Friday afternoon is rumored to be the biggest shopping day for seafood in the week, specifically during lent season.  Whether you are buying fish for religious purposes or just the sheer pleasure of eating the tastiest, healthiest protein in the world, lets make your shopping a bit more fun.  

First off think local.  Thousand mile air-freighted fish is the first of several insults to local sensibilities.  Instead of reaching for the farm raised salmon or the Tuna from god knows where, and preparing the same mundane fish dish with lemon and dill that we have seen a millions times on Rachel Rays 30 minute meals, try substituting an alternative fish. One species that pops into my head when I think delicious domestic fish is Trout.  Simple to prepare, versatile, not too fishy and east to adapt into any recipe.  Rainbow trout is an excellent  substitute for salmon.  It is available fresh and frozen year-round. The system for raising rainbow trout in the U.S. is well established and carefully regulated so that waste water does not harm the local environment or water supply.  Trout goes well over a fresh vegetable salad, topped with toasted almonds, a light sherry vinaigrette and a touch of fresh tarragon.  The key with trout is to cook it for only a few minutes flesh side down.  Our suggestions are as follows:

Heat a pan large enough to hold your trout filet.  Add olive oil and wait until the oil is barely shimmering.   Season your trout with salt and fresh cracked pepper.  Add the trout to the pan flesh side down making sure to shake the pan as you add the fish in order to avoid sticking.  Once the fish is in the pan be patient.  Sear for 4 minutes and flip the fish gently.  Cook the fish with the skin on for another 3 minutes.  Don’t be concerned if it sticks a bit.  After 3 minutes add a touch of white wine, butter and toasted almonds or hazelnuts.  Swirl the sauce together basting the fish as it finishes (this final sauce step should only take 30 seconds). Remove the fish and place over a light salad of chilled arugula, green beans, shaved red onion, and torn rustic bread.

An authentic spring dish with minimal effort.   If trout doesn’t frizzle your fancy, try fresh California sturgen.  Rub the rich filet down with extra virgin olive oil and a mixture of herbs.  Place on a bed of celery and roast in a 400F oven for 12 minutes or until the fish is starting to flake to the center.  Drizzle with a mixture of mustard and balsamic vinaigrette and serve with your favorite local vegetables.

Serving Salmon and shrimp are attractive in a culinary coffee book kind of way, but wowing your pallette with new, sustainable flavors, simply prepared with bold brushstrokes is exciting.  Cooking new fish is an adrenaline rush.  The window of perfection is so small, and the delicate nature of lightly woven proteins allows for multiple disasters in one pan. The inexperience with new fish calls for precise attention.  But when practiced artfully and deliberately, the rewards are undeniably satisfying.  So put down the Mickey D’s sandwhich ‘o’ fish filet, and lets cook.