Perhaps the phrase “holy mackerel” stems from its nutritional pedigree. Casting your line for a 3 oz (85 g) mackerel serving provides nearly 2.3 g of omega-3s, plus laudable amounts of vitamin D, protein, niacin, and vitamin B12.
Mackerel has a firm flesh with a savoury, strong flavour and rates highly on all of the sustainable seafood websites because it’s quick to spawn and grows rapidly, making it more resilient to fishing pressures. Atlantic Canada mackerel is considered an especially “green” seafood option.
Available at most fish counters, convenient smoked mackerel is a delicious addition to dips and sandwiches. Or try this upgrade of spaghetti and meatballs.
1 lb (450 g) smoked mackerel
2/3 cup (160 mL) bread crumbs
1/4 cup (60 mL) ground flaxseed
2 large free-range eggs
1 shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard
1 - 1 lb (450 g) package whole grain spaghetti or linguini
1 Tbsp (15 mL) unsalted butter
5 cups (1.25 L) sliced crimini mushrooms
1/4 cup (60 mL) dry white wine
2 cups (500 mL) halved cherry tomatoes
2 cups (500 mL) flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp (2 mL) red chili flakes
1/4 tsp (1 mL) sea salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) black pepper
Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Separate mackerel flesh from skin and place it in food processor container along with bread crumbs, flaxseed, eggs, shallot, garlic, and mustard. Blend until well combined and coarse mixture forms. Refrigerate mixture for at least 30 minutes so crumbs have a chance to absorb some of the moisture to help with binding.
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Form mackerel mixture into 20 to 24 meatballs and place on silicone- or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring large pot of water to boil. Add spaghetti and cook according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.
Melt butter in skillet over medium heat; add sliced mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Stir in wine and cook for another 5 minutes or until most of wine has evaporated. Add mushrooms, tomatoes, and parsley to pot with spaghetti.
In small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, red chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Add to spaghetti and toss to coat. Divide spaghetti among serving plates and top with mackerel meatballs and grated Parmesan.
Serves 6.
Each serving contains: 524 calories; 29 g protein; 29 g total fat (7 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 37 g total carbohydrates (4 g sugars, 7 g fibre); 291 mg sodium
source: "Catch of the Day", alive #364, February 2013
While sablefish’s texture and fat content stand up admirably to the heat of the grill, this firm fish is also delicious poached. For this recipe, sablefish’s luxurious taste is combined with a light fragrant broth of lemongrass and ginger punctuated with the heat of Thai chili. Sustainability status Sablefish, also known as butterfish or black cod, is a rich and satisfying fish, plentiful in omega-3s and sourced sustainably from the Pacific Northwest. Skin and bones Sablefish has large pin bones. Ideally, your fishmonger will remove them, but if not, before you begin, locate them along the fish’s centreline and, using a pair of needle nose pliers, grasp them firmly to remove. You can leave the skin on for this recipe, which may help the fish hold together a little better while cooking, but it can be tricky to peel the skin away from the cooked fish and discard before plating. I opted to remove the skin first and simply keep a close eye on the cooking time, being careful to remove the fish from the poaching liquid before it flakes apart.
These mildly spiced salmon tacos served with sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds will bring a party together. Make a small quantity of salmon go further when you pair it with a fresh red cabbage slaw featuring citrus and cilantro. Drizzled with some bright lime yogurt, the flavours come together perfectly. Sustainability status Wild salmon from the Pacific Northwest and Alaska are considered among the most sustainable, as the fishery is subject to limited harvests. With salmon stocks in decline, supporting managed fisheries such as these can help maintain populations into the future. That may also mean eating salmon less often than we do now. Salmon is a favourite Salmon is the most popular variety of fish in Canada and the second most popular in the US.
B12-rich mussels are a very good and economical source of protein and iron. Steamed mussels are a classic way to enjoy seafood—and so is this rich, aromatic broth of tomato, fennel, and saffron. Be sure to allow saffron to fully infuse to get the full flavour benefit, and finish off the dish with the fragrant fennel fronds. Sustainability status Farmed mussels are considered highly sustainable due to their low impacts on the environment. They are easy to harvest, require no fertilizer or fresh water, and don’t need to be fed externally, as they get all their nutritional requirements from their marine environment. Mussel prep Selection: Look for mussels with shiny, tightly closed shells that smell of the sea. If shells are slightly open, give them a tap. Live mussels will close immediately. Storage: Keep mussels in the fridge in a shallow pan laid on top of ice. Keep them out of water and cover with a damp cloth. Ideally, consume on the day you buy them, but within two days. They need to breathe, so never keep them in a sealed plastic bag. Cleanup: In addition to being sustainable, farmed mussels tend to require less cleaning than wild mussels. Most of the fibrous “beards” that mussels use to grip solid surfaces will have been removed before sale. But if a few remain, they’re easily dispatched: grasp the beard with your thumb and forefinger and pull it toward the hinge of the mussel and give it a tug. Afterward, give mussels a quick rinse and scrub away any areas of mud or seaweed, which, with farmed mussels, will require minimal work.
The delicate flavour of shrimp is highlighted with just a touch of lemon and a hint of mustard, while radish and celery give some fresh crunch to this dish. Eat it in lettuce cups, on top of greens, or served on whole grain bread for a filling snack. Sustainability status Both wild and farmed shrimp can be sustainable depending on where they’re caught and how they’re raised. See our article “Sea Change” for more information about choosing ethical shrimp.