Jill Lambert: Ocean-friendly eating

The next time you’re trolling the seafood counter looking for a responsible choice,
bring along A Good Catch: Sustainable Seafood Recipes from Canada’s Top Chefs (Douglas & McIntyre, $26.95). Vancouver author Jill Lambert has compiled over 70 recipes from Canada’s celebrated chefs, including Karen Barnaby’s recipe for Salmon and Edamame Salad with Wasabi Mayonnaise.

In its introduction, A Good Catch also dishes up a healthy serving of consumer recommendations, which are guided by Sustainable Seafood Canada’s SeaChoice initiative to help smart shoppers know what to look for, and what questions to ask. The accompanying website (www.seachoice.org) also offers up-to-date recommendations on sustainable seafood choices.

For example, requesting wild salmon is a good idea, but it’s is only part of the equation, since stocks may ebb and flow from year to year. Checking the SeaChoice website, you’ll see that B.C. salmon stock returns were low in June this year, making Nass River sockeye a better choice than Fraser River or Skeena River sockeye.

Delve a bit deeper, and you’ll realize that Dungeness crab gets the green light.
So mark the page for Lynn Crawford’s Dungeness Crab Cakes Benedict with Chive Hollandaise Sauce, and serve up a sustainable seafood choice.

For more tips on shopping for sustainable seafood, visit www.davidsuzuki.org and search “sustainable seafood.” On the page under that heading, you’ll find useful links, simple tips for smart shopping, and helpful short videos including an interview with local celebrity chef Robert Clark.

• 1 read