In light of the well-documented, seemingly rampant issue of seafood mislabeling, the team at Seafood for the Future reached out to our partner chefs to help concerned consumers source like a pro. In this monthly series, Seafood for the Future partner chefs will share with you their tips for sourcing seasonal, responsibly harvested seafood.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…for sardine lovers that is! December marks the beginning of Pacific sardine harvesting season and a great opportunity swap those not-so-great tasting Omega-3 pills for these tasty and responsibly harvested fish. Pacific sardines, or “petite bass” (as partner Chef Andrew Gruel of SlapFish likes to call them) are found from Baja California to southeastern Alaska and harvested December-February. This fishery is well-managed by NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) under the Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan and has a high biomass that is not overfished and with no overfishing occurring. Choosing these little guys at your local fish market (may we suggest some of our partners Catalina Offshore or Santa Monica Seafood) helps to diversify seafood consumption and relieve pressure off of some of the more popular stocks (salmon and tuna for example). It’s also a great way to support your local fishermen who are abiding by strict regulations to bring you high quality, fresh fish without the heavy toll on the environment.
Eating Pacific sardines is not only good for the health of our oceans— it’s also good for your health! A new study shows that eating fish once a week can decrease your chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease, largely in part due to the Omega-3’s. These little guys are packed with Omega-3 fatty acids and are an excellent source of protein as well as essential nutrients like vitamins B12, E, and D, selenium, phosphorous, and antioxidants that promote healthy heart and brain function and even improve your skin. The question is, how do you choose the best quality sardines? And most importantly, how do you prepare them?
To answer these questions, we paid a visit to our friend and partner, Chef Chad White, executive chef and co-owner of Sea Rocket Bistro in San Diego. Chef Chad White is dedicated to utilizing local, responsibly harvested seafood and works so closely with local fishermen that Sea Rocket Bistro was tapped to host the Meet your Fishermen Mixer & Dinner in November. The event celebrated two days of meetings with fishermen and groups from around the country learning from one another the best ways to promote local seafood. The North Park bistro provides a hip and environmentally conscious dining experience where patrons go to enjoy local, responsibly sourced, and creatively prepared seafood. At the end of the video, you’ll see the school of fish made from recycled packaging that proudly hangs from the ceiling at Sea Rocket Bistro Sea Rocket Bistro applies local, environmental stewardship throughout the restaurant, serving grass-fed California meats, Southern California produce, San Diego craft beers, California wine and even have this awesome school of fish hanging from the ceiling, all made from recycled packaging. Take a look at this video to learn how Chef Chad White chooses his sardines and how you can prepare a simple and nutritious, yet tasty sardine entrée at home.
