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Fresh Seafood in Philadelphia Since 1890

Fresh & Frozen Seafood in Philadelphia | E. Frank Hopkins

Our Products

E. Frank Hopkins has been providing high quality frozen and fresh seafood and shellfish in Philadelphia since 1890, such as salmon, bluefish, scallops, clams, lobster, tuna, octopus, snapper, catfish, and so much more.

General
Shrimp, Fresh Water Fish, Clams, Mussels, Lobster, Crab (including Indo Pro Crabmeat, VIP Crabmeat, Mexican Crabmeat, Vietnam Crabmeat, and Fresh Crabmeat), Crawfish, Scallops (Bay & Sea - Frozen and Fresh, Dry or Wet), Oysters (Shucked and Shelled)

Swordfish
Swordfish quality can vary greatly because swordfish boats will be at sea for different lengths of time, from a few days to nearly a month. Swordfish has a firm, meaty texture and is a good source of selenium, niacin, vitamin B12, and zinc. Bright white or pink swordfish meat with a bright red bloodline denotes freshness. Peak swordfish landings are August through October, which is also when the prices tend to be low. Frozen swordfish is available year-round. Meat Firmness: High, Flavor: Mild

Fresh and Frozen Seafood & Fish in Philadelphia PA | E. Frank Hopkins

Tuna
Tuna is a firm, flavorful semi-dark meat fish that can be grilled, broiled or blackened. Tuna is also served up rare on many Japanese menus and is a favorite with most sushi connoisseurs.

Albacore Tuna
Fresh Albacore has a mild to medium flavor profile with firm flesh and large flakes. Like other tunas, it has a "steak-like" texture, but less firm than Yellowfin or Bigeye Tuna. It does, however, have a higher fat content which gives it a richness of taste. Albacore Tuna is also called Tombo Tuna. It is a delicious fish which lends itself best to grilling or searing cooking applications.

Perch (Whole Fish & Fillets)
Ocean Perch is mild tasting yet a bit sweet, with a moderately firm texture. The meat is lean, moist and flaky. Large ocean perch develop a coarse texture. Deep-skinned ocean perch with the fat line removed has the most delicate flavor. The flesh is white, though not as light as cod, and it turns opaque white when cooked.

Fresh and Frozen Seafood & Fish in Philadelphia PA | E. Frank Hopkins

Scrod Cod
Cod have a lean, mild flavor profile with large flakes and a tender-firm texture. Pacific Cod tend to have thicker fillets with a higher moisture content and are therefore less firm and a little harder to bread/batter. Their flesh is an opaque white color when raw and remains white after cooking. Atlantic Cod are a little sweeter than Pacific Cod, with translucent white to pink-tinged flesh when raw which turns white when cooked. Both are less firm and less sweet tasting compared to Haddock.

Black Sea Bass
Black Sea Bass have lean, white flesh with a moderately firm texture, small flakes and a delicate flavor. Because of its small size, it is often prepared whole. Due to its lean nature, do not overcook sea bass because it will become dry. The skin is edible (if descaled) and it presents well.

Bluefish
Bluefish (Atlantic Pollock) are members of the Cod family and although similar to Pacific Pollock, they are distinctly different in that they are larger, have a slightly higher oil content and slightly darker flesh than their Pacific cousins. Bluefish (Atlantic Pollock) have a mild, delicate taste with white flesh, large flakes, a firm texture and a low oil content. They have a similar but somewhat milder flavor as haddock or cod. Due to its mild flavor and inexpensive price, Pollock is a very versatile option for restaurants. Pollock is also commonly used to make Surimi.

Fresh and Frozen Seafood & Fish in Philadelphia PA | E. Frank Hopkins

Flounder
Flounder has a mild, sweet flavor but is milder than Rock Sole. They have the classic tender, fine-flaked white flesh which you expect from smaller Flounders called Sole.

Smelt
Smelt has a bright, pale silvery green color and a scent reminiscent of cucumber or watermelon. Smelts can be fried whole, broiled, or pickled.

Cuttlefish
Fresh cuttlefish are light brown, with zebra-like stripes across their mantels. Cooked meat is pure white. Cleaned cuttlefish are bright white, with their tentacles usually intact. Uncleaned, they have a thin, purplish membrane on their bodies, which should be removed. Cuttlefish meat is sweet tasting. The texture is similar to that of a fish fillet and quite tender if cooked properly.

John Dory
John Dory is a delicious fish which has firm textured white flesh with moist, fine flakes and a mild, sweet flavor with a low fat content.

Butterfish
The coloring of a Butterfish is generally silver, the lips are black edged and the head and cheeks are tinged a greenish yellow. It has a steeply formed head, with a snout that protrudes more with age. The body carries vertical bars that fade near the belly. Butterfish has a delicate flesh, juicy and a high iodine content, suited to most cooking methods.

Fresh and Frozen Seafood & Fish in Philadelphia PA | E. Frank Hopkins

Porgy
Red Porgy has white, tender meat with a large flake and mild, sweet flavor. It has been compared to snapper in taste and texture. Porgies contain lots of small bones, which makes them difficult to fillet. Porgies can have tough, hard-to-scale-skin. It's easiest to have the fish scaled before buying.

Croakers
A popular pan fish, croaker is often breaded or dusted with cornmeal or flour and pan-fried. It can also be marinated and grilled or sautéed, roasted and broiled. For a Southern favorite, dip a dressed, scaled croaker in water, milk, egg or a combination of the three, then roll in corn flour and cook in hot grease. The meaty fish also can be steamed whole.

Mackerel
Mackerel is considered one of the more healthful fish because it's rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Its oil content makes mackerel an excellent candidate for barbecuing or smoking. A lime marinade before cooking smooths the taste and firms and whitens the meat. Europeans temper the pronounced flavor of mackerel by serving it with a sharp, acidic sauce such as gooseberry or unsweetened cranberry sauce.

Fresh and Frozen Seafood & Fish in Philadelphia PA | E. Frank Hopkins

Monkfish
Mild yet very firm, monkfish is highly versatile and benefits from zesty marinades, seasonings and sauces. The firm texture of monkfish means you don't have to worry about the meat falling apart on the grill or in chowders. Buy slightly larger fillets than for other fish, because the meat loses moisture and shrinks when cooked. Use poached monkfish to stretch a lobster salad (the monk is known as "the poor man's lobster").

Mullets
The high oil content of mullet makes it a good candidate for charcoal grilling and hot smoking. Floridians and Cajuns split mullet and roast it over hickory fires. It can also be stuffed and baked or pan-fried. For a milder flavor, skin fillets before cooking. In European-style recipes that specify mullet, don't use the domestic species; substitute ocean perch, unless you have access to true European red mullet.

Golden Tile
Firm and mild-tasting, tilefish offers chefs many options. Pan searing is a good choice of methods, since tilefish holds together well, a quality that also makes it good in soups and stews. Cook the thick fillets at a high initial heat to help seal in juices and keep the meat moist. With its firm texture and clean taste, tilefish also is a good candidate for sashimi or sushi.

Amberjack Loin
Firm texture, white meat with mild flavor. Extra lean fish.

Fresh and Frozen Seafood & Fish in Philadelphia PA | E. Frank Hopkins

Skatewings
The wings are composed of strands of flesh, a layer of cartilage and then more strands of flesh. The meat can be removed from the cartilage after it's cooked, though cooking does soften the cartilage. Skin should be removed before cooking. Try poaching skate in liquid made of water, wine vinegar, a thinly sliced small onion, a bay leaf, parsley and thyme. Serve with browned butter to which capers have been added.

Whiting
This white, clean-tasting flesh can be prepared in a wide variety of ways. It has a higher oil content than cod or Pollock, and therefore is somewhat more flavorful. It is good in fish and chips, pan-fried or baked. Try it with lemon or a creamy dill sauce for a nice accompaniment.

Ling
Ling has a mild flavor with white, firm flesh which holds its shape well when cooked. It has a wide range of uses, including smoking and sashimi, and is delicious deep fried or baked, garnished with fresh herbs and tomato.

Skrei Cod
Skrei is a branded quality fish which is caught, packaged and shipped following strict guidelines to ensure quality. It's a seasonal fish, available January through April every year. Skrei is harvested from the world's largest wild cod stock, which is managed in a responsible and sustainable way. The fish is muscular, giving the meat good texture and a delicate white color. Skrei is unique in that every part of the fish is appreciated and consumed due to its superior quality. It's also rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals.

Fresh and Frozen Seafood & Fish in Philadelphia PA | E. Frank Hopkins

Salt Cod
Salted Cod is just what its name implies – fresh Cod that's been salted to preserve it. In some ways Salt Cod is a little taste of history, and is popular around the world. Salt cod must be rehydrated and desalinated by soaking in cold water for a few days. Keep refrigerated and change the water every day.

Striped Bass (Wild Rock)
Striped bass is a mild fish with a delicate, slightly sweet flavor that appeals to a wider range of consumers than traditional, wild-run striped bass, which has a more pronounced taste and a coarser texture. The raw meat is translucent white with a pinkish cast that turns opaque white when cooked. It is moderately firm but flaky, and the oil content keeps it moist during cooking. Most hybrid striped bass are raised in oxygenated tanks or ponds, where strict control of water quality and feed ensures consistent flavor.

Chile Sea Bass
Chilean sea bass has a rich, melt-in-your-mouth flavor. The moderately oily meat is tender and moist with large, thick flakes. Meat from raw Chilean sea bass is snow white. When cooked, the meat remains white, comparable in appearance to cod. Refreshed fillets should be shiny and resilient. Frozen product shouldn't have freezer burn or discoloration.

Mediterranean (Bronzino and Dorade)
European sea bass meat is pinkish when raw and cooks up opaque white. The finely textured, flaky meat is lean, with a sweet and mild flavor. Many chefs say the wild-caught bass is more flavorful than the farmed product.

Fresh and Frozen Seafood & Fish in Philadelphia PA | E. Frank Hopkins

Rainbow Trout
Rainbow trout are just the right size for individual servings. Don't overpower the delicate taste of rainbow trout with strong sauces. A little butter, lemon and parsley are usually all you need to bring out the delicate flavors of this fish. Try trout with mint and garlic stuffing for a pleasant change.

Ocean Trout
Ocean Trout has a distinctive rosy pink/orange flesh and high omega-6 content, which makes them an ideal eating fish. The flavor is more subtle and less salty than Atlantic or farmed salmon, and according to many chefs, much better tasting.

Halibut
Halibut is an extremely versatile fish, and the thick, meaty flesh holds up well to a number of cooking methods and sauces. It's ideal for skewering as kebabs.

Canadian Salmon
The Canadian Salmon's size, relatively high fat content and excellent color retention make it a desirable fish. Pan-sized salmon have a delicate flavor. Fillets from larger fish have an excellent, mild salmon taste but are more flavorful than chum. The flesh of Atlantic Salmon appears soft but becomes firm when cooked. Reddish-orange meat is moderately fatty and flakes well.

Atlantic Salmon
The flavor of Atlantic salmon is milder than that of the wild salmon species. The meat is moderately firm and oily, though not as fatty as that of the wild chinook, or king, salmon. The flesh color varies, depending on the amount of pigment in the feed, but generally Atlantics' meat is a rich orange or pinkish-orange color. The fatty meat appears almost marbled when raw. Atlantic salmon retains its color when cooked and has a large, moist flake.

Fresh and Frozen Seafood & Fish in Philadelphia PA | E. Frank Hopkins

King Salmon
Chinooks (King Salmon) need a large fat reserve for their long-distance migration. That translates into a pronounced, buttery, rich taste. The oily chinook flesh is softer than that of other wild salmon species. Except for some white-meat strains of chinook, the flesh is almost always red, never pink. White king is a strain with pale meat, not to be confused with "pale kings," which are mature fish. Though light in color, the white king's flavor is as rich as the more deeply colored chinook's.

Spanish Dover Sole
Few fish command more respect in culinary circles than the true Dover sole, which yields thin yet firm fillets that hold together well in many preparations. The raw meat is glistening white and dense and cooks up white. The flavor of the Dover sole is mild and sweet. One fan of Dover sole describes the fish as being "more like a meat; it doesn't have the texture of a normal fish." Despite its delicate flavor, it's able to stand up to the heavy sauces favored by European chefs.

Arctic Char
Arctic Char has a distinctive flavor, somewhere between that of salmon and trout, but closer to trout. The meat is moderately firm but has a finer flake than either salmon or trout. A high fat content keeps it moist. Flesh coloring ranges from deep red to pale pink. The taste is the same, regardless of the meat's color. Arctic char, like other anadromous fish, can have parasites, which are killed by proper freezing or cooking.

Catfish
Because it's a grain-fed, farmed fish, catfish has a consistently sweet, mild taste. It absorbs other flavors readily. The moist, dense meat is firm and has less flake than the typical whitefish. Fresh catfish meat is white to off-white, sometimes pinkish, with noticeable translucency and iridescence. Cooked meat is opaque and white. Don't buy it if it is reddish or slightly yellow. Also, don't expect it to have the oceany odor of marine fish; uncooked catfish smells almost like raw chicken.

Fresh and Frozen Seafood & Fish in Philadelphia PA | E. Frank Hopkins

Fluke
Fresh Fluke fillets have a firm texture, white meat and a small flake with a mild to sweet flavor. Fresh Fluke fillets can be used interchangeably with any recipe calling for a fresh Flounder fillet.

Lake Victoria Perch
With big fillets and a meaty texture, Lake Victoria perch reminds many people of sea bass and grouper. The fish is mild flavored, and the moist, medium-firm cooked meat has a good flake. Lake Victoria perch is rich in healthful omega-3 oils. The raw meat has a pinkish, flesh-toned tint, but it cooks up snow white. Look for Lake Victoria perch that's been deep-skinned, leaving no residual fat; otherwise, the meat color will be affected and the meat will spoil sooner. Red flesh indicates skinning wasn't deep enough; yellowing is an indication of rancidity.

Haddock
Haddock's delicate flake and slightly sweet taste give it a wonderful, melt-in-the-mouth appeal. The lean meat has a firm yet tender texture, and the flake is finer than cod. The raw meat is white and cooks up even whiter. The flesh should be firm and resilient. A thin layer of connective tissue covering the flesh helps differentiate it from cod.

Market Cod
Atlantic cod fillets have a silvery, subcutaneous layer that distinguishes them from Pacific cod. The lean meat has a mild, clean flavor and large, tender flakes. It's less firm than haddock and sweeter than Pacific cod. Raw Atlantic cod is translucent, ranging from white to pinkish. Cooked, it's an opaque white. Raw Pacific cod is opaque, creamy white. Cooked meat is white, tender-firm, lean and flaky, with a mild taste. The moisture content is a little higher than that of Atlantic cod, making it less firm.

Fresh and Frozen Seafood & Fish in Philadelphia PA | E. Frank Hopkins

Tilapia
The mild, sweet tasting, lean-meated tilapia has a slightly firm, flaky texture. Many compare the mild taste of tilapia to that of another farm-raised success story, catfish. Raw meat is white to pinkish-white and may have a thin layer of darker muscle tissue just below the skin side of fillets. The cooked meat is white and lean with tender flakes. Water quality and feed are critical to the raising of premium tilapia. Poor quality results in an off-flavor or a muddy, grassy taste similar to that of wild-run catfish.

Shad
The raw flesh of American shad appears grayish. Cooked, it varies in color from pinkish beige to deep brown, with the darker flesh the most richly flavored. The large roe sacs are bright orange. Shad meat is sweet, rich and tender, with high oil content. Fans refer to the flavor as "poor man's salmon".

Shark
Mako Shark is moist and slightly sweet, with a full-bodied, meaty taste. Both flavor and texture are similar to swordfish, but the flesh of the mako is moister, and the meat is not as sweet. Fresh, raw mako is very soft and ivory-pink or a muddy, reddish color that turns ivory white and firm when cooked. While the lean, dense meat looks very similar to swordfish, it lacks the whorls of the swordfish steak.

Wahoo
Raw Wahoo meat is lighter in color than that of its mackerel cousins and has less of the red muscle meat. The pale-pink flesh cooks up white. Wahoo is mild-tasting, with a firm, lean texture and large, circular flake. Grilled wahoo has been compared to chicken or veal in flavor.

Fresh and Frozen Seafood & Fish in Philadelphia PA | E. Frank Hopkins

Mahi
Mahi-mahi has a sweet, mildly pronounced flavor similar to swordfish. The lean meat is fairly firm in texture, though not steak-like, and it has large, moist flakes. Darker portions of meat can be trimmed away for milder flavor. The raw flesh is pinkish to grayish-white, though dark along the lateral line. Cooked, the meat becomes off-white.

Red Snapper
Red snapper is lean and moist, with a sweetly mild but distinctive flavor. The texture is lean but moist. The superb taste of this fish is evidenced by the number of other types of fish that, with just the slightest hint of red, masquerade in the marketplace as "red" snapper. The semi-firm meat is pinkish, with yellow tones, in a raw state, turning somewhat lighter when cooked. The trademark skin is a deep red along the back, fading to a pinkish-red underside.

Grouper
Groupers have a mild but distinct flavor, somewhere between bass and halibut. The taste of most groupers is similar, with slight differences in flavor and texture, depending on size, species and location of harvest. Red grouper is sweeter and milder than black grouper, and many consider reds the better of the two. Once the skin is removed from the fish, it's hard to tell red and black grouper apart, but black grouper does have firmer meat in the fresh state. The raw meat of both is white and lean with a notable lack of bones. Cooked, the white meat has a very firm texture and heavy flake and remains moist.

Orange Roughy
Orange roughy has a mild, delicate flavor and moist, large-flaked meat that holds together well after cooking. Raw orange roughy flesh is pearly white, and it cooks up to an opaque white. The skin side of the fillets often sports a faint, orange-brown band of color. With roughy, the darker the meat, the lower the quality.

Alligator, Frog Legs, Octopus, Squid, Escargot, Colombian Pro (Canned Crab Meat)

This list is may not include all seasonally available seafood species. Please call for seasonal harvests and current commercial stocks.

E. Frank Hopkins Seafood
3120 South 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148
215-468-9190
Hours: Mon-Fri: 4:00am-3:00pm  •  Saturday: 5:00am-12:00pm  •  Sunday: Closed
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