Soulful seasoning blends sourced from the world's best surf breaks
*I am a freak about handling and storing seafood as you will see in the following post. Respect the ocean.
Pelagic fish from the Gulf Stream and the bottom dwelling fish of offshore reefs, ledges, and wrecks all are prominent role in Cape Fear cuisine. Shellfish, crabs, and inshore fish from jetties, inlets, and marshes have a deep history in the areas food culture. They are all fun to catch and eat, here are some ways to fully enjoy the truly last “wild food source.”
To get to the Gulf Stream from my dock is about 60 miles out in the ocean, which involves lots of rigging, menu planning, and cooler packing. The opportunity to get in water that is warm year round, neon blue, and so full of life is never a bad time. Unless you forget the ballyhoo (bait), which has happened, or forgotten the food, which has almost happened, or the worst, forgotten the beer, which will never happen. Dolphin (mahi mahi if you are from the Hawaiian chain), wahoo, all kinds of tuna, and big marlin lurk in the depths of where the “blue water” is. So never turn down a trip to get offshore, but always respect the ocean and don’t take more than you can eat. And most importantly, don’t waste or abuse your catch. With a little effort you can keep fish, handled correctly, for at least a week.
Killing/Storing Fish
Preface- To ensure the BEST quality fish, google Ike Jime, the Japanese fish killing technique. Its hard core but produces the best tasting fish. And now back to the post…
For as long as I can remember, I thought bringing in a huge dolphin or grouper and let it bash around in a cooler until it dies was the only thing to killing a fish. But think about it, the meat is getting bruised and the fish is releasing stress into its flesh. As I pride myself in sourcing the best ingredients, why wouldn’t I take better care of something so precious? Here are some tips to ensure you are eating the best possible product.
For inshore fish such as flounder, speckled trout, and drum. As soon as possible put them in a dark live well (if they will fit, most of mine do). This relaxes the fish as well as the fish can purge itself to allow for better tasting meat. When fishing offshore, either trolling of bottom fishing, kill the fish as soon as possible with a swift blow to the head with a club. The more the fish bounces around in a cooler, the more bruising of the meat there is and that creates flesh that is mushy. The blood vessels are blown and creates trauma to the fish. Also, when landing a fish, try to gaff it in the head as not to damage the meat. If the fish is too big for an ice box (which doesn’t happen to me much) maybe take a picture instead of killing it. What’s the point of having an 80 lb wahoo sitting out in the sun all day? Ice is a must to maintain the quality of a fish. There is nothing cool about letting the fish sit out in the sun whether in a boat or on a beach. Running out of cooler space is a great problem to have, but if you do have one of those days, leave some for next time. Once your fish is gutted, it is best to store them in a “swimming position” with layers of ice. This way the flesh is not sitting I melted ice or getting bruised from the weight of the days catch. Also for fish such as tuna, mackerel, or blue fish, if you have the time to notch both ends of the fishes spine when caught. It will bleed out better to create a better tasting meat.
Cleaning-Once you get back to the dock, the same rules about ice apply. Keep your catch constantly on ice. Seafood sitting out at ambient temperature loses a days shelf life every 30 minutes of exposure. The next decision you need to make is how you want to break down your seafood. For raw preparations, how you cut the fish changes its texture and taste. Or is it to roast whole? Then all you need is to scale it or fillet so you can freeze it? See fish cleaning charts.
Storing in the Refrigerator- When I am going to cook my catch within a couple of days, I like to store my seafood first wrapped in a paper towel, then wrapped in lightly dampened konbu or kelp seaweed. This keeps the fish moist and lightly seasons it with flavors of the sea.
Freezing- The freezer is actually a good tool for dealing with seafood. Here are a few techniques to using the freezer properly.
-I always freeze whole fish and shrimp in salt water (from the ocean that is)
-I freeze fish fillets and steaks in a light coating of olive oil
-When using seafood in raw a preparation, I chill ingredient for twenty minutes in freezer to ensure it stays very cold while working with it
-To kill a live lobster, I put it in the freezer for two hours to sedate it. Then put a knife through its eyes
Prepping Your Catch (or the seafood markets)
Before you get to the grill or stove, check your seafood once more for pin bones, blood line, scales, or bruising and remove.
For fish fillets and steaks, I like to sprinkle a small amount of sea salt on the ingredient, wait a few minutes, and blot dry with paper towels. This makes the flesh a little firmer and removes some of the water content so it will sear or grill with out sticking and brown nicely.
The whole premise of creating Surf Salt was to compliment fresh fish. Maximum flavor and texture while crelebarting the beautiful flavor of the seafood underneath it, Cheers!
Hope this helps and remember…Keep only what you can eat!