Long Island is a wonderful place to live. With its gorgeous sandy beaches and crystal clear waters, it’s the perfect place to relax, unwind and refresh. But what do you get when you combine the perfect beaches with the freshest seafood? You get the best of both worlds! And that’s exactly what you’ll get when you visit one of Long Island’s most beautiful lakes, Great Salt Lake. This article is going to tell you about six spots on Long Island where you can buy excellent seafood, which you can cook in a variety of ways.
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Koi Fish
One of the perfect foods to have on Long Island is koi fish. These beautiful creatures, which are typically found in ponds in Japan, can thrive in almost any water condition. This makes them incredibly versatile, which is why they’re such popular pets. They are also easy to care for and quite the social animals. As you may have guessed, keeping a koi fish is actually a lot of fun!
Since they are a type of Asian fish, you’ll typically find them in Asian markets. However, you can find them fresh at some local supermarkets, as well. And if you want to give your fish a fancy name, you can do that, too. From ‘Champ’ to ‘Scarlet’, there are many options for you to choose from. Whatever you decide, you’re sure to have fun naming your pet.
Lobster
Another great thing about living on Long Island is the access to some of the best seafood in the world. This comes in the form of lobster, of course, but you’ll also find blue claw crabs, softshell crabs and shrimp. The best way to eat these delicious creatures is steamed, which is why every seafood restaurant on Long Island serves steamed lobster. So if you want to have a taste of home, you can always order some lobster from one of the many restaurants there. And you can be sure that it will taste just as good as the day you ordered it. Plus, with the busy summer months behind you, you can finally get a taste of what that buttery flavor means.
Blue Crab
Just like the lobster, the blue crab is another type of crustacean that you can find on Long Island. This one is much more aggressive than its less harmful cousin, the lobster, and it’s often found in the sandbars along the coast. You’ll find two varieties of blue crab on Long Island, with the smaller one typically found in Long Island Sound and the Great Lakes. Like the lobster, the blue crab is also famous for its amazing butter flavor, which can be acquired through careful steaming. While you may find blue crabs in many markets, it’s usually best to look for them at a restaurant, as they can be quite difficult to track down if you’re not eating out regularly.
Rockfish
If you’re looking for a fish that doesn’t exist in a tank, then you’ve come to the right place. The rockfish, which originates from the Mediterranean, is actually a tropical fish that was first discovered in the Atlantic. These agile swimmers can grow to be quite large, making them some of the most popular types of fish in the sea today. They are also commonly known as “sea basses”, which may confuse some of your visitors. If you call them by that name at a restaurant, they may not know what kind of fish you are talking about; however, they will know what kind of food you are ordering since rockfish is one of the most popular fish dishes on Long Island.
Red Fish
The red fish is another type of fish that you may find on Long Island. This one, however, is more commonly encountered in tropical regions, where it is known to grow to be quite large. In some places, such as the Caribbean, you can even find gigantic red fish. Those who are looking for a more traditional type of fish, however, will find that most of the red fishes available today are farmed, which makes them affordable and easy to find. Like the others on this list, the red fish is a fantastic source of protein and it is often found on restaurant menus on Long Island, as well.
Salmon
If you want to add a little more variety to your menu, you can always switch up the protein source. Instead of having fish, you can have chicken or even an egg salad. Well, maybe not the latter, but you get the idea. There are so many options, and you can keep adding more types of seafood to the list. A little like the different varieties of apples, each type of fish has its own unique flavor that you can add to your menu. For instance, the fresh salmon, which is available in the spring, has a flavor much like that of the summertime. However, if you are to cook it, you will note that it can take a very long time for the flesh to break down. This is because fish, as you may know, is quite high in omega-3 fatty acids. So if you are looking for something less oily and more “pure”, you will want to avoid the salmon whenever possible. Otherwise, it can end up being the highlight of your meal instead of the entrée.
These are just some of the varieties of seafood that you can find on Long Island, which is probably the best source of seafood in the United States. If you want to see all the varieties available, check out David Schmader’s “The Ultimate Guide to Fish Types”. And if you’re thinking about adding more seafood to your diet, then Long Island is the place to be. You’ll find plenty of restaurants that serve up the fresh catch of the day, and you’ll never get bored of eating seafood, so long as you keep exploring this list.