Seafood far from the Ocean

[Devotay]

I'd like to find out what folks think about the fact that seafood is now being "flown in fresh" to places like KC and even to my humble little burg, Iowa City. I do this occasionally for my restaurant, but I have found that the little I sacrifice in texture by buying FOB usually reeps fantastic rewards in terms of freshness. "Freshness from frozen fish?!?!?!" I hear you all screaming. Well, consider. I live about 900 miles from the nearest ocean. If I order salmon from one of our purveyors out here, it's been out of the water for a day when it's caught (if it was a day-boat - could be longer), a day getting to my purveyor, and a day coming to me. That means it is already 3 days old. if it is flash frozen on the boat in cryovac, I'm getting in effect a fresher product, and a much better one in terms of food-safety.

OK, purists, lemme hear it.

Peace, kmf

[monpetitchoux]

I feel for you. I've often wondered how folks who live even 100 miles inland can bare to be without fresh fish. You do what you have to do to get the best product to your customers.

You can always do what folks in the Chinese communities do. Get fish delivered live and still swimming in water and then kill them when you need them. Even though I live by the ocean, I still buy my fish this way so that I can get a really fresh fish. But this is only of you want ocean fish. There are limits. I have to go back to the East coast if I wanted to eat black bass (my favorite fish). Are there fresh water fish in local lakes and rivers that you can get fished for you? Until I read your post, I thought that's how folks who live inland get fish.

[Kimmie]

Purist?

Absolutely not, Chef Kurt!

The very best way for you to have the freshest produce it to purchase it the way you do right now, that is "flash frozen on the boat in cryovac".

[mofo1]

Kurt,
I do the same thing. Do you have any luck with salmon? Most fish I get is just like yours, but I do usually get lucky with salmon. I even use catfish. People are starting to realize that it isn't the same old mississippi mud fish it used to be. It's meaty and sweet. Ooops! I just reread your post. I don't live too far from you and I still get decent salmon. I'd raise some heck with your purveyors.


[ June 14, 2001: Message edited by: mofo1 ]

[isaac]

i think that flash frozen fish is not to shabby. fresh from the ocean is better though. i visited a fishing boat not to long ago and they flash freeze what they catch. for example, if they catch bass or salmon, the will net them and when they bring them in, they will flash freeze them. to freeze them, it takes no more then 15 mintues. not bad i thought.

[Shimmer]

What can you do, miles away from the ocean? But isn't this why we use planes after all? Eating fish that has been cooked after being frozen and unthawed makes sense to me, what puzzles me are local sushi restaurants. How can they serve fresh ocean fish? Any ideas?

~~Shimmer~~

[kuan]

A lot of what we get in Midwest sushi bars is frozen. Salmon and Yellowtail Tuna are some of the few "fresh" fish species we get here. I've seen Shrimp, Tuna, Snapper, Mackerel, Giant Clam, and Eel come out of the freezer.

Kuan

[Live_to_cook]

Folks have a hard time believing there's decent sushi in Buffalo, but take them to Kuni's on Elmwood and their eyes light up. Kuni picks up the goods from the airport every morning, he told me.