Wild Edibles Seafood Update

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Good morning Chefs and Buyers,
 
Heavy winds in the area kept local boats in over the weekend, but with the exception of bluefish we were able to get product from other areas. The closest areas not affected produced nice black bass from Rhode Island and Fluke from Delaware boats. The forecast looks to be more of the same in the next 24 hours, so it is likely many local fishermen will choose to wait it out.
 
The weather has been much nicer in the south and we have in today a boatload of wild striped bass from Virginia. These particular bass are from a limited ocean fishery that catches well fed and rested fish. The end result are big and in rigor stripers that will all be over 28 inches long.
 
West coast halibut is available today with most fish being caught in British Columbia, Canada right now. Sizes are generally 10-20lbs with a few bigger fish around. Prices are pretty flat for the time being with expected catch volumes not being met. The quotas for the season were already lowered from last year, it may be too early to predict any kind of trend here. We will just have to wait and see.
 
From Central and South America we have king clip from Costa Rica and escolar from Ecuador. King clip is similar in body shape to cod, hake and ling with a tail that is tapered like an eel. The meat of the king clip is firm like grouper and makes an excellent substitute. Escolar is sometimes called white tuna, and because it runs with tuna the name seems appropriate. This super rich fish is best served in small portions, and can be particular good when well seared.
 
From New Zealand the pink snapper is the star. Also called by the name tai snapper or pargo these 2-3lb fish are bright, vivid, firm and fresh.
 
Two special treats from Maine arrive tonight: the first is our favorite mussel from Pemaquid, with its full sweet and meaty contents this is superior to so called 'bouchot' mussels. From the finest urchin picking houses in Maine we have fresh uni trays that combine the richness of the see with an essence that reminds one of Springtime fruit. As a raw treat or a recipe component uni's unique flavor profile cannot be duplicated.
 
Also available: Soft Shell Crayfish from Louisiana, Shad Roe from South Carolina, Sustainable California Sturgeon bullets, and large Florida Pompano.
 
"If you're ridin' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there."
~Will Rogers
 
Stay grounded,
 
 
Matthew Hovey http://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewhovey
718-433-4321 ext.121 / fax 718-433-4616 cell 718-679-0641
"Hand picked specialties from the Seas"
www.wildedibles.com 
http://sustainablefishmonger.com

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