Friday, Jul. 25, 2008

Taste of the Sea

By Brandon P. Murray

Contributing Writer

For those who won’t make it to a beach this summer, Central Market is offering the next best thing — a taste of the sea.

Central Market in Southlake will have its Go Coastal seafood event from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday, July 25 through Sunday, July 27, said Jonas Hernandez, perishables director at the store.

The three-day event centers on Central Market’s selection of fresh fish, and involves the participation of the entire store, Hernandez said.

"We bring in our vendors that will come in and really talk to our guests about what the fish is, where it comes from, cooking techniques — all of that," Hernandez said.

There will be between 20 and 25 species of whole fish available in addition to the usual daily variety of about 115 types of fish available in the store, he said.

The specialty grocer will feature fish from all over the world, including: American red snapper, whole yellow grouper, red grouper, whole full head-on Mahi, walleye pike, pompanos, whole wolf fish, monk fish, mackerel, red mullet, whole halibut, red rock cod, albacore tuna, Opa and John Dory, Hernandez said.

"There is not a specific time for when it is going to get it started," Hernandez said. "It is going to be pretty much all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It’s not an event where we can ring a bell and kick it off you know. When we open Friday morning we’re on."

Hernandez added that the demonstrations will typically start between 10:30 and 11 a.m. each day.

Customers of all ages can enjoy a fish toss, in which employees will toss whole, stuffed fish over the counter to one another, Hernandez said.

There will be little edible fish treats for the children as well as real sailboats that will be on display throughout the store, Hernandez said.

"When you walk in here, you are going to know that it is all about Go Coastal and fishing," Hernandez said of the event. "We will actually have a big tent set up in Protein Alley. Then we are going to be doing a big shrimp boil. As you are walking through the store you’re going to be able to taste a bunch of great fish items."

The primary purpose of the event is to help educate customers on the store’s seafood products and on the best ways to prepare them, Hernandez said.

The first thing to consider in cooking a fish is the method of cooking, because it often dictates the best type of fish to be used in a specific meal, he said.

"You don’t want to put a Dover sole on the grill. It will just basically fall through the grill. If you are going to grill, you can grill a great swordfish, you can do a tuna," Hernandez said. "So if you are going to bake a fish that is when you would go to a sole."

"Our whole staff is very, very educated on how to cook — different cooking techniques that they'll be able to offer up at the time, when they are engaged with the guests," he said.

Central Market carries "top catch," never frozen fish, which ensures its freshness, Hernandez said.

"Since it is all fresh, we’re very dependent on Mother Nature and what she provides us so right now it just happens to be a good time for the fishing boats to get out and get us a good array of fish," he said. "So right now is a good time to have an event like this."

"We are here to help them [customers] celebrate great food," Hernandez said of Central Market.

These recipes, featured in the summer issue of the Foodie magazine, are courtesy of Central Market.

Kona Kampachi with Warm Tomato Salad

Adapted from Bon Appetit magazine, July 1995

2 heirloom tomatoes, cored and cut into thin wedges

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot

2 tablespoons thinly sliced basil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill weed

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

1 tablespoon olive oil (extra-virgin recommended)

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

4 ( 5- to 6-ounce kona kampachi fillets)

Combine the tomatoes, shallot, basil, dill weed, mint and olive oil in a bowl and stir gently. Season with salt and pepper. Place each fillet on a piece of foil and season with salt and pepper. Top each fillet with one-quarter of the tomato mixture. Fold the foil around the fish and seal the edges. Place the foil packets folded sides up on the grill and grill over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until the fish is cooked through and the salad is warm. Place the foil packets on serving plates and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Black Cod with Miso

Adapted from Nobu: The Cookbook by Nobuyuki Matsuhisa

½ cup sake

¾ cup mirin

2 cups white miso paste

1 ¼ cups sugar

4 (1/2-pound) black cod fillets

Combine the sake and mirin in a saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 20 seconds. Reduce the heat to low and add the miso paste. Heat until the paste dissolves, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Increase the heat to high and add the sugar.

Cook until the sugar is dissolved, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and let stand until cool. Pat the fish dry using paper towels. Spread the sake mixture over the fish.

Grill over medium heat until the fish is brown. Or, place the fish on a broiler pan and broil until the fish is brown. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Place the fish on individual plates. Drizzle with any remaining sake mixture. Serves 4.