Do you love seafood? You don’t need to visit a fancy restaurant to try the best flavors. You can create stunning seafood dishes at home with a few easy indoor seafood recipes in your tool belt.

There’s nothing like sitting down to enjoy a warm seafood dinner. While top restaurants and chefs attract high-paying customers to try their creations, you too can get in on the action.

All you need to create mouth-watering seafood dishes at home is high-quality fish or shellfish and an oven or stovetop. You can use three techniques to cook your seafood to perfection: blackening, broiling, and grilling.

In this article, we’ll cover each technique and why they work. We’ll also include our favorite recipes for making stress-free and delicious seafood at home.

Blackening Seafood

Blackening seafood relies on heat from a cast-iron skillet to create a layer of black crust on fish or shellfish. The crust comes from a mixture of spices and herbs. The spicy crust seals in the juices and flavors that pour out of every bite.

This technique is popular in Cajun cuisine. The best cuts for blackening include flaky fish such as cod and red snapper or shrimp and crawfish.

Spices and herbs for a blackened seafood crust include dried chili peppers, thyme, oregano, peppercorns, garlic, and onion powder. You can have fun creating your personal blend of herbs and spices. Or ask one of our seasoning enthusiasts at The Flying Butcher for their recommendations.

How to Make the Best Blackened Cod

This recipe is easy and delicious. You can prepare it at home in under 15 minutes. Serve it with wild rice, steamed corn, or a garden salad with a lemon vinaigrette.

• Start with two beautiful fillets of fresh cod.
• Dip the fillets in melted butter and coat them in your favorite spice mixture, such as the Flying Butcher’s Jet Fuel Hot & Spicy Blend.
• Get your cast-iron skillet nice and hot.
• Add 1 tablespoon of melted butter to the skillet.
• Place two fillets on the skillet and cover them with one more tablespoon of butter.
• Cook one side until it’s nice and charred and flip. This usually takes only 2 minutes.
• Spoon the melted butter over the fillets to season.
• After both sides are nice and blackened, they’re ready to serve.

Broiling Seafood

Broiling uses high heat in your oven to create a cooking style similar to outdoor grilling with a lid. You’ll get softer flavors that work with firmer fish such as swordfish or halibut.

Broiling eliminates the need for heavy spices or rubs. A simple combination of lemon, herbs, salt, and olive oil is all you need.

The most important thing you need to make astonishing broiled dishes is freshly caught seafood. This technique lets the ingredients shine. Try the recipe below and you’ll be surprised how easy it is to get gourmet flavors at home.

How to Make the Best Broiled Halibut

Broiled halibut is a classic dish that doesn’t take many ingredients or much time. The most important ingredient is North American halibut, which you can find fresh at The Flying Butcher.

• Start by pre-heating your oven to 350° and line a broiler pan with metal foil.
• Take your fresh halibut fillets and cover them with extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt, fresh rosemary, and a thin slice of lemon skin.
• Add a thin slice of butter on top of each fillet.
• Place the fish on the broiler pan and place it in the oven.
• Cook for about 4 minutes.
• Carefully turn the fish with long tongs and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the size of the fillets.
• Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy!

Grilling Seafood

Grilling seafood creates timeless flavors that are hard to resist. But did you know you don’t need an outdoor grill to get the same charred goodness?

Try using a grill pan or an electric grill to replicate outdoor grilling in your home. Grill pans and electric grills have built-in ridges that thoroughly cook the seafood. If you’re cooking fatty fish, the excess fat will drip away between the gaps in the ridges. This gives you lean cuts of fish with no grease.

You’ll get sear lines and the right amount of char, just like you would over an outdoor grill. Check out our Japanese-style grilled Atlantic salmon.

How to Make the Best Japanese-style Grilled Atlantic Salmon

This recipe is hard to beat if you love Japanese cuisine. The most important ingredient is fresh-caught Atlantic Salmon. Our team at the Flying Butcher will select the best-looking fillets for you.

• Make a marinade of 1 tablespoon of Japanese soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of rice wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon of white miso paste, 1 teaspoon of sesame seed oil, 1 tablespoon of white sugar, 1 tablespoon of fresh ground ginger, and the zest of a lemon.
• Start by marinating your salmon in the marinade for five hours in the fridge.
• Get your grill pan or electric grill heated to medium-high.
• Place your marinated fillets over the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes.
• Use tongs to flip the fillets and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
• Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature so it’s over 145° F.
• After cooking, cook the leftover marinade over medium heat on the stove to reduce it into a delicious sauce.

Best Pairing Suggestions

The best seafood pairings should highlight the flavors of the fish and their seasonings. At the Flying Butcher, we have all the sides you need for a mouth-watering meal.

For blackened seafood, try sides that are full of flavor, such as our popular Bacon Cheddar Potato Salad. For broiled seafood dishes, try a homemade salad or our delicious Cilantro Lime Asparagus.

For Japanese grilled salmon, serve with white rice and a homemade salad. Try our selection of fantastic Asian-inspired salad dressings.

Always Buy Fresh

No matter which cooking method you use, always prioritize freshly caught seafood. At the Flying Butcher, we always carry the best quality seafood that’s sourced sustainably.

Our team of seafood lovers is here to answer all your questions. We’ll help you with all your pairings, recipes, and cooking method questions.

So come in today and try making these fantastic recipes at home. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to create restaurant-quality seafood dishes in your own kitchen.