New Bedford Fish Market Guide: Buying Fresh Seafood

A New Bedford fish market is one of the plainest and most satisfying food stops in New England: a working fishing port with a scallop fleet known well beyond Massachusetts, where some of the catch ends up in small counters you can buy from fresh. Shop early, look for clear eyes and a clean sea smell, and keep fish cold on the drive home. See the New Bedford food guide.

How does a New Bedford fish market work?

A port market sells what the boats landed in the last day or two. A counter will show whole fish on ice, fillets, shellfish in bins, shucked scallops in tubs and sometimes cooked items such as stuffed clams or fish cakes. Prices are by weight, and the person behind the glass can cut, clean and pack to your needs.

Go early in the day. Stock is at its best in the morning, and the good fillets go first. If you arrive late in the afternoon, the choice is smaller, but you may be offered a discount on what remains.

Where to buy scallops New Bedford is famous for?

Where to buy scallops New Bedford visitors ask about most is at the fish counters and some grocery stores near the waterfront. Sea scallops are the large ones, the size of a bottle cap or bigger, and they are what the city's fleet lands. Ask for dry-packed scallops, which have not been soaked in a phosphate solution. They sear to a golden crust, while wet-packed ones release water and steam in the pan.

Look for scallops that are creamy white or pale pink, with a clean, sweet smell of the sea. Avoid any that are bright white and sitting in milky liquid.

What is on the New Bedford waterfront seafood scene?

New Bedford waterfront seafood goes beyond the market counter. The harbor is a working one, so you will see boats, nets and gear rather than a tourist promenade. The historic district a few blocks inland has cobblestone streets, a whaling museum and restaurants that serve the same catch cooked.

A good plan is to walk the waterfront in the morning, buy something at a counter for dinner and eat lunch at a restaurant that serves what the boats bring. The Cape Cod seafood and clam shack guide is a good comparison for the shack side of the coast, and Providence, the nearest big city, has its own neighborhood guide.

What New Bedford seafood to take home works best?

New Bedford seafood to take home should travel well. Fillets of cod, haddock and flounder, scallops, mussels and clams all do well if kept cold. Smoked fish and Portuguese salt cod, bacalhau, keep longer and are good gifts. Ask whether the counter will pack your purchase in a bag with ice.

Bring a cooler with ice packs. A car in summer can warm up in minutes, and fish is unforgiving. If you have a long drive, buy at the end of your trip.

How do you judge New Bedford fresh fish?

New Bedford fresh fish should have clear, bright eyes if whole, firm flesh that springs back when pressed and gills that are red, not brown. The smell should be of clean seawater, not of ammonia or sourness. Fillets should look moist and translucent, not dull or dry at the edges.

If you are unsure, ask the person at the counter what came in today and what they would cook. They know. A good counter is proud of its stock and happy to talk.

What should you cook?

Keep it simple. Pan-seared scallops in butter, baked haddock with breadcrumbs, fish cakes, steamed mussels in white wine and garlic, and a simple chowder all let the fish speak. Cook scallops fast over high heat, and do not crowd the pan.

For a Portuguese touch, try cod with potatoes and onions, a classic of the city's kitchens. The Portuguese bakery guide and the linguica and chourico guide explain more of the local table.

How do you tag a fish counter so others can find it?

A counter can carry tags like any restaurant. Seafood is a cuisine tag with a badge, Market Stall is a kind of place with a badge, and Fresh Seafood is a tag without one. Name what you bought as the dish and say how it cooked. A fish counter is a good lesson for children, who can look at whole fish and watch a cutter fillet a flounder. Keep hands in pockets near the knives and ice, and hold small ones back from the edge.

How do you clean and store what you buy?

Take fish out of its paper as soon as you get home, pat it dry and store it on ice in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Cook it within a day. Keep live shellfish in a bowl covered with a damp cloth, not in water, and discard any that stay open when tapped.

Wrap scallops in a paper towel to absorb moisture before searing. Rinse mussels just before cooking and pull off the beard, the little tuft at the hinge.

How can you keep track of what you find?

For the rest of the state, start at the Food in Massachusetts page.

Make a list of counters and put the fish that cooked best in the note: scallops seared fast, haddock baked, mussels steamed. Invite the friend who cooks, so they can add the shop where they buy. Only you and the friends you invite can see a private list. Download the Mosey app and rate your first New Bedford seafood purchase. The museum lunch guide and the US guides hub carry on from here.