Savoir Fare: Fish Story

FISH STORY

Cooking fish at home is easy with the freshest product.

by Fernanda Mueller

THERE IS NO BETTER WAY TO BUY FRESH SEAFOOD than straight from the source. New York’s iconic Fulton Fish Market has been supplying the catch of the day for over 200 years, and some purveyors are making their fresh seafood more accessible for people all over the country—from chefs and restaurants to home cooks.

“I was just a kid when I met my first love, seafood,” says Citarella owner, Joe Gurrera. Passionate about seafood for more than 40 years, Joe worked at his father’s neighborhood seafood shop in Greenwich Village until he started making his own way at the original Fulton Fish Market, under the Brooklyn Bridge. His passion led him to buy Citarella in 1983, then a small seafood shop on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. He eventually expanded the business to include seven gourmet markets around New York. Joe also owns a seafood wholesale company called Lockwood & Winant, which is led by his son Anthony and occupies the most square footage at the New Fulton Fish Market, in Hunts Point.

“I realized that establishing relationships with the best fishermen around the globe was the key to gaining access to the best product. From trusted crabbers from up and down the eastern seaboard, to principled farmers in British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Norway who are raising the gold standard for organic salmon, as well as sustainably farmed Branzino from Greece, organic shrimp from Madagascar, delicate cockles from New Zealand, and prized lobsters from Nova Scotia,” says Gurrera.

The key to the company’s success is the freshness of their product. Lockwood & Winant delivers to seafood shops and restaurants in refrigerated trucks, while Citarella ships fresh seafood nationwide. According to Joe, this is possible because they keep their fish on an “iceberg’s worth of ice.” Seafood is the most perishable protein, so to maintain freshness, it is wrapped in waxed paper, sealed in plastic, and carefully packaged with ice packs in insulated, leak-proof boxes. “When customers order our fresh seafood online, what they receive always reflects the unrivaled standard of our markets.

CATCH OF THE DAY Joe Gurrera and son Anthony at the Fulton Fish Market (left). photography courtesy Citarella

It’s hand-prepared, never frozen, and shipped overnight,” Gurrera adds..

The father and son duo are grateful to the Fulton Fish Market for the success of their business. That’s where they learned how to source the highest quality seafood. Founded in 1822 — well before the Brooklyn Bridge was even built — the market has been legendary ever since, with over a million pounds of fresh seafood arriving every morning. Made up of individual wholesalers who offer the widest selection of fresh seafood sourced worldwide, it remains the second largest fish market in the world, after Tokyo.

“There are so many things that are special about the Fulton Fish Market: the history, the work-ethic, the camaraderie among people who have been doing this for generations. But most importantly for us is that it gives us access to the freshest, most pristine seafood from all over the world,” says Anthony Gurrera.

Even though there’s nothing like stepping into the market early in the morning, choosing products that catch your eye and chatting with the vendors, FultonFishMarket.com is also connecting shoppers around the country with the incredible variety of fresh fish that comes into the market.

The site affords a multitude of options, showcasing the week’s freshest picks from each vendor, and also offers value bundles for those looking to stock up on one particular variety of fish. Best-sellers include the salmon stock-up bundle, ahi tuna, wild Gulf shrimp, and scallops. With fresh products delivered to your door, the site also provides helpful cooking tips and star chef recipes to get inspired.

“We’ve seen huge growth in customers ordering from us and cooking seafood at home, making our recipes, and coming back to try new products,” says Julia Blanter, Director of Digital Marketing for FultonFishMarket.com. “Seafood was often only enjoyed in restaurants prior to COVID-19, but now people are realizing how easy and delicious it is to cook these delicacies regularly at home.”

CHEF’S KISS Chef Rafele Ronca puts the finishing touches on the swordfish.

OCEAN TO MARKET TO PLATE

Chef Raffaele Ronca is the owner of Rafele Rye, an authentic Neapolitan restaurant in Westchester County. He explains that fresh seafood is the key to delivering a great meal. “I cook what I would want to eat every day. So, I want to serve the best possible dishes that I can, and Citarella makes that easier for me to do.” Ronca emphasizes that the key to a delicious seafood plate is that the “freshness lets you taste the ocean. That quality makes it easier and more enjoyable to prepare and enjoy.”

Chef Raffaele cooked three dishes for Downtown, with fresh seafood he buys at Citarella daily. These simple recipes can easily be made at home, or at Rafele Rye, where they will be featured on the Spring menu. DT

TUNA TARTARE

Sushi-grade tuna cut into small cubes and marinated in blood orange pulp, Sicilian olive oil, and avocado vinaigrette.

Serves 6 to 8 people

1 pound of fresh Tuna steak ��� blood orange cut in segments 1 tsp. blood orange zest ��� c. olive oil ��� c. freshly squeezed lime juice 1 tbs. Calabrian chili peppers 1 tbs. sea salt 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1 ripe avocado

Cut the tuna into 1/4-inch cubes, place in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl combine Olive Oil, blood orange segments and zest, lime juice, Calabrian chili peppers, salt, and pepper. Pour ingredients over the tuna and mix well. Cut the avocado into small cubes and mix gently into the tuna. Place mixture in the refrigerator for at least one hour for all the flavors to blend together.

SWORD FISH

Pan-seared center-cut swordfish, breadcrumbs, basil, eggplant, and cherry tomatoes.

Ingredients 4 Swordfish steaks, 6 ounces each 1 c. bread crumbs 2 cloves minced garlic ��� cup Basil olive oil for sautéing (enough to fill a frying pan to ��� inch) 1 c. cherry tomatoes 1 small eggplant, cubed 1 tsp. chili pepper ��� c. fresh lemon juice ��� c. white wine 2 tsp. oregano 2 tsp. capers 1 tbs. salt, or to taste ��� tbs. pepper, or to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in frying pan, add garlic, cherry tomatoes, eggplant cubes, chopped basil, oregano and chili pepper. Sauté until golden brown, remove from heat, then set aside. Dredge swordfish in breadcrumbs, sear steaks in pan for 2 minutes on each side. Add lemon and white wine into the same pan. Add the eggplant and tomato mixture and pour over the swordfish steaks then place pan in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

FRITTO MISTO

Squid, octopus, cod, and zucchini with lemon and sage, lightly battered and fried.

Serves 6 to 8 people

1 lb. calamari, sliced in rings 10 Shrimp, tails on ��� lb. cod, cubed 1��� cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp. sea salt 1 tsp. ground black pepper ��� medium zucchini, cut in spears ��� medium sized bulb of fennel, shaved 1 lemon, sliced in thin rings 15 sage leaves

In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt and pepper. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour enough oil to fill the pan about 1/2 of the way. Heat over medium heat until the oil reaches 375 degrees. Dredge all the ingredients in the flour mixture and place into the frying pan. Fry the dredged ingredients for 5 to 6 minutes until golden brown, then scoop out with a spider spatula. Season immediately with salt and pepper and freshly squeezed lemon.