Putting sustainable food on our menus

Hello Chefs

As we are all aware sustainability is soon becoming a byword within the world at large and most definitely within our industry. It therefore becomes more & more relevant for all of us to be able to provide a more sustainable offering on our menus and particularly so the seafood we use.

As marine resources are being depleted worldwide and the wrong kind of seafood is still being exploited by the callous and uncaring, I think we chefs can lead the way by exploring into the realms of much that is available at our very own doorsteps and that which is totally sustainable and can still offer vast resources.

Sadly some of the very good fish are not regarded as apt for menus and also that the public in general has been pampered over the years of being fed selective breeds of fish and seafood and they have in turn been spoilt for choice, leading to the poor use of actually sustainable seafood and in return depleting those which do not reproduce as effectively to keep feeding mans ever growing desire for more seafood to be put on offer.

However what often tends to happen is that we fail to see what is closest to shore and do not recognise the quality of species that are actually fabulous to eat and full of flavour and taste as well as perhaps most often delicacies elsewhere, but above all cheaper and more affordable on menus due to both higher availability as well as the sustainable factor.

I can name several such species but lets look just at pike and perch for instance. Regarded highly in Europe both these fish have poor public presence in Britain. Forget about my homeland India……….We will eat virtually everything the seas & rivers deliver, but here in Britain we have to or are sometimes forced to do what the demand from our diners demands!

Perhaps we can alter that, by showcasing more of what is British and what is also great taste and quality matched with the perfect price to suit. An example of this is the Mutton Renaissance Campaign, Mutton has now moved back up the food chain as something to be desired and the knock on effect is that several farmers are now getting proper value for their efforts and reconsidering in many regions their desire to often give up their family profession. Chefs led that drive and chefs made the difference felt I am proud to say. Seafood can surely be given that backing from us all and we can make that difference too to the public at large.

This no doubt brings me to something that few of us know about but quite honestly more of us should know of and experience for themselves and thereafter for their customers. I would like to introduce you all to Stuart Wilson of Trossachs Country Foods in Bonnie Scotland, based on the shores of Loch Lomond

Stuart Wilson has been involved in the nurturing of fish all his working life. He started this as a hobby by supplying fresh water fish to friends & has since blossomed it into a career. ( I might add here a bit of an obsession too really)

Stuart, now supplies chefs with a personal catch of the ever increasing demand for niche fresh water fish species. Stuart’s firm Trossach Country Foods is devoted to supplying distinguished eateries (or so he believes! he also supplies me, which means he could not be far removed from the truth really) with what he believes is exclusive produce. His ethos is to strive to be unique in his product range, providing Scottish fare whenever possible, as well as sourcing local and line/netted caught fish, for the very best fine dining establishments throughout Great Britain.

He has build up a steady list of top British Chefs and supplies the likes of Chef Andrew Fairlie, Martin Wishart, Albert roux of Chez Roux, Darren Harrison of Rossdhu house at Loch Lomond golf club, Steve MacCallum of Cromlix house, Chris McCall of Livingstons, Frederic Berkmiller of L escargot bleu restaurant and Nigel Haworth to name a few whom he refers to as ‘discerning top chefs throughout Scotland’ and England in his very typical style to impress lay people like me.

What I have personally sourced and used from Stuart are two fish primarily, The Arctic Charr & line caught wild Pike fresh and hot smoked. Stuart is an authority on Charr and tells me that nearly 300 species exist in Britain alone. WOW! did I know, no of course not. My first ever use of Arctic came by way of imported fish from Lithuania, quite good, but not nearly half as good as those from Stuart, for one these are totally fresh and the meat is just perfect for any form of cooking. Chunky, Perfect flaking and adaptable to the whims of chefs.

Here is some other information that might help you formulate a good presentation if deemed amicable. Pikes great virtue as an eating fish is its flavour, which is excellent, and quite distinctive. Its down side is its bones. Between every flake of flesh on its back fillet is a nasty little bone shaped like a pitchfork. Forewarned, however, is forearmed, and once you know where to find these bones, you can tackle a pike without fear. Incidentally, the larger the fish, the less fiddly the business of identifying and removing the bones! (This in this case is so, as my pike are very large beasts in his own words)

Smoking of pike is actually very rare! Which is a bit strange as its perfect large flaky flesh lends itself perfect for such preparations. Actually I made a mousse and a souffle in the Robot Coupe Blixer and the bones simply vanished as they are fine and get easily ground up in the paté. These large chunks of fillets are cured at a temperature of 80-85C/175-185F. Which simultaneously cooks and cures them, need no further cooking. The flesh of this freshwater fish is fragile, so generally speaking they are only really good to eat when they are absolutely fresh. This is the case with Stuart’s pike. However what I noticed was that once delivered to you smoked the fish is beautifully firm and slices as thin aas you wish. Traditionally pike are more consumed in Europe, and is highly regarded & eaten as a great delicacy where in France they are called brochet.

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