edibleohio valley® Celebrating Ohio River Valley Food Culture, Season by Season

School Fall 2015 • No. 21

Member of Edible Communities A WIDER NET

Our new column traces how food that’s not grown in the Ohio Valley makes it to our tables. First up: seafood.

BY AMY LEIBROCK

ere in the Ohio Valley, we’re fortunate to fnd homegrown sources for just about everything: fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy. But aside from lucky anglers who have their own fshing boats or ponds, Hmost of us have to cast our net much wider to eat fsh and seafood. Land-locked seafood lovers who enjoy eating local don’t live. Nearly 90% of the fsh consumed in the U.S. is imported.

have to swear of salmon or shrimp because it doesn’t spawn A portion of imported fsh is actually caught or raised in the Photograph: ©2008,Paul Hilton/Greenpeace in the Ohio River. Te U.S. fshing industry—which is recog- U.S., sent overseas for processing, where labor is cheaper and nized as one of the best managed in the world—actually needs regulations may be questionable, and returned and sold here. informed, Midwestern fsh consumers who are willing to learn about the issues (of which there are many) and make purchases Pole-and-line fishing is one of the best ways to guarantee abundant fish in the that support healthy, sustainable fshing practices. future. Several types of tuna have been overfished and measures are being taken When it comes to tracing how a piece of fsh gets from the to control the catch of individual species. In the Maldives and Hawaiian Islands, sea to your plate, the path can be murky, no matter where you fisherman catch tuna with a pole and line, avoiding bycatch and overfishing.

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Another portion of imported fsh comes from countries that how it was caught, processed, and shipped. If they can’t, it may are lax about managing their fsheries for sustainability. Weak be time to try another fsh counter. labeling laws can obscure the origins even more. Even if you do fnd out where your fsh is coming from, KNOW YOUR MERCHANT do you know if wild fsh is a better choice than farm-raised? One local fshmonger who can probably tell you, down to the Te answer depends on a dizzying spectrum of factors. Is the hour, when most of the fsh in his case was caught is Tom species overfshed in the wild? Is it caught with methods that Keegan, owner of Keegan’s Seafood (locations in Hyde Park limit wasteful and destructive bycatch (the unwanted fsh that and Anderson Township). Keegan grew up in a neighborhood get caught up in nets)? Is the farm polluting waterways? What in Queens, NY, where, “there were no fshmongers,” he says. are the fsh fed? “If you wanted fsh, you got a fshing pole and you caught To help consumers make sense of all this, sustainable whatever was in season.” seafood organizations like Te Monterey Bay Aquarium and As a kid, Keegan learned about seafood by fshing for Natural Resources Defense Council are good resources. Tey, blue fsh, wild striped bass, founder, and blackfsh in the in turn, recommend getting to know your local fshmongers. Long Island Sound, and harvesting clams and oysters on Long Te good ones are knowledgeable about these issues and are Island’s south shore. In high school and college, he spent sum- able to answer most questions about where the fsh is from and mers working at his brother’s marina in Maryland. A career in

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W\YJOHZLZ[OH[ Findlay Market since 1977. Luken is skilled at getting fresh fsh shipped from both coasts and supplies several top restau- rants in the area, but he has yet to fnd a cost-efective way to Z\WWVY[OLHS[O` source fsh from the Great Lakes. He’s found that most of it goes through Detroit or Chicago, then on to Florida, where he can fnally buy it at a quantity and price that work for him. Z\Z[HPUHISLÄZOPUN ”Te closer you get, the harder it is to get people to actu- ally buy it,” says Keegan of local fsh. He says his customers WYHJ[PJLZ who visit Lake Erie are used to bringing home coolers of fsh that they’ve caught themselves. “When they run out, it’s hard the air freight trucking business landed him in Cincinnati; in for them to stomach paying $20 a pound,” he says. 2004, he combined his passion for fsh with his knowledge of A growing number of aquaculture businesses might prove logistics when he bought the fsh shop. to be the key to making local, sustainable fsh more available Today, Keegan overnights freshly plucked fsh from at in our region. Big Fish Farms here in Cincinnati raises native least a dozen sources he’s personally researched and vetted. Te paddlefsh in partnership with owners of area lakes, then har- tuna he brings in from Hawaii is pole-and-line caught, one at vests the meat and caviar for sale to restaurants and retailers. a time, with no bycatch or waste. He buys shrimp from a Texas Bell Farms in Redkey, IN, is raising farmed trout, salmon, and company that processes it right on the boat instead of selling it perch, which have been rated a “Best Choice” by the Monterey to processors in Asia. “I want to know where my food is pro- Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program. Entrepreneurs are cessed and who is handling it,” he says. “If that’s an unknown, producing small amounts of freshwater and marine shrimp in that concern should be everybody’s.” Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Some of these products are cur- Keegan and other fsh sellers can’t buy everything direct, rently hard to fnd, but as these businesses grow and mature, it so they must rely on their distributors to source products re- may become easier to eat truly local fsh. sponsibly. Tose who do are usually certifed by organizations In the meantime, so that the oceans can continue to like the Marine Stewardship Council, which sets standards for delight and nourish us with a healthy supply of seafood, our sustainable fshing and seafood traceability. defnition of local fsh can and should stretch to mean “caught in American waters.” Paul Greenberg, seafood expert and au- LOCAL CATCH thor of American Catch, suggests we step out of our comfort What about fsh caught closer to home, like walleye or perch zones and eat a greater variety of American fsh and seafood. from Lake Erie? We asked local fshmongers why we don’t see Tis will build homegrown markets for less familiar varieties more of it for sale in our area. “It’s almost impossible to get that often get exported. Shellfsh are also a good choice; they fsh out of Lake Erie and get it down here,” says Mike Luken, clean our waters and are low on the food chain. Plus, well, who has owned Luken’s Fresh Fish, Seafood, & Poultry at they’re delicious. „

28 edible ohio valley www.edibleohiovalley.com Big Fish Farms raises the native paddlefish in local waters. After females reach maturity (about 8 years) caviar can be harvested and the meat sold to local chefs.

Where to Buy Sustainable Savvy Seafood Locally Seafood AFISHIONADOS KEEGAN’S SEAFOOD Florence, KY Anderson Township 859.869.4186 513.232.5959 Shopping A-fsh-ionados.com Hyde Park Square 513.321.0181 DOROTHY LANE KeeganSeafood.com When shopping for seafood, a good frst step is to check the MARKETS Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch for their latest Oakwood (Dayton) LOBSTA BAKES recommendations for the best ocean-friendly choices (download a Centerville (Dayton) OF MAINE free app at SeafoodWatch.org). Next, talk to your fshmonger. Springboro, OH Newtown, OH Te Environmental Defense Fund, which also has a guide to the DorothyLane.com 513.561.0444 best and worst choices at Seafood.edf.org, recommends asking LobstaBakes.com these questions: FRANK’S FISH & WHAT COUNTRY IS IT FROM? SEAFOOD LUKEN’S FRESH FISH, Findlay Market SEAFOOD & POULTRY IS THE FISH WILD-CAUGHT OR FARM-RAISED? 513.421.0900 Findlay Market FranksFishandSeafood 513.621.5560 IF IT IS FARMED, HOW WAS IT GROWN? (Was it raised in a Market.com LukensFish.com polluting open net-pen or in a contained tank or pond?) IF IT IS WILD, HOW WAS IT CAUGHT? (Are long lines used, or was it JUNGLE JIM’S WHOLE FOODS caught by pole? Long lines often catch extra, unwanted bycatch.) Fairfeld, OH & MARKETS ARE POPULATIONS OF THIS FISH HEALTHY AND ABUNDANT? Eastgate Oakley 513.674.6000 Dayton, (Small, fast-growing fsh can withstand more fshing pressure, while JungleJims.com Mason, OH large, slow-growing species are more vulnerable to overfshing.) WholeFoodsMarket.com ARE THERE ECO-FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVES?

www.edibleohiovalley.com edible ohio valley 29 Exploring sustainable seafood will expand your options for good fish. The hogfish (above) is a native of Atlantic waters from Maine to South America. Originally a bycatch of lobster and crab traps, this tasty reef fish is also caught by spearfisherman in warmer waters. Placing a value on bycatch allows fishermen to make money on lesser species that wander into traps, while spearfishing helps to minimize bycatch altogether. Don’t let the name fool you: The white flesh is juicy and buttery. This one was found at Keegan’s in Hyde Park.

Grilling a Whole Fish How to Get the Most From You won’t believe how easy this is to make, or how Your Fish Purchase elegant it is! For people who would like to support sustainably sourced fsh, but fnd the often high per-pound 1 6–9 lb. fsh price of fsh hard to swallow, here are a few tips: ¼ c. good quality olive oil Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper Buy whole fsh: “If you fllet a grouper you may 2 cloves garlic, smashed only get a 50% yield,” says Keegan. “That also 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, plus extra for garnish goes for wild striped bass, black fsh, drum, snap- 2 sprigs fresh oregano, plus extra for garnish per, and many others.” By eating a whole fsh, not 2 sprigs fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish only will you get more meat, it will also taste bet- Melted butter, for basting ter. The adage “the closer to the bone the sweeter Half a lemon, sliced thin for garnish the meat” is as true of fsh and seafood as it is for meat and poultry. Have fshmonger remove scales, guts, fns, and gills. Leave tail on (head is optional). Wash fsh and pat Use it or lose it: It’s always best to eat fresh fsh dry. If cooking with head on, score both sides of the as soon as possible, but if you don’t plan to eat it fsh to spinal bone, perpendicular to spine behind right away, let the fshmonger know. He can tell head. Score again above tail, and add a few slashes you how long it will last and how to store it. “Fish in the side. Rub fsh inside and out with olive oil, must be rewrapped every day for optimum longev- and season generously with salt and pepper. Place ity,” says Keegan, who sends customers home garlic and herbs in cavity. Wipe grill grates with hi- with extra fsh-wrapping paper if they need it. temp cooking oil. Heat grill to 500°, then reduce to 425°. Place fsh on grill, with head at the high- Make stock: If you or your guests just can’t toler- est heat, and tail at the lowest. Grill 10 minutes per ate having the head or bones on the plate, choose inch of thickness on each side. When ready, carefully whole fsh and ask to have it scaled, gutted, fip fsh between two spatulas to grill the other side. and flleted. Bring home the heads and bones to Lightly baste with olive oil and melted butter, avoid- make fsh stock using the same ingredients and ing fare-ups. Fish is done when meat inside the belly method you would for chicken stock. (Steer clear is no longer translucent. Check the meat at the spine of strong-favored fsh, like salmon, mahimahi, where it was scored behind the head—it should be bluefsh, and mackerel for stock.) Use the stock to completely opaque. With spatulas, transfer the fsh make seafood soups, stews, and risotto. from grill to platter. Garnish with fresh herbs and lemon slices.

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