Coastal Living Provides Many Locavore Options!
The weather is warming, most hunting seasons have been shut down for awhile, and the meat freezer inventory needs replenishment. After checking the local weather reports me and a few friends decide it is a good week to strap an air tank on our backs and see what is on the menu in the Gulf of Mexico.
Many people have expressed doubt about the health risks or lack thereof after the BP oil spill, but I am not concerned. One, it’s a BIG GoM! Two, oil has naturally leaked into the Gulf for centuries with minimal consequences. Three, there is no way that farmed fish, fish from the commercial fleets packaged in preservatives and food coloring, or especially fish from the foreign fish farms could be any better for you. The fish in the Gulf of Mexico is safe, there are the tastiest varieties of fish in world swimming around waiting to be caught, and there is a method of take for every budget!
If you have decided to adhere or at least strive towards becoming a Locavore, and you are fortunate enough to live near one of the coasts, make sure you take advantage of the bounty of the oceans. There are many species of game and non-game fish of course, but also depending on your area you may be able to harvest shellfish such as shrimp and oyster, some types of plant life such as seaweed, lobster (no they are not just in Maine, LOL!), and even stingrays are very tasty! You will eventually see many posts regarding many different methods of take and many different species from the sea, as the oceans provide many extremely bountiful and enjoyable gourmet meal options!
As mentioned earlier, hunting season has been over for awhile and it’s time to refill the meat freezer. Also, the family is complaining about cooking deer meat and ducks, and threatening to buy something at the grocery store, so I must do my duty and keep them healthy by providing local meat and fish! We meet up at a boat slip near a local estuary, load our gear, and begin the trip across the Bay and into the Gulf. About 12 miles out, my dive partner and I are rigged up and ready to roll off into the water. With spearguns and polespears in hand, we make our way to our marker line and sink down to a World War II era Liberty Ship resting on the bottom. In the first 10 seconds I come within a few dozen legal sized red snapper, a couple of legal grouper, both of which are off limits to taking until June 1st and it’s not June 1st. I also see some amberjack that are questionable in size so I don’t bother them. I already hear the “snap” of my buddies speargun but cannot see him or what he shot due to low visibility. I drift a bit lower to near bottom at around 100’, and a trigger fish comes in front of me offering a good shot. I raise my speargun and “thwap!” put the spear through him. As I’m pulling the spear and the line back towards me, I notice a flounder on bottom. I take my pole spear and gig the flounder just as it begins to escape. Being the first dive of the year, it takes a few minutes for me to get both fish on my stringer and get my gun re-rigged. I swim back around to the buoy line and begin making my way back to the boat. After ten minutes of ascent and safety stops I’m on the boat throwing my fish on the ice and scoping the horizon for my dive partner. All of a sudden I see him and we motor the boat closer to him and grab his speargun and fish. He hands me a stringer with three triggers, an amberjack, and the really big trigger earns a picture before moving on to the next spot! Spearfishing is one of several legal methods of take for open water fish, and my preferred method because of the selectiveness and lack of by-catch fish fatalities. All of these species of fish can also be taken by hook and line with a sportfishing license.
Later in the day as we make our way in, I take stock of the filets we’ll have available later. At least five large meals for a family of four, and this was a light take compared to most of our trips. Between three of us we spend about $90 total in ice, fuel, and miscellaneous costs, so not too bad on the wallet for the amount of fresh fish we get either! Back at the dock our wives have already called and made plans for us to cook fish that night! You have to realize, cooking fish at my place is serious business! Fresh vegetables and fruit from the garden compliment every meal. So there is still a lot of work to do picking vegetables, washing and preparing them later for the meal. Luckily I have an awesome wife who does all of this for me before I’m even back on dry land! After filleting fish and vacuum sealing the fillets headed for the freezer, we got to work cooking over a few glasses of wine and several beers. The meal was awesome and as is typical the fresh local fish was so good it makes it truly disappointing when you eat at even the finest restaurant! Cooking light fleshed flaky fish like trigger is very easy, as long as you do not over cook it! The recipe below is super easy and inexpensive (or in a Locavore’s case almost free) to prepare, and will make you eagerly anticipate adding more inventory to the freezer so you can have fresh fish every night. One thing before going further, you must get a vacuum sealer (such as a FoodSaver) to keep fresh fish. The fillets need to be on ice immediately and frozen within two days of taking the fish from the water in order to keep them optimally fresh. I don’t freeze anything without vacuum sealing it to retain freshness, and in the case of fish vacuum sealing will extend the freezer life to a minimum of 12 months. Partially freeze the fillets (only 1 hour or so in freezer) before sealing for best results. Many ingredients in this recipe can be collected in the wild along the Gulf Coast, and are often used in my recipes. These include rosemary, wild rice, and wild onion. Next month we’ll have a write up on all of these including harvest, identification, preparation, and cooking information.
Now for the cooking and eating part…
This is one of the simplest recipes I have. The number one thing to remember is to use the wild varieties of plants if possible, and always use wild or fresh picked herbs, that makes all the difference in the world!
Start your charcoal or gas grill and get it to about 350 degrees. On a big enough piece of aluminum foil to encapsulate everything, pour a few tablespoons of olive oil, then a pinch of ground rosemary, thyme, basil, and parsley, and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Season both sides of 1 pound of fillets (white flaky varieties, in this case trigger fish and flounder) then place the fish fillets (no more than 1” thick) onto the foil on top of the other items. Finely chop fresh hot or sweet banana peppers and sprinkle on top. Sprinkle additional rosemary, thyme, basil, and parsley on top of the fillets. Place on grill, shut the lid, and cook for approximately 5 to 10 minutes, being careful not to overcook the fish. Remove from grill and serve on a bed of wild rice.
This is an easy and fast recipe using ingredients mostly obtainable in the wild. The vegetables and herbs I prefer to grow myself but no matter what make sure they are fresh or this will not taste the same!
