There is no actual organic label for seafood as of yet but you can make informed seafood purchases with the help of Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program. For the past ten years, Seafood Watch has been a trusted consumer sources regarding sustainable seafood options.
According to Seafood Watch, “70% of the world’s fisheries are either in decline or are already fished at their capacity. Many fish species contain high amounts of toxins like mercury and PCBs.” Seafood Watch offers you choices that make choosing seafood a lot easier through various sustainable recipes, pocket guides (that are regional), and their Super Green List.
In order to highlight sustainable seafood choices in a more user-friendly way for consumers, Seafood Watch is now offering delicious, environmentally-friendly seafood recipes by some of the nation’s leading chefs, including Rick Moonen (celebrity chef, restaurateur, and author) and Alex Guarnaschelli (chef of Butter Restaurant in New York City and host of the new Food Network show “Alex’s Day Off”).
January’s recipe is Grilled Oysters with Wasabi and Miso, from David Anderson, executive chef of the Portola Restaurant at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The recipe of course includes farmed oysters, which happen to be one of the Seafood Watch “Best Green Choices” and are available year-round and can be served raw, smoked, canned or frozen. Additionally, oysters are a healthy food choice – packed with Omega-3s.
Sustainable Grilled Oysters with Wasabi and Miso (Serves 4)
- 24 farm-raised oysters
- 2 cups prepared miso soup
- 1 package powdered gelatin
- 1 cup crème fraÎche (sour cream can be substituted) – NOTE I’d use organic sour cream!
- 2 tablespoons wasabi paste
How to create this dish…
- Scrub each oyster under cold water with a brush. Discard any raw oysters that are open due to safety issues.
- Place the oysters on a hot grill for 5-10 minutes or until you see steam or bubbles coming from the oysters. (This step can also be done in a 500-degree oven.)
- Remove oysters from the grill and allow to cool in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
- Pour the miso soup through a strainer.
- Sprinkle the gelatin over ¼ cup of the cold miso soup and allow to set for 5-10 minutes.
- Bring the remaining miso soup to a slow simmer and add the gelatin mixture, stirring to dissolve. Pour into a shallow bowl and chill in the refrigerator until set (about 30 minutes).
- Whip the crème fraÎche until it’s thick like whipped cream, then add the wasabi to taste, stirring to combine.
- Open the chilled oysters with an oyster shucker or a blunt table knife by prying them at the hinge. Discard the top shell.
- Roughly chop the miso gel with the tines of a fork to forms “crystals” (or chop into small pieces) and divide among the oysters. Top with a small amount of the wasabi crème fraîche and serve immediately.
Anderson recommends serving the oysters in their shells for a beautiful, natural presentation, or in shooter glasses for an edgier look.
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Other recipes currently on the Web site include Chef Rick Moonen’s chicken-fried catfish with green tartar sauce, Asian Slaw and Chef Alex Guarnaschelli’s baked clams with bacon and more. You can sign up to receive the new recipes each month as well.
Learn more about making eco-friendly seafood choices by reading how to choose eco-friendly seafood or by visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program.
[Recipe and image courtesy of Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program]
Post from: Blisstree