Three Chefs Share Their Seafood Secrets

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seafood-secrets

The Chase and The Chase Fish & Oyster Bar, Toronto

“Farming is the way of the future for fish and seafood,” says Michael Steh, executive chef of The Chase and The Chase Fish & Oyster Bar in Toronto. “But, it has to be done properly. It’s like cattle; when people get greedy it goes wrong.” Steh uses only sustainably harvested seafood and fish; he even visits the coasts to connect directly with his suppliers.

They get shipments twice a day, he says so “it’s 24 hours out of the water when it reaches us. We go through $10,000 to $12,000 of seafood weekly. If it’s in season, you’ll find it on our menu.” While the dishes seem simple, creative presentation seems to be this chef’s forte. Raw halibut comes beautifully presented in tomato water under a half dome, with ginger, habanero salsa and sea asparagus ($21). Spectacular avocado rolls stuffed with shrimp and sweet corn are a dramatic signature dish ($19). With so much seafood, ensuring the right mix is critical so that everything is used up and nothing runs out. “We try to create a menu of rock stars,” says Steh. “So, we never throw product away.”

CatchOysterBar-ButterPoachedLobsterCatch & The Oyster Bar, Calgary

Every one of the 75 or so seafood items on the menu at Catch & The Oyster Bar in Calgary is Ocean Wise-approved, a fact that executive chef Kyle Groves relates with pride. While he uses local suppliers such as Albion Seafoods, Groves has visited fishermen and suppliers in Vancouver, and, through them, much of the seafood he serves is flown in daily from the coast to ensure maximum freshness. “The challenge,” he says, “is to find seafood with enough research done on it to ensure it’s sustainable.” He and his staff like to get creative. “Because it’s a large restaurant, we have a brigade of chefs here, and we’re constantly bouncing ideas around,” he says. “Some haven’t worked out and some have raised eyebrows, but most have proven very successful.” A recent eyebrow raiser was a pairing of cured Arctic char with foie-gras torchon. The crisp skin of the fish, with the silkiness of the foie gras, gets a sweet fillip from Reisling poached grapes ($38).

Fusion Grill, Winnipeg

Scot McTaggert calls himself “a seafood fanatic.” The owner of Fusion Grill in Winnipeg wants only the freshest fish, and, although that’s a challenge in a landlocked province, he’s succeeded in his quest by forging alliances with local fishermen and farmers. Ridgeland, a local Hutterite community, sustainably farms Arctic char, which is delivered to the restaurant hours after it is harvested. McTaggert obtained a licence to buy Northern pike and pickerel out of Manitoba lakes directly from the fishermen.

“I want to capture that freshness within hours — rather than days,” he insists. “We’ve been lucky to find people who share that vision.” Chef Lorna Murdoch looks for unusual ways to prepare and present the fish. For example, she gives Arctic char a unique flavour — and colour — by “staining” it with beet juice, then cooking it skin-side down in the oven. The dish is served with baby potatoes, crème fraiche, Northern Pike caviar, micro greens and Iceberg vodka martini vinaigrette ($32.95). And, she uses a hand smoker to infuse a light, smoky flavour to pickerel. “The fish is commonplace, so the aim is to intrigue the guests,” she says.

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