Food
July 9, 2018
4 Summer Seafood Recipes To Try From Coast To Coast
Food editor Kristen Eppich scours Canada’s shores for the best seafood recipes.
I dropped my first fishing line in Ontario’s French River at the age of five and, according to family folklore, I had an uncanny knack for it. So to do my part, I’d like to celebrate the food of Canada’s other wilderness: our lakes, rivers and oceans. Whether it’s the fish dishes you cook at home, the reliable fission you buy or your own experience of dropping a line in the water, there’s something in intrinsically Canadian about seafood and freshwater fish. I’ve rounded up some of my favorite dishes from coast to coast below.
All you need is five minutes with Vancouver chef Ned Bell to share his enthusiasm for Canadian seafood. These days, the former Four Seasons chef is just as busy cooking in the kitchen as he is advocating for sustainable seafood with Ocean Wise and the Vancouver Aquarium. As a B.C. native, Ned is particularly passionate about wild salmon, pointing out that we’re the only place on the planet to have five species of it (chinook, chum, coho, pink and sockeye).
Try the recipe for Planked Wild Salmon With Nectarines, Thyme, Honey, Almonds And Ricotta.
We’re blessed to have lots of freshwater lakes, rivers and streams in almost every region of Canada. With local and sustainable food top of mind these days, the proximity of our lakes and rivers means freshwater fish is often the most environmentally responsible seafood you’ll find. It tends to be more delicate in texture and flavor than saltwater fish, and its thinner skin makes it ideal for crispy-skin frying. This recipe calls for pickerel, but you could also use walleye, perch, white fish, trout or char.
Try the recipe for Crispy-Skin Pickerel With Field Peas And Pancetta.
Canadian Atlantic lobster is the best in the world. I recently travelled all the way to Dubai, only to be offered Nova Scotia lobster as a delicacy. Rodney Clark of Rodney’s Oyster House in Toronto has been in business for 40 years and boils up about 375 pounds of lobster a week. We’re lucky enough at H&H to work just down the street from Rodney’s and they’ve agreed to share their secret brine recipe. The slaw is another of my favorites, with crunchy pistachios and zesty sumac — the perfect partner for rich lobster.
Try the recipe for Brine-Boiled Lobster With Pistachio And Sumac Slaw.
P.E.I. mussels are the eco-superstars of our oceans, which yield more than 50 million pounds a year. A self-sustaining species, they require no feed and are actually good for the ocean, as they absorb carbon dioxide from the water to grow their shells. They’re also incredibly delicious, fast to cook and loaded with protein, vitamin C, iron, zinc and selenium. This is my favorite mussel recipe — I can throw it together in half an hour, and it’s ideal for summer, when the sweet corn and bright cilantro complement the salty mollusk.
Try the recipe for Sweet Corn And Cilantro Steamed Mussels.