Okanagan Honey Glazed Sablefish
SERVES 4 PPL
24 OZ		FRESH B.C. SABLEFISH (CUT INTO 6 OZ PORTIONS)
2 TBSP		KOSHER SALT
2 TBSP		SUGAR
2 CUPS		WATER
3 TBSP		ARLOS HONEY
1 TBSP		APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
1 TBSP		VEGETABLE OIL
1 BUNCH		RAINBOW OR SWISS CHARD (STEMS REMOVED)
1 TBSP		UNSALTED BUTTER
TT		SALT
TT		PEPPER
1. CREATE A BRINE BY DISOLVING THE SUGAR AND SALT IN THE WATER.
PLACE SABLEFISH IN BRINE AND CHILL FOR 2-3 HOURS
(THIS WILL SEASON THE FISH AND ALLOW THE FLESH TO FIRM UP)
2. COMBINE HONEY, CIDER VINEGAR AND OIL TO CREATE A GLAZE
3. REMOVE SABLEFISH FROM BRINE AND PAT DRY
4. PLACE SABLEFISH IN A SHALLOW DISH AND POUR HALF THE AMOUNT OF
GLAZE OVER THE FISH. ALLOW GLAZE TO SOAK FOR 15 MINUTES
5. PREHEAT OVEN TO 375 DEGREES. REMOVE SABLEFISH FROM SHALLOW
PAN AND PLACE IN A NON-STICK ROASTING PAN.
6. BAKE FISH FOR 15 MINUTES OR UNTIL IT FLAKES
7. REMOVE FROM OVEN AND DRIZZLE THE REMAING AMOUNT OF GLAZE OVER
THE FISH
8. SAUTEE THE CHARD LEAVES IN THE UNSALTED BUTTER UNTIL WILTED.
SEASON WITH SALT AND PEPPER
9. PLACE AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF CHARD ON FOUR PLATES, AND PLACE THE
SABLEFISH ON TOP OF THE CHARD
10. BON APPETIT

WHAT CANADIAN WINES PAIR BEST WITH OYSTERS?

WHAT CANADIAN WINES PAIR BEST WITH OYSTERS?

For Immediate Release

(Osoyoos, BC, March 5, 2013) – A Canadian wide oyster wine pairing competition sponsored by EAT Magazine, Walnut Beach Resort and Codfathers Seafood Market has become part of the line-up for the second annual Oliver Osoyoos Oyster Wine Festival taking place April 17-21, 2013.

 “Canada has some of the best oysters in the world,” comments Gary Hynes, Editor EAT Magazine. “We also make some of the best wines. So, it’s a natural to put them together. Canadian oysters and wine – what could be better?”  

For the inaugural competition there are eight categories to submit entries including: Sparkling, Sauvignon Blanc, Unoaked Chardonnay, Oaked Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir and wine must be produced with 100% Canadian grapes as well as a Wild Card category where the alcoholic beverage submitted must be made with 100% Canadian product. Deadline to enter submissions is April 4, 2013, entry forms and entry rules can be downloaded off of the Oliver Osoyoos Oyster Wine Festival website at www.oooysterfestival.com.

The competition hosts are pleased to welcome a fantastic slate of judges who will determine this years’ competition winners. Judges include Rhys Pender, Master of Wine and owner of www.wineplus.ca; Mark Filatow, Sommelier and Chef www.waterfrontrestaurant.ca and Canadian Culinary Championships British Columbia winner and finale competitor;  Audrey Surrao, WSET certified and co-owner www.raudz.com; Cassandra Anderton, www.goodlifevancouver.com and Brad Cooper, Okanagan winemaker.

The Oliver/Osoyoos Oyster Festival was created to showcase the sustainable oysters produced by the farmers and guilds of the nearby West Coast together with the award-winning wines of the Oliver Osoyoos Winery Association. Even oysters need a day in the sun! For more information on the festival visit online at: www.oooysterfestival.com or follow on twitter at twitter.com/cdnoysterwine.

-30-

For more information contact:
Christina Ferreira, competition coordinator                                          Oliver Osoyoos Oyster Festival                 
christina@impactevents.ca                                                                         www.oooysterfestival.com/
ph: 250.469.1958                                                                                              twitter.com/cdnoysterwine                                                                                                                      

Spring openings, and fish market news

Spring openings Spring is nearly here and the next few weeks will see some new seasons opening, so here are a few highlights: Fresh Scallop harvesting on Quadra Island will be upon us in the next week, so our We Wai Kai Scallops will be available fresh for about three weeks before they go into the spawning period. Expect to see product in store from the 7th of March. There will be sporadic openings of Spring Salmon throughout the month, please enquire in store for availability, or check out facebook for daily news at https://www.facebook.com/CodfathersSeafood?ref=hl Fresh Halibut Season opens on the 23rd of March.We will be bringing fish express from the island in an attempt to again beat Vancouver outlets to the first fish of the season.Expect fish in the market late in the day on Monday the 25th! This week will see one of the last shipments of the winter for fresh Ice Fished Pickerel from Manitoba.As usual we will offer a discount on half and full cases, and vacuum pack for the freezer for no charge.Fish arriving Friday this week!

New Shellfish section! My new toy has finally arrived in the shape of a new shellfish counter!As we now have increased space, we will now be able to carry an even larger selection of all your favourite oysters,including the wonderfully named French Kiss Oyster from New Brunswick, available by the box complete with an oyster knife, 2 varieties of Mussels, Clams, live Scallops etc!Check it out next time you are instore. Also in this new section, Cams marinated seafood Salad, Pacific Rollmops, and Smoked salmon Lox. To celebrate, I will give a Codfathers Oyster Knife (Retail $25) to the first person reading this who can answer this question; What is the name of the famous Oyster from Brittany in France that we recently imported and stocked for Valentines day?Answers please to jonandanne-marie@codfathers.ca

In House Smoking We are now smoking in store, small batches of fresh product on a daily basis.Look out for Tyler's amazing smoked Outlandish Oysters, and Emma's outstanding Arctic Charr Bacon (Crispy little maple cured and smoked belly pieces).Also available,Okanagan Applewood smoked Osoyoos salmon, and Smoked Organic Sturgeon. Speaking of Tyler, look out for him in the next issue of Savour magazine where he is to be the feature chef.

Codfathers is Bringing Sexy Back to the Okanagan Wine Festival Scene

Codfathers is Bringing Sexy Back to the Okanagan Wine Festival Scene

 

Codfathers Seafood Market is bringing sexy back to the Okanagan Wine Festival with ‘A Taste of Luxury’ pairing Okanagan Spirits Vodka, Northern Divine Caviar and the ultimate aphrodisiac, oysters from Codfathers Seafood Market.

 

‘A Taste of Luxury’ will be held at the downtown Kelowna Okanagan Spirits store on Thursday, October 4^th at 7:00 pm and feature their delicious locally crafted vodka paired with local black caviar and white sturgeon from BC’s Sunshine Coast and fresh BC oysters.

 

We’ll be bringing along our talented team of chefs from Codfathers, and will be presenting the oysters ‘Three Ways’ to highlight the freshness of the oysters and to pair with both the caviar and the vodka.  We source our oysters from Out Landish Shellfish who grow shellfish in small family farms including delicious oysters.  Codfathers has a long history with Out Landish Shellfish and we can share stories of their real commitment to their craft and feel their name ‘Out-Landish’ is well earned.  

 

The caviar is from Northern Divine, on the Sunshine Coast and they are the only world class sustainable black caviar producer in BC.  Northern Divine is Canadian caviar from white sturgeon raised using fresh water from the town of Sechelt.  The caviar is locally raised, with a clean delicate flavor and finish.  It was rated by Travel & Leisure Magazine as one of the top five caviars in the world.

 

Tickets are $75 and available from Okanagan Spirits by calling 778-484-5174

Summer Foodie Festivals

Seafood festivals coming to the Okanagan.

The Okanagan is well known for its well established wine festivals, but in recent years food oriented festivals have also come to the fore.Feast of the fields, organised by Farm Folk City Folk, is now a well established and well loved event usually held in late summer on a farm venue which changes every year and features the best of BC ingredients prepared by some of the best kitchen teams in the valley.

Also last year saw the first Okanagan Spot Prawn festival, held at the Manteo resort and at Watermark beach resort, which were both very well attended.The aim of this event is to promote this sustainable BC harvest and to highlight the desirability of our own prawn harvest over the unsustainable (and bland) farmed prawns more prevalent in the market these days.Tasting dishes from some of the valleys best chefs were available, as well as live Prawn sales to the public and information /displays from Vancouver aquariums Ocean Wise team).

Happily, this year will see a repeat show, this time in West Kelowna at the Cove resort on June 2nd.

This April will also see the first Oliver and Osoyoos Oyster festival, to be held between April 14th -21st, with events being held at a number of venues as well as participating local restaurants featuring oysters on their menus for the duration of the week.

Mid summer will see a gala event at the Delta Grand (date yet to be decided)  to celebrate the return of the Okanagan Sockeye, with one of the largest runs into the Okanagan River in living memory expected.This event will also be a fundraiser to contribute towards the conservation work being done by the O.N.A (Okanagan Nations Alliance), with the medium term goal of restoring the Sockeye run into Skaha Lake, and thus ensuring that the run will survive for many more years to come.

Finally in September we have the Naramata bench wineries tailgate party, which this year is set to be a fundraiser for Ocean Wise, and will feature a Salmon BBQ cook off, as well as an oyster bar and I am sure some great wines.

So, an exciting summer ahead, and whichever events you choose to attend, I look forward to seeing you there, and to doing our part in establishing this beautiful valley as a top culinary destination.

Useful links

http://feastoffields.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=62&Itemid=43

http://www.oooysterfestival.com/

http://www.oceanwisecanada.org/
http://www.syilx.org/naturalresources-fisheries.php
http://naramatabench.com/

Why do I love Halibut?

Well, its nearly here, in four days time boats will be heading out for the first commercial catches of fresh Halibut of the new season.
This season, the International Pacific Halibut Commission has recommended a reduction on catch of 18% to stimulate growth of stocks in one or two areas which have seen a decline, put in place measures to decrease accidental by-catch of fish on other fisheries not targeted at Halibut, and announced a stable or slightly increased biomass for the whole of the west coast.
What does this mean for us?
Well, it appears that stocks are healthy and maintaining in most areas, the fishery remains sustainably managed, but as ever don`t expect any price decreases.In fact, in recent years halibut has rocketed from its previous status as a staple into the luxury bracket.
However, I believe that this status is fully deserved for one of the most succulent white fish offerings the oceans give us, and with fishing techniques and handling nowadays providing better quality than ever before, Halibut will continue to take the culinary high ground in restaurants and markets, and move ever more away from being a fish and chips staple.
So, sustainable, not cheap, but readily available and delicious.What qualities should one look for in a chunk of prime Halibut, and how should it best be cooked?
Firstly, avoid fillets which have a chalky white appearance, with sometimes an oily sheen and/or separation of the flakes.This is an indicator of a stress reaction in the fish when it is landed (called 'chalkiness') and will result in mushy texture.Also avoid any fish with yellowing, as this indicates oxidation, which means that the fillets have been off the bone for too long.There should be no odour at all to the fillet (ask your fishmonger if you can do the sniff test!), and there ideally should be a translucent appearance.
Now to cooking!
The biggest mistake in any seafood cookery is overcooking, and Halibut is a great example of this.One minute over and the fish will be dry, two over and it will be like eating cotton wool.So until you are very confident of cooking times, use the press test to check your fish.Push down gently on the fillet with your thumb, and you should feel some springiness.No spring and the fish is overdone, flabby feel means it needs another minute.
 At home, we use the pan roast technique often, which always works out well.Firstly we sear the seasoned meat side of the fish in a very hot skillet brushed with oil for about three minutes, or until the fish releases from the pan.(It is important not to try to move the fish around until it releases or it will stick, just place it and leave it, occasionally testing an edge).Then we flip it, add our flavouring and put the skillet in a 400 degree oven for another 5 minutes (for a 1.5 inch thick fillet).When you remove from the oven, test for doneness and then remove from the skillet as this will help to prevent it from continuing to cook whilst you assemble your meal.
Often we serve this very simply with a gremolata of very finely chopped orange zest, garlic and parsley, and sauce of deglazed pan juices with a little Orange juice deglazed, a grate of ginger and a dash of soy.
When cooked to perfection, it will be moist and almost translucent in the centre, but you should be able to tease off those big succulent flakes with a fork and very little pressure.

I will be making a dash back from Victoria on Monday with the very first day boat caught Halibut of the season, so follow my progress on twitter (@thecodfathers) and find out if I make it to market in time for closing!

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