This Sunday's Super Bowl gives many of us a reason to undo our belts, dig into a well cushioned couch and gorge ourselves on fat-filled, high carb, processed foods like there's no such thing as Monday. It's a guilty pleasure we all share. Nothing screams football like nacho cheese and messy wings, and even I can't help myself overindulging on what has become an official holiday in many households. I must advise you though, spring is right around the corner and the more belly you add to your waist, the harder it is to remove it before the bathing suit weather comes. This doesn't mean you have to cut out delicious foods for the big party. Why not try seafood this year as a healthier snack for the big game?
If you think about it, seafood is a major theme of this year's Super Bowl. Both teams are from cities that boast great seafood. Boston and Seattle are known to have some of the best and freshest seafood in the U.S., so it only makes sense that seafood can feel right at home at your Super Bowl buffet. You'll be giving your guests appetizing, yet healthier options without skimping on flavor.
Here are some ideas and options you can find at Black Salt Market:
Shrimp
Black Salt has shrimp three ways; traditional cocktail shrimp, grilled shrimp with a sweet glaze, and Chesapeake Bay spiced peel and eat shrimp. We also offer a shrimp salad that is great for you dippers out there. You can also purchase raw shrimp from the market and make your own peel and eat shrimp, fried shrimp, or shrimp skewers. I prefer mine grilled on skewers with garlic and lime with a sprinkle of parmesan before serving.Scallops
Everyone loves bacon wrapped scallops, need I say more? The preparation is quite simple and when you are using high quality dry scallops from Black Salt the result will be a winner.
Salmon
The market can poach or smoke portions of salmon for your party. A poached salmon platter can really make a beautiful focal point of your party spread. Our house cured salmon is also a good bet with tons of flavor. I would serve it with creme fraiche or cream cheese, mini bagels, chopped onion, and sliced tomato.
Crab
Who doesn't love a great crab dip? Using seasonings like Worcestershire, Old Bay, garlic and onion, great crab dips are a cinch to make, especially when using fresh domestic crab meat. You can also purchase crab cakes from the market or make your own using your family's recipe. Blue crab soup on a cold day of football is also a great option. The market also offers snow crab legs, king crab legs, and stone crab claws when available. Your guests will know you went all out when the crab appears.
Tuna
Want to really impress without cooking a thing? Make tuna tartar using number #1 grade tuna from our market. Just dice the tuna, add some avocado, sesame oil, wasabi, and tamari or soy sauce. Rice crackers usually make the perfect vehicle for the perfect bite.
Oysters and Clams
You can dress up your party with oysters and clams on the half shell, or if you want to stick with warm food you can always stuff them. Oysters Rockefeller is a simple and incredibly delicious dish to make, especially when you have Black Salt prep them for you. Steaming or stuffing clams is a cost effective way to offer your guests a healthy alternative to all things fried. Then again, if you just have to use that new fryer, you can do much worse than frying oysters and clams.
Squid
Fried calamari? Anyone? You bet you can put me down for that. There are also great recipes online for stuffing squid tubes with treats ranging from chorizo to spinach.
You can also prepare fish stews using tile fish, monk fish, cod, hake, black bass, mussels, clams, shrimp and rockfish, making magic in the crockpot without breaking a sweat.
Black Salt will have available items such as smoked trout salad, shrimp spring rolls, shrimp remoulade, smoked salmon salad, tuna tapenade, salmon cakes, fish cakes, crab cakes and an array of soups and sauces that are perfect for whatever your dish may call for. Just because the Super Bowl seems like a good reason to binge on bad food, it doesn't mean you have to. Build a better buffet for your party with great seafood, your guests and their collective waistlines will thank you.