There are plenty of fish in the sea.

Tom King wishes more people would realize that when they go to the market to select fresh seafood for a meal.

“First of all, there is more to seafood than salmon. Get out of the salmon box. Come talk to us; we will give you recipes,” said King, meat and seafood department manager at the Community Mercantile Co-op, 901 Iowa.

“And we tend to think of seafood just as a main-course item, grilled with a starch and a vegetable. But there are many, many other applications: seafood salads, sandwiches, soups and casseroles.”

Timely advice, considering that this is Lent, the 40-day period leading up to Easter in which many Catholics observe the tradition of meatless Fridays. That often translates to meals that are built around fish and other types of seafood.

But there’s no reason why Lenten dishes that feature fish have to be boring or routine. Now is a good time for Catholics — or anyone, for that matter — to venture forth and try new types of seafood, prepared in ways they haven’t yet experienced.

Instead of the usual microwaved fish sticks, tuna salad or salmon loaf, sample something jazzy.

How about, for instance, serving up a plate of scallops, striped bass or even squid?

Ever try preparing mussels, clams or soft-shelled crab?

Going meatless on Fridays during Lent doesn't mean giving up flavor. Tom King, manager of the meat and seafood department at the Community Mercantile Co-op, says Kansans need to get out of the salmon

Why not take a taste of halibut, red snapper or rainbow trout?

Despite a growing variety of seafood that’s available in markets, people in this part of the nation tend to stick to the types of fish that they’re familiar with. That’s understandable, according to King.

“There’s a lot of trepidation to preparing seafood in the beef-ridden Midwest. Midwesterners are probably rightly suspicious of fish, because they often get old fish. Salmon and tilapia are really popular, so they don’t get old (in the seafood case). People trust them because they cycle quickly. It’s the old fish that turns people off,” he said.

Impeccable ingredients

King has always felt right at home enjoying a variety of seafood.

“Part of it is my family. My mother is from Cape Charles, Va. My grandfather was a seafood broker. My cousins in Virginia farm cherrystone clams and oysters,” he said.

“I was born on an island — Puerto Rico — and moved to Jamaica, then Madrid, then to the coast of Spain. That’s where Mediterranean seafood first charmed me.”

From 1993 to 1998, King owned Papa’s Church, a Mediterranean seafood house in Santa Cruz, Calif. It was located a half a block from the Pacific Ocean.

The menu was built around that day’s catch: halibut, albacore tuna, salmon, sand dabs, Santa Barbara rock shrimp, squid or crabs.

“Who knows what the fish purveyors are going to bring in? And how can you not love that? That’s the way I like to run a restaurant,” King said.

“The fish was as fresh as it could be. You start with impeccable ingredients, and you’re on your way.”

One popular dish at Papa’s Church was fresh squid stuffed with bread and chopped squid, then braised with fresh peas and tomato sauce.

“God, I have to do it again. That was wonderful stuff,” King recalled.

Other popular meals were: a whole, three-pound red snapper, stuffed with lemon, garlic and rosemary, wrapped in grape leaves and grilled; a risotto of Santa Barbara rock shrimp with chanterelle mushrooms; and mussels puttanesca with lots of garlic, capers, black olives, wine and spicy tomato sauce.

The menu at King’s restaurant was diverse. So is the meat and seafood department at the Lawrence co-op.

Tom King, manager of the meat and seafood department at the Community Mercantile Co-op, wraps meat at the Lawrence store. He urges consumers to try seafood in sandwiches, soups and casseroles. Too often, he says, Midwesterners think of seafood as a grilled, main-course item.

In the seafood case, customers can choose among an ever-changing selection of fresh products: wild Coho salmon from Alaska and farmed Atlantic salmon from Chile; tilapia (a firm-fleshed white fish) farmed in Costa Rica; halibut; sturgeon, striped bass; red snapper from Florida; ruby and golden rainbow trout farmed in Idaho; baby octopus farmed in Japan; Dungeness crab from Washington State; Ahi (sashimi-grade) tuna from the California coast; soft-shelled crabs; mussels and clams; sea scallops; shrimp from Vietnam; crawfish tails; and lobster on order.

Seafood is delivered to the co-op two times each week.

“They (customers) line up on Tuesdays and Fridays. The regulars know,” King said, smiling.

“It’s as fresh as we can get it. It moves quickly, and it sells well.”

Sucker for shellfish

If you want to expand your repertoire of seafood dishes, the place to start is with a knowledgeable source.

“Find a good fishmonger who you trust. A good fishmonger will always tell you how to prepare (your purchase),” King said.

He recommended a couple of recipes for people who are looking for something different: Tuna with Tomato, Mint and Capers; and Octopus Salad.

The recipes come from the cookbook “Cucina Del Mare: Fish and Seafood Italian Style” (William Morrow, 1993) by Evan Kleiman.

King did all the recipe testing for the book. Kleiman, the author, is a Los Angeles restaurateur. King served as chef at Angeli Mare, one of her restaurants, for four years.

“The tuna recipe is the essence of the Mediterranean. It will transfer well to swordfish, shark, sturgeon or any meaty fish. It’s very Sicilian and great for summer,” King said. “The octopus salad is something new and fun. It’s briny and salty — it tastes of the sea.”

King said he personally favored mussels, clams and other types of shellfish.

“I’m a sucker for a big bowl of clams with lemon, butter, garlic, parsley and a big piece of bread to soak up the juice.”