Not every food from the sea has tentacles, shells, or fins. Even vegetarians can benefit from sustainable ocean harvest. Seaweed, or marine alga, is found all over the world, and has fed humankind for millennia. Of the thousands of species of seaweed that are known to exist, at least 110 of them are edible, and none is known to be poisonous. Marine algae are one of the richest plant-based sources of calcium, and excellent sources of iodine; different varieties also contain mineral nutrients such as potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, selenium, and others, as well as high levels of protein in some, e.g. spirulina.
Here’s a quick picture quiz - identify these common species! (Answers at the bottom).
The American diet has received most of its culinary seaweed culture from Japan, Korea, and China, where seaweed cultivation operations are major industries. While most Americans are familiar with wrapping sushi rolls in brittle sheets of nori, not everyone is aware that many desserts and gels use agar agar as a vegetarian gelatin substitute. Agars have the advantage of being able to solidify while warm, and don’t require refrigeration in order to set.
If you’re curious about seaweed foods but not quite ready to take the leap to eating a salad of something that looks like it washed up on the beach, try kelp pickles first. They’re just as zingy and tasty as those made from cucumbers or other more familiar garden vegetables grown in dirt. They’re also just as simple to make.
1. You can harvest your own kelp on the beach; my source says that the best picking time is in May and June, but you can find it year-round in many places along the coast. Don’t pick kelp that have white splotches, as they’re over the hill. Rinse them well, but you don’t need to peel or soak them. Cut the “hair” off the heads; the best pickles come from the bulb and stem. Chop them into the size pickles you’d like.
2. Combine everything but the kelp and onions in a large soup pot, then add the vegetables and bring to a boil.
3. Pack them into sterilized jars and then process for 10 minutes in boiling water. Alternatively, you can pack your jars and then use a canner - follow the canner’s instructions for processing.
4. Let stand for about a month for the best flavor before eating. Makes about 8 pints.
Answers to the seaweed quiz - clockwise, from the top left:
This preparation produces one of the juiciest, most flavorful fillets of halibut we’ve yet found – both light and rich, with just enough tang to cut the creaminess of the coating.Serve with steamed rice and a spicy vegetable stir fry, or with roasted baby red potatoes and braised greens with garlic.
You will need:
1 lb. halibut fillet – the thicker, the better, skin removed; remember that this preparation works great with any amount of fish, so adjust accordingly
1 cup high-quality mayonnaise
1 lemon, zested and squeezed, juice set aside
1 generous handful fresh basil, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
splash of olive oil
1.Rinse the halibut under cold running water, dust it with salt, and place in a baking pan or small cast-iron skillet, along with a splash of olive oil.Turn the fish to coat and set aside.Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2.Combine the mayonnaise, lemon zest, juice, and basil in a small bowl.Grind in some freshly cracked black pepper.Taste and balance the seasonings – the more intense, the better.
3.Spoon the sauce over the halibut, tucking some beneath the fillet and smearing the rest over the top.The sauce should form a seal over the fish, which will lock in the juices and keep it moist as it cooks.Save some sauce for the end.
4.Cook until the halibut is opaque all the way through the thickest part; check with a fork – it should be flaky but still firm.
5.In last few minutes of cooking, cover the fish with the remaining sauce and turn the oven to broil.Let the sauce bubble and brown on top, forming a nice crust.Keep an eye on it, and don’t let it burn.
Serve immediately.Makes great leftovers or cold sandwiches the next day!
This is one of the easiest, quickest preparations I’ve tried, but don’t let its simplicity fool you - the flavors are complex and well suited to a variety of sides or servings. I used black cod, which has a tender and flaky consistency that responds well to broiling; the heat of the spices balances the flavorful oil of the fish and brings out the roasted quality that comes from high-temperature cooking. Black cod also has even more healthy Omega-3s than salmon! Any dense white fish would work, however - try halibut, mackerel, or even mahi mahi, although the more delicate the flavor of the fish, the more likely it is to be overpowered by the spice.
You will need:
1 lb. black cod or other dense, flaky white fish; a thick fillet works nicely and doesn’t dry out
1-2 T butter (salted)
1 T ground chipotle; chipotles are jalapenos that have been roasted and smoked - you can get them ground to a powder at most stores that sell spices in bulk. For this recipe, a fine powder should be used, but if all you can find is adobo, or canned chipotles in sauce, then try that. The result will likely be hotter and less delicate, but very tasty.
2 limes - one juiced, one wedged
a handful of cilantro, minced
1 vegetable bouillon cube, dissolved in warm water
splash of olive oil
an oven-proof casserole dish
1. If the fish is frozen, force-thaw it, and then rinse it under cold running water. Preheat your broiler.
2. Splash your baking dish with olive oil, and then set your fillet in it, turning it over a couple of times to coat it. Dust the fish liberally with salt, and then set it aside.
3. Melt the butter and add the chipotle powder and half of the lime juice. Mix it all together with a fork, and then pour it over the top of the fish, trying to keep as much on the fillet itself as possible. Rub it in a little with your hands, making sure it’s well-coated.
4. Sprinkle half the cilantro onto the surface of the fish, and then slide the dish under the broiler. I keep the top rack of the oven about 10 inches away from the broiler to prevent burning.
5. Cook the fish until the chipotle becomes fragrant - about 7 minutes. Pour half of the vegetable stock into the baking dish, and spoon some over the top of the fish.
6. Continue to let the fish cook, basting it occasionally, until it is flaky and opaque in its thickest part. Test periodically with a fork. Add broth as needed to keep some liquid in the bottom of the pan, but don’t smother the fish - too much liquid, and it will poach rather than broil. We just want to keep it moist and still let the edges crisp.
Serve in a dish that holds juice, and spoon the butter-broth mixture over each portion. Toss on the remaining cilantro and lime juice, and offer extra wedges of lime at the table. This preparation goes beautifully with Asian-style fried rice, sesame noodles, Cuban rice and beans, and astringent green salads. The leftovers make excellent filling for fish tacos - just add black beans and cabbage slaw!
Here’s some good news for a change, and a great example of responsible living and collective stewardship.The MCA foundation, along with dozens of local groups and communities, has cleaned up over one million pounds of trash from 34,000 miles of Alaska’s coastline.That’s enough garbage to fill four 747 jumbo jets:“It’s a lot of junk and a real accomplishment,” said the program coordinator.
Clean-up crews worked in Juneau, Kodiak, Prince William Sound, Bristol Bay, Yakutat, Port Heiden, the Shelikof Strait, the Aleutian Islands, and the Pribilofs to remove the waste, most of which had washed up on the shore after being carried by ocean currents, often for great distances.Unlike beach trash further south, which is primarily made up of packaging for consumables - cans, bags, and cigarette packs, for example - much of the garbage removed from the Alaskan coast was fishing-related, and from as far away as Asia.
The MCA has spent nearly $1 million in clean-up projects, much of which comes from federal funding.Citizens and participants hope that the effort will increase the health and beauty of the natural environment, protect resources, and help maintain both ecological and economic systems through responsible action.Water quality, marine and shore life, and the fishing industry all depend on clean beaches.
In a renewed lawsuit pitting economics against environmental concerns, judges are again being asked to consider whether hatchery-raised fish should be considered identical to wild salmon when counting fish populations. Although a ruling last year declared that they were, in fact, not the same, an Oregon-based business alliance has objected to the decision, claiming that the distinction unfairly lowers salmon counts and unnecessarily disrupts development and commerce in favor of protecting salmon habitat.
Wild salmon and hatchery-raised salmon are genetically similar, environmentalists counter, but wild salmon have adapted behaviors that contribute to much greater survival numbers in natural habitat, as opposed to the higher death rates of hatchery fish released into the wild. 16 salmon and steelhead species are listed as endangered in the Pacific Northwest, and their habitats are protected and managed under the Endangered Species Act. Fishermen and conservation groups argue that including human-raised fish in wild fish counts leads to an inaccurate portrait of fish stocks, and thus irresponsible management of their waters.
An estimated 137 other species depend upon the health and stability of wild salmon stocks for their own ecological survival.
In my family, oyster stew is reserved for holidays: elegant, somehow “fancy” - we usually save it for Christmas Eve. Our traditional version is thin and loaded with oysters; this version is a little thicker and more hearty.
I made this stew last night for a small dinner party, and it was a lovely and relatively simple dish for a cold autumn night.The richness of the broth is full of warmth and comfort, and pairs well with a crisp salad of winter vegetables like cabbage or Brussels sprouts and spiced nuts.We served this with crusty Italian ciabbata bread and an excellent white rioja, but it would stand up to any robust white wine without too much oak.
You will need:
About 1 ½ lbs. shucked fresh oysters, with 1 cup of the liquor set aside.I like to use small to small-medium oysters; too large and they have to be bitten in half, which doesn’t work well for soups
1 ½ sticks butter
a handful of flour
4 ribs celery, thinly chopped
½ bulb garlic (6 to 8 cloves), peeled, smashed, and coarsely chopped
1 large onion, minced
½ cup finely chopped curly parsley
salt, pepper, cayenne
dash of Worcestershire sauce
3 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1.Pour the liquid out of the oysters and set it aside.Carefully rinse and strain the oysters to remove any bits of shell or grit.
2.Combine the oyster liquor with 1 cup of water in a large soup pot.Heat the liquid to a simmer, and then add the oysters, cooking just long enough for their edges to curl and for them to plump up – about 2 minutes.Strain the oysters from the liquid (put a bowl under a sieve) and set both aside to cool separately.
3.Return the soup pot to the heat and add the butter.Once it melts, toss in a handful of flour and whisk it around until it is completely absorbed.Cook the roux until it is golden brown, then add the chopped vegetables.Sautee in the roux until the celery and onion are very soft, about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.Some of the milk can be added to prevent things from sticking.
4.When you are nearly ready to serve, add the milk, cream, oysters, and liquor to the vegetables and stir it all together.Allow the milk to thicken – about 5 minutes.
5.Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, and Worcestershire to taste and ladle into soup bowls.Serve immediately.
I found this recipe in the November, 2008 edition of Saveur; I have adapted it somewhat – my version has bolder flavors and less cream.
The Alaskan pollock industry is the largest commercial fishery in the United States, accounting for 2 billion pounds of catch annually, or a third of all seafood caught (by weight). Careful monitoring of pollock stocks and migration patterns on the part of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) and other conservation and management bodies have contributed to the sustainability and robust trade economy of the fishery. The Alaskan pollock fishery is endorsed by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), a third-party marine conservation group that certifies commercial fishing operations for environmentally sound and sustainable practices and management.
Alaskan Pollock, also known as Walleye Pollock, is a near-ubiquitous staple in processed seafoods on the consumer end: fish sticks, imitation crabmeat, and fish patties for popular fast-food chains all depend upon pollock for their production.
Climate change trends and the warming of waters in the Bering Strait, along with the retreat of winter ice farther north, have begun to have an impact on this Alaskan fishery, however. Warmer sea currents have apparently shifted some of the migration patterns of the pollock population, causing them to move farther north and west, away from expected fishing grounds. This migration has led the pollock right out of American waters and across the border into Russian territory, provoking a potential conflict with Russian fishing industries.
Other results of climatic shift have been noted, as well. Salmon have been found colonizing rivers farther north, and whales have been spotted well into the Arctic, where they apparently wander, starving, in search of food after krill die-offs in traditional feeding territories. This ecological shift has also contributed to massive seabird deaths in some areas, and unexpected blooms of phytoplankton in the warming waters.
Whether your salmon was grilled, baked, broiled or poached, it makes great leftovers.Buy extra and plan ahead - Friday evening’s dinner becomes a perfect light lunch for the weekend, with little preparation.
Salmon Salad
Flake leftover cooked salmon into a bowl, and add just enough mayonnaise to hold it all together; too much will overpower the flavors and make it mushy.For an unusual twist on standard tuna salad sandwiches, try adding one or more of the following to the flaked salmon and mayonnaise combination:
curry powder
chopped fresh dill
hot sauce and chopped fresh cilantro
capers and flecks of cream cheese or chevre (goat cheese)
soy sauce and a dash of sesame oil
sweet pickles
minced red onion and stoneground mustard
Salmon Cakes
These are excellent alone as appetizers, or atop a homemade caesar with crisp romaine, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and lemon wedges.
Basic ingredients:
leftover salmon, flaked (canned works well, too)
one egg, beaten
a cup or more of crushed soda crackers (put them in a large ziploc bag and roll them with a rolling pin or bottle of wine)
salt and pepper
flour for dusting
Suggested add-ins:
minced red bell pepper
chopped cilantro
minced fresh jalapenos
fresh garlic, crushed
cumin
capers
Be creative!
Combine all the ingredients (except the flour) in a large bowl and mix well with washed hands.The mixture should be dough-like in consistency; if it’s too wet, add some flour or more cracker crumbs; if it’s too dry, add a splash of milk.Form the cakes into inch-thick rounds, dust them with flour on a flat plate, and fry in a quarter inch of oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet until brown.Crack the first one open to be sure they’re fully cooked - they need to be crisp on the outside, and hot all the way through.If the oil is too hot, they may brown too much before cooking through: turn down the heat and smash the cakes a little flatter.Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a low-temperature oven before serving.
New digital imaging technologies are playing a role in the health and maintenance of Alaska’s wild seafood industries.The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) has been testing a variety of cameras and recording devices that allow researchers to have clear pictures of the ocean floor.
The project began in 1999 as a way of monitoring scallop stocks.Previous attempts to visually record the sea floor ran into a variety of technical difficulties: lighting, battery life, and resolution were all obstacles to obtaining reliable visual data.The newest, most successful images (such as the one above) are produced using the new Prosilica GE1380C camera, which is able to capture sharply detailed, clear images with a minimum of disturbance to the environment.It is connected to a research vessel via a fiber optic cable, and can photograph at a distance of 1.2m from the ocean floor, while being towed at a rate of 5 to 8.5 kmh.
The ADFG hopes to use this new system to monitor the health and populations of ocean ecosystems in order to better care for and regulate commercial fishing activities, which account for at least ½ of Alaska’s export value and are keys to the Alaskan economy.
This is a surprisingly rich, luscious preparation that complements the dense flesh of sockeye and coho salmon, both still available this time of the year. Use fresh or thawed fish - fillets work better than cross-cut steaks, as they allow more surface area for the glaze to work its magic. Pair this with roast autumn vegetables, pureed roots or tubers, or creative rice pilafs and light green salads for a cozy, balanced October meal. Serves 3-4.
You will need:
1 lb. salmon fillet, boneless and rinsed.
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
soy sauce
5 or 6 cloves of garlic, chopped or crushed
ginger - fresh is better, but powdered works, too
a fresh lime or lemon
sesame oil (optional)
1. Pour the bourbon into a flat casserole dish or wide-bottomed bowl, and combine it with the brown sugar, garlic, several healthy shakes of soy sauce, ginger (to taste), and a couple shakes of sesame oil. Stir until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
2. Nestle the salmon fillet into the marinade and let it sit for at least 20 minutes. The salmon should be submerged.
3. Preheat the broiler.
4. When the salmon is ready, lightly oil the bottom of a heavy cast iron skillet (any heavy baking dish will do) and place the salmon skin-side down. Pour the marinade over the top of the fish. At this stage, I like to score the fish into the number of servings I intend to have - it cuts more cleanly raw than cooked.
5. Broil the fish until the salmon is cooked clear through but isn’t overdone. The flesh should remain moist and should flake easily, even in the thickest part. Check periodically for doneness, and baste the fish with the surrounding glaze.
6. When it’s ready to serve, it should come cleanly off the skin with the help of a serving spatula. Drizzle any extra glaze on top, and squeeze a lime wedge over each piece.
The result should be rich, sweet, and slightly caramelized, without overpowering the flavor of the fish. Enjoy!
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