I’d bet by now you’ve probably tried one or more of the plant-based meat substitutes that have hit the market in recent years. Maybe an Impossible burger, or a Beyond Meat patty or sausage. But vegan substitutes for animal products don’t stop with red meat. Your local grocery store probably also offers plant-based “seafood”.
Fake fish? You bet.
The products come in several formats. Pennsylvania’s Good Catch, for example, makes frozen “crab cakes”, “fish sticks” and “fish fillets”, as well as “plant-based tuna” pouches that are kept at room temperature on the shelves. shelves of stores like Whole Foods Market. , Publix, Target and Earth Origins Market, near canned sardines and other canned fish.
Good Catch “Tuna” is made with a blend of pea, soy and bean protein, and has the thick texture of classic canned tuna. You can use the “Naked in Water” variety plain and incorporate it into your favorite tuna salad recipe, or opt for one of two flavors: Mediterranean or “Oil and Herbs”.
The Good Catch substitute doesn’t have the specific low-tide aroma of precooked and seasoned tuna, but sandwich-wrapped it tastes great in its own way – a healthy and satisfying alternative if you’re bored with that same sandwich. turkey than you. have always been doing. (The company’s website also has a helpful recipe guide to inspire you.)
Let’s move on to the frozen food section of Whole Foods, Publix, Winn-Dixie, Walmart, Earth Origins or The Fresh Market, near which you’ll find frozen plant-based burger patties. Here you’ll find frozen “fish” fillets and “crab” cakes made by Gardein, part of Chicago-based Conagra Brands. They are made from wheat and soy protein and are meant to be baked, sautéed in a pan, or sautéed in an air fryer or conventional deep fryer.
Few items crush my nostalgia button like a crispy breaded fish fillet glistening with oil, smeared with tartar sauce and sprinkled with lemon juice, and Gardein’s vegan version deftly takes me back to my college days. “Crab” cakes, seasoned with the same blend of spices as regular cakes, are also good, but, of course, nothing can recreate the crisp, salty flavor that chunks of freshly baked crab meat have. steam.
Sophie’s Kitchen, which is based in California, also makes vegan “crab” cakes, but they’re not as impressive as the company’s vegan “shrimp”. (Locally, you can find both at Earth Origins, Walmart, and Sprouts Farmers Market.)
“Shrimp” are frozen and, unlike Gardein items, are meant to be thawed before cooking. Made with brown rice flakes and potato and pea starch and flavored with fenugreek, paprika and turmeric, “prawns” cook well in minutes on the stovetop. They are good on their own, but they are best when hit with some type of sauce and incorporated into a bowl or tacos.
Will any of the above quell your craving, say, for a grilled grouper sandwich or a sushi-grade piece of raw tuna? No, but that’s not the point. These products are designed as easy mid-week dinner options for the family, a way to break up the monotony of a Tuesday dinner without breaking a sweat.
