Seafood is everywhere along the New Hampshire coast. But for a lot of us, getting seafood onto the dinner table can feel a little intimidating.  

Where can you find local seafood, and how do you know if it’s sustainable? How do you cook it? And what’s the proper way to prepare that filet of fish or raw shellfish once you bring it home? Luckily for you we’ve found the path of least resistance to getting started in the culinary world of seafood.   

A new series of recipes and how-to videos from NH Sea Grant called Wildcat Kitchen aims to make local seafood more approachable. From instructional videos on how to shuck an oyster and filet a fish, to mouth-watering recipes that are cheap and simple, Wildcat Kitchen brings sustainable seafood to your kitchen!  

Grab a seat at the table with host Brian Yurasits, for a roundtable discussion about seafood. It’s what’s for dinner. 

Joining us at the dinner table are Leah Smutko, Lecturer of Culinary Nutrition at University of New Hampshire, and Zane Aguiar, EcoGastronomy Student at the University of New Hampshire. Leah and Zane will share why seafood is such an important part of our diet, and which seafood recipes might be the best for you to begin your coastal culinary journey. We’ve also invited Gabriela Bradt and Linas Kenter, who are both part of our Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture team here at NH Sea Grant, to explain the challenges we face in the Granite State when it comes to connecting consumers with local seafood producers. They also dive into some solutions, and yes, they involve lots of garlic and keeping a spare cooler in your car.  

Grab a seat as we share our seafood stories. 

A special thanks to Kylie Marozsan, NH Sea Grant Doyle Fellow, who helped film and produce Wildcat Kitchen. And to Mark Martin and Michael Coonfield, students at the University of New Hampshire, who helped to develop our first batch of recipes. 

Full episode transcript is available below. 

Guest Speakers:  

Leah Smutko, Lecturer of Culinary Nutrition at University of New Hampshire 

Zane Aguiar, EcoGastronomy Student at University of New Hampshire 

Gabriela Bradt, Fisheries Extension Specialist, New Hampshire Sea Grant and UNH Extension 

Linas Kenter, Aquaculture and Fisheries Research Scientist, New Hampshire Sea Grant and UNH 

Hosted by: Brian Yurasits, Science Communication Specialist, New Hampshire Sea Grant 

Produced by: Brian Yurasits 

Further reading: 

Wildcat Kitchen: https://seagrant.unh.edu/our-work/seafood/wildcat-kitchen-seafood-recipes

NH Seafood Finder: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/886641190bd34494b0258fc680401bf1

Leah Smutko, University of New Hampshire: https://colsa.unh.edu/person/leah-smutko

EcoGastronomy at University of New Hampshire: https://www.unh.edu/program/dual-major/ecogastronomy

New Hampshire Sea Grant works to enhance our relationship with the coastal environment to sustain healthy and resilient ecosystems, economies, and communities through integrated research, extension, education, and communications efforts. Based at the University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Sea Grant is one of 34 programs in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program, a state-federal partnership serving America’s coasts. Learn more by visiting: seagrant.unh.edu 

University of New Hampshire is an equal opportunity employer, learn more: https://extension.unh.edu/civil-rights-statement