The Fishmonger's Apprentice: The Expert's Guide to Selecting, Preparing, and Cooking a World of Seafood, Taught by the Masters

209 Pages·2011·106.63 MB·English

by  Aliza Green

the
fishmonger’s
apprentice
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the expert’s guide to
seLecting, preparing, and
cooking a WorLd
of seafood, taught by the
masters
With photography
by steve Legato
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the expert’s guide to the
seLecting, preparing, and fishmonger’s
cooking a WorLd
of seafood, taught by the
masters
With photography apprentice aLiza green
by steve Legato
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to the courageous and
dedicated fishing famiLies
of the WorLd.
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66 tthhee ffiisshhmmoonnggeerr’’ss aapppprreennttiiccee
contents
foreword 8 intervieWs With the masters michael mcnicholas: operations and
Quality control manager for uoriji fresh
introduction 10
Jay silver: retail fishmonger for (superfrozen fish from Japan) 125
a fishmonger’s taxonomy 12 eighteen years 26 chris Leftwich: chief inspector to the
a few good tools 18 cesare casella: proprieter of salumeria Worshipful company of fishmongers’,
rosi, new york city, and dean of the italian London 130
culinary academy 33 zarela martinez: owner of zarela
velia de angelis: chef, cooking teacher, restaurant, new york city, and
and co-owner of La champagnia, orvieto, cookbook author 136
italy 41 sandy nguyen: founder of coastal
brooks takenaka: assistant general communities consulting 148
manager of united fishing agency, sheila and mike dassatt: co-founders
honolulu, hawaii 60 of the downeast Lobstermen’s
Lance forman: managing director of association, belfast, maine 162
h. forman & son, London 72 franz sydow: venezuelan restaurateur and
aglaia kremezi: greek culinary authority, founder of aruba gastronomic society 172
author, and Journalist 88 sinclair philip: owner of sooke harbour
natalie Webster: director of operations house, vancouver island, british
for american albacore fishing association columbia, canada 181
and member of a fifth-generation albacore david mink: founder of the oyster house,
tuna fishing family 92 philadelphia, pennsylvania 190
hagen stehr and Jemma mccowan:
founder and marketing consultant of
cleanseas 102
Janet amateau: chef/owner of
tradescàntia terrace restaurant,
pineda de mar (barcelona), spain 120
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77
iLLustrated techniQues cutting tuna Loins 95 resources 200
skinning and filleting skate Wings 106 index 202
scaling, gutting, and trimming Large
choosing and preparing salt-cod 110 acknowledgments 207
round fish 20
shad: extracting roe, filleting, and boning 112 about the author 208
filleting a Large round freshwater fish 23
eel: skinning and preparing 122 about the photographer 208
removing pin bones from round fish 29
refreshing superfrozen tuna 128
cleaning fish through the gills 30
dover sole: skinning and filleting 132
filleting round fish, butterfly style 35
cleaning squid 138
boning a round fish through the back 38
purging and opening hardshell clams 142
filleting Large flatfish in four fillets 43
cleaning Live sea scallops and
filleting small flatfish in two fillets 49
bay scallops 144
filleting flatfish inside out 52
deheading, shelling, and deveining fresh
pan-dressing medium Whole fish 55 shrimp (or prawns) two Ways 150
cutting fish cheeks 58 cleaning octopus 154
slashing fish 62 cleaning and trimming Live abalone 156
cutting swordfish chops 64 cleaning Live sea urchin 160
cutting fish steaks from halibut 69 Lobster: selecting and preparing 164
filleting salmon 75 cleaning dungeness crabs 174
cutting fish steaks from salmon 78 cleaning soft-shell blue crabs 178
boning fish steak and making fish roulade 80 cleaning geoduck 184
cutting fish steaks from cod 84 preparing crawfish 187
deboning small bony fish 90 shucking oysters 194
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8 the fishmonger’s apprentice
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foreWord 9
samueL d’angeLo, industry advisor for this book,
is a fourth-generation seafood expert Who buiLt a
corner store into a Large and respected WhoLesaLer
based in phiLadeLphia and serving restaurants and
retaiLers from neW york to Washington, d.c.
In 2009, we moved into new efficient
green headquarters and started our own
Sustained Seas Program, becoming the
only MSC-certified fish company in the
region. (The Marine Stewardship Council,
a global organization started in the United
foreWord
Kingdom, works with fisheries, seafood
companies, scientists, conservation
groups, and the public to promote the best
environmental choices in seafood through
My grandparents, all born in Sicily, instilled When Christmas came, I couldn’t wait to its fishery certification program.) We are
in their children the culture of the sea and work in the store with all my cousins. We now a major regional distributor, importing
the way to sustain our living from it. As a all had our chores: One scrubbed the walls fish and shellfish from around the world.
young man, I would travel to Sicily with my and floors, another cleaned the basement
grandfather and visit local fish markets. where we soaked our bacala and stockfish, It’s so important to educate consumers.
The catch of the day might be just a half and a third took out the guts and fish heads If people don’t trust their fishmonger,
dozen small fish including perhaps a few to the barrels destined for pig fodder for they’ll buy only for price. You can’t do
small whiting, which not long before had nearby farms. On Christmas Eve, we all sat that with fresh fish. It all goes back to the
been abundant and cheap. Back in Phila- at the table and feasted together on the fishmonger—the person working behind
delphia, I’d see the large king whiting we’d traditional seven fishes—or more. the counter. Fishmongers are special,
get from Maine. Now those big whiting are they watch out for us and all the creatures
essentially gone except for in Alaska, which The 1970s brought a renaissance in food, they live and work with. If they don’t know
has a sustainable fishery. Unfortunately, and the fish followed. Our business wasn’t what they’re doing, they’re not going to be
what I saw in Europe close to forty years just for the neighborhood anymore. We able to sell something new. The average
ago is happening in many places now. began selling to local restaurants and consumer has very little idea about what
Because of what I learned, Samuels & Son taprooms. Mussel and clam consumption they’re buying. Unless the fishmonger
is committed to being known as the sus- was going up and fish such as red snapper can explain how to cook it, people won’t
tainable fish supplier in the region as part and wild salmon became a staple for us. In touch an unfamiliar fish. Most people eat
of our investment in the strong future of our 1974, after graduating from Central High a limited variety of fish. In my childhood,
fisheries, oceans, and waterways. school, I became the buyer, running the mackerel, bluefish, porgy, butterfish, and
whole operation. I just loved working with sardines were staples. I still keep a can of
When you grow up in a fish market, you this stuff! mackerel around for a quick lunch. Herring
learn the many ways of the seafood world— has unbelievable flavor and nutritional
the skills and knowledge garnered by gen- In 1989, I opened our wholesale company benefits. I’d like to see more people expand
erations of fishermen and fishmongers. My because our restaurant trade had grown their seafood repertoires to some of these
grandfather, Giuseppe Ippolito, started out considerably. We took all our knowledge underutilized—and delicious—species.
peddling fish on the street. Later he got a and perseverance and basically went to
horse and cart, then a truck, and eventually battle with our competition—companies The seafood business is as hard as ever. I
a corner store, Ippolito’s, which our family that just a short time ago were our suppli- don’t think that will ever change, but I still
still owns and operates. My mother, Rose ers. As a small wholesaler, we didn’t have love to handle the fish. We work every day
D’Angelo was the original fishmonger. She a strong relationship yet with our vendors, at Samuels as a family. My four children
could cut and fillet any fish my grandfather so sourcing was a constant challenge. But work with me and the grandchildren come
Giuseppe brought her. I learned the trade we never relented and came through for and visit. All of us need to be aware and act
in my free time. Daily, I practiced cutting our customers with some of the nicest and appropriately to preserve the bounties of
and filleting, weighing and wrapping, and freshest seafood ever brought into Phila- the sea so that our grandchildren have the
finishing the sale by ringing it up at the delphia. By 1995, Samuels had grown to a same opportunity as I did growing up, to
register. It was more than a corner store for solid distributor and we were ready to send enjoy and work with the fish and shellfish
me, it was our family’s foundation. our seafood to other cities. from our oceans and rivers.
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10 the fishmonger’s apprentice
choosing the best
seafood
fresh fish is at its best when
it’s in season and plentiful.
the time to buy fish is when
the price is low; the time to eat
fish is right away.
use your eyes, your nose, and
if permitted, your hands to
choose that fish, using tips in
this book. most important, buy
from someone who knows and
cares.
be flexible: buy the best
looking fish, not necessarily
the one you came in for. many
fish can be easily substituted;
for example, black sea bass,
striped bass, red snapper,
yellowtail snapper, and hybrid
striped bass will all work well
for the same dish.
individually line-caught (by
trolling) fish is generally of
higher quality than net-
caught. fish that is caught,
promptly bled, and immedi-
ately chilled is best.
venture into ethnic markets
to get a different selection
of seafood and often at a
lower price than mainstream
markets.
try less sought-after species
such as porgies, weakfish,
or croakers, which may be
bony, darker-fleshed species
such as bluefish, mahimahi,
or mackerel, or uncommon
species such as skate, which
are usually sauteed, and red
gurnard, which are excellent
in soup.
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