CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Line up at a Whole Foods fish counter these days and you might notice something missing …
 
Fish!
 
Whole Foods has become the first national grocer to stop selling “red-rated” fish. The designation means the species is overfished or caught in a way that harms other marine life.
 
Whole Foods seafood coordinator Matt Mello rattled off the list of local losses: “Grey sole, octopus, Atlantic cod and halibut.”
 
> > What's a "red-rated" fish? Check the SeafoodWatch guide.
 
The demand for fish
 
Mello said this is the latest step in Whole Foods' long commitment to ocean conservation.
 
“There’s been a timeline in our seafood departments, such as the lobsters — moving away from the lobsters,” said Mello. “We were the first retailer to come out with a rating system. Now we’re the first retailer to stop selling red rated fish.”
 
The first, but not the only: BJ’s and Target have made similar commitments. And the trend has only picked up steam after the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization reported that 80 percent of fisheries were fully exploited, overfished or recovering from depletion.
 
“I always say: if you enjoy the ocean and you want it here for future generations, and you want the bounty that the ocean provides for future generations, you really should care,” said Mello.
 
It’s something avid fish consumer Terry Drucker cares about. He said he wouldn’tgo to another supermarket if Whole Foods stopped selling certain fish.
 
“I guess if they’re pulling it, I’d guess there’d be a good reason for that and I’d try to avoid it — like I didn’t eat swordfish for a long time when I thought they were endangered,” he said.
 
The supply side
 
But Gloucester fisherman Russell Sherman wasn’t taking the bait.

 
“This is a corporate move out of Texas. And to me, it’s basically pandering to their customers,” he said.
 
Sherman has been fishing the waters off Gloucester for 41 years. And he’s been selling his catch to Whole Foods for the past 6 years.  He thought Whole Foods’ decision to stop selling “unsustainable” fish was nothing more than a marketing scheme.
 
“The government has just issued a statement where five more stocks have become sustainable. And I believe that all of our stocks are on the upward trend,” said Sherman.
 
Sherman said sustainability is at the forefront of every fisher’s mind, because fish are their livelihood. Plus, he said the U.S. already has the most stringent fishing regulations in the world.  
 
“I think Whole Foods should hold our industry up as a model to the world. We believe in sustainability,” said Sherman. “Each one of us are small businessmen, small entrepreneurs, who depend on the ocean. And I believe that we are the real conservationists in the world.”
 
The checkout line
 
Since launching the program on Earth Day, Whole Foods has pulled more than a dozen species fish nationwide. Those fish include sturgeon, turbot, some rockfish and swordfish and tuna from certain fisheries.  
 
Four types are missing from the colorful fish displays locally: trawl-caught Atlantic cod, Atlantic halibut, octopus and grey sole. But Mello said most can be easily substituted.
 
“Something like grey sole, we’ll get a lot of requests for, so we have a wide variety of fish, different types of sole. One of the types we offer is Pacific Dover sole. Comes from the West Coast and we’ll offer that,” he said.

These eggs are surprisingly easy: Just four ingredients, and they’re ready in about 10 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients

2 tsp. unsalted butter, softened
4 large eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 tsp. chopped fresh chives
2 Tbs. heavy cream

Directions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Butter 2 oven-safe 6-inch gratin dishes with 1 tsp. butter each.

Crack 2 eggs into each gratin dish. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and sprinkle with the chives. Drizzle 1 Tbs. cream in each dish, starting over the yolks and working around the dish. Bake until the eggs are bubbly and browned on the edges but not quite set in the middle, 5 minutes. (For firmer eggs, bake an additional 1 minute .)

Heat the broiler on high. Broil the eggs, still on the center rack of the oven, until the center is just set, about 2 minutes. Remove from the oven immediately—the eggs will continue to set.

Nutrition information (per serving):

Calories (kcal): 230; Fat (g): 19; Fat Calories (kcal): 170; Saturated Fat (g): 9; Protein (g): 13; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 6; Carbohydrates (g): 1; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 1.5; Sodium (mg): 290; Cholesterol (mg): 455; Fiber (g): 0;

Susie Middleton is editor at large for Fine Cooking magazine.

1. All species must be caught legally, preferably with a hook and line. Exceptions will be made for interesting techniques, such as spearing or archery. No nets or traps allowed.

2. We must eat the first legal example of the fish we catch.

3. Although we can catch the fish individually, eating the fish must be done as a team. That's why God invented freezer bags!

4. Guest anglers may be deputized to join the quest at anytime.

5. We must catch the fish in one year, Feb 7, 2011-Feb 7, 2012.

You’ll know the cusk is done when it’s tender and looks terrible. But don’t be deceived, this is going to be great! Serve hot, and eat it by dipping it in hot melted butter and garlic. If you’ve done it right it will taste somewhat like lobster, if you’ve done it wrong, it will still taste somewhat like lobster. If you can boil water you can’t mess this up!
 

Topped with creamy coleslaw and pickles, this rendition of the classic New Orleans sandwich makes a satisfying dinner.

Serves: 4

Ingredients
3 cups coleslaw mix
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbs. cider vinegar
2 tsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. celery seed
2 large eggs
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Four 4- to 5-oz. catfish fillets
4 long soft-crust Italian rolls, split
1-3/4 cups canola oil
8 sandwich-style dill pickle slices

Directions
Position a rack 6 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler on high.

Combine the coleslaw mix, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, and celery seed in a medium bowl; set aside.

Beat the eggs in a wide shallow bowl until well mixed. In another wide shallow bowl, combine the cornmeal, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Season the fish all over with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Dip a fillet in the egg to coat, shake off the excess, and then dredge it in the cornmeal mixture, again shaking off the excess. Repeat with remaining fillets.

Arrange the rolls cut sides up on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown, 30 seconds. Remove from the oven and turn off the broiler.

Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Working in batches if necessary, cook the fillets, turning once, until the coating is golden and crisp and the fish is cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the fillets to a clean baking sheet lined with paper towels and keep warm in the oven.

To assemble, arrange 2 pickle slices on the bottom half of each roll. Top each with a fillet, a quarter of the coleslaw, and the other half of the roll. Cut the po’ boys in half, and serve.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with Spiced Sweet Potato Fries or toss extra coleslaw mix with a simple olive oil and cider vinegar dressing.

Nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 810; Fat (g): 36; Fat Calories (kcal): 330; Saturated Fat (g): 5; Protein (g): 35; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 17; Carbohydrates (g): 86; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 12; Sodium (mg): 1360; Cholesterol (mg): 110; Fiber (g): 6;

BOSTON — Massachusetts lawmakers are hoping they can make sure that when a fish is advertised on a menu — high-priced Chilean sea bass, for instance — that the advertised fish, and not a low-value substitute, ends up on diner's plates. However, they might be swimming upstream.
 
In October, a Boston Globe investigation found state restaurants were mislabeling fish close to 50 percent of the time. At a State House hearing on Jan. 11, CEO Roger Berkowitz of Legal Sea Foods — one restaurant the Globe cited as being fairly reliable — said it was possible that not all the mislabeling was intentional.
 
“Some of the restaurateurs maybe didn’t know enough what they were getting or maybe took the word of the processors, so I think some of the mislabeling was inadvertent," he said. "But I think there were also cases where someone abused the system.”
 
Berkowitz said the federal government's oversight has been lax. Developing consistent nomenclature for fish would help: Sable, for example, is also known as Alaskan butterfish. "It shouldn’t be allowed one name in one state and another name in another state," he said.

State Public Health Commissioner John Auerbach said his agency didn't have the resources to police fish sold in supermarkets and restaurants. All it can do is remind wholesalers that it’s illegal to mislabel and warn them there can be consequences.
 
"We’re making sure local health officials, state health officials and federal health officials are sending a clear message to wholesalers that this is considered to be a serious problem and that they will feel the impact of government coming down on them if they’re involved in these behaviors," he said. "For many people, that’s enough."
 
And for the consumer, officials recommended asking lots of questions at restaurants about where the fish is coming from and sticking to trusted places.

For a healthy, delicious weeknight dinner, look no further than quickly seared fresh tuna steaks. Fresh tuna is so good for you – it’s chock full of heart-healthy omega 3s – and its dense, meaty texture and flavor taste great, too. The steaks take less than 5 minutes to cook, and a zesty tomato-olive salad to go with them takes only a few minutes more.

Serves: 4

Ingredients
4 5-oz. boneless, skinless tuna steaks
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
2 cups mixed yellow and red grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup sliced pitted green olives, such as picholine or Cerignola
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh basil
1/2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

Directions

Season the tuna with 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange the tuna in the skillet in a single layer and cook, turning once, until done to your liking (3 to 4 minutes for medium rare). Transfer the tuna to a large plate.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the shallot to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until golden-brown, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, olives, basil, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a few grinds of pepper; cook until warmed through and the tomatoes are just softened, about 2 minutes more. Remove the skillet from the heat and gently stir in the lemon juice.

Transfer the tuna to plates, top with the tomato salad, and serve.

Nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 300; Fat (g): 16; Fat Calories (kcal): 140; Saturated Fat (g): 3; Protein (g): 34; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 8; Carbohydrates (g): 4; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 3; Sodium (mg): 650; Cholesterol (mg): 55; Fiber (g): 1;
 

Susie Middleton is editor at large for Fine Cooking magazine.

BOSTON — Angela Sanfilippo knows her fish. She’s been the wife of a Gloucester fisherman for 41 years, and in her family there aren’t many nights when fish isn’t on the menu. But her dream of getting fresh, local fish out to the wider community seemed like a pipe dream until 2008.
 
That’s when she started the Cape Ann Fresh Catch initiative. It’s a “fish-share” program in which customers pay for a share of that week’s catch. It works similarly to farm shares.
 
“You join for a season and every week you would get your share, not knowing what kind of fish you would get – it could be haddock, it could be Cod, it could be Pollack,” Sanfilippo said.

On the morning of the delivery, shareholders get an email, telling them what fish to expect that night. Sanfilippo throws a recipe in there too, just in case.
 
To make it all happen, Sanfilippo partnered with day fishers at Ocean Crest Seafoods in Gloucester.

Fishing nets are seen in front of a fishing boat in Gloucester, Mass. (}{enry/Flickr)

It’s mid-morning and the docks are buzzing with activity. Outside, boats are lining up to offload the morning catch. And upstairs, Ocean Crest Seafoods president Lenny Parco goes over the day’s orders. He says the program has given him a lot of new — and much needed — customers.
 
“I would say the program is probably using between 3 and 5 thousand pounds of fish a week, and that’s fairly significant,” Parco said.
 
Significant, especially in light of strict fishing regulations that were put in place last year, placing hard catch limits on how much groundfish a fisherman can catch. Under the old system, fishermen were allowed a certain number of days at sea.
 
Sanfilippo says the program pays day fishers up to 100 percent more than they would normally get.
 
“We pay the fisherman between $2 and $2.50 a pound, even if the fish sold for a dollar,” Sanfilippo said.
 
But Parco says it’s not all about the money. His favorite part is letting people in on the big secret to liking fish – fresh seafood.
 
“Once you get a good fresh product out there, people are excited by it. They always say, well, it smells,” Parco said. “Well, fresh fish does not smell. Fresh fish smells like the ocean. So if you walk by the seafood case and you smell fish, you wanna keep on walking.”
 
Once off the ship, the fish gets loaded into a truck and heads over to Turner Seafoods to be skinned, filleted and packaged into 2 pound bags.  This morning’s catch: Cod.
 
 “This fish is caught, landed, it’s processed here in the morning, and it’s on a truck on its way and it’s on someone’s plate tonight. And you can’t get any fresher than that,” said Turner Seafoods President James Turner.
 
He says the program, which now has over 680 customers, has become one of his biggest clients. 
 
“And for that reason we’ve hired a couple more people in order to do – to get their business out the door.”
 
Once out the door, the fish is loaded into the delivery truck and, depending on the day, delivered to a handful of the program’s 18 pick up locations. Today, Harvard Square makes the list. And it’s here that David Wright makes his pick-up. Since joining, Wright says he has not been disappointed.
 
“It’s good – the first time they had Dabs and I’ve never had them before so I couldn’t compare to anything, but they were fantastic. You can taste the freshness,” Wright said.
 
Back in Gloucester, Angela Sanfilippo says her dream of making all fish local is finally being realized.
 
“We don’t need to eat imported farm fish from Chile where this seafood is available here and will be available with the help of God for many, many more generations,” Sanfilippo said.

__________________________________________________________

Ming Tsai is the host and executive producer of public television series Simply Ming.

Serves 4

Ingredients
½ cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 pound fresh, local white fish (cod, haddock, or whatever is on sale)
1 can of cannellini or garbanzo beans
4 cups of fresh field greens (spring mix, baby romaine, arugula)
Juice from ½ lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Saute 2 cloves of very thinly sliced garlic in olive oil (about ½ cup—it’s a lot, but you can use the oil after for other things). Start with cold oil in the pan (it tends to burn if you start with hot oil) and let the garlic cook until just lightly golden brown — about 3 minutes, but keep your eye on it (dark brown or burned means bitter).

Drain the garlic onto paper towels. Pour all but 1 tablespoon of the oil into a bowl and set aside.

Cut the fish into portions, season with salt and pepper, and brown on both sides. Just put it in the pan and don’t move it for 2 minutes; then turn it and cook until it’s cooked through (depends on the fish and the thickness, but 3 minutes oughta do it).

Rinse well and drain 1 can of white beans (I used garbanzo, but cannellini or gigante are great for this, too). In a medium bowl, combine four cups of spring mix or baby romaine with beans, toasted garlic, the juice of half a lemon, and about 1 tablespoon of the cooled garlic oil. Season with salt and pepper. Divide onto four plates and place the fish on top.



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Annie B. Copps is a senior editor at Yankee Magazine. Annie oversees the magazine’s food coverage, both as an editor and as a contributor of feature stories and columns.