Thursday, March 3, 2016

The Fish With Our Chips

BlackSalt restaurant recently switched out the tilapia in our fish n'chips for a fish that swims wild and closer to our home, the Atlantic Pollack.  Our chefs wanted to utilize an underappreciated wild fish that was closer in flavor to the traditionally used cod.  Domestic cod stocks are a far cry from what they once were, so we decided to go with cod's unheralded cousin, the Atlantic Pollack, and it's turned out to be a delicious decision.

Atlantic Pollack were once overexploited, the stocks crashing in 1994, but today they are thriving due to proper management and the fact that, since being rebuilt, their stocks have mostly been ignored.  Curiously the Pollack fishery isn't getting the attention that the flounder, cod, and haddock fisheries are receiving, and it's apparent that today domestic Atlantic Pollack is considered a sustainable, yet underutilized, species.

Pollack are mild but sweet in flavor, and are great sources of protein, vitamin B12, and selenium, all while being low in saturated fat.  Dining on Atlantic Pollack relieves fishing pressure on other taxed species and helps keep our North East fishermen in business.  The next time you visit us at BlackSalt for a quick bite I recommend you try our fish n'chips or fish tacos to get a taste of how delicious the unsung Pollack can be.  It's the perfect way to enjoy a great tasting fish, while being able to walk away knowing what you ate and feeling great about it.  

1 comment:

  1. Hooray! Great to hear that you are replacing tilapia, a notoriously toxin-ridden and nutritionally barren farmed item, with the wild and local pollack. We need all the restaurants to join in, too!

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