I know the benefits of seafood should push me toward serving more of it to my family but it tends to be an after thought, something I only serve maybe once every second week. It’s for this reason that most of my seafood shopping takes place in the frozen aisle yet with the issues surrounding the location and fishing methods of grocery store seafood I sometimes feel as though I should avoid the frozen variety.
The new partnership between Jamie Oliver and Sobeys has led to some great food initiatives, including the potluck challenge as part of Food Revolution day. Another food initiative from Jamie Oliver is the release of his new frozen fish range at Sobeys stores across Canada. Made with Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified Pollock, Jamie’s range includes range includes: Crispy Pollock Fishcakes; Brilliant Fish Fillet Fingers and Crispy Pollock & Sweetcorn Fishcakes.
The folks at Sobeys sent us some of Jamie Oliver’s new frozen fish line to encourage me to add more seafood in our diet without worrying about what was in the fish. Of course the first thing I had to try was the Brilliant Fish Fillet Fingers trying my hand at a version of Jamie Oliver’s Fish Finger Sandwich. With ten finger fillets in the box I was able to make 3 sandwiches topped with homemade tartar sauce, lettuce and diced tomatoes. So good and super easy. Even my husband, who isn’t a huge seafood fan has asked that these sandwiches make a return visit to the dinner menu.
Jamie Oliver’s two fish cake options were also well received. Frozen fish cakes were popular when I was a kid but they never really agreed with me as an adult. Even my own kids steered clear when I made them but that changed when they tried the Crispy Pollock Fishcakes and they even nicer Crispy Pollock and Sweetcorn Fishcakes. Only four little cakes in a box means they won’t make a dinner but they sure are nice on the side of a large salad or a replacement for bread in a ploughman.
Jamie Oliver’s new frozen fish line isn’t the only sustainable seafood option you can find at Sobeys. Halifax’s Clearwater Seafoods has grown from a family business into one of the world’s leading seafood companies and the largest holder of shellfish licenses in Canada. Even as a big company their philosophy of sustainable fishing practices and healthy oceans is still part of Clearwater Seafoods’ core business practices.
They recently introduced a line of ready to serve scallops, which I tried at a lovely lunch. Their Scallops & Sauce varieties come in three flavours: Garlic Cream, Marinara, and Sun-Dried Tomato. What makes their sauce varieties very cool is that each individual scallop is enrobed in their sauce when frozen. According to Chef Stefan from Clearwater Seafoods, whether you cook one, five, or the whole carton, each scallop has enough sauce for itself. This is so much nicer than adding the sauce after the fact and ideal if you want to only use a few at a time (though you’ll probably not be able to stop at just a few).
The scallops make a nice addition to salad, like the Warm Kale and Chorizo Salad with Patagonian Sun-Dried Tomato Scallops and Sauce. My kids love kale but I never thought of serving it as a warm salad and the scallops turned the dish into a meal.
Photo credit Clearwater Seafoods
We also tried a Carmelized Cauliflower Salad with Garlic Cream Scallops & Sauce and Salmon Putanesca with Marinara Scallops & Sauce.
Along with the Scallops & Sauce option from Clearwater Seafoods, they also have a Bacon Wrapped Scallops. These are a fabulous treat to serve guests before dinner (assuming they make it out of the kitchen).
Clearwater Seafoods’ Scallops & Sauce as well as their Bacon Wrapped Scallops can also be found at Sobeys. In some retailers the products may be marketed as a private label brand but a quick review of the package back will show that the seafood is more than likely from Clearwater Seafoods.
Just as I was beginning to doubt my frozen seafood purchases, that maybe they weren’t the best option for my family, I discover that frozen sustainable seafood options do exist at my local Sobeys. From Jamie Oliver’s line and products from Clearwater Seafoods, fulfilling your family’s seafood needs is easy, tasty and healthy.