By Blogger Emily Goodman of EmilyJGoodman.com
Did you know that fish have seasons just like fruits and veggies? This is because different fish migrate in and out of the area throughout the year so knowing what fish is currently available is going to give you a fresher, and more cost-effective product!
Check out this full fish and shellfish availability chart that can be found on the mass.gov website! It is super helpful:
- Dark Blue = Landed and available in Massachusetts
- Medium Blue = Limited landings and availability in Massachusetts
- Light Blue = Out of season or extremely limited availability
In my opinion, when it comes to fish and shellfish there is no better place to get it from than local New England fishmongers. Today I am excited to share with you about New England Fishmongers, a group of fishermen (fisherwomen??) on the NH/Maine seacoast that work hard to catch and sell top-quality fish to some of Boston’s best restaurants!
Fishing is a passion for Tim Rider and Amanda Parks. During their 15 hour+ excursions off the cost of Maine each fish is reeled in by hand, a way of fishing that only a handful of fishmongers still practice today. Bringing in around 800lbs of fish per day this rod-and-reel way of fishing brings in no bycatch, doesn’t cause harm to the ocean floor, doesn’t contribute to overfishing since the operation is small-scale. Modern fishing technology that includes use of trawls and gillnets does cause these problems.
New England Fishmongers was started because to avoid having to put their high-quality fish in with the rest of the catch at open auctions, where buyers bought at a low cost yet sold at hight prices. But cutting out the middleman they are able to work directly with the restaurants and provide them with high-quality fish just hours after being caught.
You can find New England Fishmongers at the following restaurants:
You can also check out Amanda Parks this Saturday, September 17th at the Boston Local Food Festival where she will be taking part in The Seafood Throwdown!
This cooking competition features head to head competition and a secret mystery fish ingredient!
Don’t forget to stop by the Boston Local Food Festival on September 17, 2017. This event is FREE to the public and you will have the chance to meet with some of the very best local farmers, vendors, artisans, and restaurants!
To learn more about the festival and the participating vendors check out www.bostonlocalfoodfestival.com!
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