Cobia, Contagions and Dungeness

Hey Y'all,

Thanks so so much to everyone who goes on social media to toot my horn for me! I can't tell you how much that helps my business to grow. Spread the word to help us keep fresh fish on your dinner table!

Fin Mail
Chris Lyles gave us 5 stars on Google:
Very fresh and delicious seafood. Very knowledgeable staff.

Tim P on Yelp gives 5 stars and says this:
I have been coming to Kathleen's for years at both locations for their seafood. It is always fresh and whatever you buy is going to make a great meal. We particularly love the shrimp and scallops. They are always fresh and quite good. They have a nice variety of fish that is usually always portioned for you. Both locations are clean and do not have a hint of a fishy smell. The staff is always helpful and has given me advice on how to prepare my seafood. Remember to check the freezer for some great deals on fresh frozen fish.

5 Stars on Google from David Barber
Fantastic selection of fresh seafood, and amazing deals on frozen items marked down. Skip Whole Foods and put some money into the local economy instead of padding Jeff Bezos' back account. Highly recommended.

Catch Customers Can Cook!
Ellen Buskovitz is a great cook.  I don't know her but I can take a look at the pictures and see that she prepares magazine worthy meals.

The recipe she started with was found at this website:

https://thefoodiepatootie.com/sauteed-cobia-with-tomatoes-and-capers/  

Ellen added some garlic to the fish which you can see in the photo on the left.  The cobia is served over spaghetti squash and served with braised leeks.  Yum.  This was Ellen's first time cooking cobia and she "loved it!"

(Speaking of love, how about the name of that food blogger?  Foodie Patootie!)

Ellen is right about cobia.  This beautiful white fleshed fish is farmed by Open Blue in Panama in
deep waters far offshore. By staying away from sensitive coastal areas, they eliminate the risk of nutrient and waste build-up, minimizing the risk of disease. Independent research of Open Blue's sustainable fish farming methods confirms that the impact on the ocean environment is neutral.

Cobia is clean and buttery tasting with a firm texture and a mild flavor.  It has a high oil content so you almost can not overcook it, even on the grill, but it is mild and clean flavored enough for sashimi. 

Finnan Haddie Anyone?

I had a request this week for finnan haddie, aka smoked haddock.  This customer wants to make kedgeree and only needs a lb or two.  Unfortunately, since it is not a very familiar product in Atlanta it comes to us frozen in 15 lb cases.  If you have a hankering for some finnan haddie, get in touch!  We can arrange to split the case between a few of you.

Last Week's Contest
Last week I presented you with a challenge.  Barb emailed me with some oyster trivia and I asked you to fill in the blank.

In one of my Anthony Bourdain books he mentions that Eric Ripert was always instructed by his very French parents to ________ the oyster. I do not know if this is an old wives tale but.....???

No one guessed the correct answer. The answer is "chomp the oyster because the oyster will live on in the perfect stomach environment."  I'm pretty sure an oyster dies when it is shucked so this is probably a wives tale but just the thought makes me shudder.  I prefer Richard Loehn's answer (even though it is incorrect):

Unless you are married to an orthodontist, always shuck your oysters prior to eating on the whole shell.

Reason Number 2 to Shop at Kathleen's Catch
Some big retailers may get some of their seafood from the same source we use. What's the difference between theirs and ours? The main difference is that fish usually gets to the Catch much faster than fish gets to the grocery store.   We review the inventory of seafood in route to Atlanta every day and pick what we want to bring in the next morning. Grocery stores are buying large quantities of a few species that are arriving in town less frequently. Our fish gets to us directly from the processor and not through a distribution system that adds a day or more getting it to the stores. We all know that every day matters when it comes to the quality of fresh fish.  As a small retailer, we also can switch gears quickly to take advantage of local and regional purchases of fish that the “program oriented” big retailers can’t or won’t bother pursuing. We do it to support local, regional, and US fisheries, and to bring the freshest assortment of species to your table. We may not have North Carolina triggerfish all the time, but we will always have something equally fresh and interesting to offer our customer. We follow the weather, seasons, and other factors to find fish wherever it’s being caught.

In addition to that system of purchasing, we are also just extremely picky and know what we are looking for in terms of the highest level of quality.  And like I said last week, it’s our only job, and we try to be the best, most knowledgeable fishmongers out there.

Catch to Go 

This week's Catch to Go (through Sunday) is

Dry Rubbed Salmon with Mashed Potatoes and Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts

And beginning Monday, Catch to Go will be Roasted Cod with Succotash.

What's Cool This Weekend
Fresh shrimp from Wanchese, NC
Black bass from North Carolina
Golden tile from Florida
Monkfish from Massachusetts
Haddock from New England
Fluke flounder from North Carolina
Tuna loin from Dulac, LA
Stone crab from Florida
Petrale sole from Oregon

AND FRESH DUNGENESS CRAB!!  Around these parts we eat blue crab but give this west coast treat a try.  Click here to see how to split and clean these crabs:  How to Clean and Crack a Dungeness Crab.  These big crabs make the work of cleaning them worth the trouble!

These crabs average between 1.75 and 2.25 lbs each.

 
And Finally
Georgia is still considered by the CDC as a high risk state for flu activity, but there are plenty of other unwelcome little bugs that can hitch a ride in your belly or your head!   Google can help with suggestions for avoiding contagious diseases but one affliction in particular is difficult to avoid.  Cheerfulness.  If you are not careful and do not arm yourself adequately with crankiness and complaining, you might encounter a person contaminated by cheerfulness and you could catch the bug.  Worse still is bringing it into your home or office.  Just think what would happen if there was a major outbreak of joy and laughter in places where you typically shelter your irritability.  It could ruin all of your carefully constructed misery.  No place is a safe place.  Beware.

Spread the bug.

Blessings,
Kathleen

Do Better, Be Better!, Speckled Trout and A Contest

Hey Y'all,

Wouldn't life be grand if we could have shifting weekends based on weather forecasts?  Every week the National Weather Service could put out a schedule saying which days next week will be considered weekends.  For example, this week Wednesday should have been a weekend day because it was beautiful outside.  We could take all of our plans for Saturday and do them on Wednesday.  On Saturday, we might as well go to work because it is going to rain all day.  I believe I heard on the news that we have only had one nice weekend since Thanksgiving!  It's time for extreme measures!

Several people wrote last week in response to my Oystermania email. Richard Loehn reminded me of the most famous attribute of oysters, "Eat Oysters, Love Longer" (which I passed on mentioning last week in an effort to appear "delicate".)

Richard also mentioned a tip for travelers to New Orleans.

Many New Orleans restaurants claim to serve the freshest, plumpest oysters in town. But throw in a side of entertainment with your dozen raw, and Pascale’s Manale takes the pearl. Locals and visitors alike make their way to this New Orleans staple for a chance to see master shucker “Uptown T” in action. The pride he takes in his work makes the oysters taste that much better.

Barb also wrote with a bit of oyster trivia that I just can't bring myself to repeat here.  Instead, I am going to make it a contest.  If you are the first to correctly fill in the blank in the following paragraph and post your answer in the comment section of this blog, you will receive a $5.00 gift card to either of our stores.  Ready?  Go!

I so enjoy your newsletter. Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into this lovely read. Just an FYI on oysters. In one of my Anthony Bourdain books he mentions that Eric Ripert was always instructed by his very French parents to ________ the oyster. I do not know if this is an old wives tale but.....???

Reason Number 1 to Shop at Kathleen's Catch

We know a thing or two about fish because it is all we do. You won't be dragging us over from the meat department to wrap up a piece of fish for you. Unlike staffing at large grocery chains, we are a small bunch of fishmongers who strive to know all we can about the products you buy. We sell some pretty amazing produce and we have shelves full of sauces and seasonings to cook with, but fish is our bread and butter. It's what we do. We can tell you what the fish tastes like, where it comes from and how to cook it. We know why that fish is sustainable and what the health benefits are of eating it. We can always learn more but hopefully we can teach you a thing or two as well.

Speckled Trout, also called Spotted Sea Trout is in the croaker family and is a cousin of black drum and redfish.  It tastes like trout with the texture of whitefish.

"I realize that I am about to state an opinon that will likely be disputed, but here goes.  Speckled trout, also known as spotted weakfish or spotted sea trout, is the best eating fish in North America.  Better than Pacific salmon or sea bass?  Better than redfish or pompano?  Yes, yes, yes!"

Emeril Lagasse

Trout Fried in Almonds

4 white trout fillets with skin

1 cup sliced almonds

2 eggs

4 T olive oil

Salt and pepper

2 T herb butter, melted (optional)

Preheat oven to 250F

1.  Chop sliced almonds in a food processor into small pieces and pour onto a plate.

2.  Beat eggs together until well blended in a dish large enough to hold a trout fillet

3.  Season trout fillets with salt and pepper on both sides.

4.  Put 2 T oil into frying pan and set on medium high heat.

5.  When the pan is hot, quickly dip both sides of 2 fillets into eggs, then into almonds, and place in the skillet skin side down.  Cook until nuts are browned, about 2 minutes.  Flip and cook until nuts are browned on the flesh side, about 2 minutes.  There is no need to test for doneness.  If the nuts are browned, the trout is cooked.

6.  Remove to an oven proof dish and keep warm in the oven while frying the second two fillets.  If nuts were burned remove them from the pan before cooking the second batch.  Pour more oil into the pan if needed and repeat with the other two fillets.

7.  Optionally, pour 1-2 tsp of melted herb butter over each fillet before serving.

Trout Fricasse

4 trout fillets (approximately 6 ounces each)

1 tablespoon Kathleen's Catch Cajun seasoning

1/2 stick butter

1/4 c flour

6 c. thinly sliced onions

1/4 c. chopped celery

1/4 c.  chopped bell peppers

1 t. salt

1/2 t. cayenne

1 t. freshly ground black pepper

3 c water

2 T fresh lemon juice

2 T chopped parsley

Season the fish with the Cajun seasoning.

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the flour and stir constantly for 5 to 6 minutes to make a medium brown roux, the color of peanut butter.

Add the onions, celery, bell pepper, salt, cayenne and black pepper.  Stir briskly, coating the vegetables with the roux mixture and separating the onion's rings.  Continue stirring for 6 to 7 minutes or until the vegetables are wilted.  Add the water and stir until the mixture thickens, 6 to 7 minutes.  Add the lemon juice and lay the trout in the pan and baste with the sauce.  Cover and cook for 6 to 7 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.  Add the parsley and remove from the heat.  Serve right away.

Cool Fish This Weekend

Red Snapper
Yellowfin Grouper
Tilefish
Mahi
Sheephead
Speckled Trout
B-liner snapper

By special order only (order Friday for Saturday pickup)
Pompano

Catch to Go

Through Sunday:

Chimichurri Hake

 with Green Beans and Garlic Roasted Potatoes

Starting Monday

Dry Rub Salmon

 with Cheesy Mashed Potatoes and Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts

And Finally

Mia is the Assistant Manager at our store in Milton, and while she is a quiet sort, she is seriously smart and a great leader.   Recently she wrote a Facebook post in which she encouages people to stay motivated by not comparing themselves and their work to others.


Do better! Be better! I wasn't born an artist. I wanted to become an artist. I learned from others or taught myself how to draw, paint and print. For example these two prints were made a few months apart and you can see how I've improved. I got better through practice not from feeling bad that I wasn't at the same level as someone else. Take 2019 to improve something, anything you feel passionate towards.

As you can see, Mia is a real artist with real talent and no matter how hard I try I will never be able to come close to her work.    But Do Better!  Be Better! has become a mantra for the employees at our Milton store.  They laugh when they call it out to each other, reminding themselves to get busy and try harder.  It makes sense for all of us and I, for one, am going to do my best to do better and be better in 2019.  How about you?

Blessings,

Kathleen

Oystermania

I really love it when you write back to me. I wasn't the most popular kid in school (think rebellious geeky weirdo) so maybe I am needy, but on Friday afternoons I feel like I have a whole bunch of good friends when I check my inbox after the email goes out. I learn who hasn't been feeling well and who has moved away. I learned that Evelyn is enjoying smoking steelhead on her new green egg and I drooled over Ellen's photo of her gorgeous branzino meal. (Maybe that drooling explains a few things.)

My friend, Tim, sent me this very cool link to share with you:  Nutrient Dense Foods This article examines foods that are high in nutrients and low in calories. The top of the list is all green stuff - parsley, swiss chard, kale, watercress, spinach, mustard greens and lettuce. Yawn. Healthy food but not exactly exciting foods to eat. But wait. Number 8 on the list after all the green stuff is OYSTERS! Yes! Who would have thought that the next nutrient dense food after all the boring greens on the list is one of the most exciting foods in the world! You've got to admit that oysters are exciting. Whether you love them or hate them - nothing is more heart palpitating than swallowing a mouthful of oceany slime. Think about it. How many other foods do you eat while they are still alive? (Right now half my reading audience is cheering and the other half is gagging. And, you guessed it, I am drooling.) We get a lot of questions about these tasty mollusks - here are the most common ones. What's the difference between farmed and wild oysters? The difference between farmed and wild is that farmed oysters live in a more controlled environment. For the most part, they are raised in ocean waters with some monitoring and control over the temperature and salinity of the water which induces spawning and fertilization. Don't all oysters taste alike? Nope. Oysters have unique merroir (like terroir in wine). The more brackish the water, the more salty the oyster. Algae and minerals are filtered through oysters and the type and amount of them found in the water can affect the oyster's flavor as well as the amount of seaweed in the surrounding area. What's the deal about not eating oysters in months with an "r" in the name? This rule comes from a period when refrigeration was not as prevalent. Today it is fine to eat oysters in the summer. The danger might be that summertime is when red tides and algae blooms cause closure of those harvest areas. Warmer water is also associated with higher incidences of Vibrio bacteria. Commercial oyster harvesting is strictly regulated, but oysters harvested from the East Coast (Chesapeake Bay and farther north) are safer because of cooler water temperatures in those areas. Will eating oysters cause me to drool and be unpopular? Absolutely not. Eating oysters makes you cool. How do you feel about oysters at a tailgate party? I am pretty sure there is no better food for tailgating than oysters on the half shell. A cold crisp mouthful of oceany goodness chased by a cold crisp beer or white wine is many people's idea of perfection. Just remember to properly care for them. They should be stored at 38 - 43 degrees and make sure they have adequate drainage. Oysters die in fresh water so make sure they are not sitting in a puddle in the cooler. The Super Bowl is coming up and I suppose there are quite a few of you attending since it is right here in the area. Will you be tailgating? Will you be oyster eating? Let us know your plans because oyster shucking is going to be in demand! We have lots of shucking experience but advance notice will help us get them to you quickly. We don't want to be responsible for you missing the kickoff! This Weekend's Specials James River oysters - $.75 each Black Bass from Pamlico Sound and Wilmington, NC $24.99/lb for fillets and $10.99/lb for whole fish Striped Bass from Virginia and Maryland - $12.99 for 6 oz. portions Trigger from Georgia and North Carolina arriving Saturday for $24.99/lb B-liner snapper from Georgia and North Carolina arriving Saturday for $26.99/lb for fillets and $11.99/lb for whole fish The trigger and the b-liner snappers were caught Thursday, arrive in Atlanta late Friday and to our stores Saturday morning. How fresh can you get? Catch to Go Through Sunday it is a crispy and savory fish! Our Parmesan Crusted Mahi with Jasmine Rice, Garlic Asparagus and Tangy Yogurt Sauce. (Drooling everywhere) Starting on Monday it will be Chimichurri Hake with Green Beans and Garlic Roasted Potatoes And Finally I love the start of the new year. It is time for rethinking the old ways, reorganizing, making promises and plans. If you are not in a great place at the start of this year, try to have some faith and trust that whatever isn't great right now can lead you to something that is. So get ready for it. Be on guard. Awesomeness lies ahead. Blessings, Kathleen

Why Eat Seafood, Oyster Sale and Nantucket Scallops

Happy New Year!

Oh what a holiday we had! We broke every possible record for our company this holiday season: the most sales ever, the fewest mistakes ever, the most exhausting ever and the most fun ever. Our sales for the week of Christmas were so unexpectedly over the top that I was in shock. New Year's Eve sales were unbelievable as well and our staff earned every penny they made. Good employees make all the difference in the world and I am very thankful for ours.

Now is the time of the year when we all buckle down and take stock of ourselves. New Year's resolutions can include taking a look at your finances, your emotional well-being, your cluttered garage or the gym membership you have been paying for and maybe not using very much. Diets are a big part of the January push for improvement. It doesn't make any sense to drag yourself out to the gym only to come home and eat Fruit Loops for lunch. With a little planning, you can eat delicious, healthy foods with minimal effort.

How's Your Heart?

As you might have guessed from reading my emails, my heart is generally overflowing and I attribute this entirely to my seafood diet. Well, not exactly. The truth is that I am a very grateful person living a very happy life. Being healthy, however, contributes to a sense of well-being and eating seafood twice a week is an easy and tasty way to maintain your health, especially your heart health.

Studies show that eating fatty fish twice a week reduces the risk of dying of heart disease by 36%. 36%!!! And seafood provides other benefits as well such as vitamin D, selenium and high levels of protein.

Two of the reasons for generally low seafood consumption in the US are 1. limited access to quality seafood and 2. uncertainty about how to cook seafood.

If you are reading this you must have some appreciation for your access to the best seafood in the area. And if you don't, well, hellloooo. We are right here in your neighborhood selling nothing but the very best products available.

And as far as uncertainty about how to cook it, just ask us! We know!

If you live nearby and are able, stop in and pick up your seafood twice or more a week. If it is out of the way for you, come by once and pick up two meals. Our fish is never frozen so it won't hurt to put a piece in the freezer for a few days.

Read more about the benefits of seafood diets here: Fish: Friend or Foe?

Fish for the Weekend:

Black bass

Red grouper

Fluke flounder

Cherrystone clams - Milton location only

Nantucket scallops - Each store will have a limited supply of this perfect seafood. Yes I said perfect. They are tiny (50-60 in a lb.) and so simply sweet and fresh you can eat them raw. They are $45.00/lb because there is a very limited supply and the harvest time is very short. When you finish your workout, stop by and treat yourself to this perfect, yes perfect, seafood.

Black bass - I am always surprised when we bring in black bass for a weekend and there is some left on Sunday afternoon because this is a beautiful fish - inside and out. The outside looks like beautiful black embroidery and the inside is a firm white or pink flesh. The taste is mild and it adapts perfectly to all sorts of sauces. Don't pass this fish up.

Happy New Year Oyster Sale

This weekend only, blue points oysters are $.75 each.

You are going to save so much money on these oysters that you will have enough leftover to pick up one of these lovely oyster plates left from the holidays.

If you are looking for a way to serve oysters at your Super Bowl party or you need a hostess gift to bring to the party you are attending, these gorgeous oyster platters will knock your cleats off. Put them in the freezer to chill if you are serving oysters on the half shell or bake your oysters in them with a topping to create a Bienville or a Rockefeller.

Catch to Go - starting Monday

Parmesan Baked Mahi with Jasmine Rice and Garlic Roasted Asparagus

And Finally,

I was on the highway the other day when I noticed this truck ahead and I just had to take a picture for you.

Finally! Someone who specializes in EVERYTHING! It seems like the Walmart mentality has spread to the moving business! Convenience and mediocrity compete with small businesses like mine that strive to truly specialize. How about making a 2019 resolution to support small business whenever you can? You will taste the difference.

Blessings,
Kathleen