Fish Fridays

Many of us are forgoing red meats today. Many will be making choices of to fish or not to fish. In actuality fish is a great meal anytime, but we must be cognisant of what we are buying and eating. Many run to the stand buy fish stick or even the breaded fish fillet with a side of tartar sauce. I know that many are fearful of trying to cook fish if it is not the breaded variety that we throw in the oven on a sheet pan. There are many ways to cook fish; pan fry, poach, grill. smoke, bake, or broil, the list goes on. Today is a good day to head over to your fishmonger, butcher, or supermarket and try something new. Ask your fish provider questions about the variety and flavor profile of the different fishes they offer. If they wont answer your questions, have great tips or have a good variety of fish, head to another store. A store who doesn't care about these things probably wont care about the quality or the sustainability of the product they are selling either.
Try new ways of cooking you have never tried and you will discover new flavors in the same piece of fish. Also feel good about the fish that you are eating by supporting sustainability by only buying fish that is not being over fished and taken and transported in a safe and fresh manner. An easy to access and free app available on your smart phones is Seafood Watch or you could go to; www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx This site or app provides a great resource for what fish are optimal and also proves some great recipes. The best thing about it, it is free.
Seafood and shellfish are also another great alternative to red meats. You can add clams or shrimp to your favorite pasta or boil some crab, crayfish, shrimp, corn, baby red potatoes with some spices (try a crab boil spice bag, available at most grocery stores) tonight for a Low Country Boil. Maybe some clam chowder or shrimp and grits is calling you more if you live in an area that is still in the grip of winter.
My suggestion for today (since I love to BBQ) is Cedar Plank Salmon;

• One 2-3 pound Salmon fillet, make sure you buy sustainable Salmon that is fresh
• a cedar plank that will allow at least 2 inches around the fillet, cedar planks are now available at most stores. look in the BBQ section (i.e..where the charcoal and grill accessories are)
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons of your oil of choice
• 1 teaspoon of each paprika, granulated garlic, paprika, ground pepper, and dill. mix together well. 
• Soak your cedar planks in water for minimum of one hour. 
• Preheat your charcoal or gas grill to medium.Place the cedar plank on the grill grate for 5 minutes. In the meantime, combine brown sugar and spice rub and place one side of your fillet.
• Place the prepared salmon onto the cedar plank, skin side down.
• Smoke or grill for about 25-30 minutes, or until salmon turns light in color and is firm and  flaky
• Using a smoke box in your gas grill or adding wood chunks or chips to your charcoal adds an incredible flavor as an extra kicker.                                                                                                   

HAPPY FRIDAY!!! Remember to keep it REAL, keep it fresh, and keep it sustainable!

If you need ideas or have questions feel free to ask!