fishmonger

Good morning Chefs and Buyers, Last night at the White House Opah (moon fish) was on the menu, and you can have it on yours too. Opah is one of those rare treats we bring only infrequently. Opah are a large pelagic fish that are caught as a by catch of the Pacific Tuna fishery. Rich meaty loins are great barely cooked and pair well with a variety of sauces, or as crudo or ceviche; Obama enjoyed his as an Herb Green Ceviche of Hawaiian Opah. Lampris guttatus We have a couple more mid-pacific fish available, and they are Mahi and Hiramasa. We are getting the nicest mahi-mahi from Taiwan of all places. These are from the same fishery that are sold in Japan's famous Tsukiji Fish Market and sent on a direct flight to JFK, stellar fish say no more. We also have Cleanseas' carefully reared New Zealand Hiramasa. Hiramasa's Gulf of Mexico cousin is the Amberjack, ours are from Apalachicola, Florida and are an inexpensive alternative for cooked applications.

Hi Chefs and Buyers,   The rain continues here, and further north gale winds are forecast driving much of the fleet to shore. Some ground fish prices are expected to go up with the relative lack of supply for the weekend. We have outstanding cod, monk and pollack in today and you may want to get your orders in early. Squid is all Dayboat and sizes are running med to large. And we have porgies in a wide range of sizes.   In Connecticut the old timers are starting to see shad running inshore to spawn, and we had a few pairs in and out today. Availability is day to day, quality and size is very nice. Sea scallops in the shell are from Jersey, many with roe and an equivalent meat to a 10/20, we only have a small amount left..Coquille St. Jaques anyone? http://tinyurl.com/35bqrck   From Florida we have a school of rocket pompano (1.5-2lbs) an excellent plate sized fish and they look great if you have a display area.  Also in are redfish. These wild drums produce a nic

I often find it necessary to explain the yield (amount of usable flesh) off of various fish. By knowing what percentage of meat will be available when a whole fish is filleted one can make an accurate analysis of; A. how much whole fish must be purchased and B. what is the true fillet cost. Knowing how to correctly perform these calculations will benefit not only seafood suppliers, restaurant chefs, but also the casual cook. Below is a list of some common fish and the net yield percentages. Actual percentages may vary depending on skill of the butcher. Salmon (head-on gutted) yields 75% skin-on fillet Snapper (head-on gutted) yields 40% skin-on fillet Mahi (headed and gutted) yields 65% skin-on fillet Monkfish (tail) yields 70% skinless fillet Cod (headed and gutted) yields 60% skin-on fillet Grouper (head-on gutted) yields 35% skinless fillet Halibut (headed and gutted) yields 66% skin-on fillet Tuna (headless bullets) yields 75% untrimmed loins Sword (headless bullets) yields 80% cen

Good day Chefs and Buyers,   Wreckfish, wreckfish, ra ra ra. These fish deserve a cheer. Fresh from the depths of the Carolina coast, the wreckfish fishery is highly managed and as a result this is very sustainable fish choice. Each fish is between 15-25lbs and has a firm rose white flesh that cooks up tender and moist. A great substitute for grouper, this is a very versatile fish that can stand up to a variety of cooking methods.    From New Jersey we have whitebait and squid. These minuscule gems are packed with flavor and when fried up make the perfect bar snack. Plenty of in rigor black sea bass are around and mostly sized over 2 lbs. Grey tile are in and bigger than normal with some nearly 8lbs, most are 3-6lbs. Greys may not be as flashy as there golden cousins, but they eat just as good.   From a small Nantucket boat we have plate sized flounders. Perfect 1-1.25lb presentation sized flounders are a great alternative to the high priced Dover sole. We also have f

Longest fish in the world, not seen since 1879, washes up in Sweden Dallas Morning News When he got closer, 73-year-old Kurt Ove Eriksson realized that the 12-foot serpentlike thing was the carcass of a rare fish from the depths of the ocean. ... See all stories on this topic New York Times (blog) Will Gulf Fish Get a Break? New York Times (blog) As recently as 2004, the gulf had at least 20000 licensed trawlers – boats that scour the ocean floor with large nets in search of fish and shrimp. ... See all stories on this topic 7 charged in LA with smuggling endangered fish The Associated Press LOS ANGELES — A federal grand jury in Los Angeles has indicted seven people on charges of illegally smuggling an endangered fish considered lucky in Asia ... See all stories on this topi

Good morning Chefs and Buyers,   The majority of our special fish today has arrived from points south. From Florida we have received beautiful American red snappers, and big Amberjack. From Mexico fishermen are bringing in fancy 5-10lb red grouper, these are the same fish as you are used to, caught in the lower Gulf of Mexico. Mahi and Corvina are both from Panama, and both have bright skin glistening with metallic colors. The flesh is firm and the collars look just cut.   More West Coast oysters and wild king salmon will be arriving in the overnight, we are waiting today for additional openings in the Pacific Northwest and hope to see a few sockeye in addition to the fancy wild king salmons we have been getting. Pacific halibut is looking strong, and we have live dungeness crab.   Nova Scotia short trip halibut boats are catching smaller 10-20lb halibuts and they are fresher than fresh, with cherry red cavities and firm flesh as they have arrived to us in rigor.   F

Newspaper’s ‘disappearing fish’ claim panned - SeafoodSource.com Posted using ShareThis

Good morning Chefs and Buyers, Nova Scotia short trip halibut are in today. These cold water Atlantic halibut are fat and firm with bloody collars and glistening skin. Also in from the same vessel are a few nice big swordfish caught by troll on the return trip. The Massachusetts day boats are back out and fishing for ground fish. Most are catching smaller market cod, but we were able to bring in large steaked cod and fancy jumbo monkfish tails. The cod is coming from Gloucester and the monk tails (bellys) are pure Martha's Vineyard gems. Mahi-mahi are flecked gold and green fresh from a late night Panama flight into JFK. We have a limited amount of New Zealand Pink snappers all line caught and between 2 and 5 lbs. New Zealand Pinks are also called Tai snapper and are in the same family of fish as dorade and porgy. We are getting new Washington Kings daily via Seattle, and we should start to see some other species of wild salmon in the next week since areas lik

All kidding aside there is actually a long standing festival in Louisiana that highlights the relationship between these two diverse industries and honors the hardworking men and women of both. Lets all hope that by the scheduled Labor Day weekend event that things are back to normal. Image from festival website. http://www.shrimp-petrofest.org/

Good morning Chefs and Buyers,   It is a good day here and we have a great midweek list of specials to get you over the hump. Invigorate your menu with one or more of these special offerings.   North Atlantic offerings include: Sushi quality Spanish Mackerel 1-2lbs, -  Morehead City, NC Whitebait 3-4", - New Jersey Jumbo black sea bass 2-5lbs, Rhode Island Wild Striped Bass, from Virginia and Rhode Island Gulf of Mexico: Red drum wild 8-12lbs, - John's Pass, FL Red Snapper and Fresh Shrimp (support Gulf Fishermen) Pacific: Hiramasa, sustainable sushi grade, - Australia Corvina, wild Panama, a great alternative to Striped Bass Wild Alaskan King Salmon, incredible fish at an incredible price Also available: soft crabs, barramundi, wahoo, sardines, pike, uni, mahi and halibut.   "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." ~ Albert Einstein   Best regards,   Matthew Hovey http://ww

Good day Chefs and Buyers,   Just a short list of truly fancy and spectacular fish: Mako, from a Massachusetts day tripper Jumbo Black Bass, in rigor with candy gills Wahoo, Hawaii Ono Wild Alaskan Kings, flown in daily from the Columbia River   "Life is often compared to a marathon, but I think it is more like being a sprinter; long stretches of hard work punctuated by brief moments in which we are given the opportunity to perform at our best." ~Michael Johnson   Thank you, Matthew Hovey 718-433-4321 "Hand picked specialties from the Seas" www.wildedibles.com   http://sustainablefishmonger.com

New York Times As Oil Threat Creeps Closer, a Rush on Seafood New York Times By KIM SEVERSON NEW ORLEANS — Margie Scheuermann, who has lived here for 78 years, went over her list as she waited in line Tuesday to buy local seafood at ... See all stories on this topic Oil-Soaked Crab Threatens Seafood Prices at Top-Ranked Eateries BusinessWeek By Matthew Boyle and Aaron Kuriloff May 5 (Bloomberg) -- Seafood restaurants like Houston's top-ranked Reef are bracing for price increases to cope with the ... See all stories on this topic New York Daily News Seafood in restaurants safe after Gulf Coast oil spill - but long-term effects ... New York Daily News BY Rosemary Black The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico may drive up se

Good morning Chefs and Buyers,   Despite the date showing on the calender winter seems to have returned to the east coast. Frosty cold temperatures and gale force high winds are making fishing the east coast tough. Squid is usually the "canary in the coal mine" and catches are low with prices trending up. Despite everything, we do have some fancy black sea bass and spring wild striped bass both from Rhode Island. The black bass have good size, but the striped bass are smaller than usual most are around 6-8lbs, but the quality is there.   While we continue to hope for the best in the Gulf of Mexico we are still getting great products and have only experienced a slight price increase in the fresh shrimp. Lets hope that this disaster comes to an end soon. Today we have fresh American red snapper, fresh 16/20 shrimp, and even some stone crab claws. The stone crab season ends May 15th, so this will be the last chance of the year to partake of Florida's iconic cr

  We need your help. Louisiana Cookin ' is working with the Louisiana seafood industry to try to determine what the public's perception is of the ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and how it is affecting the seafood coming out of the Gulf. While the spill is a tragedy of as yet unknown scope, as of May 4 more than 75% of the Gulf is still open to fishermen and remains unaffected. So far, all waters west of the mouth of the Mississippi River are open and are being actively fished, ensuring fresh, tasty, SAFE seafood for our restaurants and markets. Please take a few minutes to fill out the very short survey linked b

Good morning Chefs and Buyers,   What a fun day at the market. Things are really bustling in anticipation of a busy Mothers day weekend. Lots of new fish just landed today, and things seem to be selling fast. We urge you to get your orders in as early as possible, so we can secure you the fanciest product.    Local: Monk liver, (anko), from dayboat Vineyard fish  Local Mahi, line caught Jersey Shores Wild striped bass, Rhode Island, bling bling Cold water domestic Sword Long Island Fluke, big jumbo doormats and they are sushi Boston mackerel Gulf of Mexico: (many areas are still unaffected) American Red Snappers, Treasure Island, Florida (2-8lbs) Fresh 16/20 shrimp tails, Apalachicola, FL North Pacific: Halibut 10/20's and 20/40's, Sitka, Alaska Wild King Columbia River Basin Troll King Salmon 11-18lbs Live Dungeness Crab, British Columbia Imports: Chilean Turbot (2/4lbs) Portuguese Sardines and Sepia Dover Sole, call for

Good day Chefs and Buyers,   Wild striped bass has become a very hot commodity, as catches are down and local demand has very little left for the New York Market. We have hails out for product, but are awaiting confirmation. Mahi is available and beautiful with higher prices, but still well under the cost of Stripers.   Just landed today we have superior hand lined Icelandic Cod, the skin is bright mottled green and these fish are big firm specimens. Halibut will be readily available and we are buying from both the east and west coast fisheries, so please specify if you have a preference. Chilean Turbot has been mostly pre ordered, but we have a few left if you need them for delivery Thursday.   Despite the problems with the oil spill we are still getting great fish from Florida. We will have American red snappers in tonight, as well as fresh 16/20 shrimp. From New Zealand we will have a few Tai / Pink Snappers coming in with our cockles.   We are getting some very fa

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 3, 2010 DO NOT REPLY DIRECTLY TO THIS EMAIL. DIRECT ALL INQUIRIES TO: Liz Compton mailto: comptol@doacs.state.fl.us (850) 488-3022 Terence McElroy mailto: mcelrot@doacs.state.fl.us BRONSON EMPHASIZES SAFETY OF FLORIDA SEAFOOD TALLAHASSEE -- Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson today said that seafood currently being harvested in Florida is safe and has not been impacted by the oil spill in the gulf. He is concerned that misinformation about the conditions in the gulf waters may unnecessarily impact the state's seafood industry. While the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is restricting commercial and recreational fishing in federal waters from Louisiana to waters off Pensacola Bay, the ban does not yet impact waters extended out 25 miles from Escambia County. Currently, all species harvested from the closure line to shore -- including grouper, snapper, golden tilefish, mullet, blue crab, oysters,

Good morning Chefs and Buyers,   Don't let the week pass you buy. Mothers day is this weekend and it is not too early to secure product. Wild striped bass prices are astronomical and we would advise against them right now. Prices may drop after the weekend, but unlikely before. Some great options for the weekend would be Turbot, Cod, and Dover sole (sizes and quantities will be very limited on Dover so book early). We will have a great oyster selection and plenty of nice dry scallops.   For today we have: Wild Alaskan King Salmon Grey Tile from the Carolinas Local Silver Dory Walleyed Pike King Clip Corvina Tautog / blackfish Sustainable Sturgeon Soft shell crabs     "No man goes before his time - unless the boss leaves early." Groucho Marx   Enjoy the day,   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.wil

New York Times (blog) As Oil Spreads East in Gulf, So Do Seafood Fears New York Times (blog) By NICK FOX Stan Honda/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images A shrimp boat returning to harbor on Sunday in Bayou La Batre, Ala. While there are small hopes ... See all stories on this topic A murky picture as seafood industry eyes oil slick The Associated Press NEW ORLEANS — As a giant oil slick lapped at southeastern Louisiana's ecologically sensitive coast, chefs, restaurant owners and seafood dealers were ... See all stories on this topic Oil in the Gulf has countless livelihoods in limbo The Associated Press Wendy Waren, vice president of the Louisiana Restaurant Association, says nearly two-thirds of them serve some type of seafood . Then there are some of the ... See all stories on t

Good morning Chefs and Buyers,   The oil spill in the Gulf continues to grow with Louisiana the first state to have its fisheries affected. In anticipation of reduced availability of some gulf species suppliers from other areas are asking for higher prices for their fish. We are monitoring the situation and started last week to work with some of our other suppliers to ensure a steady supply. For now we still have items like fresh shrimp from Apalachicola Florida, but should they become unavailable we hope to be getting fresh shrimp from Georgia and the Carolinas.   Sustainable Sturgeon from our friends at the Mote Marine Research facility in Florida are in today. These Siberian Sturgeon are fed a controlled natural diet and raised in a state of the art recirculating tank system that puts out cleaner water than it takes in. Rich and steak like meat is the signature flavor profile of sturgeon. You owe it to yourself to try this unique and tasty fish. Headed and gutted bull