February 2016 A Samuels and Son Seafood Magazine

Photo by: Josiah Andrews

Ekstrom - Ekstrom - Fish Without SeasonsFish Without Seasons

In this Issue:In this Issue:Ekstrom – Ekstrom – Fish without Seasons, Fresh Hybrid Striped Bass and Fish without Seasons, Fresh Hybrid Striped Bass and

Red Drum Available Year RoundRed Drum Available Year RoundOut of the Fire - Out of the Fire - Comes a Rural Pittsburgh Restaurant Comes a Rural Pittsburgh Restaurant

with Amazing Mountain Viewswith Amazing Mountain ViewsIn the News – In the News – OTG Celebrates 20 Years in OTG Celebrates 20 Years in

Business with Big EventBusiness with Big EventThis Just In...This Just In...Aquaculture Bill Now Allows Aquaculture Bill Now Allows

Fish Farms in the Gulf of MexicoFish Farms in the Gulf of Mexico

Ekstrom - Fish Without Seasons

Copper Shoals Red Drum

Silver Streak Hybrid Striped Bass

In this Issue:Ekstrom – Fish without Seasons, Fresh Hybrid Striped Bass and

Red Drum Available Year RoundOut of the Fire - Comes a Rural Pittsburgh Restaurant

with Amazing Mountain ViewsIn the News – OTG Celebrates 20 Years in

Business with Big EventThis Just In...Aquaculture Bill Now Allows

Fish Farms in the Gulf of Mexico

FISH TALESFISHFISHFISH FISH ™

TALESTALESTALESTALES

SamuelsandSonSeafood.com

Edward ODonnellEditor in ChiefAdvertising Sales

Joseph LasprogataCreative Editor

Donna D’AngeloAssisting Editor

Joe CimineraHead Writer

William BradfordStaff Writer

PhotographyTina ToalJosiah Andrews

Chef Davis DenickLead Chef

Advisory CommitteePaul HowardNick AnastasiLisa Tiscavitch

FISH TALESFISH TALESFISH TALESFISH TALESMagazine

Spotlight

When Jeff Fryer decided to leave his job in a blown glass shop to move into the restaurant business, where he would stand in front of a piping hot stove all day, his wife remarked “you just can’t get out of the fire, can you?”

Luckily for residents of Western Pennsylvania, Fryer came out of one fire and entered another. In fact he named his restaurant Out of the Fire.

Located in Donegal, Pennsylvania, just east of Pittsburgh, Out of the Fire has established itself as the go-to destination for fresh seafood, bold dining concepts and breathtaking mountain views in West-ern Pennsylvania. What started as Fryer selling Smoked Salmon and Pork has evolved into a menu featuring New-American cuisine.

“Not a lot of ingredients, but a big flavor,” says Head Chef Bob Hawk explaining his cooking style.

Chef Hawk prides himself in building layers in every dish he prepares, and this makes for some incredible and unique flavors brought out from commonplace ingredients. A prime example of this is the much adored Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi with a Sweet Potato & Granny Smith Apple Puré and a fresh Brie & Grape-fruit Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette Grape-fruit Coulis. Another favorite dish is the Pan-Roasted Salmon adorned with Sage and Tarragon Jasmine Rice with Roasted Fall Vegetables, and a Mesquite Roasted Tomato Beurre Blanc.

“Salmon is one of my favorite seafood to work with because it has great versatility,” said Hawk.

While Salmon can indeed be prepared in numerous ways, the item that put Out of the Fire on the map is their award-winning house-smoked Salmon. The Salmon is cured with Fryers original rub recipe and is then hot smoked to perfection. The Smoked Salmon platter is a very popular appetizer served with Spicy Chipotle Honey & Chili Roasted Pineapple & Cranberry Relish.

It is not always easy to find fresh seafood in Western Pennsylvania, but Out of the Fire is at an advantage,

having Samuels as a supplier, they have product delivered six days a week to meet their customers demand for seafood.

“We took Scallops off the menu once and had an uproar,” quipped Hawk.

Don’t worry, the Scallops are back on the menu, seared and served with a Tri- Colored Carrot and Bacon Risotto along with a Granny Smith Apple, Red Onion, Candied Pecan and Arugula Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette. Other seafood standouts on the menu are Mussels, served with a garlic and white wine sauce, or cider, sage, bacon sauce, and classic Crab Cakes served with a candied jalapeno hollandaise. “We keep it simple,” said Hawk. “Our customers like simple, good food.”

For customers looking for a smaller bite, fresh Mahi Mahi Tacos, and the Salmon Cake sandwich served on a pretzel bun are big hits. Everything is prepared fresh and all meats are cured and smoked in house. Out of the Fire is not just about food though. The relaxed yet refined ambiance of the dining room, boasting large bay windows with scenic mountain views make it a destination not just for locals, but for those on weekend getaways from nearby Pittsburgh. The dining room is flanked by an open kitchen design with counter seating, giving lucky diners the opportunity to see the magic going on in the kitchen.

“I’ve worked in an open kitchen before, and it’s a fine line between temper control and cooking,” joked Hawk. “What I love about it, though, is being able to interact with customers.”

Out of the Fire takes a customer first approach in everything they do. The welcoming environment and perfectly paced meals allow customers to take in the charm of the restaurant and enjoy the view while they dine on expertly prepared food.

“We don’t want you to come in for an hour and leave,” said Hawk. “Good food takes time, it may take longer, but it’s so worth it.” For more information visit outofthefirecafe.com.

Follow us online @SamuelsSeafood

Congratulations to Sales-people Dylan Reese and Liz Cabella and Dock Worker Shawn Dough-erty for being named Samuels Employees of the Month. All three of these exceptional employees demon-strated their work ethic and skill during the busiest time of the year. Dylan, Liz and Shawn are valued members of their respective teams and consistently get the job done. Keep up the good work!

Employee’s of the Month

By: Joe Ciminera

Donegal, PA

Out of the Out of the FireFire

Left to Right: Shawn Dougherty, Liz Cabella, and Dylan Reese

Samuels and Son Seafood was pleased to take part in the OTG Expo held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center located in Philadelphia, PA, Celebrating their 20 year anniversary.

OTG is dedicated to elevating the airport experi-ence through unique dining concepts, inviting retail entities and vibrant designs leading to a better atmosphere with unique options for travelers. The well-received event featured displays from OTG suppliers and leaders in the food and beverage industry as well as a live cook-

ing demonstration. The Samuels booth featured a stylish and exciting seafood display as well as several freshly prepared dishes including bacon wrapped Paradise Shrimp and deep-fried Fremantle Octopus hands.

While the event served as an opportunity for OTG employees to meet and greet their vendors, it was also a great time filled with premium prod-ucts in a fun atmosphere. Visit an OTG restaurant inside an airport near you on your next trip.

Farming fish is an art that can only be perfected through years of trial and error, incredible patience, and a pride in your work.

Ekstrom Enterprises has mastered that art and now offers discern-ing chefs premium Silver Streak Hybrid striped bass, Natures Catch Hybrid Striped Bass, and Copper Shoals Red Drum raised in the United States year round, so incredible fresh fish is never out of reach.

The only way to have success and longevity in the farm raised fish industry is to consistently offer a premium product. Since 1997, the Ekstrom family has been raising incredible tasting and magnificent looking Silver Streak Hybrid Striped Bass from their state-of-the-art operation in Danevang, Texas. In 2011, the Ekstroms added Nature’s Catch in Clarksdale, Mississippi, to its family of farms, and a year later expanded production to Marks, Mississippi.

Ekstrom has the largest Hybrid Striped Bass farming operation in the United States with 114 ponds over 2,500 acres of water under production. The only way that kind of growth can happen is by producing a fine product, and both Silver Streak and Nature’s Catch are just that. High quality seafood begins with the growing environ-ment, and Ekstrom hybrid striped bass mature in natural pond settings where farming experts monitor the ponds on a 24/7 basis. Such attention and dedication allows fish to grow and thrive without the use of hormones or antibiotics.

Silver Streak and Nature’s Catch Striped Bass come in sizes ranging from Medium (1 1/2lbs-2lbs) all the way to Extra Jumbo weighing in at 3+lbs. The impressive and convenient sizes are only outshone by the quality of their fish. Silver Streak and Nature’s Catch Striped Bass have an appealing delicate flavor and an incredible flaky texture that makes it a pleasure to eat. The fish have a bright white flaky flesh when cooked, and beautiful silver skin with the telltale horizontal stripes of striped bass.

It can be prepared whole in baked or steamed preparations, and the fillets are perfect to be seared, grilled, baked or fried.

Another amazing offering from Ekstrom is Copper Shoals Red Drum. Commonly known as redfish, red drum is actually more copper-colored than red, and has a beautiful elongated cylindrical shape. Its most distinctive feature is a large black spot on the tail. Marine Biologists believe that the spot may trick predators into targeting the tail rather than the head, allowing the fish a chance to escape.

Copper Shoals Red Drum are bred and farmed near Palacios, Texas. Fingerlings mature there in earthen ponds filled with saltwater sourced from the Matagorda Bay system and saline aquifers, and like with Silver Streak and Nature’s Catch Striped Bass, production ponds are monitored around the clock to ensure quality and safety. Copper Shoals Red Drum are harvested to customer orders and immediately plunged into ice slurry, lowering the core temperature of the fish so it is packed and shipped at its utmost freshness.Although blackened redfish is the dish that made red drum a super-star in southern costal states, the amazing flavor and texture of Copper Shoals Red Drum can be brought out through any number of creative cooking preparations.

In The News...

By: Joe Ciminera Ekstrom Enterprises: Fish without Seasons

OTG Celebrates 20 Years in Business By: Joe Ciminera

From Left Shinobu Habauchi, Rick Blatstein, Lauren D’Angelo

Hybrid Striped Bass

Red Drum

Love in the Air, Caviar and Oysters on the Menu

Roses and chocolate are synonymous with Valentine’s Day, but in the age of fine dining they only go so far. Samuels and Son has you covered with the additional ingredients that will make your Valentine’s Day so special.

CaviarAn upscale meal at a favorite restaurant is a Valentine’s Day tradition for many couples who are looking to indulge in exceptional food for the romantic occasion. The one item that is sure to take your dish to that next level is Caviar. This rare treat is something that will enhance all special Valentine’s Day menus, and there are so many incredible Caviar’s to choose from. Caviar is the perfect appetizer or accompaniment to any dish.

Canterbury Cure, a new line of premium seafood and produce, has two exceptional Caviars available. Premium Paddlefish Caviar has a bright, glossy color and incredible ocean scent. Made from wild-caught Paddlefish, commonly found in the Mississippi River Basin, Canterbury Cure retains a close relationship with their fishermen to ensure the utmost quality is kept. The same quality is assured with

Canterbury Cure Royale Grade Sturgeon Caviar, made from premium California Sturgeon. Canterbury Cure Premium Paddlefish Caviar is sold in 1 ounce or 8 ounce units, and the California Sturgeon Caviar is available in 1 ounce units.

OystersValentine’s Day just so happens to be the perfect time for Oysters as well! Many Oysters are great this time of year, and some are perfectly named for the holiday. An entire Oyster list can be created with a Valentine’s Day theme.

Pink Moon Oysters are deliciously tasty, and also have beautiful name that will jump off menus. Cocktail sized Pink Moons from Prince Edward Island have a salty flavor with a sweet finish that customers love. Buttercup Oysters are another aptly named Valentine’s Oyster which have a buttery flavor and plump texture. Couples looking for some more excitement with their meal can try Nauti Pilgrim Oysters from Massachusetts with a sweet and briny flavor, or Naked Cowboy Oysters from Long Island Sound which have a strong mineral and brine. For the thrill seeking couple, Sex on the Bay Oysters are the perfect Valentine’s Day treat. Similar to the Pink Moon’s, Sex on the Bay are Canadian Oysters with a deep cup, mild salty taste and a creamy finish. Aside from these cleverly named Oysters, Samuels has a massive Oyster list with the perfect styles to meet your needs, as well as a collection of pre-shucked and breaded Oysters that are ready to be cooked!

Canterbury Cure and Fresh Oysters

Samuels Kosher ProgramPassover is a couple of months away, and the Samuels Kosher program provides incred-ible Kosher Certified products year round. Samuels has an in-house Mashgiach, an individual who personally inspects each fish and supervises the process of all of Samuels Seafood Kosher products, while observing the Kosher cutting process in a designated cutting room.

The vast list of products sourced from around the world includes but are not limited to delicious Salmon, Tuna, Fluke, Cod and Mackerel. We ask that all orders for Certified Kosher Products are placed 48 hours in advance. We are also happy to provide you with information to better educate your staff on Kosher Certified Products as well. Please speak to your sales representative for a full list of Samuels Kosher Products!

Chefs

Chef Davis Denick

CornerCorner

Questions or Comments? Chef Davis will be happy to assist. 800-580-5810 x6555davis@SamuelsandSonSeafood.com

by Chef Davis Denick

Photo by: Tina Toal

Photos by: Josiah Andrews

Silver Streak Hybrid Striped Bass Silver Streak Hybrid Striped Bass and Copper Shoals Red Drumand Copper Shoals Red Drum

Silver Streak Hybrid Striped Bass Silver Streak Hybrid Striped Bass and Copper Shoals Red Drumand Copper Shoals Red Drum

Chick Pea Dusted Silver Streak Hybrid Striped Bass with Grilled Abalone Mushroom Hearts

Cajun Seasoned Redfish with Caramelized Brussel Sprouts and Butter Poached Potatoes

Ekstrom Enterprises is the producer of three very high quality aqua-culture products – Silver Streak Hybrid Striped Bass and Natures Catch Hybrid Striped Bass, and Copper Shoals Red Drum. Both of these fish are products I pull on a regular occasion (especially the Redfish) because of their consistent high quality, year round availability and clean flavor. Since both of these delicious fish deserve a recipe of their own I must be brief in my descriptions but if there are any questions I can always be reached at our “Ask the Chef” link on our website for any further details.

Chick Pea Dusted Silver Streak Hybrid Striped Bass with Grilled Abalone Mushroom Hearts I dusted skin on Silver Streak Striped Bass fillets with some salt, pepper and chick pea flour just to cover the skin and knock off any excess. For a sauce I made a double strength shrimp broth and reduced it to the flavor I was looking for and passed it through a chinois and fryer filter. Abalone mushrooms are nice and large, easy to shape into hearts and are simply seasoned, oiled and grilled. They pair very nicely with fish and will absorb some of the shrimp broth on the plate that will enhance their flavor. For my vegetable garnish I roasted some jalapeno peppers and diced them along with some onion. In a medium heat pan cook the onion until it starts to brown, add a pinch of diced jalapeno and wilt a few handfuls of

arugula into the pan, removing it quickly as arugula needs very little heat. To finish the plate I garnished with a few sweet potato chips being careful not to fry them too long so they keep their full sweet flavor. At pickup, pan sear the skin side of the fish until nice and crispy, turn and finish in the oven to cook through.

Cajun Seasoned Redfish with Caramelized Brussel Sprouts and Butter Poached PotatoesI don’t want to call this a blackened redfish as I believe that cooking technique has taken a sharp left turn from its roots and now means burnt and blistered to a spicy, bitter, charred mess in a white hot cast iron. I do however think that if you pay attention, you can get a wonderful toasted flavor (on the edge of charred but not burnt and bitter) from the dry layer of spices between the skin and hot skillet. If a medium high heat is used in a nearly dry pan with just a splash of oil to start the rendering of fat from the skin, you can attain a crispy skin with a lovely toasted seared flavor that compliments the delicate flavors of this beautiful fish instead of masking them. I used a spice mix given to me by a chef friend from New Orleans – Troy Deano, who joined us at Samuels for a Louisiana seafood event.

If you don’t have a friend with a spice mix, I would go with the spice blend made by the man who made the dish famous, Paul Prudhomme when he was chef at Commander’s Palace. Turn some potatoes and slow cook them in butter until they are brown and soften. Leave them to cool in the brown butter like a pomme fondant. The brussel sprouts are also slowly cooked in whole butter. Halve the Brussel sprouts, season and slowly cook them on each side until crispy and dark brown. To finish the plate I made a saffron shrimp beurre blanc. To my aromatic and white wine reduction I simply added saffron and the same double fortified shrimp stock I used in the Striped Bass dish, and reduced to almost demi sec, then mount in your butter and hold at 140F adjusting your water content occasionally to keep the sauce from breaking. Sear your fish at pickup, build your plate and serve a glass of pinot noir with this rich winter dish to help balance the luscious, deep, creamy brown butter and heavy spice flavors.

The U.S. is on the move to develop large scale aquaculture opera-tions. While America is home to countless shellfish farms and smaller scale fish farming, we have yet to develop major aquacul-ture programs in offshore open waters.

All of this is about to come to fruition as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released their final rule on expanding the nation’s first offshore aquaculture operations in federal waters off the Gulf of Mexico. In this decision, prospective aquaculture companies can start applying for 10 year permits this month. Up to 20 fish farms may eventually be approved and allowed to produce a collective 64 million pounds per year. That’s a lot of seafood, especially considering 90 percent of seafood in the U.S. is imported and half of that is farmed. It’s time to make room for U.S. open water, sustainable aquaculture. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council originally approved a plan for aqua-culture in 2009, however, NOAA didn’t propose regulations until 2014. Now the final rule could be the catalyst for domestic aquacul-ture to become a force in the industry.

The species of fish the new ruling will issue permits for include: Tuna, Cobia, Almaco Jack and Red Snapper. What do all these fish in common? They’re all indigenous to the Gulf of Mexico, thus the ruling does not introduce any species not native to these waters. The farming for these popular fish will take place in a widespread area of deep water. Federal waters begin past three miles off Louisi-ana, Mississippi and Alabama. They start nine miles off the coast of Texas and Florida. Federal waters off all states extend as far out as 200 miles offshore. Development of these farms are not prohibited in marine protection areas or coral reefs.

As protectors of the sea, NOAA has many precautions in place to keep these waters clean and a sustainable source of domestic fish. In a statement, NOAA said "The permit process includes compre-hensive safeguards to ensure healthy oceans and coasts and consid-ers other uses of ocean space, such as fishing. The rule implements environmental safeguards, including a baseline survey, monitoring, and reporting requirements. In addition to a NOAA permit, farming fish in federal waters also requires permits from the U.S. Environ-mental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. NOAA Fisheries is working with these agencies to set up a coordi-nated permitting process for the Gulf."

The benefits of large scale aquaculture make sense to anyone that likes to buy local or support products of the U.S.A. Traceability of who and where the product was raised will be more transparent as will the safety concerns, thanks to keen oversight by NOAA. With a growing dependence on domestic aquaculture products, imagine all the new jobs created for fish farmers. In fact, the new plans are already gathering praise by industries outside of seafood. The American Soybean Association (ASA) said in a statement “ASA supports this plan as the first step to realizing offshore aquaculture development and growth in federal waters.” If your scratching your head as to why the ASA would applaud domestic aquaculture, it’s because domestic soybeans are often used as a natural ingredient for fish feed.

Should these plans succeed, it will take several years for farms to develop, fish to breed, grow and hit the market. However, this landmark decision could be the beginning of something big that could positively affect all of us, especially chefs and seafood profes-sionals. Perhaps we’ll have domestic farm raised Tuna and Red Snapper. Maybe competitors will rise on the east and west coast furthering the U.S. as a seafood powerhouse.

by: William Bradford

The Beginning of a New Era

for the Gulf of Mexico

Tandel’s Shrimp… Experience the Difference

S a m u e l s ’ S u s t a i n a b l e S e r i e s By: William Bradford

United States of America

Mexico

Gulf of Mexico

Cuba

Bahamas

*Prices and Availability Subject to Change! Must be Current Samuels Customer for Special Pricing!

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M i d We s t8 8 8 - 5 1 2 - 3 6 3 64 1 2 - 2 4 4 - 0 1 3 6

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SILVER STREAK STRIPED BASS FILLETS - Fresh Jumbo Fillets10 oz and Up, Skin on, PBO. 10.50 lb

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Samuels and Son Seafood FISH TALES MagazineFebruary 2016

Silver Streak Hybrid Striped BassCooper Shoals Red Drum

Available Exclusively Through Samuels Seafood