Regal Springs Tilapia Blog

Found this article at Seafood.com News, and really enjoyed it.  It’s a good challenge for those of us living in a culture of waste, and it’s a good example of why we as a company have no waste: all our “waste” is sold in local markets or re-used for other products.

A lot more to fish than just fillets SEAFOOD.COM NEWS [Wilmington Star] by Robby Nelms – July 14, 2011  ‘Waste not, want not.” It’s the decree of mothers who want picky children to clean their plates, or dads who insist on shaking the last bit of ketchup from the bottle. As common as such instances are, some studies say that as much as one-third or even 40 percent of our food ends up in the garbage. Not only is that bad for our wallets, but it means that resources are wasted. Take the fish market, for example. Most people just want the fish filets or the pre-peeled shrimp, but what about the rest of animal? With fish bones for stock, grouper cheeks for grilling, shad roe for a Southern treat, salmon skin for sushi and shrimp shells for stock and breading, there’s no reason these items should go to waste. Since man took hook and line to sea, fishermen, their merchants and subsequent chefs have kept the best parts for themselves. When a whole fish was reeled in, the best parts rarely made it off the boat or out of the restaurant kitchen. With more commercial fishing, there are more of these parts available, but fish merchants still rarely sell these little-known cuts. “When we get in snowy grouper, it’s a pretty large fish, around 30 pounds,” said Chris Hunt, manager of Greenville Loop Seafood. “We’ll just pull off the big slab of cheek meat and grill it for ourselves.” The word waste isn’t in Hunt’s vocabulary. “(Greenville Loop Seafood) owner, Jeff Scott, instilled in me to never waste anything,” Hunt said. “We even make ‘grouper wings.’ We cut off the bottom fins with the skin still on. Then, we grill them while basting them in barbecue sauce. The meat around the fins is sweet like crab.” In addition to the “wings,” Hunt is a roe fanatic. “I like making shad and mullet roe cakes It’s just the roe, flour, salt and an egg. Then you just fry them in a pan,” he said. One way to experience underused items without breaking a sweat in the kitchen is to head to Genki Sushi. For 12 years, Masayuki Sugiura has been dazzling the Port City with his sushi creations and daily dedication to his craft. On the menu when Sugiura has fresh yellow tail is his famous Burikama. It’s the fried jaw-bone of the fish. While this sweet and delicate dish isn’t always available (call ahead to check), the salmon skin roll is a constant. “Many people throw the skin away, but it’s very tasty,” Sugiura said. He simply removes the skin from the salmon and grills it in a pizza toaster until crispy. This is easily done at home in the oven. Once crisp, the skin is like a salmon-packed potato chip. He will even crush up the crispy skin and top salads with it for added flavor. Eel sauce, a topping for many of Sugiura’s creations, is a perfect example of utilizing all parts of a creature. Every bit of the eel is simmered down for three to four hours until it’s dark, sweet and rich. Many chefs simply purchase this ingredient, instead of taking the time to make it. But, as Sugirua sees it, if he’s serving eel, he must use it all. While Sugiura puts many of his unconventional cuts on the menu, he saves some of his creations for himself. A favorite treat for this chef is the head and collar of most any fish, which he slowly cooks in mirin, soy sauce, sake and ginger until tender. Sugiura also sups on monkfish liver, which he’s coined “the fois gras of the sea,” but this is only shared with friends and more adventurous customers. At home, the easiest to cook of the uncustomary cuts is the prized cheek meat of most any fish; season it with salt and pepper and then lightly grill or sautée it. After enjoying the meat, the head and the bones can be covered in cool water and simmered with onions, carrots and celery for around an hour to make a great fish stock for soups or sauces. As for fresh shrimp, some say they actually taste best with their heads and shells on. To preserve flavor, shrimp should be cooked whole and then peeled after cooking. But if broth is what you’re after, the raw heads and shells can be cooked just like fish stock; it will make an orange stock brimming with shrimpy goodness. Make sure this stock simmers no longer than 45 minutes, though, or the broth will be extremely overpowering. If fried shrimp is what you’re looking for, then peel raw, but reuse the shrimp’s original casing – its shell. Simply place the shells on a baking tray and roast at 275 degrees until orange, dry and crispy. Put cooled shells into a food processor and whiz until powdery. Mix with breading at about a 3:1 breading to shell ratio. Bread and fry. These gems will come out crispy and tasting like no other shrimp you’ve had. “In Colonial times, Americans ate everything and nothing was wasted,” Sugiura said. “People have gotten away from that. When we eat, we are eating the life of that plant or animal. We have to kill it to eat it, so it is disrespectful to not eat or use all of it that we can. Nothing should ever go to waste.” Michael Ramsingh Seafood.com News 1-732-240-5330 Email comments to michaelramsingh@seafood.com