Even more mackerel?

Thursday, December 1st, 2011 | posted by mike

I’m kind of proud of the fact that Monahan’s is the king of the flavorful fish in these parts. We’ve made many converts of the people that at one time wouldn’t consider any of the darker fleshed, oilier, fuller flavored fish such as bluefish, sardines or the beautiful, versatile, super healthful and delicious Atlantic Mackerel. These gorgeous little fish have had a bad rep through the years as a common, ” fishy” tasting fish that were only eaten by people that couldn’t afford more refined, light fleshed fish like the cods and the soles. For a fish that’s considered a ” bait fish” I’ll take the bait any day!

 This is a fish that has flavor that will stand up to anything that you throw at it; curries, capers, peppers, citrus, all kinds of Mediterranean, Asian and Middle Eastern treatments make the mackerel a lot of fun in the kitchen. We try to prepare a different mackerel dish in our house every week, not just because we love the flavor but because it is one of the healthiest of any food you could eat.

 Chock full of all the good stuff; loads of vitamins, minerals, protein, and the miracle omega-3 fatty acids that thin your blood, clean out your veins and arteries helping to lower cholesterol levels, raise HDL levels, lower LDL levels and help with everything from joint problems, depression, brain and eye function, to mention a few. It seems that new positive effects of omega-3′s pop up all the time. I can tell you from my own experience that after enjoying a nice mackerel meal, I always feel great! You can feel the goodness, a combination of energy, euphoria and contentment. Sounds a little flaky but I’m not kidding!

 Here’s another mackerel recipe for ya. Enjoy!

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Fresh Sardines: Healthy, Sustainable and Delicious!

Friday, June 24th, 2011 | posted by mike

Mention sardines and a lot of people think of the fishy little guys in the tins. Fresh sardines are a whole different ballgame.

I first experienced  them years ago while on vacation in Portugal. Lying on the beach in Lagos I noticed an amazing smell coming from behind a huge boulder. Following the plume, I came upon a young couple sitting next to an open fire with a large jug of red wine, a loaf of crusty bread and in a hinged grill basket sizzling over the fire was a mess of sardines! I waved to them and turned to leave them alone when, to my surprise and great fortune, the dude waved me over to join them! That, I have to say was one of the simplest, most amazing and delicious little meals I’ve ever had. I’m sure the people and the atmosphere had a lot to do with it but the sardine’s flavor was incredible. Salty, smokey, juicy, and rich with a fairly full flavor—but at the same time a delicate nuttiness to them.

Monahan's Seafood Market | Fresh Whole SardinesThere are several fish that are marketed as “sardines” in the world. Most are herring relatives like Pilchard, Shad, Brisling, Sprat and other fish in the clupeidae family. We sell mainly Mediterranean from Portugal or Greece, but on occasion we get nice fish from northern California.

Besides the  flavor, ritual and romance of eating sardines, these little fish have a lot of other good things going for them. One thing is that they are super good for you. Packed with essential Omega 3 fatty acids, high in protein, calcium and tons of other minerals and vitamins—sardines are great for your heart, your head, your joints and your overall well being. Because these young fish are so small, low on the food chain and live mainly on plankton they are very low in contaminates such as PCBs and metals. Another plus is there are lots of them out there. Sardines reproduce several times a year and there’s a big sustainable bio-mass of them that are less prone to overfishing than most other species.

Healthful, sustainable and pure. Another one of nature’s wild perfect foods. Here’s a recipe for pan fried and here’s one for grilling.

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Mackerel: "The Perfect Fish!"

Friday, January 21st, 2011 | posted by mike

I’ve always called Atlantic  Mackerel a true “fish lovers” fish because it has dark flesh with lots of fat and flavor that many shy away from. Mackerel has an undeserved bad reputation as a greasy, strong, “fishy-tasting” fish, but to me its the perfect fish in every way.

Flavorful
Good fresh mackerel has full flavor but a nice sweetness to it. I love it’s taste and richness that holds up to almost any bold and flavorful preparation. Mackerel is great with acidic sauces with citrus, tomatoes or capers. It’s perfect for teriyaki with scallions. Curry and mackerel is a great taste. Blackened, broiled with smoked Spanish paprika, miso marinated, pickled for sushi (shime Saba), baked with Swedish mustard dill sauce or chipotle pepper sauce? You name it! It’s bold flavor makes it a great fish to simply bake, broil, steam, pan sear or grill with nothing but a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper.
Healthful
Another great thing about mackerel is that it’s one of the most pure (low in mercury, PCBs and other contaminates) and healthful fish in the sea. Full of omega 3 fatty acids,which helps reduce fat in your arteries and lower cholsesterol, boost brain development,l essen the risk of depression and asthma, to name a few. It’s also high in minerals, vitamin B-12, vitamin D and selenium. Purity and goodness, the perfect health food.
Sustainable
Our north Atlantic mackerel stocks are plentiful and sustainable. At the end of the 19th century, the demand for canned mackerel put alot of pressure on the stocks to the point of overfishing. Conservation measures and the enactment of the 200 mile helped bring stocks back to a healthy level. Fishing methods in our north Atlantic for mackerel are very Eco-friendly. Low-impact gear like midwater trawls that target these fish don’t do any damage to the sea floor.

Affordable
You would think that a fish with so much going for it might be a bit pricy but because mackerel are plentiful and not that popular in the U.S. (yet), they are one of the best priced values available. Flavor, versatile with endless recipe possibilities, sustainable, super-healthful and inexpensive—Mackerel IS the perfect fish.

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For a Healthful 2013: Eat More Fish!

Friday, January 7th, 2011 | posted by mike

It’s a new year and many of us are thinking about lightening up and changing our eating habits for the better. Old habits die hard. The bad choices we’ve all made over the years aren’t that easy to change. We all know that fish and shellfish are the healthiest of choices—full of protein, essential vitamins, minerals and those incredible Omega 3 fatty acids. Fish is naturally low in calories…its fat is the “good” polyunsaturated fat and we know we would be doing our minds and bodies a big favor to eat more of it.

Fish en Papillote

Bernie making a papillote at the Market

 

One problem for a lot of folks is that they just weren’t raised eating lots of fish, or worse, they had nothing but less-than-fresh fish. Lots of Catholics out there remember dreading Friday, when the whole neighborhood stunk. For many, fish was a duty instead of a pleasure.

Well, I’m here to say that truly fresh fish doesn’t stink and should have nothing but a sweet smell of the sea. Simply prepared can be the most healthful and delightful of any food choice out there. You won’t find a more varied, seasonal, ever-changing, interesting, healthful…and most delicious choice.

Over the years I’ve seen a lot of fish haters become fish lovers simply by being exposed to truly fresh fish with simple recipes. I’ve converted several of my kids’ friends by simply letting them try the good stuff.

Steaming is one great and healthful method that retains all the moisture, flavor and goodness using little or no fat. Fish can be steamed in a steamer, in parchment paper (en papillote) or even in tin foil. Who needs the fat for flavor? Vegetables, herbs & spices are all you need…this week’s recipe for Cod en Papillote is a good example, but be sure to ask for any other number of suggestions when you visit us at the fish market. We’ll even include some sheets of parchment for you!

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Cod en Papillote

Friday, January 7th, 2011 | posted by wendy

fish in parchmentIf you love a healthy, simple dish with the easiest clean-up ever, try cooking some fish en papillote (in parchment paper). You can cook using this method with just about any combination of fish, vegetables or rice, herbs & spices or condiment you like. The possibilities are endless! Just ask for suggestions at the fish market counter.

1 piece of parchment paper approximately 12″x16″
1–8 oz skinless cod fillet
1 T scallions
2 t fresh thyme (1/2 t if you use dried thyme)
2 t sundried tomatoes (finely chopped)
2 T fresh tomatoes (coursely chopped)
1 cup fresh spinach
optional: 8 Maine Shrimp (peeled)

Preheat oven to 375°.

Fold parchment paper in half, then open on work surface. Drizzle a tiny bit of oil (or use a bit of cooking spray) on the parchment paper. Arrange spinach, cod fillet on half of the parchment, then combine remaining ingredients and top the fish, placing the peeled Maine Shrimp on top. Fold the other half of the parchment over the top (as though you are closing a book) and crimp the outer edges of the parchment to seal the fish and other ingredients in the parchment. Make sure to leave enough air in the packet for the dish to steam in the oven. When we make fish en papillote at the market, we crimp the edges twice, just to make sure there is a tight seal and so the steam won’t escape.

Place the parchment-wrapped packet on a baking sheet and put in the preheated oven for 13 minutes. Remove to a plate and open the steaming parchment for a wonderful and healthful dish.

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Nobu Matsuhisa's Black Cod with Miso

Friday, April 9th, 2010 | posted by wendy

This wonderful fish dish, which has been copied at restaurants all over the U.S. is easy to make but somewhat time-consuming—as Nobu Matsuhisa recommends marinating the fish fillets in the sake-miso marinade for 2 to 3 days. If you don’t have the time or are feeling a bit more spontaneous, you can also just let the fish marinate overnight in just enough sake and miso to coat it. You can also call the market to ask whether we have any prepared (it’s something we try to have available most weekends, so we can do the marinating for you!)

3 tablespoons mirin
3 tablespoons sake
1/2 cup white miso paste
1/3 cup sugar
Six 6-7 oz. skinless black cod fillets
Vegetable oil
Pickled ginger (gari), for serving

In a small saucepan, bring the mirin and sake to a boil. Whisk in the miso until dissolved. Add the sugar and cook over moderate heat, whisking, just until dissolved. Transfer the marinade to a large baking dish and let cool. Add the fish and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or better yet, for a few days).

Preheat the oven to 400°. Heat a grill pan or a cast iron skillet and oil it. Scrape the marinade off the fish. Add the fish and cook over high heat until browned, about 2 minutes. Flip the fish onto a heavy rimmed baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes, until flaky. Transfer to plates and serve with pickled ginger.

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Eat More Fish— the ULTIMATE health food!

Thursday, April 8th, 2010 | posted by mike

Many studies through the years have shown that fish and shellfish have amazing nutritional benefits. Besides the fact that fish is high in protein, full of vitamins and minerals (like vitamin D, riboflavin B2, calcium, phosphorous, zinc, iron, iodine, magnesium, potassium and selenium) seafood contains the wonder fatty acids Omega 3s.

Around the time we opened the market in 1979, research studies by Danish investigators Dyerberg and Bang associated health benefits with the native diets of Greenland Eskimos. The health benefits of this regional diet came as a surprise for most researchers and clearly contradicted all the nutritional recommendations of the day. Greenland Eskimos commonly consumed 1 lb. of seal and whale meat daily—a relatively fatty diet. Despite the unusual pattern of eating, Greenland natives experienced less heart disease, cancer and diabetes. It was because of their high Omega 3 consumption from fish.

As research continued other great benefits were discovered. We now know that Omega 3s also are linked to lower risk of stroke, depression, high blood pressure, arthritis, mental decline with age and more. It seems that new benefits are discovered every year and the beauty is that these benefits can occur with as little as two fish meals per week.

All fresh water, ocean and shellfish contain some levels of Omega 3s, but the highest levels occur in the colder water, fattier species. The best are Salmon (especially wild king and silver salmon), mackerel, herring, sardines, bluefish, black cod, escolar, to name a few. I always knew there must be a reason that I’ve always felt so good after a nice fish dinner! Isn’t it great that the world’s most interesting, delicious, versatile, season and ever-changing food can also help us live healthier lives.

At Monahan’s we have lots of recipes for many of the high Omega 3 species, Here’s one that Nobu Matsuhisa has made famous in the U.S. This sweet and silky fish dish is easy, but needs a bit of planning as it requires at least 24 hours of marinating. Good news—we also can do the marinating for you…call to order and check for availability!

Recipe: Nobu Matsuhisa’s Black Cod with Miso

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