Seafood is one of the best substitutes for meat you can have. Not only does seafood taste incredibly different from red and white meats, but most kinds are also high in protein and low in fat. So if you’re looking for something new to have as the main dish for your Thanksgiving meal, seafood is an excellent option.
But not all seafood plates are the same, and Cork Bar & Restaurant has a diverse selection of choices to choose from. We have fish and shellfish as both appetizers and entrees that you can have over the holiday weekend. You can check them all out on our menu.
Best Seafood Appetizers for Thanksgiving
Maybe turkey and chicken are too sacred to replace, but you could use something new among the appetizers. We’ve got you covered with several different apps to try. There’s bound to be something that tickles your taste buds.
#1. New Orleans Crab Cake
Do you like crabmeat? Then you should love our New Orleans Crab Cake because it’s made with jumbo lump crabmeat. Skip breaking the crabmeat out of its shell, and get right to the good stuff as it’s covered in old bay seasoning and creole mayo.
If you love crab, but an appetizer doesn’t sound like enough for you, you can also get a larger size as an entree.
#2. Shrimp Au Gratin
Shrimp is the go-to appetizer when you’re looking for some good shellfish. It’s really good finger food that tastes great whether it’s cold or hot. To make it special, we add garlic, cream, cheese, and white wine to really make the taste explode in your mouth. You’ve never had a seafood appetizer like this before!
#3. Pineapple Tuna
Pineapple pairs well with seafood, combining a healthy dose of sugar. The vitamins and manganese in the fruit will mix with the butter and odorless taste of the tuna. Then on top of that, to really throw the taste buds for a loop, it’s served with seaweed atop crispy wontons with ginger ponzu wasabi.
#4. Fried Calamari
Maybe you want to try a classic seafood appetizer. Fried calamari has been a popular dish around the world for years. Frying the inner rings of a squid truly tastes like nothing else, but when we add sautéed prosciutto and garlic and lemon aioli to it, it will taste like no other recipe.
Best Seafood Entrees for Thanksgiving
Maybe you could go for something different for Thanksgiving dinner. Trying a new appetizer may not do it, so try a seafood plate for dinner instead. There’s just as much variety in our seafood entrees as there are in our seafood appetizers.
#1. Seafood Gratin
Who says shrimp is only an appetizer, and you can only have one shellfish? Not us. Seafood gratin is all about giving you a taste of every shellfish you could want, from shrimp, diver scallops, and jumbo crab topped off with lobster sauce and parmesan crust. There isn’t a better shellfish combination.
#2. Salmon
Salmon is a versatile fish, perfect for our skilled chefs who have made not one, but two different plates using salmon.
First is the Seafood Salmon that we pair with jumbo shrimp and crabmeat Meyer lemon butter sauce. It’s the perfect plate for someone trying not to overeat on seafood but want to have shellfish with their dish too.
Apricot Salmon is another dish that uses an apricot stone mustard glaze with a side of sweet potato fries. It gives this fish a more familiar taste for people who rarely consume fish but love meat.
#3. Ahi Tuna
Ahi Tuna is more than just fish. We’ve experimented and combined spices, cooking techniques, and sides to make this dish something special. This tuna comes crusted with black sesame seeds, giving it a texture that feels like heaven in your mouth.
But to give it an extra kick, it comes with a wasabi scallion cake, Thai vinaigrette, and pickled Asian vegetables, that all come together in a mixture of flavor and aftertastes in your mouth.
Classic Thanksgiving Meals Are Available
We have been talking about trying something new, but that’s not for everyone. If you want a classic Thanksgiving dinner but want someone else to make it, we can do that for you too! Right now, curbside pickups are available for Thanksgiving dinners until Tuesday, November 23rd so call in now!
We’re making maple orange brined turkey with sage, apple, and sausage stuffing! Then we’re also making Carolina ham glazed with brown sugar mustard to complete the dinner set! We’re making a bunch of sides too. There’s whipped sweet potatoes with a pineapple pecan crust, whipped potatoes with cheddar cheese & chives, and green beans almondine.
For dessert, we’re baking pumpkin pie, apple pie, and caramel apple cheesecake. You don’t have to eat at home too if you don’t want to. We’re making all this food for Thanksgiving dinners in our private igloos too, that you can reserve online! Check it out while you can!
Have a Seafood Dinner this Thanksgiving Weekend
Thanksgiving may have many classic meals to choose from, but there’s no reason not to try something and see if it becomes a favorite of yours around the holiday. We have a litany of seafood choices to choose from, so make a reservation now while tables are still available