24-hour freshness
Seafood lovers dine on fish around the clock
The crystal-clear waters around New Providence are teeming with fish, so don’t be surprised if your server recommends seafood for dinner tonight. He or she knows it will be delicious and super-fresh.
That freshness is no accident. It’s guaranteed by a network of individual fishermen and wholesalers, as well as the chefs who create delicious meals throughout Nassau, Paradise Island and Cable Beach.
Some chefs buy fish directly from trusted local fishermen. But at sushi spots such as Nobu in the Atlantis resort and high-volume seafood restaurants such as The Poop Deck, getting a constant supply of fresh fish is a complex business involving not only local fishermen but buyers and wholesalers in Nassau and fish brokers in the United States.
The two most ordered fish in Nassau are grouper and red and yellowtail snappers. But many other tasty fish can be caught in these waters, including mahimahi, wahoo, hogfish, tuna, grunts, porgies and triggerfish, to name only a few.
Two other favourites are conch–a mollusc that is more of a national addiction than a food–and the fluffy white meat from the tail of a crawfish, or Caribbean spiny lobster.
In the finny world, however, grouper probably takes top prize. It is a firm, mild-tasting fish that is excellent poached, steamed, sautéed or broiled. Grouper is not one fish but many. It’s the common name for certain members of the sea bass family, so named because it “groups” together during full moons in December and January to spawn.
“Most of my clients want grouper and snapper,” confirms fisherman-turned-seafood wholesaler Allan Brown. He supplies some of the top restaurants and hotels with fresh seafood bought daily. Middlemen like Brown play a key role in the freshness train.
Brown began fishing part-time in 1969 while also working as an assistant chef. Three years later he was fishing full-time. By 2008, when he was 55, Brown realized it was time to devote himself to wholesaling.
“I’ve been in the business so long, most of the people who fish, or want to buy fish, know me,” says Brown.
Today, Brown provides seafood to many restaurants in Nassau and Paradise Island. He tends to deal directly with the chefs. “They respect me, and I respect them,” he says. “Whatever they ask for, if it’s available, I’ll get it.”
Favourite dishes
Snappers are often served grilled with a dressing of diced onions and tomatoes or dredged in flour and pan-fried so that it has a delicious crispy skin. It’s served all over town, especially in the restaurants at the Fish Fry on West Bay St. Your lunch there may have been seined up out of about 60 feet of water earlier that day.
Yellowtail snappers are a reef fish with a distinctive flavour. It’s Latin name, Ocyurus chrysurus, is descriptive: “swift-swimming golden fish.” It has a yellow stripe on both sides that widens out from its nose to its sharply forked tail. It’s abundant year-round and is usually grilled, although it’s also good baked or broiled.
Mahimahi is the most colourful game fish in Bahamian waters, weighing in at up to 80 pounds with a dark blue back shading to green, gold and yellow along its sides and belly. Mahimahi has a firm texture and is superb grilled, sautéed or baked.
Another local favourite is goggle-eye jacks, which are found around docks and piers. Goggle-eyes can grow up to 18 inches long, but most of those served in The Bahamas are only six or eight inches. They are often scored, seasoned with hot peppers and sour orange juice, dredged in flour and fried in hot oil
A new fish on the market is lionfish, an invasive species that also happens to be delicious. In fact, the Department of Fisheries is urging people to catch and eat this fish as a means of controlling the population.
Today, lionfish dishes can be found at restaurants throughout the island.
Sidebar:
Brain food
Fish is one of the most nutritious foods you can eat, and dieticians urge us to make a meal of it twice a week.
According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): “Fish is a food of excellent nutritional value, providing high- quality protein and a wide variety of vitamins and minerals.”
The suite of nutrients in a grilled snapper, for example, includes vitamins A and D, phosphorus (for strong bones and teeth), magnesium (muscle and nerve function), selenium (an antioxidant) and iodine (thyroid regulation).
Furthermore, many fish have oils and fat needed for healthy brain function, say the experts. One such is tuna, which is also high in Omega 3 oils, reputedly beneficial in lowering cholesterol, preventing heart attack and promoting good skin tone.
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Dine_24hrFreshness_WBN11
24-hour freshness
Seafood lovers dine on fish around the clock
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