There is not really a hard-fast seasonality rule to the fish and seafood we see in our markets. On a wide scale, they are grown commercially in fisheries or they are caught year round. Other factors that influence our fish and seafood availability and price include: migratory paths, weather, spawning cycles, and man-made interferences such as oil spills and dams. Your location can also play into quality, pricing and availability. For example, if you live in say, Kansas, there is probably not going to be a great availability of fresh and locally caught wild ocean fish in your market. What you might get is shipped frozen or flown in fresh, therefore, with fish buying, it is not so much a matter of what species in your area are in season but, rather, what species are sustainably caught or raised, healthy for you to eat, and friendly to the environment. One way to become a more responsible fish consumer is to check out the Monterey Bey Aquarium “Seafood Watch” website (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org) and print out their free sustainable Seafood Pocket Guide (or download it as a PDF file, or iPhone app.). These guides are customized to five US regions plus Hawaii and they are handy to keep and carry with you when you visit the market or a restaurant.
STRIPED BASS (or ROCKFISH or STRIPER)
Interesting Trivia: Striped Bass, also known as Rockfish or Striper, is native to most of the East Coast from the St. Lawrence River in Canada to Northern Florida. It is listed among the “best choices” for ocean-friendly seafood selections according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium “SEAFOOD WATCH” guide. Striped Bass are anadromous fish, which means they live in both fresh and salt water. In the spring they swim into rivers to spawn and then spend the rest of the year migrating up and down the shallow waters of the Atlantic to feed. They have been successfully introduced into the inland lakes and reservoirs of the west coast and the Pacific and they can now be found in waters from British Columbia to Mexico.
Striped Bass are omnivorous (they eat other fish and sea creatures). They can grow up to nearly 100 pounds and live up to more than 25 years – but this is not the norm. On the average the big ones you’ll see are in the range of about 60 inches in length and up to 75 pounds. The ones you see at market will most likely be from 5 – 12 pounds in size.
This fish is a highly sought-out and prized catch for eating but since they are predators, it is best to eat them before they have grown to their maximum size and have therefore possibly accumulated a whole food-chain of heavy metals. Their flesh is medium-firm and white and it can be cooked by any method you desire.
Selection Tips: Follow the same principals for handing Striped Bass that you would any other type of fish. However, the method for selecting your fish may vary slightly depending on whether you are buying it as a whole fresh fish, fresh in pieces, or frozen.
If you are purchasing fresh whole fish look for bright, shiny and fresh looking eyeballs – they should not be opaque in color. The gills should be moist and bright red – not dry and brown. The skin should be shiny and firm and the flesh should bounce back when you press on it – not leave a depression. The fish should not smell “fishy” or overly pungent.
If you are purchasing fresh fish in pieces such as fillets, steaks, or sections, look for firm shiny skin and elastic flesh and if the fish contains bones the flesh should be firmly attached to it and not be dry looking or pulling away from the bone. If the fish was previously frozen (but being sold thawed) it must be labeled as so, per U.S. government regulations.
If you are purchasing frozen fish select fish that is packaged with clear wrapping or a display window so you can inspect the contents. Non-see through packaging often hides less desirous quality of fish. The flesh of the fish should not look dry or freezer burned and it should be air-tightly wrapped. There should be no sign of ice crystals or frost on the fish.
Always cook fish as soon as possible after you bring it home or defrost it. Once raw fish is defrosted it should never be re-frozen until after it has been cooked.
Classical Uses: Since Striped Bass meat is both firm and flaky it is typically acceptable for almost every culinary application possible – fried, baked, poached, grilled, broiled, steamed etc.
Other Inspirational Uses: Wrap individual filets of striped bass filets in foil pouches or parchment paper (en papillote-style) along with some slices of fresh fennel or fennel seeds, a tablespoon of orange juice concentrate, ½ teaspoon prepared mustard, ¼ teaspoon each of dried chervil, dried tarragon, garlic powder, salt and pepper, some finely sliced scallions, some sliced mushrooms, some chopped julienned sun-dried tomatoes, about 3 drops of Tabasco and a splash of white wine. Seal the package and bake on a baking sheet in a pre-heated 450° oven for 20 minutes or until the fish is opaque and cooked through. Place one pouch each on each diner’s plate and serve with rice and a vegetable.
ARCTIC CHAR (or ALPINE CHAR, Sushi name IWANA)
Interesting Trivia: Today almost all of the Arctic Char, also known as Apline Char or by its Sushi name Iwana, that you buy has been farm- raised in Eco-friendly programs. Therefore, Arctic Char is ranked as an environmentally sustainable “best choice” for consumers by The Monterey Bay “SEAFOOD WATCH” guide. This fish is native to sub-polar arctic regions and its deep cold water inland lakes. It is the most northern found freshwater fish (however it is also found in coastal salt waters of the oceans, tributaries and rivers around the Arctic Circle). A small amount of wild Arctic Char is recreationally fished but almost all of the commercially sold Arctic Char in The United States comes from farm-raised stock raised in Canada, Iceland, West Virginia, and Norway.
Arctic Char is related to both salmon and trout and it shares the combined characteristics of both, in its flavor. It is sold fresh or frozen as steaks, filets, smoked, canned and whole or dressed (averaging about 14-18 inches in length and 2-5 pounds in weight). Its flesh ranges from pale pink to deep red depending on the environmental factors it was raised in. It is rich in the Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, which are essential nutrients, which most Americans are deficient of in their diet.
Selection & Storage Tips: Follow the same principals for handing Arctic Char that you would any other type of fish. However, the method for selecting your fish may vary slightly depending on whether you are buying it as a whole fresh fish, fresh in pieces, or frozen.
If you are purchasing fresh whole fish look for bright, shiny and fresh looking eyeballs – they should not be opaque in color. The gills should be moist and bright red – not dry and brown. The skin should be shiny and firm and the flesh should bounce back when you press on it – not leave a depression. The fish should not smell “fishy” or overly pungent.
If you are purchasing fresh fish in pieces such as fillets, steaks, or sections, look for firm shiny skin and elastic flesh and if the fish contains bones the flesh should be firmly attached to it and not be dry looking or pulling away from the bone. If the fish was previously frozen (but being sold thawed) it must be labeled as so, per U.S. government regulations.
If you are purchasing frozen fish select fish that is packaged with clear wrapping or a display window so you can inspect the contents. Non-see through packaging often hides less desirous quality of fish. The flesh of the fish should not look dry or freezer burned and it should be air-tightly wrapped. There should be no sign of ice crystals or frost on the fish.
Always cook fish as soon as possible after you bring it home or defrost it. Once raw fish is defrosted it should never be re-frozen until after it has been cooked.
Classical Uses: Arctic Char is well suited as a substitute for any Salmon or Trout recipe. Being a fatty fish, it lends well to smoking and produces a product as good as any salmon lox. It poaches well and poached Arctic Char steaks are delicious served cold with a mayonnaise sauce such as remoulade.
Other Inspirational Uses: Here is a recipe for Arctic Gravlax. Gravlax is a famous Swedish dish made by curing fish with salt, sugar, and dill then slicing the fish paper thin then serving it as an appetizer along with dark unleavened bread and mustard. It is also beautiful on Scandinavian-style open faced sandwiches and colorful buffet platters.
To make this recipe you will need one fresh 1-1/2 to 2 pound (skin on) filet of Arctic Char. Use tweezers to pull out any small pin bones that your fish monger may not have removed. Lay the filet skin side up in a shallow glass or earthenware baking dish. Rub the skin with a mixture of 1-1/2 tablespoon coarse salt, ¾ tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon coarsely ground peppercorns. Next, sprinkle the skin side of the fish with ¼ cup dried dill weed so all you see is a coating of dill weed. Flip the fish over and repeat with the same ingredients in the same amounts on the non-skin side of the filet. Lay a sheet of foil over the fish and then place a baking sheet or cutting board over the foil. Weight down the fish by placing heavy rocks, bricks, cans of tomatoes, etc. on the baking sheet. Refrigerate the weighted fish for one to two days and then drain and slice on an angle as you would with smoked salmon. Tightly wrap any leftovers and store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
