features Alternative?What's the

Undervalued, lesser-known fish species might be the answer for chefs. By Clare Leschin-Hoar

For chefs who embrace practices land it squarely in the red “avoid” The invasive Asian carp sustainability, from their baby-greens salad column. Add the BP oil spill into the mix, and Before launching his food-truck venture, starter to their artisan-crafted cheese course there’s no question that substitution skills are Chicago-based chef Phillip Foss had for dessert, fish is frequently the pitfall that being honed in kitchens everywhere. emerged as the champion of an invasive, can trip up even the most earnest of efforts. much maligned fish: the Asian carp. Savvy chefs have started taking a closer After all, it’s a complicated topic. A species look at undervalued fish. Increasingly, Originally imported to the U.S. during the may be overfished in one part of the menus are sporting lesser-known species, 1970s, the carp was used to clean catfish country, yet plentiful in another. Ratings by such as golden tilefish, tripletail, cobia, ponds. It eventually escaped, and has environmental groups can change over the pompano or black drum. Here, we take a been working its way up the Mississippi course of a year. Perhaps a specific fish closer look at three alternative fish, and ever since, devouring large quantities population is strong, but harmful fishing the pros and cons of each. of plankton and algae and crowding out The National CulinaryThe Review | February 2011 24

pg24-27_NCR0211_AlternativeFish.indd 24 1/17/11 5:24:36 PM The popular fish tacos at Anthony’s Fishette are just as likely to be made with sustainable basa as the more traditional cod.

native species while its own population numbers boom. Asian carp can be astounding jumpers, too, and have been known to break the jaws of fishermen who get in their way.

So serious is the threat of this fish that the Obama administration pronounced John Goss the Asian carp czar, with $78 million overcome the boning issue, chefs will at an affordable price, we’ll consider that,” to control them. Federal agencies have have a tasty, clean, sustainable fish to says Andrew Aiello-Hauser, director of tried everything from poisoning the fish offer customers. Working closely with marketing for Anthony’s Fish Grotto. with rotenone to installing electric barriers the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and to prevent the fish from finding its way into Fisheries, Parola has renamed the fish Basa, and its close cousin, swai—both are the Great Lakes. “silverfin,” and is trying to get funding for in the pangasius family—is a river catfish a processing plant to take the fish from farmed primarily in Vietnam. In 2009, Foss thinks the solution to this invasive whole to finished product. “The meat is pangasius broke into the National Fisheries species will instead be found on our dinner extraordinary,” he says. “It’s between a Institute’s Top 10 Consumed Seafoods list plates. While the chef was at Lockwood scallop and crabmeat.” for the first time. While it’s not specified on Restaurant & Bar in Chicago, he would serve the menu, basa has been used at Anthony’s it as an amuse-bouche or as an appetizer he Whether or not this fish will make it to Fishette for a year and a half. dubbed Shanghai Bass Ceviche. market in a substantial way remains to be seen, but finding a remedy for this “It’s always a balance between introducing “It had great texture. It was moist and invasive-species problem is something the new things and meeting the needs of old mild in flavor, not fishy at all,” says Foss. seafood industry will be watching. favorites,” says Aiello-Hauser. “We need “But the problem is, the bone structure is to focus on sustainable fish like basa or unusual—you can’t get a steak out of it.” Is basa better? tilapia. I think it’s probably our job to help Anthony’s Fish Grotto in San Diego is an educate our guests on new options and the While wholesale costs of the fish were low old-school seafood spot. Family-owned facts behind the fish we serve. So far, we’ve (about $1 a pound), it became an expensive since 1946, it has long been known for never had anyone say it should be cod, or undertaking, says Foss. “Because of the serving traditional seafood dishes such mention that they notice the difference.” bone structure, you’d lose 85%-90% of as chowders, fish and chips and combo the product, and the price would skyrocket plates. What’s decidedly not old school is While the American catfish farmers have to about $15 a pound. When [customers] the restaurant’s decision to try basa as been pushing to keep pangasius out of the saw Asian carp next to salmon, halibut and an alternative fish for fish tacos and fish U.S. market, calling foul on the pricing of scallops, it didn’t jump off the page as the and chips. Anthony’s Fishette, the walk-up imported farmed-raised fish, groups such item they’re going to choose.” counter next to the downtown waterfront as Seafood Watch and the Environmental restaurant, serves as the test location. Defense Fund (EDF) give the fish a yellow Fellow Asian carp evangelist, Baton rating, which means it’s a good alternative. Rouge, La.-based chef Philippe Parola, “We know the taste profile of cod, which is CEO of Chef Parola Enterprises and what we’ve traditionally used, but if another Tim Fitzgerald, a marine scientist with the Partran LLC, says if the industry can fish has that taste profile, and we can get it EDF, says, “It’s a white fish alternative. It’s www.acfchefs.org 25

pg24-27_NCR0211_AlternativeFish.indd 25 1/17/11 5:24:36 PM Abalone: Once plentiful, now farmed features Finfish such as Asian carp, basa But today, chefs like Scarborough are and escolar aren’t the only seafood able to keep the cherished seafood on alternatives. In October 2010, the the menu because of good abalone World Wildlife Fund announced global aquaculture. The Abalone Farm in nearby standards for abalone farming that will be Cayucos, Calif., produces about 100 used by the newly formed Aquaculture tons of farm-raised red abalone a year. cheap, and has a year-round stable supply Stewardship Council (ASC) by mid- and is neutral in flavor. You can feed them 2011. (Similar to Marine Stewardship “Abalone skipped a generation. And an fairly vegetarian diets. As a chef, you Council certification for wild fish species, entire region lost its food icon,” says Brad can do a lot of things with it, and for an the ASC will issue certification to Buckley, sales manager for the farm. American palate that doesn’t like strong- seafood raised by farmers.) “Most young chefs had only heard about flavored fish, it’s ideal. But part of the issue it from their parents and grandparents.” is, the industry is young, and it’s grown Plenty of Californians can remember so quickly that production has outpaced when the abalone growing off the But the price tag is steep. Slow-growing, scientific knowledge.” coastline was abundant. abalone can take four years or more to reach harvest size. That could change with the standards “I used to go diving for it with my dad, recently put forth by the World Wildlife brother and grandfather,” says Deborah “It’s the highest food cost item on my Fund (WWF). The guidelines will be used Scarborough, chef/owner of Black Cat menu,” says Ross Warren, chef/owner by the new Aquaculture Stewardship Bistro in Cambria, Calif. “We used to of Pacific Café in San Francisco. “But Council (ASC), expected to be operational get it all the time and make abalone it’s popular, and we have a lot of regular by mid-2011. chowder, sandwiches, fried abalone.” customers who still look for it.”

“Once the ASC label is available, it will be But plummeting stocks, caused by Scarborough sees that same popularity. the ultimate route to go,” says Jose Villalon, years with severe el ninos and a disease “We’re a tiny restaurant, and I go through managing director for aquaculture for the known as “withering foot syndrome,” at least three dozen a week,” she says. WWF. “It will be a farm-by-farm verification. meant strict regulations were put in place by the state to protect the “There’s a sense of nostalgia associated Escolar education species. While noncommercial diving with abalone. I always thought that my Despite FDA guidelines, escolar is a fish for red abalone is still permitted north story, about diving with my family, was that goes by many names: white tuna, of San Francisco, the practice remains unique, but I hear that exact same story super-white tuna, butterfish, Hawaiian walu. off-limits further south. Unfortunately, 10 times a year from customers. And I’m The deep-sea dweller is a by-catch of the abalone poaching remains a serious in the back. If I were out front, I’d hear it swordfish and tuna fisheries. At first glance, problem throughout the state. quite a bit more.” escolar could seem like a winner. It doesn’t face overfishing pressures. The flesh is snowy white with a mild taste and creamy texture. Its high fat content means it holds intestines,” and the U.S. Food and Drug Calif., says he’s had good success with well and doesn’t dry out easily, a trait chefs Administration advises against any escolar. Grilled, the fish would get a crispy often admire. So, what’s not to love? interstate commerce and requests that exterior, Rossman says, and it would pair buyers be warned of the possible effects with almost anything, especially citrus. Unfortunately, escolar contains levels of consuming this fish. of undigestable wax esters (known as “Escolar can thrive in this industry, but there gempylotoxin), which can cause severe But many chefs believe there can be a place needs to be some education on it, and the diarrhea in some eaters. So purgative for it on menus, if served in small portions. public needs to be educated, as well,” he says. is the fish that it’s actually banned in “I’ve sold the fish for years, and had nothing Japan and Italy. Native Hawaiians call it Executive chef/partner Lewis Rossman of but success. That said, I would never put more maku’u, which roughly means, “exploding Sam’s Chowder House in Half Moon Bay, than five or six ounces of it on a plate, period.” The National CulinaryThe Review | February 2011 26

pg24-27_NCR0211_AlternativeFish.indd 26 1/17/11 5:24:37 PM Chef Brian McBride at Blue Duck Tavern He says educating the wait staff on the or other cooking methods that allow fat to in Washington, D.C., first discovered controversy over the fish was key, as was drain away means customers get less of a escolar through one of his purveyors, and being upfront with the name. dose of waxes. has had success with it on the menu. For an entrée, McBride is careful to serve only Ken Gall, seafood specialist at New York “No one has proven that, but, intuitively, it five-ounce portions of the fish, but adds Sea Grant and Cornell University, agrees. makes sense,” he says. plenty of other items on the plate as a “FDA requires that if this product is going way to limit intake while still providing the to be sold in the U.S., it needs to be called La Jolla, Calif.-based freelance writer Clare customer with a substantial dish. escolar. Proper labeling is absolutely Leschin-Hoar’s work has appeared in The essential so people know what they are Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe “We actually slow-cook it in a low oven, eating. And small portions can minimize and The Christian Science Monitor, among then we’d sear it and serve it with chorizo the impact.” other publications. and a tomato/clam broth. Cooked properly, it holds well and doesn’t dry out. It sold like Cooking methods may reduce any distress, crazy,” says McBride. as well. Gall says he’s heard that broiling

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