Fresh water fish

Art Culinaire, Wntr, 2002

Into the twilight of the early morning, a cloud of warm breath escapes. Blue sky and solid earth, a patch of ice near the bank holds our snare. This same river, which greeted us so gaily in the spring, now seizes under foot. So mchow, beneath a crust of white, fish swim merrily; as cager to see our bait, as we are to see them baited. Their slippery bodies bob through the slush like apples in a metal basin, whirling, reeling: buoyant. Once on shore, they writhe, melting snow with the power of hot coals. Their spotted flesh glistens, the curved slice of gills heaves up and down as they slowly surrender.

There is a beauty to fishing perhaps only a forager can understand. To wait patiently, anticipating when a trout might bite or where a morel may reside. Like those rare and seasonal ingredients of food regions worldwide, fresh water fish and fishing itself is a way of life, for pleasure and profit. From the clear, icy waters of the Arctic Circle to the muddy aqua blue of Australia, the inner waterways of fresh water are home to thousands and thousands of fish. Often of more interest to angler than chef, this broad, little known topic, is perhaps worth a second look.

The lake regions of Northern Italy for example regard their fresh water fish and Mediterranean cornucopia with equal respect. During the Italian Renaissance, a dish of lasca from Lake Trasimeno in Umbria was a mainstay at the Pope's Easter feast. Even today the finest restaurants in Italy proudly arrange lavarello, coregone, and fresh water prawns on their menues. In fact, throughout Europe, game fish of Alpine estuaries are treasured in many Michelin restaurants where they herald the fisherman who visits the back door of the kitchen, dripping with good fortune. Likewise, in Canada, fresh water fish are regarded as a prize. Gerry Malone, Vice President of Fresh Water Fish Marketing Corporation (FFMC), one of the largest fresh water fish purveyors in Canada purchases fresh water species including walleye, Canadian pike, whitefish, Northern pike, carp, mullet, and lake trout from ever 2000 commercial fishers. All wild fish are caught in one of over 400 lakes across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and the Nort hwest Territories, and a small part of Ontario. They sell no farmed fish. The fishing is very highly regulated by government officials and the water resources are very well managed. In other words, you can't just go out and haul in as much as you want. Catches are regulated on the basis of sustainability. Mr. Malone explains that his company shares the conservationist attitude, "To get onto restaurant menus and gain acceptability, one of the things we have to do is provide product on a continuing basis, we can't just have it this year and not next year, so we have a very strong interest in the management of the resource. It's very important to the long term sustainability of the industry" He adds, "Canadian lakes are environmentally sound, we are very conscientious here and that's a very big selling point for us in markets like Germany, where the consumers are very environmentally conscious. We have people from Finland visiting us today, and one of the things they are interested in is how the environment is m anaged." Malone's company distributes to countries throughout Western Europe. France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, and Poland, but the United States is their biggest market, including states which are familiar with fresh water fish: Minnesota. Wisconsin, the Dakotas, New York, Michigan, Illinois. He also notes that the company is very heavily involved in thc kosher market, "We are certified by the Orthodox Union, this is important because overall, consumers view the "kosher" stamp as a sign of a superior product." Though the FFMC has an obvious following, it is very market specific. "In some markets, fish like walleye remain popular only among certain clientele." Malone points out. "One of the reasons is that walleye is not known, and it a very expensive fish. In Minnesota, which is our largest market, walleye very well known, it stems from the lifestyle; they are outdoors people, they fish recreationally and walleye has a certain allure--its tough to describe but there is something about taking fish from ve ry clean water and putting it into a pan."

Part of the allure for a chef is that, for the most part fresh water fish are very lean, very regional, not commonly found on menus, and perfect for whole preparations. These features provide a wide range of opportunities for a chef. "Fresh water fish tend not to be very fatty." Chef Ming Tsai of Blue Ginger remarks. "So you're either going to add fat by frying it or add fat via a confit." Though the regional and seasonal aspects of fresh water fish suit the cooking style of today's chef, it's not often that it appears on menus. "I think chefs in Colorado can do more with fresh water fish because they have a good quantity of it, but there isn't an abundance of commercial fresh water fish," T sai notes. "I can't order fifty pounds of trout--it would be tough." In Aspen, Colorado, Chef Paul Wade, whose menu features game, fresh water fish, and a wide variety of local produce feels fresh water fish is extremely underrated, "One advantage is that not too many people are focusing on them. You have a real opportun ity to introduce something new to your clientele." Though himself a fan of wild, fresh water fish varieties, Wade understands the dilemma his professional peers face, "When given the opportunity to work with red pike, sable fish, walleye, and wild trout or the plethora of items from the sea, it's easy to understand they opt for ocean catch." Neighboring Colorado Chef Thomas Salamunovich finds working with fresh water fish a welcomed change to his present repertoire. "I can't thank you enough for the fresh water fish topic," he begins. "You get in ruts--we are in a tuna, salmon, and halibut rut; we feature it over and over. It's the constant battle of trying to be artist and chef but giving the consumer what he wants, and the customer wants tuna, the customer wants steak." Salamunovich adds. "It's that slow prodding education to develop the clientele "Something he intends to do by first educating himself.