FSR April 2023

Your Take

culinary director, Emmett Ledbetter, suggests that operators con t the rest and make sh cakes the next day, or sous vide the product and then freeze it. Another technique that’s starting to get more popular is dry aging sh. You can prolong the life of the product for months. 10. Lean on your vendors to help pro vide basic information and training for your wait sta , including how to answer basic questions from guests about the seafood on your menu. Seafood’s pro le is akin to ne wine. How you describe its qualities (dense versus delicate, rich versus mellow) as well as dispelling com mon myths such as “farmed sh is bad for me,” can help entice your guests to try something new. Be a part of spread ing un-fake seafood news. Regardless of whose definition of “sustainable seafood” is the right one, and in a world that is increasingly divided, food, and especially seafood, is a unify ing force for good. A great meal brings people together across generations, eth nicities, and means. It builds community, nourishes our bodies, and heals our spir its. What is more sustainable than that? Kim Gorton is president and CEO of Slade Gorton & Company, Inc., an importer and distributor of premium fresh and frozen seafood products sold broadly across retail and foodservice channels throughout North America. With a legacy as America’s original sea food family, Kim represents the third generation at Slade Gorton. She is pas sionate about making wholesome, deli cious, safe and sustainable food more accessible to all by bringing seafood from around the world to America’s table. Kim currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Fish eries Institute, the largest seafood indus try trade association in the U.S., and has served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. She is also a member of the Young Presi dents’ Organization.

RESTAURANTS CAN PROLONG THE LIFE OF SEAFOOD PRODUCTS BY DRY AGING FISH, KNOWN AS “JUKUSEI” IN JAPAN.

species that are “local” or native to spe ci c well-managed sheries. Conserva tion e orts in the Western Atlantic in recent years has meant there is no locally caught cod in New England, for example. However, Iceland’s cod shery is among the most responsibly managed sheries in the world. In fact, seafood is so impor tant to Icelanders that sh (not presi dents) are on its coins. 7. Minimize SKUs and consolidate speci cations. is simpli es handling and menu planning. For example, use the same shrimp size, rather than two di erent sizes, for a lunch item as well as a dinner option. 8. Consider frozen options to help reduce shrinkage. Over the years, various harvesting practices including the rapid chilling of seafood, as well as advances in processing, packaging and freezing technologies, have led to excep tionally high-quality frozen seafood options. After nearly forty years in the business, I was recently fooled when eat ing frozen farm raised Atlantic salmon. It was so moist, rich, and delicious, I lost a bet that it was fresh. 9. Prioritize preservation. If you’re running a sh special and you don’t sell all of what you expected for the night, don’t throw away what’s left over. Our

ADOBE STOCK / SLADE GORTON SEAFOOD

tic, Saithe’s esh in the raw tends to be darker than that of cod or haddock, and its avor slightly more rich, but it cooks up bright white and o ers the same aky, delicate texture (and at a nice price). 4. Consider plate coverage versus food waste. Work to balance the wow factor of “bigger is better” with o ering portion sizes that result in a clean plate. Your mother will be proud. 5. Tell a story. Seafood is a wonder; how it gets from the depths of the world’s oceans to our table is a complex and exciting tale. Many shermen are part of multigenerational families who care deeply for the sheries from which they generate a livelihood, and who work to ensure they are harvesting and handling their catch in the most responsible way possible. Pay it forward by featuring a story on one of them in your menu. 6. Local doesn’t just mean buying what’s close by. Local in the seafood world means sourcing and marketing

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FSRMAGAZINE.COM

APRIL 2023