Top of the line foods available to home chefs
B.C. prawns hit the spot at this time of year
If you want to minimize shopping trips during these pandemic times, local quality food suppliers have expanded from stocking up top restaurants and retailers to offering their best to home chefs, as well.
A few options include: doorto-door delivery of flash frozen seafood from Organic Ocean; veggie packs from Windset Direct; online ordering and contactless pickup of premium frozen meats from Two Rivers and Pasture to Plate; and prepped meal kits from Boulevard and Toptable2U.
And, the quality is impressive.
Immediately noticeable upon opening of the Toptable2U farm vegetable grocery kit ($22) is how fresh the ingredients are: bright and crisp baby greens, local asparagus, fat radishes and potatoes with the soil still on them.
After receiving a promotional package of seafood from Organic Ocean, I phoned CEO Dane Chauvel and told him it was like opening my front door to a blind date — and finding George Clooney standing there.
The carefully packaged Couples Pack ($85) arrived in a refrigerated truck and was filled with sustainable wild seafood: sockeye salmon, halibut, ling cod, albacore tuna loin and B.C. Humpback shrimp tails.
The company, which lost 90 per cent of its business when the lockdown began, is offering self-isolators in Vancouver and Toronto its pristine, sustainable seafood at wholesale prices.
“We really stumbled into this, says Chauvel.
“We had developed a great business built on supplying the finest seafood to many of the world’s greatest chefs. Now we have an entirely new following who are enjoying preparing and consuming our fish as much as we enjoy catching and supplying it.”
It’s spot prawn season, and the Organic Ocean 1 will be at the False Creek Fishermen’s Terminal every afternoon for the next four weeks or so selling live spot prawns ($20 per pound) to the public.
Social distancing rules apply, of course.
SPOT PRAWN TOAST WITH VANILLA-LIME BUTTER
Freshly toasted brioche is the perfect vehicles for delicate spot prawns doused in butter that you have infused with vanilla and lime. This quick dish makes an excellent first course or brunch starter. Save the prawn heads and shells in the freezer to make shrimp stock. (Adapted from Lure: Healthy, Sustainable Seafood Recipes From the West Coast by Ned Bell, with Valerie Howes.) Serves: 4 2 tbsp. (30 mL) of canola oil 1 1/2 lbs. (680 g) fresh or thawed spot prawns 1 lime, halved 2 tbsp. (30 mL) unsalted butter 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped 8 slices brioche, challah or sourdough bread ¼ (60 mL) cup chopped fresh chives, for garnish
Remove prawn heads; peel and devein.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add prawns, and cook, tossing, for 10 seconds. Add butter and squeeze the lime over all. Add vanilla seeds.
Toss prawns with the buttery juices for another 20 seconds or until just cooked through. Scrape mixture into a serving bowl, making sure to get all the juices.
Lightly toast the bread in a toaster or under a broiler, and divide among plates.
Top each with the prawns and spoon the pan juices on top. Garnish with a sprinkle of chives.
PAN-FRIED PACIFIC SALMON WITH POACHED TOMATOES IN OLIVE OIL
This recipe is adapted from CinCin: Wood Fired Cucina by Andrew Richardson. Serves: 4 For tomatoes 1/2 cup (125 ml) olive oil 3 medium shallots, minced 1 garlic cloves, minced 1 lb. (450 g) cherry or grape tomatoes, preferably a mix of red and Sungold 1 tbsp. (15 mL) each chopped fresh chives, basil, tarragon and flat-leaf parsley For fish 4 (5 oz./140 g) salmon fillets, skin on Sea salt 1 tbsp. (15 mL) canola oil 1 tbsp. (15 mL) unsalted butter, preferably browned (see Kitchen Hack)
For tomatoes, heat oil in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook slowly until very soft and almost translucent, being careful not to brown.
Add tomatoes and cook gently.
When the skins start to split and the tomatoes start to wilt and release their juice,
remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. (Tomatoes may be refrigerated at this point for up to 2 weeks; make sure they’re fully covered by oil.)
Remove salmon from refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking.
Season on both sides with salt.
Heat oil in a large, nonstick frying pan over medium heat.
When the pan is almost smoking, slide the fish into the pan, skin side down. Cook for 5 minutes or until the skin becomes golden brown and crisp.
Flip fish over and cook on its flesh side for 2 minutes.
Add the butter to the pan and swirl around.
Remove the pan from the heat and let stand uncovered in a warm place for 5 minutes, allowing the fish to cook in residual heat.
Meanwhile, gently reheat tomato mixture to just above room temperature. Stir in herbs and salt to taste.
Plate fish and serve with warm tomato mixture.