When I was growing up, we ate ahi, aku, and whatever we caught when we went fishing. But today, ahi is so expensive and we rarely see aku at the market. In fact, in the past 50 years, cod, swordfish and bluefin tuna have decreased by approximately 90 percent due to overfishing.
Since there is such a scarcity of these fish, we see some exotic names for other types of fish, many of them in the frozen seafood section. But exactly what are these fish?
Chilean sea bass is actually Patagonian toothfish and is known for its rich, buttery flavor, which makes it comparable to cod. Currently, it is in high demand but is in low supply so the prices are high. Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch has this fish on the avoid list due to overfishing and scarcity.
Copi is a marketing name for the invasive Asian carp and is derived from the word “copious.”
Just in the state of Illinois, they could catch anywhere between 20 to 50 million pounds of copi for consumption. In the 1970s these fish were imported into the US to eat the algae from wastewater treatment plants and clean up catfish ponds. But they swam out into the Illinois and Missouri Rivers and are now possibly threatening the Great Lakes. Our government has already spent over $600 million to keep the Asian carp away from Lake Barkley on the Kentucky-Tennessee border by building electric barriers. Other technologies such as underwater noisemakers and air bubble curtains are also being tested. The Federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative put together a five-year, $600,000 project to rebrand this carp and be able to market copi as a viable alternative to other fish.
Chefs who cooked with copi claim it is more savory than tilapia, firmer than cod, and tastier than catfish. It could be ground for fish burgers, fish cakes, dumplings and tacos.
Orange roughy is slimehead and can live for up to 150 years. But because they live so long, they are also exposed to unhealthy elements like mercury so may not be the healthiest fish to consume. It is now on the endangered species list due to overfishing.
Swai is a white-flesh Asian catfish. The Food and Drug Administration, in 2003, passed a law that only fish in the Ictaluride family, which includes the American catfish can be labeled as catfish. Swai is a type of catfish native to the Mekong Delta of Vietnam.
Swai is often found on buffet lines because it is inexpensive and has a neutral flavor. But the raising of this fish has often been in question because of high levels of antibiotics and chemicals.
Here are recipes for copi, a fish we may soon find at our local stores as the campaign to market this fish picks up.
Copi Fresh Fish Tacos
Serves 6
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 pounds boneless pieces of copi
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chile powder
2 eggs
2 cups cold sparkling water
2 cups all-purpose flour
Twelve 6 to 7 inch corn tortillas
Prepare the taco accompaniments: pickled red onion, chipotle mayonnaise, shredded green and red cabbage, cilantro, avocado wedges.
Pat the copi dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt, pepper and chile powder.
Mix eggs, sparkling water in a large bowl. Add flour and mix just until incorporated. If batter is too thick, add more water, if too thin, add more flour.
Dip the seasoned copi in the batter and drop into a deep fryer preheated to 350 degrees. Cook until lightly browned.
Warm the tortillas by wrapping them in dampened paper towels and microwave on high powder for 1 minute, until warm and pliable.
Transfer the deep-fried copi to a platter along with the accompaniments and warm tortillas. Serve immediately.
Mediterranean Copi Burgers with Arugula, Tzatziki and Pickled Onions
8 cups red onion, thinly sliced
1- 1/2 cups white vinegar
6 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon anise seed or 1 anise star
2 bay leaves
1 dried red chile pepper or fresh serrano pepper
2 pounds copi fillets, skinned and ground
2 tablespoons fresh garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoons lemon zest
4 teaspoons dry oregano or 2 teaspoon fresh oregano
4 teaspoons black pepper
1-1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
12 pita pocket breads
Arugula
Use a mandolin or food processor to slice the onions. In a non-reactive saucepan, put the vinegar, sugar, salt, anise, bay leaves, and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes. Add onions and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool. Place in a jar with a lid. Refrigerate until ready to use. Keep refrigerated for up to a month.
Combine ground copi, garlic, lemon zest,oregano, black pepper and nutmeg together and mix well. Form into oval patties, using a 1/2 cup measure, to make 12 patties. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Brush patties with canola oil before grilling. On a medium high grill, cook for 5 minutes per side.
Cut pita in half, toast on grill. Slide burger into pita, add arugula, tzatziki and onions.
Foodie bites: SPAM is going to have a new permanent addition to their 11 flavors: maple flavored SPAM.
The combination of sweet and savory, but without the stickiness of maple syrup, is going to bring in a mouthwatering addition to the SPAM family.