A fresh take on seafood, fin to tail
There is a lot to love about Atlantic Canadian seafood.
Our cold coastal waters abound with seafood rich in flavour. While steamed mussels, lobster, battered cod and haddock and bacon-wrapped scallops continue to be fan favourites, why not freshen up your seafood routine? Try a new a way to prepare seafood or a piece of the fish you may not have considered eating before.
THREE NEW WAYS TO PREPARE SEAFOOD En Papilotte (in paper) -
Cooking in paper, such as parchment, or in foil, is a great way to keep fish moist. Season your fish well and add a few flavouring agents in paper or foil package and then let it roast away in the oven. The natural juices of the fish will steam it, resulting in a moist tender piece of fish.
Ceviche - The process of quickly curing, cooking seafood in an acid, typically citrus juice, is a popular way of preparing seafood in Central and South America. The process keeps the seafood, fresh and tangy.
Sous Vide - This cooking method, which involves sealing a protein in plastic and cooking in a water bath set to a low heat, is a great way to ensure you do not overcook precious seafood items like lobster, which can easily get rubbery when overcooked.
FIN TO TAIL DINING
Most of us are familiar with nose to tail dining, the concept of using all the animal when cooking, but we can also apply the same concept to seafood. While there are some ultra inventive chefs making gelatin out of discard fish parts or seasoning salt with dried fish scales, for the rest of us, there are some easier ways to minimize our seafood waste.
Tongue and cheeks -
While few people would eat fish heads, there is some good meat there. Cod tongues and cheeks are delicacy in Newfoundland, for good reason, as the cheeks, in particular, have a delicious creamy tewxture.
Bones and shells - Fish bones and shellfish shells (shrimp, crab and lobster) shouldn’t be thrown away as they can be used to make delicious seafood bouillon or stock for soup and chowder preparations.
Trimmings - The little scraps of meat that often get tossed after fish mongers slice their perfect fillets and steaks can be used to make seafood chowder or fish cakes.
LOCAL SHRIMP WRAPS
4 Servings
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 lemon, juice, zest
• ½ tsp mustard
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 lb Chedabucto Bay shrimp (cooked), or salad shrimp
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream,
• 1/4 cup finely diced celery
• 2 tablespoons chopped dill
• 4 8 to 10-inch tortilla wraps
Directions: Start by making mayonnaise. To make homemade mayonnaise, place an egg yolk in a non-reactive
bowl along with salt, half the lemon juice and mustard. Next very slowly whisk in vegetable oil. You can increase the speed as you go along but at the beginning its important to go slow to encourage the emulsification. Combine the mayonnaise with the sour cream, diced celery, dill, remaining lemon juice and lemon zest. Add your shrimp and mix. Season to taste. Place shrimp mixture in wraps and serve.
CRUSTED HALIBUT CHEEKS
4 Servings
• 1 lb halibut cheeks
• 2 eggs + 1 tbsp water, lightly beaten
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, seasoned
• 1 cup panko or bread crumbs
• Vegetable oil
• Salt
• Lemon wedges Directions: Pat dry halibut cheeks with paper towel. Place beaten eggs, flour, and panko in separate bowls. Dredge cheeks in flour, then egg wash, then panko. Repeat until all the cheeks are covered in breadcrumbs. Place oil in deep fryer or large pan (1/2-inch of oil). Bring oil to 350 F. Carefully, lower halibut cheeks into oil. Cook until golden brown. Work in batches if necessary. Remove from oil and set on paper towel to drain excess oil. Season with salt. Serve with lemon wedges.
THAI CLAMS
• 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 green onions, diced
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• ¼-inch piece ginger, minced
• 3 lb clams
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 lime, juice, zest
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
Directions: Set large sauté pan or pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chilies. Sauté until fragrant; about a minute. Add the clams and wine. Cover the pot and raise heat to mediumhigh. When the clams have opened, add lime juice, zest and coconut. Simmer another 2 minutes to allow coconut milk to warm. Finish with cilantro.
SCALLOPS BY THE GLASS
• 1 lb scallops
• 1 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup red pepper, finely diced
• 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 cups baby arugula
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Sea salt, to taste
• Cracked pepper, to taste Directions: Combine scallops and lime juice in a nonreactive bowl. Refrigerate for one hour. Drain. Add onion, pepper and cilantro. Cover and refrigerate for another hour. Add to a bowl along with arugula, and cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss. Serve in glass tumblers.
CRISPY SMELT ON TOAST
• 1/2 lb smelts, heads, en trails removed
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/6 cup cornmeal
• 1 tsp each salt, paprika and garlic powder
• Vegetable oil
• 1/4 parsley, chopped, to serve
• 2-3 tbsp capers, chopped to serve
• Pinch sea salt
• Baguette, cut on bias, toasted
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Lemon wedge Directions: Combine flour, cornmeal, salt and spices in a bowl. Dry smelt on paper towel. Press smelts into cornmeal mixture to crust. Place a few tablespoons of olive oil in large pan set over mediumhigh heat. When oil is hot, add the smelt and cook for
2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Work in batches as required. To serve place smelt on platter. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and top with parsley and capers. Serve with toasted bread and lemon wedges on the side.
Mark Dewolf is currently the creative director of food and drink at the Saltwire Network, director of marketing and communications of the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) and pastpresident of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS). He enjoys drinking, eating, writing and talking about wine, beer and food.