Sablefish - A Sustainable Masterpiece of Canadian Fisheries

Sustainability. I would not be the first person to tackle this topic in recent times. And so I will not, exactly. Instead, I am going to focus on a fish that guiltlessly replaces the Chilean Seabass as a commercially viable, environmentally conscious and highly sustainable fish, that tastes as if it should be criminal to consume. It is called Sablefish and I almost feel guilty eating it.


As a chef and a seafood professional, my biggest issue with seafood choices such as Tilapia and Pangasius are that they don't seem to justify a high ticket price or a place on a white table cloth menu. Both are fine to eat and assuming that you trust the provenance of the catch you are eating, are quality seafood options. However, they are simply put, boring.

When I bite into a piece of fish at a fine restaurant, I want to be as impressed as if I am biting into a piece of Prime Hanger Steak or a Kuraboto pork chop. And I seldom find this to be the case, unless I choose to eat "avoid" species such as Grouper and Chilean Seabass which I have sworn off.

Enter the Sablefish, or Anoplopoma fimbria. Long sought after in Japan, Black Cod or Sablefish(Canada) is a member of the Cod family and is harvested, generally by traps in the Pacific Ocean ranging from British Columbia to Alaska to Japan. This fishing method reduces by catch to almost 0% and causes very little environmental damage.

According to Mark Baggio, of the Canadian Sablefish Association, the Canadian fleet generally produces J-Cut, or head off and collar off, Frozen at Sea (FAS) fish of between 4-7 pounds. The techniques they employ in this relatively small fishery (about 2500 metric tons per year) ensure a viable healthy commercial fishery for the foreseeable future. Marine Stewardship Counsel gives both Alaskan and Canadian Sablefish a “best choice” rating.

As a very delicate protein, Sablefish is most consistent when rapidly and deeply frozen at sea within minutes of being caught. The entire Canadian Fleet utilizes this method of quality preparation. After a good thaw in the refrigerator, the fillets will more readily come off the bone. A simple salt brine will firm up the meat for easier preparation.

Although the pearl like color and thick meaty flakes are a seafood lovers dream, one of the finest qualities of the Sablefish is its incredibly high oil content and silky delicious flavor. Due to the depth and slow rate at which it grows, the Sablefish develops very high Omega 3 oil levels similar to Wild Salmon. I was able to easily sauté this fish with no oil on a hot pan. It produced enough oil that I had to wipe my pan between each portion. And the flavor and texture is absolutely flawless with none of the potentially “fishy” qualities that can scare consumers.

Best if baked or smoked, Sablefish will quickly convert even the pickiest chef. And most importantly, despite my suspicious instincts, it is a choice I can feel good about.

Please visit the Canadian Sablefish Association homepage for more detailed info about this excellent fish:
http://www.canadiansablefish.com/
 
Please refer to the following links to learn more about sustainable seafood choices:
http://www.msc.org/track-a-fishery/certified/certified-fisheries-on-the-map
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx
 
Bon Appetite!

Self Editing and a Sociopolitical Statement re: Food of course!!

Hello Foodies,

It is always helpful to have an editor look at things you publish before you do.  In this case I was looking back at a previous article (  http://myhungrytum.blogspot.com/2009/12/this-is-not-paid-commercialalthough-it.html) and realized that I had written something that could be misconstrued.  In the beginning of this article I start down the path of demographics in relation to a grocery store.  I pigeonhole Compare Foods into the category of Latino Groceries. These were my words: "In the case of Compare Foods, it has been labelled a "Latino" grocery store. In fact, it tends to be located in areas of the city that are home to a brown and black demographic. The company has not gone to great lengths to beautify their properties or market their brand."  I am especially bothered by my choice of words in this paragraph and keep going back to it in my head.  Unfortunately after the fact.  

In my city, the Latino neighborhoods tend to fall into a specific income bracket. Other retailers have chosen their target demographics and are nowhere to be found in low to moderate income neighborhoods.  I am by no means wealthy, but I live in a medium income mixed race neighborhood and am surrounded by "higher end" retailers.  My food options are many and I am fortunate to have a choice of where I want to shop.  This is not the case for everyone.  If you don't have a car, or the money to shop at more expensive "high end" groceries, then you have to settle for what is at hand.  I see this as a problem.  Especially with something as basic as nutrition.

And so, I would like to apologize if my choice of words was deemed offensive to anyone.  I also want to say that Compare foods, like all retailers, has a business model by which it operates.  It does cater to a Latino community.  Because many of the "home cooked foods" ingredients of Latin American countries simply cannot be bought at most retailers.  I am glad that Compare foods offers such incredible selection and quality to its customers, including me.  I have been in other groceries in low to moderate income neighborhoods and I was simply appalled at the lack of high quality ingredients especially produce found there.  These so called cheap food choices really boil down to the choice being made for people who have no other option.  
 
In a country as wealthy as ours, I shouldn't have to read reports on the affordability of a healthy diet for low income households (http://www.ers.usda.gov/amberwaves/november08/Features/AffordHealthyDiet.htm).
 
Since this is turning into a rant, I will conclude by reiterating my apology for my choice of words.  I would much rather spend time and energy figuring out ways to help retailers like Compare Foods, continue to offer a wide variety of healthy whole ingredients to anyone who shops there.
 
Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly. ----M. F. K. Fisher

(Peace of Cake Photo found at www.cooking-gadgets.com/peace-of-cake/)

Apple Juice and Shiraz Braised Pork Belly and Sauce

APPLE JUICE AND SHIRAZ BRAISED PORK BELLY
Photos and Recipe By: Eric Ackerson

Ingredients:

1.25 Pork Belly

4 Tbsp EVO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
½ Cup Onions Rough Chopped
¼ Cup Shallots Rough Chopped
4 Cups Beef or Veal Stock
1 Cup Shiraz
2 Cups Apple Juice or Cider
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
3 Bay leaves

4 Garlic Cloves Unpeeled

1 cup Carrots cut round about ½ inch long

1 Cup Celery Sliced across grain about ½ inch thick

Salt and Pepper Blend (Coarse Ground 3-5 Pepper blended with Coarse Ground Sea Salt)

1 Tbsp Corn Starch (Absorb in cold water before use!)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat Oven to 300 degrees Farenheit.

Step 1: Liberally coat Pork Belly with Salt and Pepper Blend patting into flesh.

Step 2: Heat Olive Oil to medium high in a frying pan without letting it smoke.

Step 3: Place Pork Belly in Hot Oil and brown for 3 minutes on each of its 4 sides. (Be careful on the skin side as it may pop and spit oil at you, use a cover if necessary)

Step 4: Remove Belly from Oil and place in Metal Oven Safe Dish (Dutch Oven is great)

Step 5: Place Carrots, Celery and Bay leaves in the pot with the Belly.

Step 6: Add Onions and shallots to the olive oil where you browned the Pork Belly; sauté till they begin to caramelize.

Step 7: Deglaze the pan with the Apple Cider Vinegar by whisking it in the pan until all the bits and brownness come off of the hot pan.

Step 8: Add the Stock, the Cider and the Wine to the pan and bring everything up to just below a boil.
Step 9: Pour Liquid over the Pork Belly and vegetables till liquid comes just to the top of the pork. Cover with snug lid and place in oven at 300 degrees farenheit for 3 hrs.

Step 10: When the Pork is finished in the oven, Remove the pot and place the pork in a foil lined baking dish then cover with more foil and place back in the oven on LOW!

Step 11: Strain the liquid through a chinois or cheesecloth. Place back in pan and set on cook top on medium. Allow to reduce to a demi (Half its original volume).

Step 12: Turn oven up to Broil and broil the pork belly till it is starting to crisp but not burning!

Finally: Whisk in 1 tbsp cornstarch in cold water to the sauce as it low boils till it begins to thicken. Plate the Pork Belly and drizzle some of the sauce over top and on the plate for effect and added flavor.

Click here for more great recipes using Shiraz Wine on Foodista.com!!!