Better Fish to Fry

We all know that seafood is a protein option packed with nutrients — but preparing it at home can be intimidating. The folks at the North Carolina Sea Grant, an official NC State partner, work to promote healthy eating using local seafood caught off the coast of North Carolina. When they had the idea of a Cooking with North Carolina Seafood Video Series, they turned to DELTA for assistance.

The partnership between NC State and the representatives from the extension clubs in Carteret County was formed in 1973. Meeting monthly since then, they use the NC State Seafood Laboratory kitchen to test new methods of handling, storing and preparing fresh seafood. 

So, when teamed up with Durham restaurateur Chef Ricky Moore, DELTA’s Instructional Media Production (IMP) team was invited to help promote this partnership by creating videos that bring Moore’s seafood recipes to life. He demonstrates the step-by-step process of preparing the dish while sharing his own delicious recipes with viewers. The video series does an excellent job of increasing awareness with more than 23,000 views as of June 15, 2023.

DELTA IMP Team and History

Mobile Media Producer Jeff Robinson worked with Katie Mosher over 26 years ago at the local Fox affiliate, prior to her role as communication director for the North Carolina Sea Grant program.

“Over the past 25 years that I’ve been at NC State, Katie and I have collaborated on several coastal-related stories, such as Oyster Shell Recycling and Protected Species and NC Commercial Fisheries, to name a few,” Robinson said.

Robinson acknowledges that he could not do this work alone, so he added Lead Instructional Video Designers Todd Buker and Michael Castro to his team for this job. This is an ongoing project that was produced in August of 2022 and went live at the end of March in 2023.

One of the benefits of being a part of this team is that they get to eat the food prepared during each video shoot after photographing it. This is the same amazing food you would experience at Moore’s restaurant, the Saltbox Seafood Joint.

One of the project goals is to promote the consumption of local seafood. It can be difficult to introduce seafood to those who are not accustomed to eating it. However, as a testament to the quality of these recipes, one of the video team members experienced a culinary delight from the sea after a session.

“I traditionally don’t eat seafood,” Castro said. “But, after filming, smelling and photographing one day, I decided to try it. It was delicious and I brought the recipes home to my family.”

If you need help to produce a video, contact DELTA’s Instructional Media Production team to connect with this impressive group!