Eat the Sea
The concept of giving up meat for Lent is meant to highlight self-discipline and the appreciation for what we have. It is a time when our food choices holistically complement the theme of penitence: we make conscious efforts to act with mindfulness to choose food that is perhaps more environmentally friendly, ethically grown or cultivated, or simply to avoid doing additional harm to our environment. As fish is a popular alternative to meat, I propose that this Lent we all do a little bit more to find out what seafood is better to eat, and what species might be more important to their ecosystems.
Let’s start with the big No Nos, which include marine turtles, sharks and parrotfish. All five species of marine turtles, including the leatherback turtles, common around Trinidad and Tobago are considered ecological sensitive species, and are illegal to hunt and eat. They are important to ocean habitats and to livelihoods.
Shark populations have plummeted in the last 70 years owing to our pervasive consumption which is driving many shark species to extinction. Sharks are crucial for regulating fish populations in marine ecosystems, including coral reefs. Parrotfish are especially important to our coral reefs, as they graze on algae that competes with corals for space.
Definitely, think about eating fish such as the lionfish that are invasive in the Caribbean Sea and require humans to keep their numbers down. Other fish that can be consumed that would have a lower impact on the ocean ecosystems considering their fast growth and reproduction rates are wahoo, mahi mahi and carite.
Not least, let us respect the livelihoods of fishermen, many of whom are venturing further offshore to catch the fish that were plentiful a decade or two ago. Many Tobago fisherfolk are still using the pirogue, the boat that is best suited to Caribbean water, and bamboo rods; all artisanal equipment suited to their methods of fishing.
If you get to Charlotteville, or Blanchisseuse, or Castara, or Matelot, or some coastal village where you might buy a whole fresh fish brought dripping from the sea by an intrepid artisanal fisherman, here are some of the ways that you might use every part of the fish, wahoo or mahi mahi preferred. You might be lucky to meet a fisherman in the depot with excellent knife skills; ask him to fillet your fish. Reserve the head, bones and skin in a separate bag for broth. Cut as thin as possible slices from the fillet near the tail for ceviche. Cut plump single serving pieces for barbecuing. Here are the recipes.
CEVICHE (pronounced Say-vee-chay)
This is a raw fish appetizer that originated in Peru. Best to use fish as fresh from the sea, before it is frozen.
Fish, one pound, thinly sliced or in cubes
Limes, one or two
Hot pepper, thin slices
Garlic, minced
Onion, one, diced
Chadon beni, few leaves finely chopped
Olive oil, two tablespoons (optional)
Squeeze the juice of the limes over the fish. Mix in garlic, onion, hot pepper and chadon beni.
Set aside in the refrigerator for a couple hours. Serve as an appetizer on crusty bread or crackers. Some people think that more lime is better: start with one lime then taste. The lime juice cooks the fish and tenderizes it. After the lime, instead of this mixture of seasonings, you may use a teaspoon or two of prepared pepper sauce or a lime pickle.
BARBECUED FISH
Wahoo, sliced with bone in, or filleted in serving size pieces
Garlic, three or four cloves finely minced
Ginger, small piece smashed and finely minced
Chadon beni, few leaves chopped fine
Olive oil, two or three tablespoons
Hot pepper, thin slices
Banana leaves, cut in wrapper size pieces
Make a paste of the garlic, ginger, chadon beni, hot pepper, in the olive oil. Use the seasoning as a marinade for the fish for at least a couple hours.
Wrap each piece of fish in banana leaf. Start fire in barbecue pit or coal pot. When the coals are very hot, and a few minutes before you wish to eat, put the wrapped fish on a grill over the heat.
After two or three minutes, turn once. Cook for two more minutes, then remove from the heat. Serve with slices of lemon or lime. Go lightly with the salt when you are seasoning fish; salt tends to stiffen the meat.
You might also barbecue the fish whole, seasoned and wrapped in banana leaves which serve the purpose of keeping the cooking fish as moist as possible.
FRESH FISH BULJOL
Fish that is already cooked (from the barbecue or lightly steamed)
Onion, chopped
Hot pepper, thinly sliced
Olive oil, two or three tablespoons
Salt to taste
Flake the fish. Season with onion, hot pepper, chive or chadon beni. Add olive oil and salt to taste. Serve with crusty bread or coconut bake.
FISH BROTH
Fish head, skin and skeleton (after filleting)
Limes, two
Sweet potato, in chunks or cubes
Pumpkin, in chunks or cubes
Onion, chopped
Garlic, three cloves chopped
Tomato, two or three chopped
Olive oil, three or four tablespoons
Salt to taste
Green fig, boiled
Ochroes, six
Heat the oil in a large pot. Sauté onion, garlic, tomato. Add sweet potato and pumpkin.
When the potato is partially cooked, add water. When the water is bubbling, add fish and juice of the limes and salt. Cook for no more than about five minutes. Add peeled boiled green fig and whole ochroes at the end.
Cool, remove the fish bones and return the meat to the soup. More lime juice is better than less. A little salt goes a long way in fish.
Traditional fish broths are “big pot” affairs. You can keep the soup bubbling adding fish, dumplings and other vegetables like eddoes.
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