Where to buy fish during Lent

Bo Olafsson talks about his Fish Dock fish store on Closter Dock Road in Closter, New Jersey, Feb. 5, 2016. (Video by Mark Vergari/The Journal News)

For many Christians, Lent means seven weeks of Fridays without meat. And for many, that means fish is on the menu.

These Lower Hudson Valley seafood shops offer a wide variety of fresh fish, prepared foods for busy nights and helpful fishmongers, too. These are some of our favorites.

Apple Farm, White Plains

At Apple Farm, shoppers walk through the bustle, around the piles of fruit and vegetables, past the Italian deli case and on to the rows of whole fish on ice. Just take a plastic pan and help yourself; the multilingual fishmongers will weigh the fish for you. Go: 37 Tarrytown Road, White Plains. 914-288-9521; 914-686-1766.

C & M Seafood, Pomona

A ton — literally— of fresh fish and seafood moves in and out of C&M Seafood every week, an impressive figure for a 400-square-foot retail space. The owners also operate Gilligan's, a full-service, 150-seat seafood restaurant that shares the same piece of Pomona real estate. Go: 366 Route 202, Pomona. 845-354-1161.

Siegel Brothers, Mount Kisco

The world's your oyster at this expansive market that also sells meat, wines and produce. Fish fans will find sustainable farmed salmon, sushi-grade tuna, Chilean sea bass,cod, scallops, mussels, oysters, lobster and more. Go: 39 S Moger Ave., 914-864-0690, www.siegelbrosmarketplace.com

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Conte's Fish Market, Mount Kisco

Don't be fooled by the sit-down restaurant up front: There's a fish case in the back. Don't know your skate from a scallop? Owner Rob Conte can tell you what you need to know. He sells more cod, sole and shrimp during Lent, and his oven-ready dinners are even more popular. Go: 448 Main St., Mount Kisco. 914-666-6929, www.contesfish.com

Daido, White Plains

The crown jewel of this Japanese grocery is the fish display: Sushi-grade tuna and salmon, octopus and squid, shrimp and plenty more, all packaged neatly in plastic and Styrofoam. Plus, the take-out sushi near the front of the store is a favorite lunch for locals. Go: 522 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains. 914-683-6735, www.daidomarket.com; facebook.com/daidomarket.

Eastchester Fish Gourmet

This is a retail shop and restaurant, both on the same street.The shop sells more than than 5,000 pounds of fish a week. During Lent, people scoop up a lot of scrod and flounder fillets but the shop offers between 25 and 30 other varieties. And if you don't want to cook, there's daily-prepared dishes to go. Go: 837 White Plains Road, Eastchester. 914-725-3450, www.eastchesterfish.com.

Fairway Market, locations in Nanuet and Pelham

The seafood counter boasts reasonable prices and has a supply of more than 50 different species of fish available. Go: 75 W. Route 59, Nanuet, 845-501-4300; 847 Pelham Pkwy, Pelham. 914-712-0011; www.fairwaymarket.com

The Fish Dock, Closter, N.J.

Just over the Rockland border in Bergen County, the Baldursson-Olaffson family imports up to a dozen kinds of fish directly from the cold waters near Iceland, and stocks lesser known varieties, like Golden Redfish, Wolffish and European Plaice. More common varieties, like salmon and char, are farmed sustainble in the fjords of the Artic Circle, with no chemicals or antibiotics. The small shop carries about a dozen different varieties of fish and local shellfish, like shrimp, scallops, clams and mussels. The shop is also known for marinades — imported from Germany, non-GMO and gluten-free — and for its sage cooking advice. Go: 219A Closter Dock Rd, Closter, N.J. 201-564-7939, thefishdock.com.

Purdy's Farmer & the Fish, North Salem

This northern Westchester farm-to-table mainstay has its own Farm Shop, located next to the restaurant, which stocks fresh seafood from one of the owner's wholesale companies, Down East Seafood. In addition to prepared ready-to-go dinners, whole and filleted fish is available, along with a full raw bar selection. Go: 100 Titicus Road, North Salem, 914-617-8380, www.farmerandthefish.com.

Highridge Fishery, Yonkers

Highridge sells fresh, reasonably priced seafood as well as a full menu of prepared foods. Crab meat rolls, poached salmon with homemade dill sauce and baked salmon teriyaki are popular, but we like the selection of fish salads. Choose from lobster, halibut, shrimp, crab meat and more for a satisfying salad topper or filling for a sandwich. Go: 1791 Central Park Ave., Yonkers, 914-337-3775, www.highridgefishery.com.

H Mart, Hartsdale

An Asian grocery store chain that specializes in fresh, sushi and sashimi-grade seafood, along with a variety of hard-to-find Asian noodles, rice, produce, bakery items, kimchi and takeout hot food. Go: 371 N. Central Ave., Hartsdale, 914-448-8888, www.hmart.com.

La Mer, Armonk

During Lent, the prepared seafood dishes such as lobster cakes and chowders sell well, but buyers are also picking up fried calamari and shrimp, too. All are made from scratch, with attention to salt, fat, and calories. Go: 407 Main St., Armonk. 914-273-1766, lamerseafood.net.

Mount Kisco Seafood, Mount Kisco

On Fridays during Lent or leading up to any major holiday, the full-service market has lines out the door. For Lent, take home more than a dozen soups or some tuna, cod or lobster cakes for a quick saute. Call ahead for orders and you'll be in and out quickly. Go: 477 Lexington Ave., Mount Kisco. 914-241-3113, www.mtkiscoseafood.com.

Old World Food Market, Nyack

The seafood selection is notable, especially the wild-caught salmon. The salad bar and prepared foods menus rotates, but kid-friendly baked tilapia and basa filets are usually in the mix. Go: 40 Route 59, Nyack, 845-512-8882, www.oldworldfoodmarket.com

Port Chester Seafood, Port Chester

Not only is the quality of the fresh fish and seafood excellent, but there's an excellent hot lunch available with seafood chowders and various fish sandwiches, all decently priced. Go: 295 Midland Ave., Port Chester, 914-937-2232, www.portchesterseafood.com.

Rick's Seafood, Mahopac

Rick's Seafood has 13 tables alongside its fish case, which carries at least 14 different types of fin fish and steak fish each day. But you also can find artfully arranged displays of oysters, shrimp, fresh scallops, mussels, oysters and even a few sushi-grade fishes like white tuna and yellow fin. Go: 545 Route 6, Mahopac. 845-621-2489, www.ricksseafoodmarket.com

Rockland Seafood, Bardonia

This shop sell the same fish and seafood for home cooks and to restaurants, and they also offer cooked-to-order entrees, soups, sandwiches, wraps and fried dinners or microwave-ready meals. Go: 110 Route 304, Bardonia. 845-624-3660.

Stew Leonard's, Yonkers

There are 25 to 30 types of fish to choose among at the 60-foot counter. But, as everywhere, prepared items are popular, look for stuffed sole, crab cakes and lobster rolls. Go: 1 Stew Leonard Drive, Yonkers. 914-375-4700, www.stewleonards.com

Turco's, Yorktown Heights

The store offers 40 different types of fish, a 45-foot display case (plus another 12 feet behind for shellfish), a 12-foot freezer and 1,000 pounds of water for the fresh lobsters. And that's not counting the 50 to 60 prepared items (stuffed shrimp, linguine with clam sauce, clam chowder), which are made from scratch down to the sauce: dill sauce, cocktail sauce, tartar sauce. The list goes on. Go: 380 Downing Drive, Yorktown Heights. 914-243-9100, www.turcos.com.

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