does anyone buy fish online?

[AngelaM]

I live in Michigan and I can never seem to find great looking fish. I usually shop at higher end grocery stores and even then the fish just doesn't look that fresh or appetizing. Specifically salmon and halibut. Does anyone order these products adn have them mailed? Don't they have special packaging that keeps them fresh? I can find wild salmon frozen at my local Trader Joes, I just don't like how they cut it (you get two uneven pieces). Maybe I've been watching too much FoodTv, but I like when they are cooking 4 salmon fillets that are all the same size and 1.5-2 inches wide. I have never seen a piece of salmon that could be cut like that in any grocery store.

[TieKitty]

I would love to eat more fish, but like you it never looks quite good enough. However, I don't think I would buy fish on-line. They may have special ways to pack it but I'm just too queazy about things like that. Maybe it's just me....

I'll be interested to see the opinions of others here. I respect their thoughts.

[veschke]

It's the cost of the shipping that would make me queasy but you might try someplace like marxfoods.com. I have no experience with them myself. Even living relatively near the ocean, it can be difficult to get good fish.

[IndyKF]

I've never bought fish online, but I face the same problem of having a hard time finding decent fish where I live. If Costco is an option for you, it is about the only place I have found that has decent fish. At the very least, it's fresh. Not a wide selection though...I pretty much stick with salmon but sometimes they will have halibut.

[Canice]

I never have, but if I were inclined to I'd start with Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle:

http://www.pikeplacefish.com/default.html

[linsleyd]

I've bought smoked fish before which isn't quite what you asking for but this company is fantastic! I once order a whole bunch of the smoked salmon for Christmas and I was sent halibut instead. He then let me keep the halibut and still sent the salmon. Awesome!

http://www.smoked-fish.com/

[buzybee]

Costco carries good quality seafood. If there isn't one close to you you may even be able to order off their website.

[wallycat]

My sister bought some fish on line because she wanted to get Uni (sea urchin roe) and to justify the shipping, bought fish. She loved the quality but I agree, the shipping will kill you.

In Wisconsin, and now here in the PNW, I always try to buy my fish frozen. Almost all fish is flash frozen on the boats and the stores thaw them in the case. I would rather thaw my own so I know how fresh it is rather than trusting them as to when they put it out. I do this even with salmon even when they are in season. It only takes 24 hours for a decent fish to look sad.
Copper River sockeye are the only things I've bought "fresh" as it was all they had and I really wanted it but anything else...shrimp, scallops, cod, sockeye, halibut, bass, walleye....if it arrives frozen then that is how I want to buy it!

[RebelYell18]

While I haven't bought fish online, I have purchased meats on the Internet - kangaroo, actually! It was shipped out very quickly and was kept well insulated. We actually just ate some of it last night and, even after freezing a couple months, was still flavorful and delicious. I would definitely purchase meats online again. Just my experience and opinion, if that is of any help to you! Good luck!

[SusanL]

OT, but where do you by kangaroo on the internet and HOW do you make it? What is comparable in taste??

[Bawstinn]

I am smack in the middle of the Midwest and hate that I can't find any fresh seafood.

I have purchased salmon from here in the past:

http://2sistersalaskaseafood.com/

I ordered it in the winter simply because I didn't trust ordering it when it was so hot outside. Absolutely no complaints about the quality and it tasted so much better than the salmon I can buy here.

I have also ordered lobster and clams online several times and had them shipped without an issue.

[funniegrrl]

I agree that if the "fresh" fish in your area isn't good, frozen is your best alternative. As previously mentioned, it's flash frozen almost right out of the water. As long as it's been shipped properly and not allowed to thaw/refreeze, it's an excellent option. In any event, much "fresh" fish that you see in any market anywhere has been frozen and thawed. Whole Foods will tell you if that's the case, it's part of the labeling, but most won't.

[RebelYell18]

OT, but where do you by kangaroo on the internet and HOW do you make it? What is comparable in taste??

I bought the kangaroo loin fillets and burgers at http://www.exoticmeatsandmore.com/kangaroo.aspx . This was our first time cooking kangaroo so we kept it simple (so if anyone else has had it another way, we'd love to hear it!). Its very lean, so we rubbed it with some olive oil, and black pepper and let it rest 20 minutes before grilling it. We cooked it to about medium-rare and we both added some more black pepper and salt before eating. It was very good - slightly gamey, but not overly...pretty similar to venison. My boyfriend had eaten it on a visit to Australia and said it wasn't as gamey there though.

[Canice]

This thread was bumped up this morning by a spammer, but I'm wondering - Angela did you find a source you like?

[funniegrrl]

hmmm didn't catch the date ... and I usually do catch zombie threads. *sigh*

[Canice]

"zombie threads" - LOL!
What startles me is when I see my own avatar on a thread I have no recollection of having read (as happened this morning).
But there may be people looking for sources!
(And, for whatever reason I suddenly got a great mental image of buying fish "online". Very punny.)

[funniegrrl]

"zombie threads" - LOL!

Oh I didn't even think about that ... another BB I'm on uses that term for old threads.

[AngelaM]

I never did try to order it online, but I've been having good luck with Hiller's grocery store (not sure if its Plymouth or Livonia MI). I get King salmon, Copper River salmon, wild sole, wild cod, wild scrod, wild orange roughy. They have lots of others too. Lately I've only been buying wild fish and they have plenty of it. Most of the frozen stuff around here I've seen is farmed or marinated/breaded which I don't want. But I've been eating fresh fish all summer, so I think I'm good.