Gone, Gone Fishing

Plans to hang the "Gone Fishing" sign on your door soon and take off for a bit this summer?  Hope so! And, I hope you get lucky and catch what you want whether that means a lazy afternoon by a beautiful body of water or in fact your dinner! But, if you didn't have any luck at the end of your line and plan to um, er . . . make a pit stop at the market on the way home to pick up dinner, this post may help.

What to Look for When Buying Fish 

Many of you may be near the shorelines vacationing over the next few months and thought for those readers who eat fish and shellfish, I will list a few tips on purchasing that.  I wrote about shopping at farmers markets here with tips on why and how to include them in your life.  But, today, I offer other shopping advice.  I am also including some useful links as well that just may help you create the fish or seafood dinner of your dreams!


Fresh is best!  Ask your fish monger lots of questions: when did the fish you are interested in came in and was it previously frozen? What would he/she recommend? This next question may seem odd, but fish mongers are used to this next tip: ask the fish monger to take the fish out so that you can smell it yourself.  Fresh catch should only smell like the sea, never sour or give an off-putting odor.  If you buy whole fish, make sure the eyes are not dull or cloudy meaning it is past its better days.

Read the signs. Many of the more reputable fish mongers have signs for the Marine Stewardship Council indicating sustainable sourcing.  Click here for more information on sustainable fish and the better choices. Those signs should also contain information on whether the fish is wild caught or farm raised.  The differences between the wild and farm raised fish are provided here as the nutrient values can vary as well as contaminants and sustainability issues too.

Timing is everything.  Just like the produce at those beautiful farmers' markets, fish have seasons, too.  Life span and migration patterns can determine the optimal times to prepare certain kinds of fish.  Again, just like your fruits and vegetables, consuming fish that is "in season" will always taste superior.  It is usually less expensive as well. This chart tells you which fish is in season and where. For example, salmon and halibut are is season now and I see sales on them this time of year frequently.

Mercury Levels In Fish

It is a sad thing that our oceans contain chemicals and contaminants that they shouldn't.  And, of course, that trickles down to its inhabitants. Most fish contain some mercury, and some contain a lot. Generally speaking, the larger the fish, the larger the amount of mercury. Also, fish that eat other fish fit in that category as well.

If fish and shellfish are part of your diet, the amount of mercury you are exposed to depends on this:

• What kind of fish you eat
• How often you eat it
• How much you eat

Pregnant and lactating women as well as children need to be especially careful about consuming fish. Here is more detailed information on that.

The fish with the highest amount of mercury in them at this time are as follows:

• Mackerel (King) 
• Marlin
• Orange Roughy
• Shark
• Swordfish
• Tilefish
• Tuna (Bigeye, Ahi)

For more detailed and current information on which fish have the most, least and moderate amounts of mercury, clink on over here. 

Grilled Fish in Parchment with Lime and Chili

From a new england seafood bake to a poached cod with saffron and tomato, fish recipes abound. But, grilling is one of my favorite ways to prepare it and I offer one way I like to do it here.   This is quick and the sauce can be made ahead.



Gather

• 1/4 cup coconut sugar 
• 1/2 inch hunk of ginger
• 3 stalks of rough chopped fresh lemongrass, tender inner cores of the bottom third only
• 2 medium shallots
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3/4 teaspoon chili flakes
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro with 3 tablespoons reserved for garnish
• 4 medium sized white fish fillets of choice
• Pink salt 

blender
unbleached parchment paper
foil

Now do this

• In a blender, place first 10 ingredients and pulse until chopped and blended well to make a sauce.
• Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Create four packets each of parchment paper and tin foil.  Make sure the foil squares are larger by at least two inches on each side than the parchment paper.
• In the center of each parchment square, place a fish piece in the center of the packet.
• Drizzle a few tablespoons of sauce over each. Sprinkle with salt.
• Fold up the parchment paper over the fish piece.
• Then place parchment square in the center of each piece of foil and crimp foil around parchment packet to create a seal.
• Grill the packets over moderately high heat until the fish is barely opaque in the center - maybe 3 minutes per side.
• When ready to serve, open packets and drizzle extra sauce over the fish and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. 

But if this flavor combination does not float your boat, cyberspace is loaded with fish and shellfish recipes.  For starters, click here and here and here.

Do you have a favorite catch of the day and recipe to share.  Please go ahead and provide a link to your food blog with one for us all to try.




fish: photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/r_id/5567784630/">Takadanobaba Kurazawa</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>boat:photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/syymza/9411855062/">Daniele Zanni</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>