LEARNING AT THE POTTER'S WHEEL

Fish is a wonderful addition to a healthy diet. A single serving per week can greatly reduce your chances of heart disease. Deep-sea, oily fish (salmon, tuna, swordfish, sole, flounder) are good sources of omega-3 and other long-chain fatty acids as well as fat-soluble vitamins A and D. Fish provide an organic source of needed iodine for proper development on a cellular level. (see post Iodine, Required for Health) Ocean fish feed upon the nutrient rich stores of ocean plant life that grow in waters fed from the mineral laden waters that flow from the land.

You should know, however, that battered and deep fried catch of the day won’t offer you all of the benefits you would like to have. There ARE types of fish that are worth avoiding.

We avoid farm raised fish, fish with skin (not scales), shellfish, and fish caught in shallows near the shore. We consume wild-caught, deep water fish that have scales.

We avoid farm raised fish because we cannot confirm that the water source is pure. Even treated ponds are subject to government approved treatments and they may not catch everything. We avoid fish with skin because these absorb toxins in two ways: first, they absorb toxins through their skin, secondly, they consume whatever leftover material is in the water – that includes carcasses of other sea life. Shellfish operate in much the same manner. These creatures exist as nature’s purifiers, constantly cleaning and filtering the waters in which they live. Consuming this type of fish would mean that we would also be consuming any toxins they had removed from the water.

That means that we consume fish with gills and scales wild-caught in deep waters (away from PBC and other contaminated shorelines). You can usually find frozen fillets in your grocery store. Check the fine print on the package to see where the fish was caught, whether or not it was farm-raised and where it was processed.

Now, if you’ve stuck with me this far, you are to be applauded. You’ve learned more about fish than Duke ever cared to know. All he knows is that he ends up eating fish every week which is better than when I find and serve organic beef liver (maybe a future post). Don’t get me wrong, if you offer Duke a large plate of battered and fried fish, a tub of tartar sauce (none of that cocktail sauce for him) and a generous dollop of grits, then he’s thrilled.

Unfortunately for Duke, his fish is baked or broiled, seasoned with sea salt and paprika and served steaming hot with veggies. He doesn’t complain, but he does grab the mayonnaise (organic) and place a nice glob on top of his fish.

Duke’s not the only one that misses our old fish eating habits. I remember how my parents used to save up the fish they caught for a big pot of catfish stew. . . Y-U-M! The spicy tomato sauce and chunks of fish would cook in their seasonings until just before you popped with anticipation . . . They never had large enough spoons!

Again, this sent me into my laboratory kitchen. I rummaged around and found an old catfish stew recipe, made a few changes and came up with a result that (I think) rivals my childhood memories. The fellas around here liked it well enough for more than one helping. See if you like it as well as they did.

SALMON STEW

• 2 to 3 pounds of Salmon Filets (deep sea, wild-caught), cut into bite-size chunks
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1, 28 oz can organic, diced tomatoes (or about a pound of fresh, peeled and diced)
• 1, 6 oz can organic tomato paste
• ½ to 1 tbsp oregano (I like more than some people)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp chili powder (to taste)
• ½ to 1 tsp cayenne
• 2 tbsp agave nectar (or raw honey)
• red and green peppers, chopped to equal about ½ to 1 cup

The last 4 ingredients and sea salt I just adjust to suit my taste.

This is one of my dump and cook recipes. Place it all into your stew pot and stir the ingredients. Add enough filtered water to bring up the level a little above the solid ingredients and to dissolve the tomato paste. Raise the temp to med-high, watching for it to bubble, stirring frequently. Once the stew begins to bubble, lower it to simmer for 30 minutes to an hour. The cooking time is a little longer if the fillets are still frozen. I just use my large knife to cut the frozen fillets into chunks. Watch to be sure the water level doesn’t get too low or you could scorch your stew. It can be served over rice or plain. I prefer it plain.
Yields 8 to 10 generous portions.

I know there are some individuals that add potatoes to their fish stews. I’ve sampled their attempts at fish stew. The starch in the potatoes is drawn out into the stew by the tomatoes. I don’t like the resulting taste or texture. It seems a disservice to perfectly good potatoes and fish. But I won’t debate that there are those who prefer potatoes in their fish stew. If you like, toss some potatoes into your stew and see if you like it better. For me, a recipe is actually just a suggestion or a starting point to launch your own creative culinary talents. Have fun!