Spectacular, Sustainable Seafood

We had an amazing cooking class on seafood, taught by Chef Marvin Martin. Beautiful fish, beautiful presentations. Everyone just delighted in learning how to choose fish and what great things can come from some simple but elegant preparations.

Chef Martin uses Osprey Seafood, a purveyor in Napa. They pride themselves on quality and sustainability. Line-caught salmon, traceability to the date of the catch and the captain of the boat. Fish is a healthy meal and some types of fish are sustainable. Overfishing or inappropriate methods of fishing is indeed depleting our oceans. Take shrimp for example, there is a huge bycatch, meaning for every pound of shrimp, many other fish are caught, die, and are thrown back into the ocean. I personally love shrimp but I won’t eat it because of the unsustainable practices in fishing.

You might wonder how an olive oil company is involved in fish. The menu of our fish cooking class is the answer. Oil and fish are great taste partners. The line-caught salmon poached in olive oil was melt in your mouth delicious. The fish carpaccio, sliced very thin, pounded and served with a drizzle of lemon olive oil, and thinly sliced fresh vegetables from the garden was astounding.

 

To guide you in your purchase of seafood, go to a very good fishmonger. Take the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood guide with you and choose delicious and sustainable fish. According to Julie Packard, the Executive Director of Monterey Bay Aquarium; “ Because the challenges facing the ocean are so urgent, we’re investing more deeply in our conservation and science work – building a first-class team that is making a difference with policymakers and with businesses whose purchasing decisions can set the bar for how seafood is farmed and caught.” Go to www.montereybayaquarium.org and find the Seafood watch program to guide you in purchasing fish. Donate to the Aquarium if you want to become personally involved on behalf of healthy oceans.

You will be happier and healthier and a responsible consumer. Pair it with great olive oil and enjoy.

Ciao.