It’s no mystery that New Orleans is home to some of the best seafood in the world. Flavorful and fresh, seafood lovers can get exquisite fish, crab, crawfish, shrimp, oysters, and much more. That being said, where can you find the best fishmonger in New Orleans? In order to find the best, you have to know what to look for. At Tommy’s Seafood, we have put together a list of things that you would want to look for in a fishmonger.
Fresh fish
The best fishmongers have an inventory of fresh fish that’s constantly changing over. You should be able to get fish for your store or restaurant that is truly fresh. Make sure that you get the freshest fish available by asking what’s fresh. You can get good fish by buying from a quality fishmonger, but you fishmonger should know how to deliver to you the freshest fish available. Fresh fish makes for the best-tasting dishes that are beautiful and full of flavor.
Seasonal availability
Not all seafood is available year-round. Weather and water temperature play a role in what fish fishermen can get throughout the year. For instance, crab pots likely won’t be dropped during hurricane season as they can be swept far out into the Gulf of Mexico never to be seen again. This would make blue crab difficult to get for a season. If the fishmonger that you’re working with has an overabundance to crab during this time, they might have been sitting on this product for longer than is recommended.
Expert advice
A fishmonger should know everything about the fish you eat. From the nature of its habit and where to find it all the way through to the best recipes that work for individual species. When searching for a fishmonger, don’t be afraid to ask questions. You can pick their brain over to get as much expert advice as you’re willing to seek.
Proper storage
It might seem strange, but seafood that is properly stored shouldn’t have a strong fish smell. This smell comes from bacteria and enzymes converting a necessary chemical in the fish’s cells to a compound that gives off the odor that we associate with fish. Proper care and storage of fish after they’ve been brought out of the water will prevent them from giving off this smell.
When you walk into a fish market, take note of the smell. If it smells overly fishy, find another place to buy your seafood. You shouldn’t have to follow your nose to the fishmonger.
Sustainable fishing
It might seem obvious, but fish are the livelihood of any fishmonger. This means that they should care about the environment that the fish live as much as (or more than) anybody. Don’t be afraid to ask if your fishmonger uses sustainable fishing to ensure that the ecosystems aren’t stripped of their resources and the food chain disrupted by overfishing. Sustainable fishing is about more than providing you with the best fish today, it’s about maintaining a healthy environment for the future.
Contact Tommy’s Seafood
If you have questions about where to find the best fishmonger in New Orleans, don’t hesitate to reach out to Tommy’s Seafood. We take great pride in our ability to provide restaurants and shops across our beautiful city with the freshest seafood that is caught using sustainable techniques. Give us a call today at 504-271-9735 or send us a message using our contact form. We’re available to answer all your questions about sustainable seafood and how we can provide your business with the best seafood available.
