Copper Shoals keeps Red Drum Afloat

In the 70's and 80's the popularity of Paul Prudhomme's blackened redfish dish almost wiped out the native red drum from the coastal waters of Texas and Louisiana.  It was so popular that redfish, formally known as red drum, was listed as a protected species and during this time commercial sell was outlawed.  These restrictions have since eased due to the resurgence of red drum stocks, but it was aquaculture that really emerged as a winning solution to the tasty fish's high demand.  During the same time of the wild redfish restrictions, biologist David Maus built the first commercial redfish farm in Palacios, TX.  Today Palacios is the home of Copper Shoals, a leader in domestic, sustainable red drum aquaculture.

Copper Shoals grows fish from fingerlings to market size without the use of hormones or antibiotics.  The feed comprises of natural grains, vitamins, minerals, and fish protein from well-managed sources.  There is also the added plus that Copper Shoals produces fish free of mercury and other pollutants.  The farms are land based, which reduces the problem of escapees.  Water for the fish is provided by Matagorda Bay and saline aquifiers and is monitored around the clock to ensure that quality is never compromised.  The fish are fresh killed, chilled and sent out to order.  This means that our red drum are delivered to us just hours out of the water.

It's always good to support local fishermen and farmers, especially ones that produce a quality product with an environmental consciousness.  The farmed red drum in Texas come with a sweet, mild flavor and a dense, flaky texture.  They are deliciously healthy and incredibly savory, especially when prepared by Pearl Dive Restaurant, where they are a staple on the menu.  

Sweet Shrimp Won't Be Home For Christmas

Every year from the cold waters of New England we expect to see those tiny, tasty, and affordable sweet red shrimp decorating markets and menus up and down the East Coast.  Boat loads of the glowing shrimp enter the market flashing their freshness like Christmas tree bulbs and they are so fresh you can eat them raw.  Unfortunately this year we most likely will not have any sweet shrimp to speak of, due to environmental conditions, namely higher ocean temperatures.  The bio-mas is just too low and scientists are worried that a normal season could spell major problems for the shrimp.  In the article posted Here it is explained that the season will not begin until after the holiday, much later than the usual December start.  The quota will be shortened also.  All of these measures are to ensure that the fishery remains sustainable and the shrimp population is given time to recover.  It is very sad in a way, we won't be having those tasty shrimp on our plates anytime soon.  In another way it is a clear sign that we are beginning to understand the importance of protecting our natural resources by implementing harsh restrictions.  Not fifty years ago I believe that these warning signs would have gone ignored.  It gives me hope for all U.S. fisheries when we can collectively decide to sacrifice a season for a species.

Mislabeling Continues

I wanted to share an article about mislabeling seafood in the U.S. and to remind everyone that it continues to be an issue.  In the article posted here, MA restaurants continue to have problems with menu descriptions matching actual product.  Do not be fooled however, this is not a Massachusetts issue.  This is a seafood issue, one that affects every restaurant and market in the United States.  I am 100% sure that mislabeling is occurring in more states than one.  I am not trying to say we have an epidemic on our hands, but I am stating that we have a problem that has not disappeared from our dining tables.

Salesmanship and creative labeling are ingrained into the seafood industry.  Many wild fish are migratory and different areas have different names for the same fish.   A striped bass is a rockfish.  A sable is a black cod.  A wreckfish is a stone bass.  A fluke is a flounder and in some cases a flounder is a sole, be it grey or lemon.  As information becomes more transparent and diners are eager to ascertain more and more information about what they put into their bodies, I feel as though the industry has an obligation to deliver to its customers what they demand; the truth.  The fear of many businesses I believe is that some fish just won't sale under their real label because of a negative perception in the community or customer unfamiliarity.  The problem is, if you never give people a chance by telling them the truth and educating them about product, then the sale is going to be lost before it ever hits the table.

There are so many underutilized species out there that are healthy and sustainable.  There should be no reason to disguise them for more popular items.  And if you are disguising inferior product in order to increase your bottom line, well then I hope this article awakens you to the fact that your time in this industry is limited.  If you wish to avoid being duped as a customer, I recommend getting to know the people that sell you seafood.  Build relationships with them by asking questions about product.  Check out their operation, do they buy whole fish?  Do they offer information about their products?  Is their operation clean?  Money is a representation of resource and resources are limited.  Value getting what you pay for, and that makes the truth an invaluable asset.    

Who's Got Sole

Poinsettias decorate grocery stores everywhere.  Street lamps are joined by wreaths and star shaped ornaments lighting your way home.  There are lines and tents outside shopping malls that seem to stretch on for maddeningly long blocks, filled with anxiety and helplessly blank stares.  Shopping has become a contact sport, and only the prepared survive.  Yep, it's the holiday season, and we are all subject to the season's greetings.  In a quieter corner of the tinsel wrapped world is the fish market, though, we too have our holiday specialities that seem to come around only a few times a year, like homemade cookies and peanut brittle.

Fresh Whole Dover Sole

One of the highlights of the holiday season is the reemergence of the Dover Sole from scarcity during its summer hiatus.  True Dover Sole, and there are many impostors, is shipped from Holland to the U.S. weekly year round.  However, prices usually come down to this stratosphere only during the winter months when catch is good.  Do not expect to get the real thing for any deal though, most dover sole is sold by the pound whole for much more than many of the other species fillets go for.  So why are the prices so high, what's the big deal?  Let's take a snapshot look at the real thing and learn how we can avoid being duped by a west coast alias.

True dover sole, species name solea solea, is in big demand for it's exquisite flavor and delicate texture.  The demand is one reason for its high price, the fact that it is imported from one place is another.  Fresh dover sole is landed by trawlers in the North Sea and is found in waters as deep as 1000 meters.  They are usually harvested around 5 to 8 years of age, but can grow to live up to 45 years.  The flesh has an exceptional density, with tightly packed flakes that are amazingly juicy.  The aroma when cooked can remind you of savory bacon and the flavor has a hazelnut sweetness.  There is a buttery richness and mouthfeel to the fillet, with an ocean depth that dissipates slowly in the taste.  The texture of the dover is unmatched by any of the other inferior flat fish.

So how do we tell that we are getting the real thing, when there are so many selling their soles?  You could just come to BlackSalt where we get the whole fish shipped to us once a week.  Besides that, there are clues that can help you determine which sole you are looking at.  The price is the first indicator that something may be off.  Even frozen dover sole is still pricey.  The way to spot the difference in frozen or fresh sole is to look at the color.  Is it faded?  Is it dry?  If so, then it is most likely previously frozen.  Fresh Dover sole have a beige to brown top side and their eyes face to the right.  The under belly should be glistening, bright white, with no marks or contusions.  The fillets of sole should be noticeably plump for their size and the flake pattern should be woven very tightly.  To translate, the fillets should be firm and hold together well with no breakage, with tiny almost indiscernible flakes that appear as tight as chain metal.  Most dover sole will be sold as whole fish.  There is a fish that is labeled dover sole that is sold in fish markets coming from the west coast.  These are not true dover soles, they are a completely different species and are quite inferior.  I believe they are marketed as dovers to help increase their sales.  Other 'soles' on the market, such as lemon and grey, are actually flounders and are also completely different species.

Notice the fat, white bellies on the underside and rounded head.

Dover sole is an indulgence, an experience.  They epitomize the holiday spirit.  A time for giving, a time for receiving and a time for indulging in the things that make us happy, dover sole is the nicely wrapped, super fun toy for our taste buds.  It's the G.I. Joe and Barbie for all of us grown-ups.  I recommend sauteing yours in butter and preparing it as a whole fish.  Beware of the steals you might see in the market, I would hate for you to end up with the knock-off.  We've all been there, when excitement turns to disappointment because expectations are met with bitter reality.  The holidays are when we leave a little fat on the pork chop to get that good flavor, so make sure if you are indulging in the dover, that it's the true sole.

Reading Without the Blinders On

Recently the Washington Post released an article raising concerns about the health benefits versus the risks that come with eating seafood.  While I liked the article, there were some ideas in there that I thought might be misleading for many readers.  That being said, I want to use this post as sort of a looking glass to review the article and point out some important facts that might have been lost on some readers.

The title of the article, "Eating Fish is wise, but it's good to know where your seafood comes from", is a mission statement of mine and I can not agree more.  I consider the integrity of purveyors and their ability to trace the origin of every product for each seafood purchase I make for the Black Restaurant Group.  Knowing about each product allows us to educate our customers and assist them on making the right seafood choices for their families.  This is a very important part of buying seafood and will become more so as the veil is lifted from the once secretive commercial seafood business.

The health risks that are associated with aquaculture do have merit.  Some farms, especially from the countries that are highlighted in the article, do have issues and questionable practices of high-density stocking, antibiotics, growth hormones, and toxins.  Most of the United States farmed product is imported, and I believe this to be the reason for concern, since these products in question decorate grocery stores and restaurants throughout the country.  Does this mean I should, as a consumer, not buy imported farmed product?  No.  Does this mean that all farmed product comes with a series of health risks?  No.  I want to emphasize that there are imported farm raised products that do not fall under the category of at-risk seafood.  Such farmed products include Skuna Bay Salmon from B.C., Blue Tilapia from South America, Bronzini from Spain, Char from Iceland, and Head-on prawns from Madagascar. These are just a few items.  They do not make up the majority of imported products, but I wanted to make sure that readers understood that they were out there, available as choices that were not under the suspicious umbrella of at-risk farmed seafood.  It is very important to know where your seafood comes from and trust the people that sell it.

I also want to point out that the article did not do justice in highlighting the growth of our domestic aquaculture industry.  There are many sustainably minded farms cropping up all over, and many of them are very close to the district.  Pompano, Cobia, and Black Bass are being raised in Virginia.  Barramundi are being raised in Massachusetts.  Bronzini and Dorade are being raised in New York.  Shrimp are being raised in Maryland.  Oysters are being farmed with great success throughout the Bay area.  For all the doom and gloom, there are some really terrific and healthy seafood options being grown all around us.  The plus is that all of these farms I mentioned are producing seafood not only with a bottom line in mind; the environment's well-being is just as important during the process as is producing quality product.

Farming seafood is not an at-risk operation, it can't afford to be.  With a growing human population and growing appetite, wild stocks will not be able to keep up.  Aquaculture is a solution to this problem, when done in a responsible manner.  Any doctor will tell you that the nutrition benefits you receive when eating responsibly farmed fish far outweigh benefits from eating any of the other farmed proteins like beef, pork, or chicken.  There are some countries and some farms not doing the right thing and producing product that is inferior, but that is not necessarily the rule.  There is much to be hopeful for because with the facts in hand, consumers have many healthy choices available to them in today's seafood market.  Eating fish and seafood is definitely wise.  Knowing where it comes from and trusting the people who sell it is even wiser.  Farmed does not equal inferior, just as wild does not necessarily equal superior.  Identifying your seafood, as well as understanding your options, is the best recipe for healthy and educated dining.

What's Your Favorite?

Working in the industry for over 10 years with thousands of different seafood items and hundreds of thousands of different customers, I have been approached with a simple question numerous times over that has not always been easy to answer; What's your favorite seafood?  I love seafood.  It is a passion of mine.  From protecting it to enjoying it on a plate, I have to say in general that my last meal would definitely be seafood focused.  When I get this question though, my first reaction is always; 'well it depends on what's fresh, what's in season.'  I say this because I really do enjoy it all.  If pressed though, and it happens in most cases, my answer would have to be fresh, never frozen, red king crab legs.

Most people never get to enjoy red king crab legs fresh out of Alaska.  The majority of crab gets frozen right away and packed, then shipped all over the world.  The season is very short, being based on quotas, and usually ends abruptly after only a few weeks.  The work is treacherous.  This can easily be discerned by the title of the show The Deadliest Catch, which depicts brave fishermen braving devastating waves and frigid temperatures in order to eek out a living providing alot of crab in a short period of time.

My first taste came in 2008 when the wholesaler I was working for brought in a 50lb case of the fresh never frozen crabs for a high-end customer.  In reality only the higher-end restaurants can afford these rare legs, at the time we were reselling to restaurants for over $30/lb.  It was close to Thanksgiving at the time and I took it upon myself to snag a couple of legs, you know for all the hard holiday work I was doing.  I knew they were rare and I knew that I might not ever get another chance to enjoy them.  What I experienced was seafood heaven.  I am sure most of us have enjoyed a previously frozen crab leg, and for the most part, they are great.  It just does not compare when and if you get to taste one of the few never frozen king crab legs.  The flavor was succulent, ocean sweet.  The richness of butter and salt turned over in my mouth, the meaty texture giving way to an umami unequaled and unrivaled, even when compared to the endangered blue fin tuna toro.  I ended up purchasing 3lbs of the legs, that was all I could afford or I would have gladly taken more.  I have not been able to get my hands on fresh king crab legs since, until now.

With the season coming to a close, I am happy to say that BlackSalt Market has a limited quantity of Fresh Red King Crab Legs flying in tonight straight from Dutch Harbor, Alaska.  It's been four years since I have been able to experience the mouth changing deliciousness of fresh king crab.  There have been many contenders in that time, but when being honest with myself, nothing has been able to replace that flavor that I have been dreaming of ever since.  It's a rare treat.  I know and understand that the price tag is very high.  I also realize that these men who fish for the crab risk their lives to sustainably harvest them and that getting them here fresh is more complicated than one might expect.  I do not expect them to be for everyone, the price is just too high.  But I do know that everyone who tastes them will have a lingering nostalgia that just won't go away, a delightful itch that might never be scratched again.  And possibly a regret that they didn't get more of it.

Nantucket Bay Scallops

Here's a reminder for all you seafood heads out there clamoring for great product with short windows of availability, Nantucket Bay Scallop season has begun!!!  Nantucket Bay scallops are thought to be the tastiest, sweetest scallops there are and now they are available at BlackSalt Market.  The season begins November 1st and lasts until March 31st or until the temperature drops below freezing.  Usually the latter halts production sometime in December or even earlier.  

To say that quantities are limited and demand is high is an understatement.  Nantucket's are usually one of the most expensive items to be found in the market, especially if they are fresh.  Don't be too discouraged though, they are rich in flavor and usually you do not need a ton to get your fill; a little under a pound usually does the trick for entrees and a quarter of a pound for apps.  Beware though, when you get a taste of these candies you could very easily become addicted.  In my years of running a market and selling seafood I have seen fist fights break out over Nantucket Bays more than once, usually ending with the victor savoring their spoils and flaunting their trophy with a newly forming shiner.  You have to taste them to understand.

Our Nantucket Bay scallops at BlackSalt are coming directly from Mr. Steve Bender, a seasoned fisherman on Nantucket who has been producing scallops and oysters longer than some seafood companies have been in existence.  He harvests, shucks, and ships, ensuring that BlackSalt has the freshest scallops in D.C.  When you are paying a premium for a hot product, isn't it better to get the best? We think so.  Most people like to saute the scallops lightly in butter and salt for no more than 30 seconds, though I highly recommend eating them raw.  Enjoying them 'in the nude' allows you to savor their natural sweetness, a delicate flavor than only nature can produce.  We will have the 'nannys' available every week, as long as temperatures hold out.  My recommendation is enjoying them while they last, you never know which delivery will be the last of the season.