Wolf of the Sea

Loup de Mer is French for “wolf of the sea”. It’s a perfect title for a predatory fish that feeds at any time day or night. Loup de Mer hunt small fish, shrimp, and crab, and its avid search for food leads it through a wide range of habitat including lagoons, estuaries and the open ocean. Loup de Mer is a species of sea bass and can grow up to three feet long, reaching a top weight of about twenty-five pounds.

Over the past few years, Loup de Mer has become a very popular item in upscale restaurants. It is an absolutely delicious fish that is moderately firm with a subtle but slightly sweet flavor. It is fantastic when cooked on the bone. Served raw it makes top-notch sashimi.

Though something of a novelty here in the United States, Loup de Mer has been enjoyed by cultures across the Mediterranean for centuries. In Turkey it is a familiar sight on the table, known there as “Levrek”. It is called “Lavraki” in Greece, “Branzino” in Italy, and “Lubina” in Spanish. It is only recently, however, that sustainable fisheries have made the Loup de Mer easily and readily available.

The ancient Romans were die-hard aficionados of this tasty sea bass. The poet Martial, when musing on all the great luxuries of life, included Loup de Mer in a list alongside perfumes, jewels, and silks.

This unique fish can actually take credit for some of the earliest known examples of aquaculture in human history. Both Loup de Mer and eels were so highly valued by the ancient Romans that aristocrats spent tremendous amounts of money building “piscinae” or fish ponds. The technology of these early tanks and ponds soon advanced to the point where they contained controls regulating both the flow of water and its salinity. Roman fish farmers were able to induce Loup de Mer to spawn in captivity, thus producing successive generations of this highly valued fish and allowing Romans to enjoy the delicacy year round.

Like just about everything else with the Romans, these fish farms were eventually taken to ostentatious and outrageous extremes. The aristocracy spent vast fortunes constructing tanks and pools. Aquaculture became a status symbol. Grand pavilions were built from which to view the fish farms. Some came to regard their fish as pets. For some reasons the Romans seemed to have identified on a personal level with their eels more than with their Loup de Mer. The mother of one emperor is reported to have a pet lamprey on which she hung golden earrings. Another is said to have declared a period of mourning when one of his prize eels turned up dead in the pool.

Although they didn’t bond with their sea bass the way they did with their eels, Romans still valued their Loup de Mer very highly. At banquets, guests used to discuss slight variations in the flavor of their Loup de Mer, the way we do with wines today. Loup de Mer was celebrated with elaborate depictions in mosaics. Preserved bones of the fish have even turned up in sites like Pompeii.

Crab and Truffle Salad

Serves 4 as a first course

Mustard Vinaigrette:

• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 6 to 8 tablespoons mild vegetable oil
• 1 to 2 ounces truffles
• 3/4 pound fresh cooked crab meat
• 1 pound asparagus, or 2 pounds broccoli cut into florets
• 1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges

To make the dressing, combine the mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add the oil and mix well. Add more mustard, salt, and pepper to your taste.

Place thin truffle slices between chunks of crab on individual salad plates. Arrange the asparagus or broccoli on each plate. Pour the dressing over and garnish with lemon wedges.

--John and Pat Rawlinson

Famed Winter Truffles Available in Summer

Italian composer Rossini once said: “I have wept three times in my life. Once when my first opera failed. Once again the first time I heard Paganini play the violin. And once when a truffled turkey fell overboard at a boating picnic."

Truffled turkey was a much sought after dish in Rossini’s time. We usually prefer them with scallops or lobster, or stirred into a butter buerre-blanc and ladled over halibut or sole.

The truffle is a form of fungi which grows through a symbiotic relationship with tree roots. Most commonly truffles are found growing in the roots of beech, poplar, birch or oak. They feed on sugars released by the roots systems of these trees, and in return help the roots to better absorb water and nutrient from the soil.

The size of a truffle ranges roughly from that of a pea to that of a potato, with the larger ones being considered the most valuable. To harvest them requires the use of specially trained dogs (and sometimes pigs) who sniff them out from underneath the leaf litter and shallow soil where they lie hidden.

We are very lucky to have Winter Truffles available during the upcoming months. The Winter Truffle is superior in quality to that of the summer variety. Ours are shipped in overnight-express from Western Australia; and it is only thanks to the fact that it is now winter in the southern hemisphere that we can enjoy access to this renowned delicacy!

The cool, rainy climate of Western Australia is ideal for the cultivation of the Black Winter Truffle. The ones that we will have available over the course the next season are the exact same species of truffle and are of the same premiere quality as those from the famed region of Perigord, France.

Most foodies have at one time or another experimented with truffle oil. However, this product, which one can find commonly in gourmet stores and supermarkets, is simply olive oil flavored with synthetic chemicals and does not actually contain any of the prized fungi.

A fresh truffle is something that the aspiring cook should try at least once. When you cut into one a distinctive scent will fill the kitchen. It’s an expansive, earthy and slightly musky fragrance. Many chefs like to store common ingredients like rice or eggs or potato in a closed container with fresh sliced truffles for a few days and simply allow the flavor of the delicacy to infuse into that of the rice, eggs, or potato.

It is absolutely necessary to use truffles when they are fresh since the flavor and fragrance of this delicacy will dissipate over time.

Truffles wonderfully complement seafood and give a cook a lot of room for creativity. Try them with Chillean Seabass, Crabmeat, Trout, and Scallops. Black Truffles can be eaten raw or cooked. Just a few shavings can make a dish dazzle!

We will have shipments of this remarkable ingredient arriving at Kanaloa every Thursday. They are portioned in one ounce increments and will be available for purchase at $100 per ounce. Please note that we will need orders to be placed at least one week in advance.

Also keep in mind that we can over-night our prized truffles anywhere in the U.S. They make the perfect gift for that die-hard foodie who lives out-of-state!

If you are looking for Truffles or any other out-of-the ordinary seafood item or ingredient sure to ask our staff about our “Fish Wish List”!

Local White Sea Bass, The Prime Rib of the Ocean

Just in time for the Grilling Season, the ocean’s own version of prime rib is now available. Local White Sea bass is a meaty fish with large flakes and a fine texture. The species comes from a sustainable, well-managed stock right off the coast of California. For a beautiful, hypnotic video of schools of sea bass swimming through our off-shore kelp forests, enjoy this link www.whiteseabass.com

Local White Sea Bass has been given a “best choice” rating from the Monterey Aquarium. The population, which was once low due to over-fishing, has been brought back to healthy, sustainable levels thanks to the efforts of state run hatcheries and a rigorously enforced quota system.

Local fishermen consider this to be one of the best-eating fish from the sea - certainly one of the tastiest from off the coast of California. It is ideal for outdoor cooking, but is also delicious pan-seared or broiled. This fish serves as a great substitute in recipes calling for swordfish, tuna, or shark.

The White Seabass is a gun-metal silver color, and has white flesh with a dark red muscle running through its center line. A member of the drum family, the fish makes a loud clicking noise when threatened or distressed. It also uses this sound as radar when hunting its prey.

Native Americans along the coast of California greatly prized the White Sea Bass, so much so that they used to use its ear bones as currency!

Don’t miss the opportunity to try this delicious, versatile fish. The season begins in June. We will have fillets available throughout the summer and into the fall. Be sure to try Local White Sea Bass the next time you plan to grill. You won’t be disappointed!

Grilling Tips

• ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, DRY YOUR FISH! Place 2-3 paper towels on a plate, lay your fish on the towels, and pat dry both sides until there is NO moisture on the surface of the fish. Repeat as necessary!
• Lightly oil your fish with a neutral-flavor cooking oil that has a high smoke point. (Grape seed oil is Kevin’s favorite, but you can also use canola oil, or rice oil)
• Avoid Olive Oil at all costs! It has a very low smoke point, and when it gets too hot it will actually add a bitter olive flavor to your fish!
• Season fish evenly with salt and pepper on both sides!
• Make sure your grill is very clean. A light coating of oil on the grates will help reduce "stickage".
• Be sure the grill is hot before placing fish on the grates. When you place your fish on the grill it should sizzle, if there is no sizzle remove fish and wait for your grill to get hotter!
• Baste or brush fish with lemon and butter (or any other marinade) while it is cooking.
• Admire the sizzle and smoke of your hot grill!
• Turn the fish only once. Resist the urge to flip repeatedly. When turning your fish (for the one and only time) place it on a new section of grill. That way you have a sizzle again!
• Use a wide flat spatula to handle your fish. Avoid tongs, leave those for hot dogs!
• As a general rule, cook fish for a total of about eight minutes per inch of thickness (Use less time for med-rare fish!)!

And finally, enjoy your delicious meal with friends and family!

Q & A: Kevin King on Sautéeing Halibut

The simplest way to enjoy the fresh halibut is to pan roast or sauté it.

Necessary Items:

The first step in to creating a restaurant quality dish is to start with restaurant quality ingredients. The fish is the easy step, the next is to have a quality high-heat cooking oil (such as a grape seed oil, or rice oil). These oils contain zero trans-fat and no cholesterol, but won't start to smoke until they reach higher temperatures than average oils. If you use grape seed or rice oil, your pan will get hot enough to put a good sear on the fish, without any worries over bitter flavor from burnt oil.

Kanaloa recommends Salute Santé oil (available for purchase at our store), which we offer in lemon, chili, and straight grapeseed oil for you to enjoy with your halibut.

Make sure you have a good, heavy-bottomed steel pan in which to sear your fish in.

After you have these very important pieces, you will now need 2 more important ingredients, kosher salt, and cracked pepper, white or black works fine.

Preparation:

When you get your fish home, take it out of the bag, and place it belly side down on a thin layer of paper towels to dry off. The dryer the fish the better the sear. If you leave moisture on your fish, the halibut will just steam in the pan and not have a very good texture. So dry it well!

After your fish is dry, pre-heat your pan over med-high heat, 4-6 minutes. Add about 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan. When you add the oil it should move around your pan quickly, reacting like water. If it sits in the middle in a slow moving puddle, your pan is not hot enough yet. Wait until the oil moves quickly around the bottom of the pan.

After your pan and oil are hot and your fish is dry, season both sides of the dry fish evenly with salt and pepper. Pull the pan off the direct heat, and gently add the fish (belly side down) to the pan. Place the pan back over the burner at med-high heat, and do not touch the fish! Wait at least 2 minutes before moving your fish to the oven. (If all of the above steps are followed properly, the halibut will not stick to the pan.) Place the fish in the oven at around 350 degrees for 2-4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the halibut. After 2-4 minutes, remove the fish from the oven and check your sear. You want a nice deep golden brown crust on the entire side of the fish before you flip it over. Once you flip the fish over, remove the pan from heat and add about 1 tablespoon of cold butter to the pan. Gently "baste" the fish for 3-4 minutes. The residual heat from the hot pan will help cook the second side of the halibut, while the butter will gently flavor the entire piece of fish. After basting, remove the fish from the pan and serve immediately.

Wild Alaskan Halibut

As the saying goes "No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow." And nowhere is that more true than at Kanaloa Seafood Market. We had a great winter, and with spring fast approaching it's time to look forward to a new season of seafood and more great reasons to come see what we have to offer. Just as the frost disappears around us, so does the defrosted Alaskan halibut, because March marks the opening of the wild Alaskan Halibut season, and Kanaloa works with first receivers to ensure you get the freshest product as soon as it hits the market. Stay tuned for updates through our posts, both here on our blog, and on twitter.

Fun Facts and Information:

• Eating/Cooking: 3.5oz. serving- 130 calories, 22g. protein, 3g. fat. Versatile fish, great baking, broiling, grilling, and kebabs...sears well, doesn't overcook easily.
• Catch: hook & line, quota based system for sustainability, MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) certified
• Diet: halibut feed on salmon, flounder, octopus, pollock, and cod. These eating habits make halibut a very sweet and succulent fish.