some things you should know about
fish chez le commis kinfolk magazine stoney lonesome farm five seeds farm and apiary greenstone fields
sustainability Let’s not over-complicate the idea of sustainability. There are only so many fish in the sea. Of course, like any animal, fish reproduce, but there is in fact a level at which a population will have declined so much that it won’t recover, especially without human intervention. Some fish are more plentiful than others. Why? Every market is informed by taste and fashion, and the products of our oceans and rivers are no exception. Only a few years ago, amid much concern about the world’s fishery stocks, chefs and sustainable food advocates made a very visible push for people to eat fish like Atlantic mackerel. Earlier this year, that same fish was removed from the Marine Conservation Society’s “eat” list. What’s sustainable one day won’t necessarily be the next. The reasons for overfishing are complicated – often much more so than “consumers wanted to eat lots of tuna, and so now there are no tuna.” Instead, the reasons often involve environmental, political and social concerns that collectively impact how fish stocks diminish or recover. Coupled with advances in technology (not just for harvesting, but for tracking and storage) and you have a recipe for unsustainable consumption. This is not to say that the question of sustainability is an impossible one, but just to illustrate how many things out of your individual control impact fish populations. If the European Union passes a catch quota (already rife with political and social implications for the countries involved) for a particular fish, but global warming then causes a migration of that population to other waters, and a non-EU country happily takes advantage of its good fortune, who is to say what is right or wrong? Or what happens when a policy limits or gravely impacts a coastal fishing village’s traditional way of life? And that’s leaving aside even more heated discussions, like whether fish farming is a sustainable practice when you look at the holistic implications. Rather than eating sustainably, worry more about eating consciously. Understand what you’re eating, and try to at least think about the products you purchase and serve.
Ask where the fish came from, look for quality and rely on common sense. If you see huge piles of Patagonian Toothfish (aka Chilean Sea Bass) at a fishmonger for $15 a pound, doesn’t that strike you as a bit odd? At the end of the day, it’s best to simply assume that every fish population is limited – because it is. Be mindful of that when you eat. Don’t overbuy – don’t waste. And most of all, respect the fish, just like you should respect meat, just like you should respect vegetables, just like you should respect every product in the kitchen. Love it. Revere it. Do everything you can to make sure it didn’t die a needless death. buying fish Here, I only want to talk about the definition of fresh fish. Other concerns, like cost, availability, and sustainability, I leave to you – unlike freshness, they’re relative. You know fresh fish when you see it. That sounds overly simplistic, but it’s true. Truly fresh fish simply screams out for attention. Its skin shines. Its flesh is clear, almost iridescent, and its firm to the touch. It doesn’t smell like anything, just like salt doesn’t real smell like anything. If the fish is whole, you can assess quality and freshness almost immediately by answering five questions: How clear / black are the eyes? Does the skin “shine,” with an almost mucous-like coat of “oceanness”? Is the tail fin compact, damp and not starting to flare / break / dry up? Are the gills pink / red? Is the flesh firm to the touch – does it have a springiness, with no signs of mushiness? Needless to say, if a whole fish is riddled with strange marks, tears or holes, you should seriously question that sad fact. I should mention that fish shopping – especially in regions far removed from geographic/cultural access – is an often painful, depressing experience. As a country – as a global consuming public – we’ve dictated this outcome by emphasizing cost, convenience and “consistency” over quality and freshness. Shitty pre-
fabricated fillets, often frozen for transport and storage, have replaced traditional markets, handed-down knowledge and real fishmongers. Fish have seasons, too, but you’d never know that based on the seemingly endless supply of salmon at the grocery store. That being said, there will always be a “better” product available – maybe not in your region/area, but trust me, it exists. At the end of the day, we are mostly stuck with what we have. Not everyone has the time or ability to source fish directly from a commercial fisherman, and we need to accept that the grocery store and farmers market are the two most common ways in which Americans purchase food. To that point, frozen isn’t always bad – in fact, it often means fresher, especially in the case of products that were rapidly frozen immediately after capture. Making an informed decision at the market is crucial, weighing the pros and cons and looking for the fish that checks the most boxes.
even some very good ones – urge cooks to speed up and treat the fish more roughly. The answer is not to hurry and abuse the fish – it’s to properly account for the time needed to do it correctly, to the highest standard. A helpful hint – doing this under running water or in a plastic bag will help keep your work surface clean and free of rogue scales. Gut and behead the fish. With your knife, make a shallow slit from the anus (sorry, but it’s true – everybody poops) to the start of the skull. Be careful not to cut too deeply; you don’t want to puncture the internal organs. Remove the organs and rinse with water. Make two diagonal cuts behind the fish’s head, then press down quickly and firmly to sever the head. Remove the head and any remaining organs. Finally, take a toothbrush or similar tool and clean the inside cavity of the fish, working under running water. The fish should be extremely clean.
Without a doubt, truly fresh fish is the rarest of commodities, made even rarer by what I perceive as a lack of care and attention to detail on the part of fishermen, distributors and butchers. People just don’t care, and what makes me sad is that so many consumers seemingly don’t care either. Say no to frayed fillets, drying flesh, and strange smells. Demand more.
“Sanmai Oroshi.” The Japanese three-piece fish butchery technique is the most efficient and widely applicable one. Compared to a Western filleting technique (which usually tries at some point to make larger, sweeping cuts that leave the rib bones attached to the spine), the Japanese technique can take more time, but more often than not results in a higher quality fillet.
cleaning fish
First, lay the fish on its side, with its “head” (now removed) facing your dominant / knife-hand side. Make a cut along the stomach cavity, working your way to the tail. Turn the fish around (so that the fish’s back is to you, with the tail on your knife-hand side) and make a cut along the back to the tail. As you cut, apply gentle pressure to the fillet, so that it lifts slightly while you work and you can see the knife glide along the bones of the fish. Constantly feel and listen for the knife to touch them – bones are guides.
So you’ve bought a whole fish. Now what do you do? Cleaning and butchering fish doesn’t have to be hard. Just take your time, follow the steps, and do it right. There are no second chances – no room for mistakes. Work with plenty of ice on hand, and keep your kitchen meticulously clean. When you store and handle fish, keep the fish resting “as if it were swimming” – so a standard, round fish (like a trout, salmon, etc.) would be on its stomach, with no pressure being applied to the meat. When you lift it, hold it delicately by its tail or pick it up with two hands, supporting and cradling it so that the weight is evenly distributed. Treat the fish with love, and it will love you back. Please note, the following instructions are for round fish. The butchering process for flat fish (like halibut, flounder, etc.) is slightly different, but the basic principles remain the same. The idea is to remove as much meat from the bones as possible, with as few cuts as possible, in the cleanest, most efficient way so as to preserve the quality of the fish. Scale the fish. Using a fish scaler, spoon or back of your knife, pull the scales toward the head, ripping them off. When scaling, be careful not to damage the flesh – press firmly but not too hard. It pisses me off when chefs –
Now that the fish has two cuts along the stomach and back, the only part of the fillet that should still be connected to the skeleton should be the part connected to the spine and rib bones. After cutting all the way down the back, insert your knife at the tail end and make a quick, deliberate motion with the knife in the direction of the head. Angle down slightly, into the spine, as you make this final cut through bone. The fish fillet should come off, with rib bones attached. Set the fillet aside. Turn the fish again so that the remaining fillet faces up, with its head pointing in the direction of your knifehand. Make a cut along the back; turn and repeat the cut along the stomach. Insert the knife fully and duplicate the final cut through the spine and rib cage. Remove the rib bones by making two more cuts along the fillet, trying to remove as little meat as possible. Remove pin bones with tweezers or pliers. Pull carefully, and in the direction they naturally face – don’t pull against flesh. If desired, remove the skin.
The Japanese technique, once mastered, can be applied to every round fish, big or small. Just remember: “Stomach, Back, Back, Stomach.” cooking fish There is nothing hard about cooking fish, but for whatever reason, the whole world conspires to ruin it. The secret is simply to understand how and why to use each cooking technique, and also to season the fish well. How many ways can you cook fish? Each cooking technique offers pros and cons, and results in a different final product. How you cook fish impacts taste, texture, and smell. First and foremost, understand that fish is a protein, just like beef or pork. There is a defined temperature at which the fish is “cooked,” a level that differs slightly across fish types. Most fin and shellfish are best cooked medium-rare (120°F/49°C) to medium (140°F/60°C). Notable exceptions include arctic char and salmon, which are best cooked rare (110°F/43°C) to medium-rare (120°F/49°C), and tuna, which is best cooked very rare (100°F/38°C) to rare (110°F/43.5°C). I use those temperatures cautiously, because the real way to cook fish well is not to monitor a thermometer – it’s to watch the fish and understand what “well cooked” looks and feels like. Properly cooked fish retains its iridescent translucence – it flakes but barely so, with a tender but still fleshy firmness. When poked, it feels a lot like the palm of your hand at ease. And if you inserted a cake tester, it should travel through the flesh somewhat easily; when removed, the cake tester should be slightly warm to the touch. The following is a very basic instructional guide to cooking fish. I believe first and foremost in simplicity. Fish is beautiful. Do not mar it, obscure it, hide it. Season it well before cooking with salt (fish can take more salt than other proteins) and consider also seasoning after cooking with lemon juice or vinegar. Sometimes, a sprinkling of one spice or an interesting blend can make a huge difference – but again, I tend to do this after cooking, because it lets the flavors shine through more in their natural state. In some sense, my role as a chef is to cook as little as possible; rather, my role is simply to better reflect nature than nature herself ever could. Baking / Roasting When baking, rather than dousing the fish in oil, I prefer to simply rub the fish with a small coating. Your goal is to bake/roast it – not poach it! Bake firm, white-fleshed fish (like black cod, sea bass, halibut and more) at a low temperature (200-250°F) for
a reasonably long time (10-20 minutes) for impeccably moist, juicy meat. Roast whole fish at a higher temperature (400-500°F) for crispy skin. Grilling / Broiling The key to grilling or broiling fish well is to keep your cooking surface very, very, very hot. If wanted, stoke the grill with aromatic herbs or woods – the smell will permeate the fish. Work quickly. Sauteeing / Pan-Frying Heat oil until very hot, then place the fish skin-side down. Crisp the skin and flip the fillet, lowering the heat slightly so that the fish doesn’t overcook. Be extremely careful to cook the fish evenly and not damage the meat. Alternatively, dredge the fish in egg and crackers (or breadcrumbs, or anything) and shallow-fry. Delicious. Frying Frying fish gets a bad rap – people like to complain about the smell – but it really isn’t that hard. Be sure to use a very large pot with a lot of oil. Heat until the fry zone is reached and fry fillets dredged in batter. Use a spider skimmer to pull them out, rest on paper towels and serve immediately. Steaming You can steam fish in a bamboo steamer or other device, of course, but I often prefer to use vegetables and herbs as a “platform” in the bottom of a shallow wok. Place the vegetables in the pan and top with fish. Pour liquid all around and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and let the fish steam until cooked. Experiment liberally with flavors – because fish picks up flavor so easily from other ingredients, I like using bold Southeast Asian and Central American combinations. Poaching Fish poached in plain water is nearly disgusting; fish poached in clarified butter or good olive oil can be revelatory. Carefully, carefully monitor the temperature of the cooking medium and don’t be afraid to take a very hands-on role making sure the oil doesn’t get too hot. I’m less enthused about poaching in traditional court bouillon, although some Asian-inspired broths made with seaweed, miso, or soy can be excellent. Acidifying Use extremely fresh fish. Toss in a bowl with acid – lemon juice, lime juice, grapefruit juice, vinegar, etc. Add aromatics and experiment. Let sit until firm and opaque.
Curing Don’t be intimidated by curing fish, unless you actually intend to cure fish for many months and are saving it for some transatlantic journey. Much like a pickle can be “quick-fashioned” in a day or two, fish can be “quickcured.” Depending on the fish and your personal taste, make a cure with salt, sugar and various aromatics. Salt is technically all you need; I like adding an equal amount of sugar to cut out the harshness. Rub the fish with the mixture and lay in a dish. Cover with plastic wrap and wait. Periodically drain the liquid that accumulates at the bottom of the dish. I tend to wait anywhere from 6-36 hours for fish to cure, depending on how much water I want to remove, the type of fish, and how salty I want the final product. Rinse with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Portion. Smoking There are two ways to smoke ingredients – “hot smoking” (with some heat applied, in effect cooking it slightly) or “cold smoking” (where the heat source is far enough away that it won’t cook the product). My preferred method with fish is a cold smoke following a short cure. The idea of smoking is really self-explanatory – it’s incredibly primitive. Make a fire. Let the fish absorb that flavor, either in a smoking box/room or in a perforated pan over a layer of ice (to keep the fish cool). eating fish There is pleasure in eating. Infinite pleasure. Assuming you have put so much time and energy into buying and preparing fish, it only makes sense to put an equal amount of energy into eating it. One must always eat joyously. Gather your friends together, and open many bottles of wine. Pour a glass, and then another, and then another. Take some bread, and some butter, and some salt, and then have another glass of wine. Stare longingly at the girl you love, or could love. Have another glass of wine. Season the fish well with salt and lemon, and eat joyously. No matter where you are, where you live, breathe in the delicious ocean of existence. Take it all in. Smile. Eat joyously. Love. -- tom madrecki, june 23, 2013