Celebrate the extraordinary women in your customers' lives this Mother's Day with an exquisite seafood selection from JJ McDonnell. Elevate your brunch and dinner menus with premium offerings that speak to sophistication and indulgence. Consider featuring our Venezuelan Jumbo Lump Crab Meat (JL9999), prized for its delicate sweetness and impressive, whole pieces. Imagine crafting elegant crab cakes with minimal filler, topping creamy asparagus tarts, or creating a luxurious chilled seafood salad that embodies springtime freshness. This high-quality crab will not only impress diners but also streamline kitchen prep with its pristine presentation.
For a lighter yet equally elegant option, our Flounder Fillet, Skin Off (FLO210) offers versatility and a mild, flaky texture that appeals to a wide range of palates. Its delicate nature makes it perfect for pan-searing with a lemon-butter sauce, encrusting with herbs and breadcrumbs for a crispy finish, or even poaching gently and serving with a vibrant spring vegetable risotto. Flounder's adaptability allows you showcase your creativity and create dishes that are both refined and approachable, making it a fantastic choice for a special occasion like Mother's Day.
To truly elevate the dining experience, consider featuring the luxurious Hackleback Sturgeon Caviar (CAVH07). This domestic caviar offers a sophisticated touch, perfect for garnishing elegant appetizers, enhancing seafood towers, or adding a touch of opulence to brunch dishes like smoked salmon and crème fraîche blinis. Even a small dollop can transform a dish into a memorable indulgence, signaling to your customers that Mother's Day at your establishment is an affair to remember.
Finally, our succulent 7/8oz Lobster Tails (LOB478) are a classic symbol of celebration and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. These perfectly sized tails offer a balance of impressive presentation and manageable portioning. Imagine grilling them to perfection and serving with drawn butter and seasonal sides, incorporating them into a decadent surf and turf special, or creating a rich lobster bisque that exudes comfort and luxury. By featuring these premium seafood options, you're not just offering a meal; you're providing an opportunity for families to celebrate and create cherished memories on this special day.
To start planning your Mother’s Day Menus, contact your JJ McDonnell Account Manager today!
We’dlove to see what you’ve created from JJ Seafood! Please tag us your photos,videos, and reels below!
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Atlantic Halibut
Pricing is a touch more favorable for the end of the week, making Atlantic halibut fillet a great spring option.
Pacific Halibut
Fishing remains slow, and as such the pricing is a touch higher this week than last. We were able to bring in a series of smaller boats, so our availability is still strong heading into this weekend. Product is landing in Juneau and Petersburg Alaska this week.
Wild Pacific King Salmon
With more openings late this week in Oregon and Washington, we will start to see pricing come down. It’s only a touch, as Kings are still relatively low in availability compared with years past. This week’s fish are landing in an area called “SOF,” which stands for South of Cape Falcon, in Oregon.
Sablefish, aka Black Cod
Landings are improving steadily as both potters and long-liners get to work. Product this week is landing from Juneau and Petersburg, Alaska.
Lakefish
Walleye, White Perch, and White Bass continue to flow in from Lake Erie, offering great pricing and availability. Prices for Walleye are down a touch for this week. Give these species a shot, they are sustainable and underutilized in our area!
Fresh Flounder
Last week the market jumped due to VA closing and NC opening a few days after. NJ will open May 1st which should help soften the market. No availability issues heading into weekend sales. Current inventory consists of trawl caught product harvested in Wanchese, NC (F/V Shelia Rene)
Porgies
Soft market with heavy landings up and down the East Coast. No issues with availability. Current inventory consists of trawl caught product harvested in Point Judith, RI.
Black Bass
Raw material market has been soft due to heavy landings from multiple gear types. There is great value in medium whole fish and jumbo fillets! The current inventory consists of pot/trap caught product harvested in Ocean City, MD (F/V Sea Born).
Monkfish
Strong availability heading into the weekend with a consistent market. Current inventory consists of Day Boat trawl caught product harvested in Boston, MA. (F/V America)
Wild Chesapeake Bay Blue Catfish
Fishing has been strong, and landings have been consistent. Good fishing reports day-to-day on the Chesapeake Bay from local fisherman.
Wild Tilapia
Florida continues production in large quantities to extract the invasive wild Tilapia from its waters. The market will be consistent while production ramps up.
Golden Tilefish
Local Ocean City, MD fish have been hitting the docks at the commercial port recently. A limited amount of supply will be available for weekend sales. Local Day-Boat season is upon us. More to come!
Blueline Tilefish (Gray Tilefish)
Local season is upon us! We have seen a few landings of local Ocean City, MD fish. Like the Golden Tilefish, we will have a limited supply available for weekend sales. Speak with your Account Manager!
Wild Red Drum
Sporadic volume landings allows for some wild drum to leave the local OBX markets. The wind has been challenging for small gillnet boats also, creating a limited market.
Chesapeake Channa - Snakehead
Boats are starting to see the first run of Chesapeake Channa this season. True, fresh product will be available all week long. As the weather continues to improve, so will fishing.
SMOKED PRODUCTS & TINNED SEAFOOD
Check out a couple of new options – Santa Barbara pre-sliced smoked salmon sides, prepared from fresh ASC-certified salmon, and new Pastrami-smoked salmon from Catsmo Artisan Smokehouse in NY’s Hudson Valley, also prepared from fresh salmon and pre-sliced.
Featured this week:
Santa Barbara Smoked Salmon Sides
ASC-Certified salmon, pre-sliced
Santa Barbara, CA
SMKS10
Catsmo Pastrami-seasoned Smoked Salmon Sides
Pre-sliced
Wallkill, NY
SMSPP1
Live Lobster
The downward correction on pricing in the live trade market is continuing. Canadian zones have opened and making more inventory available, dealers continue to keep inventory tight until the price adjustment hits a stable line. Processors have begun to process frozen tails and meat, but this is just beginning. Overall, this scenario should help reignite a stagnant live trade market in time for Mother’s Day weekend and beyond.
CRABMEAT- updates you need to know.
Fresh:
Maryland – season just getting rolling this month. Fresh picked MD meat arriving daily! High live market prices remain even after Easter demand rolls off keeping prices overall high. Pricing looks to ease a little for the weekend. Very Nice quality to start the season.
Venezuela – Good supply on Jumbo Lump yet lump very limited until second half of the week. Prices are about flat yet strong this week as government shipping regulations & USA tariffs remain in effect. Ven HPP crab meat remains the cheapest fresh crabmeat option out there. Quality is good.
Pasteurized:
Blue Swimming – Posible Huge tariffs in Indonesia, Philippians & India has impacted the blue swimming crabmeat category. Prices have quickly risen these past few weeks & are expected to continue once higher priced containers arrive. Most importers are limiting availability as well as many future deliveries have been cancelled because of the tariffs. Expect supply limitations on large grades & prices are to quickly continue to rise.
Red Swimming - high tariffs plus poor landings have pushed prices up especially on jumbo lump & jumbo. Lump is now following as well. relief is not expected until the fall when crabbers get back to work & hopefully there’s tariff relief..
Mexico- Poor winter & early spring landings has caused prices to really firm & limit availability. Their conservation period is in the next few months so expect Mexican supply to remain limited until late summer.
Columbia – Demand is really increasing on Columbian blue crab but unfortunately prices are heading up as well now that new tariffed meat arrived. There are not heavy volumes coming from Columbia but what is available looks nice.
LIVE SOFT CRABS-
A few NC peelers are just starting to land this week which is yielding a nice mostly jumbo soft crab. We are hoping this kicks off the solid NC soft crab run for May. Prices are coming down so keep checking in.
OYSTERS
Featured this week:
Orchard Point
Eastern Bay, MD
OYS112
Plump and satisfying, Orchard Point oysters have a buttery minerality and gentle brine that reflects the sandy shorelines and rich aquatic grasses of our Upper Bay farm locations— an unforgettable flavor unique to our oysters.
Spring Creek
Barnstable, MA
OYS136
Sweet, mineral taste and strong salt.
Scorton’s Creek
Barnstable, MA
OYS139
Moderate salt with a prolonged, sweet mineral finish.
West Bay
Cotuit, MA
OYS210
Naturally briny, Cape Cod flavors and a perfect shell size.
Hammer Island
Duxbury, MA
OYS045
Sweet and savory, strong brine, from a favorite part of Cape Cod Bay.
Always on Feature and only at JJ McDonnell:
Skinny Dipper & Huckleberry Oysters
St Jerome’s Creek, MD
OYS200 & OYS060
For the best shell quality, quintessential Chesapeake flavor, and the cleanest oyster in town, choose Skinny Dippers for your printed menus. Always fresh and in stock! For a cocktail option, Huckleberry is a perfectly plump cocktail, and fun fact, they are the same age as a Skinny Dipper! Some oysters just never reach the size of a full oyster.
Happy Oysters
Northern Neck, VA
OYS250
Sweetgrass and butter with just enough brine and a clean finish. Tidal surges create a perfect environment for healthy, happy oysters!
Salt Buoy Oysters
Brockatonorton Bay, MD
OYS245
All the salt from Maryland’s Atlantic coast, with a crab-like sweetness to finish. Float-raised cocktail shells are perfect for easy shucking.
Fortune Oysters
Wine Harbour, Eastern Nova Scotia
OYS218
A pop of salt from the North Atlantic! Smooth, salty, savory, and sweet meats in clean, solid, choice shells.
Domestic Shrimp
Production remains very light, Texas boats that are fishing are only bringing in pinks. We have started to see a few whites, but prices remain very high. We hopefully look for some relief in June on white headless.
Louisiana in shore peeled season should open in mid-May. Shrimp are expected to be small, will give us 110/130 puds and smaller to start. I do expect prices to begin to decline on small peeled in mid-May
** Remember Texas brown season will start July 15th., still 11 weeks away.
Frozen Haddock and Flounder
Flounder and haddock are now subject to a 150% tariff for product from China; the original tariff exclusion is set to expire at the end of May which could increase the tariff to 175%. Alternative countries will remain far more competitive than China, again, with the tradeoff coming from having to take additional sizes & forms outside of current product line. Haddock and flounder are not included in the Russian Embargo currently. H&G Haddock raw material prices have been rapidly increasing while flounder has remained relatively stable. Barents Sea Haddock quote was reduced to 130K MT for 2025; an 8% reduction from 2024.
This is all leading to elevated pricing levels and will remain elevated while the tariffs remain.
On Mother’s Day, lobster, shrimp, and crab top the list ofmost-purchased seafood, thanks to their luxurious appeal and versatility inelegant dishes. Many families choose these favorites to create special mealslike lobster benedict or shrimp scampi to celebrate mom in style!
