The federal law that sets conservation requirements for ocean fisheries, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) has not only made a positive impact on U.S. fish populations; it has also made a difference to some of the country’s most successful chefs and restaurant owners.
Americans love seafood. In a typical year, we consume nearly 5 billion pounds of it, an average of 16 pounds of fish and shellfish per person. Unfortunately, 86 percent of the seafood currently consumed in the United States comes from other nations. Historic overfishing has left us with a legacy of severely depleted fish populations in many regions of the country. For the restaurant industry and consumers, that translates to tough seafood choices—or no choice at all when the fish are gone.
That is why chefs from coast to coast are excited about the 2011 Status of U.S. Fisheries report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which shows that solid gains were realized last year because of responsible management under the MSA. With customers increasingly demanding fresh, locally caught seafood, improvements in the health of three fish stocks—Mid-Atlantic summer flounder, Gulf of Mexico red snapper, and Alaskan snow crab—directly benefit U.S. businesses.
To thank Congress for its long-standing support of the MSA and to celebrate the progress in bringing fish populations back to healthy levels, the celebrity chefs have shared some of their favorite recipes. Try them out, visit their restaurants, and enjoy the benefits of strong, successful conservation.
John Besh has set the benchmark for fine dining in New Orleans with nine restaurants (August, Besh Steak, Lüke, Lüke San Antonio, La Provence, American Sector, Soda Shop, Domenica, and Borgne). Chef Besh’s talent and drive have earned him kudos from Food & Wine as one of the Top 10 Best New Chefs in America, and he received the James Beard Award for Best Chef of the Southeast in 2006. Besh has also written two cookbooks, My New Orleans and My Family Table.
Ingredients
6 skin-on, scaled red snapper fillets, each about 6 ounces
Olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 12-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2/3 cup white wine
½ cup cream
4 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon pimentón (Spanish paprika)
Leaves from 1 sprig fresh thyme
Technique
Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. With a sharp knife, score the fleshy side of each fillet a few times.
Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, then coat the pan with a thin film of olive oil. Pat the fillets dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Place the fish pieces in the pan, skin side down, and sear until the flesh begins to turn opaque, about 5 minutes.
Place the fillets, skin side up, on a lightly oiled baking sheet and slide into the oven. Bake for 5 minutes while you make the tomato sauce.
In the same skillet in which you cooked the fish, add the tomatoes, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Stir for a minute over medium heat, then pour in the white wine. Cook for another minute, stir in the cream, and reduce the liquid by half. Add the butter, pimentón, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the fillets from the oven to individual plates, and top with the sauce to serve.
Makes 6 servings.
Download the recipe and learn more about red snapper here.
Kerry Heffernan is the executive chef of South Gate on Central Park South in New York. He attended the Culinary Institute of America and honed his skills at several restaurants, including Eleven Madison, which received the James Beard Foundation’s Award for Outstanding Service in America and Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence, and was named Esquire’s “Best New Restaurant.” Chef Heffernan is also an avid saltwater fly fisherman.
Ingredients
1 pound skinless fluke fillet
Several pieces of skinned fluke fin (optional)
1 Meyer lemon
1 blood orange
1 lime
¼ cup best quality olive oil
1 small bunch chives
1 sprig fresh dill
1 sprig tarragon
1 sprig Thai basil
2 sprigs lemon verbena
1 teaspoon chili flakes or 1 fresh hot chili, finely diced
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 cup cooked fiddlehead ferns (or cooked 1-inch asparagus pieces)
Note: You may use just one citrus fruit or pieces of all three. Likewise, not all herbs need be used.
Technique
Slice the fish at 45 degrees, against the grain (sushi style) into pieces ¼ to ½ inch thick. Arrange slices attractively on 4 serving plates, then place in a freezer for 15 minutes.
Zest several strips of the citrus fruit (or fruits) you have chosen and set them aside. Remove the remaining citrus skin, separate into segments, then peel the membrane and remove the seeds.
Mince each of the chives, dill, tarragon, basil, and Thai basil separately. Remove lemon verbena leaves from stems. Then have fun by combining the fish and fiddleheads (or asparagus) with your own variety of citrus segments and zest, drizzles of olive oil, and sprinkles of herbs, chili, and salt. I would suggest beginning slowly to appreciate the taste and texture of this extraordinary fish, and then increased the combinations to suit your taste.
Makes 4 appetizer-size servings.
Download the recipe and learn more about summer flounder here.
Barton Seaver is a chef, author, and National Geographic Fellow. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and executive chef at some of the most celebrated restaurants in his native Washington, D.C., Chef Seaver has been honored as a “Seafood Champion” by the Seafood Choices Alliance and as “Rising Culinary Star of the Year“ by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington. He was also named Esquire’s Chef of the Year in 2009. His first book, For Cod & Country, features healthful, planet-friendly recipes.
Ingredients
2 ½ tablespoons butter
¼ cup raisins, chopped into a paste
3 tablespoons panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons ground mace
Grated zest of 1 orange
4 pieces fluke fillet, about 5 ounces each
Technique
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
For the coating, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and combine it with the raisin paste in a small bowl. Add the panko, ginger, mace, and orange zest and mix well. You should have a thick, slightly sticky paste.
Pat the fluke as dry as possible, then press the breading paste into the top of the fish and gently massage it so that it sticks.
Heat a large, ovenproof sauté pan over medium-high heat. Melt the remaining ½ tablespoon butter in the pan, then place the fluke in the butter with the breading side down. Cook, without moving the fish, until the coating begins to brown around the edges, about 4 minutes. Transfer the whole pan into the oven and cook for 8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. This will ensure that the breading continues to cook evenly and becomes very crispy while protecting the fish and keeping it moist.
Once the fluke is done, it will begin to flake apart if slight pressure is applied to the side. Using a spatula, gently turn the fish out of the pan and onto the serving plates with the breaded side facing up.
Makes 4 servings.
Download the recipe and learn more about summer flounder here.
Susan Spicer has been a fixture of New Orleans fine cuisine for more than three decades, operating restaurants and specialty food markets including Bayona, MONDO, and Wild Flour Breads. She has earned multiple distinctions, including induction into the James Beard Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America, and has attracted national praise for her restaurants. Chef Spicer was featured in the 2009 finale of “Top Chef,” and she has written a cookbook, Crescent City Cooking: Unforgettable Recipes From Susan Spicer’s New Orleans.
Ingredients
1 medium cucumber, peeled
½ pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch dice
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
½ teaspoon minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons minced or grated lemongrass (fresh or frozen)
2 fresh Thai chilies or ½ teaspoon sambal oelek (red chili paste)
4 pieces red snapper fillet, about 6 ounces each
Salt
Pepper
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as cilantro, basil, mint, or a combination
Technique
Cut peeled cucumber lengthwise into four pieces, then remove the seeds, slicing lengthwise with a small knife. Cut crosswise into ¼-inch slices and place in a bowl with the diced pineapple.
Mix the lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, ginger, lemongrass, and chilies or sambal oelek in a small bowl, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Pour over the cucumbers and pineapple, stirring to mix.
Pat the red snapper fillets dry, then season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a sauté pan and, when it is almost smoking, place the fish in the pan. Lower heat to medium and cook about 4 minutes on the first side, then turn and finish cooking, about 2 minutes.
Transfer fish to plates and top with the cucumber-pineapple sauce. Sprinkle with herbs.
If desired, serve with rice mixed with chopped scallions.
Makes 4 servings.
Download the recipe and learn more about red snapper here.
Jim Watkins, who has 25 years of experience as an accomplished chef, restaurateur, and food consultant, was founding chef of Cafe Flora, a landmark Seattle restaurant, winning further acclaim there at Plenty and Jimmy’s Table. Today, Chef Watkins is director of award-winning food services at Bastyr University in Washington state, the nation’s largest university for multi-disciplinary natural health arts and sciences.
Ingredients
1 cup peeled, diced red potatoes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, minced
2 cups diced tomatoes, with liquid
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup heavy cream
½ pound snow crab meat
¼ pound snow crab claw meat
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Nutmeg (optional)
Technique
Cook the potatoes in boiling, lightly salted water just until tender. Drain and set aside.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion. Cook until soft, about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and liquid, potatoes, broth, and cream. Simmer slowly for 15 minutes.
Add the crab and crab claw meat, then puree with an immersion blender or transfer to a standing blender and puree thoroughly. (Be very careful when blending hot liquids in a standing blender—do not fill the blender more than halfway, and cover the lid with a towel. The heat will push the lid off, and you’ll be wearing crab soup instead of enjoying it.)
Return the soup to the pot and add the remaining butter. Boil for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add a pinch of nutmeg for elegance, if desired. Serve immediately with a few crostini.
Makes 4 servings.
Download the recipe and learn more about snow crab from Alaska here.
(Makes 4 appetizer-sized servings)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons honey
1 ounce loose chamomile tea
1 small star anise
1 1/2 teaspoons pink peppercorn
Zest and juice of 1 orange
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup mirin (Japanese rice wine)
1 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon whole mustard seed
2 cups finely diced mango
1 cup finely diced red onion
1 cup finely diced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 jalapenos, peeled, seeded and finely diced
Salt and pepper
4 round 1/2-inch slices of fresh pineapple, peeled and cored
3 ounces sushi grade fluke, cut into 4 slices
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peel,ed and cut into 1/4-inch slices
Piment d’Espelette (powdered Basque chili pepper)
Sea salt
2 French breakfast radishes, julienned
1 spring onion, julienned
Technique
Orange tea vinaigrette (may be prepared days in advance): Boil the honey in a heavy 1-quart saucepan until it darkens. Add the chamomile tea, star anise, pink peppercorn, orange zest and juice, lemon juice, 1/2 cup of the mirin, and 1/2 cup of the rice wine vinegar. Simmer for 10 minutes and then let steep for 4 hours. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Only a portion will be used; the rest may be stored in the refrigerator, in a tightly closed jar, for several weeks.
Pickled mango relish (may be prepared a day in advance): Combine 1/2 cup of the mirin, 1/2 cup of the rice wine vinegar, sugar, and mustard seed in a heavy 2-quart saucepan. Bring to a simmer, pour over the diced mango and set in an ice bath. When cool, add the red onion, red bell pepper, cilantro, and jalapenos. Season with salt and pepper to taste. May be stored in the refrigerator, overnight, in a tightly closed jar.
Grilled pineapple: Cook the pineapple slices on a grill or under a broiler, turning once, until both sides are browned but not burned, then set aside to cool.
Final assembly: Toss the fluke slices with 1/4 cup of the orange tea vinaigrette. Arrange each pineapple slice on a plate and top with a slice of fluke. Spoon on some mango relish and top with sliced avocado. Season with Espelette and sea salt. Garnish with radish and spring onion.
