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This article was published 05/06/2013 (3657 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LONDON, Ont. — “I never met a fish I didn’t like,” Jeff Morrison of Ottawa states with conviction.

The avid sportsman, known as “The Outdoors Guy” in his blog and newspaper column, can now add author to his resum© with not one but two cookbooks coming out June 1 — Canadian Fishing Cookbook and Canadian Outdoor Cookbook.

Another on wild game will likely be released this fall, all published by Company’s Coming.

Morrison has travelled the nation pursuing his passion for catching and eating just about every type of fish and seafood imaginable. Consequently, his Fishing Cookbook, the one he wrote first, “is sort of like reading through a diary of my outdoor life.”

But “people who do their fishing in the fish market” will have no problem, he says. While some dishes in the book may be more common in the regions where the fish originates — Maritime cod, northern pike, Pacific halibut, Lake Erie smelt — most are accessible in fresh or frozen versions at supermarkets and fishmongers across the country. Other featured species — walleye, bass and trout, for example — are naturally found coast to coast.

Even eel, cod cheeks and sunfish are covered and he includes lots of recipes for side dishes, salads and sauces to accompany the fish entr©es.

Since Morrison often catches his own supper, determining freshness is not generally a problem. But he acknowledges that it can be for those buying “fresh” fish at a store. “There’s nothing worse than eating fish or seafood that isn’t fresh,” he says.

One issue is that signs of decay vary among species. Cloudy eyes in some whole fish may signal that they’ve been around too long, but in others, the eyes turn opaque within a few hours, so that’s not always a reliable measure.

Shiny, metallic-looking skin on a fish is said to be a good sign, as are bright red gills. Some sources recommend avoiding fillets with a milky liquid on them, but again, Morrison says, this occurs quite quickly in some species.

“Let your nose be the guide,” he says. “There is a difference between the smell of fresh fish and the smell of rot. There’ll be a distinctive smell that tells you when fish is no longer fresh.”

At home, fish should be refrigerated no more than two or three days before using.

For the trepidatious, Morrison suggests starting with mild-tasting walleye or whitefish, both freshwater fish, and halibut or cod, both saltwater fish. For the more adventurous, pike and muskie “are some of the best eating in my opinion,” but only if properly filleted.

As for cooking methods, frying, baking, poaching and grilling are all options depending on the recipe and type of fish. But frying is probably his favourite. His recipes use different types of oil, including peanut, sunflower, olive and canola.

But it’s hard to beat the taste of fish fried in butter, Morrison says. “It just adds a certain something.”

It’s important to keep an eye on fish while it’s cooking to make sure it doesn’t dry out, he says. Some types contain more oil so are less prone to drying, but others — halibut steaks on the grill, for example — will get dry if cooked too long.

“It’s easy to overcook fish. Some seafoods, such as scallops or shrimp, cook so quickly. In literally 30 seconds they can go from not quite there to fully cooked. You don’t want to go past that point really. It’s not like cooking a big tenderloin.”

He recommends medium to medium-high temperatures for frying and likes to keep a lid on the frying pan “so you get a nice little steam effect, fluffs it right up.”

 

Each of Morrison’s recipes is introduced by a story — some about memorable meals or fish tales about the ones that got away, including the biggest brook trout he never saw (but his dad did).

Morrison has degrees in both environmental science and fish and wildlife biology, so scattered throughout is information about the fishing industry in Canada, conservation, sustainability and the issue of mercury and PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl) contamination.

Sustainability is the focus of Ocean Wise, a Vancouver Aquarium conservation program created to educate consumers about the issues surrounding sustainable seafood.

Robin Poirier, the Toronto-based Ocean Wise accounts representative for the eastern provinces, says the program works directly with restaurants, markets, food services and suppliers to help them and their customers “identify the ocean-friendly or the ocean-wise seafood options.”

The 450-plus participating “partners” at more than 3,100 locations across the country display an Ocean Wise logo with their products or on menus indicating the selection is sustainable.

Those who do not deal with Ocean Wise partners can still inform themselves about sustainability by checking out the extensive list of fish and seafood on the Ocean Wise website — www.oceanwise.ca — or iPhone app. It indicates not one of 13 varieties of snapper is recommended, for example.

But making a knowledgeable choice requires the consumer to know a lot about the fish being considered — the exact type, where it came from and how it was caught.

If you don’t know, ask the retailers, Poirier says. And if the retailers don’t know, urge them to find out.

 

Here are some recipes from Jeff Morrison’s Canadian Fishing Cookbook.

 

Crab Bisque

Crab, which is harvested off both the east and west coasts, makes a lovely soup and is as close as the tinned meat section of your grocery store.

4 ears corn

60 ml (1/4 cup) butter

175 ml (3/4 cup) chopped chives or shallots

3 garlic cloves, minced

875 ml (3 1/2 cups) chicken broth

2 ml (1/2 tsp) cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper, to taste

45 ml (3 tbsp) flour

150 ml (2/3 cup) cream (18 per cent)

3 cans (each 170 g/6 oz) crabmeat

 

Cut kernels from corn; set kernels aside.

In a large, steep-sided skillet over medium heat, cook butter, chives and garlic until chives soften. Slowly add corn, chicken broth, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer.

In a small bowl, stir flour and cream together. Slowly pour into soup. Add crabmeat and simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Pour into large soup tureen and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Source: Canadian Fishing Cookbook by Jeff Morrison (Company’s Coming, 2013)

 

Smoky Trout Burgers

Trout is available in all parts of the country, but there’s no reason to limit the way it’s served to pan-frying. These burgers are great with sweet potato fries (recipe follows).

2 potatoes, cut into chunks

340 g (12 oz) smoked trout fillets, flaked

10 ml (2 tsp) creamed horseradish

6 shallots, finely chopped

175 ml (3/4 cup) grated zucchini, squeezed dry

Salt and pepper, to taste

30 ml (2 tbsp) flour

8 slices lean bacon

 

Boil potatoes in lightly salted water until tender. Drain, mash and transfer to a large bowl. Add trout, horseradish, shallots, zucchini, salt and pepper; mix well. Separate mixture into 4 equal portions and form into patties. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat barbecue to medium-high. Dredge patties in flour and wrap each in 2 slices of bacon. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until golden.

Makes 4 servings.

 

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

500 g (1 lb) sweet potatoes, scrubbed

15 ml (1 tbsp) melted butter

1 ml (1/4 tsp) seasoning salt

1 ml (1/4 tsp) ground nutmeg

 

Heat oven to 230 C (450 F) and spray a large, shallow baking pan or rimmed baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

Cut potatoes lengthwise into quarters and then cut each quarter into 2 wedges. Arrange in pan in single layer.

In a bowl, combine butter, salt and nutmeg and brush over potatoes. Bake for 20 minutes until brown and tender.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Canadian Fishing Cookbook by Jeff Morrison (Company’s Coming, 2013).

 

Poached Salmon With Julienned Vegetables

Wild salmon generally contains “little to no PCBs,” says Jeff Morrison, and is therefore preferable to farmed salmon. If you don’t know which you’re buying, ask the retailer.

15 ml (1 tbsp) butter

1/2 celery rib, julienned

1/2 green pepper, julienned

1/2 red pepper, julienned

2 ml (1/2 tsp) fennel seed

2 ml (1/2 tsp) chopped fresh parsley

750 ml (3 cups) water

125 ml (1/2 cup) dry white wine

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 salmon steaks (each 250 g/8 oz)

Juice of 1 lemon, for sprinkling

 

In a skillet, heat butter over low heat. Add celery, green pepper, red pepper, fennel seed and parsley. Cook, covered, for 3 minutes; remove vegetable mixture from skillet and set aside.

Add water and wine to same skillet. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Place salmon steaks in skillet; simmer for 6 minutes over low, turning once. Add julienned vegetables to skillet and cook for another 2 minutes until salmon feels firm.

Transfer salmon and vegetables to serving plates; sprinkle with lemon juice.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Canadian Fishing Cookbook by Jeff Morrison (Company’s Coming, June 2013).

— The Canadian Press