FOOD TALK
The old adage necessity is the mother of invention rings true as depleting fish stocks spur chefs to be more creative with fish and proactively go down the sustainable dry-aging route to reduce wastage.
The older, the better.
It wasn’t that long ago that meat used to constantly hog the limelight with its versatility and ability to render succulent, juicy bites resulting from different treatment methods for different cuts. Compared to all that, fish was always considered a relatively single-trick pony because of its extremely delicate nature and short shelf life. But now the tables have turned. With the increasing scarcity and sustainability issues threatening fish, chefs are increasingly becoming more creative in their use and treatment of the vulnerable protein. Dry-aged meat is a given at top-class restaurants, but now this revolutionary technique is being applied to fish too. And with good reason, as it helps remove moisture, boost flavour and minimise fishy smells. How long can you age fish for? Anywhere from two weeks to one month. The only caveat is that you must have the best quality and freshest fish to start off with.
Did you know that the best sashimi actually comes from dry-aged fish, and not from freshly caught fish contrary to popular belief? Just ask any fourth or fifth generation Japanese chef. Chefowner Kouji Kimura of Michelin-starred Kimura Sushi in Tokyo is popularly lauded as a pioneer of fish aging, as he accidentally discovered many years ago that matured fish actually tasted better in contrast to the ‘it was still swimming this morning’ myth.
Closer to home, Chef Rémy Lefebvre helming Butcher’s Block at Raffles Singapore also uses the ancestral Japanese technique ikejime for scaling and de-gutting the fish to preserve and improve its flavour, quality and texture. Lefebvre already ages turbot, kinmadai, kinki, seabass, seabream, amashi, golden trout, red snapper, coral trout and halibut at his restaurant. Now, he’s experimenting with aging scallops and prawns to see if he can augment their flavour profiles too.
Minimal wastage breakdown, nose-to-tail cooking and a different dry-aging method are just some of the things that 31-year-old Josh Niland, chef-owner of Sydney-based Saint Pierre restaurant and delicatessen Fish Butchery (refer to pg 36) has been doing to showcase the versatility of fish and how it can hold its own against meat. His mantra - ‘Anything you can do to an animal, you can do to a fish.’ Indeed. Some of Niland’s most creative menu items include fish liver foie gras, fish cheeks and jowl guanciale, fish eye chips and fish fat chocolate caramel slice (I mean, what does the last dish even mean?)
Typically with only fish filets and fish heads being consumed around the world, the remaining 60 percent goes to waste (think about all those food cost dollars literally going down the drain). Niland’s ethos however commits to the entire fish, as he makes full use of at least 90 percent of it, making full use of rarely used fish liver, offal and muscles tissues. If you’ve seen his impressive fish breakdown and highly skilled butchery style, "unbelievable" barely begins to describe his performance.
But the message that dry-aging brings is clear. Less wastage means less demand on existing fish supplies, thus reducing excessive exploitation and overfishing. And since chefs aren’t under pressure to serve fresh catches of the day and throw out unsold and older fish, this sustainable technique also ensures better tasting fish dishes. I think that’s a fantastic win-win situation, don’t you think?
Move over meat. The fish has arrived.