fillet from heat just before it reaches this stage, as the fish will keep cooking even once away from the heat.

5. KEEP IT SIMPLE

When you have a great piece of fresh seafood, we highly recommend a simple preparation.  Let the wonderful fish be the hero, rather than covering it up with sauces, coatings, or heavy toppings.  Before cooking, brush both sides with olive oil, and season with sea salt, cracked black pepper (or 4-color pepper), and some garlic powder or chopped garlic if you like.  That's it.  When you serve, maybe a pat of unsalted butter to melt on top, and a slice or two of lemon on the side. Simple.

Whether you’re cooking for a weeknight dinner or a special gathering, these easy techniques help ensure perfectly tender, flavorful seafood every time. Fresh, wild-caught fish doesn’t need much—just the right approach.

Ready to try it for yourself? Explore our Fresh & Wild offerings and enjoy premium seafood made simple.