Are you looking for gift ideas for the seafood lovers in your life? Or are you looking to elevate your own seafood-cooking experience? Motivation not-withstanding, I’ve put together a list of tried and true seafood-specific tools and resources to help you get started.
1. Carbon Steel Skillet from Smithey Ironware
I love Smithey Ironware, especially this gorgeous carbon-steel farmhouse skillet, which they hand-forge in a limited number in partnership with renowned Charleston blacksmith Robert Thomas Iron Design. Each piece is visually unique while sharing core design features such as a handle inspired by traditional fire tools and the signature Smithey 3-holed helper handle. With performance that rivals cast iron at a lighter weight, these skillets are designed to elevate your everyday cooking experience. It’s perfect for pan-searing crispy-skin sablefish or popping into the oven for slow-roasted salmon.
2. Fresh Midwest: Modern Recipes from the Heartland
In her debut cookbook, Fresh Midwest: Modern Recipes from the Heartland, recipe developer and Minnesota native Maren Ellingboe King perfectly combines the nostalgia of traditional midwestern dishes and influences of her Scandinavian heritage with an emphasis on local, unprocessed ingredients. A fellow Food & Wine alum and old friend, Maren has worked with the likes of Sunset, New York Times, Williams-Sonoma, Target, and more.
3. Sous Vide Immersion Circulator from Anova
Sous vide (pronounced “sue-veed”) is a cooking technique that enables precision temperature control. Used by professional chefs for decades, it works by circulating heated water in a pot, cooking food that has been vacuum-sealed in a plastic bag to the exact set temperature. This one from Anova is sleek, elegant, and super easy to use.
This simple and approachable technique eliminates overcooked, dried-out food and ensures edge-to-edge perfection every time you cook. It’s a game changer for anyone cooking salmon. Hand to heart, I swear!
If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, you can use a zip-top plastic bag—I love these environmentally-friendly ones from Smelly Proof. Check out our Sous Vide Cooking Guide for instructions on cook times and temperatures.
4. Bonded-Teak Boning Knife from Schmidt Brothers
I love using this teak-handled boning knife from Schmidt Brothers Cutlery to remove salmon skin, debone sablefish, and slice gravlax. The ultra-sharp blade is made with German stainless steel, giving you a precise and pleasurable cutting experience. Keeping it sharp is a breeze with their two-stage knife sharpener.
5. ThermoPop Digital Pocket Thermometer
Instant-read thermometers are indispensable in the kitchen. Whether roasting, deep-frying, poaching, or broiling, having an accurate thermometer that is quick to register the temperature is crucial, especially when cooking fish. This one from ThermoPop is priced well, sturdy, and long lasting. It comes with a 3V lithium battery, ready to use straight from the package, but you’ll be using it so often you’ll want to have an extra battery in reserve. Trust me on this one.
6. Give the Gift of Seafood
Give the gift of a culinary seafood adventure to yourself or a loved one! Choose from a 1, 3, 6 or 12 month prepaid subscription sent to the recipient of your choice.
