| Dirk's Fish & Gourmet Shop |
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| FOR PISCIVOROUS PEOPLE...
SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2007 | |
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Happy Autumn, I love fall in Chicago! As the days shorten and drift into the cool colors of autumn, we can rediscover hot soups, chowders, and stews. But don't abandon the grill yet either. There is still lots of good grilling time, like a seafood tailgating party at a Bears game, for example. With the cooler weather, we will start serving up our famous hot soups on a daily basis. Call us to find out the soup of the day and don't forget a sandwich to go with it!
September will see the end of fresh sockeye salmon and softshell crabs
(though we may have a some of each in the beginning of the month). Rosh Hashanah will be here soon, don't for get to place your ground fish orders early or if you like, you could go the easy way and try our gefilte fish. We will be offering samples the weekend of the 8th.
Forget Halloween, October is National Fish and Seafood Month!
We will be celebrating in October with various daily in store specials in addition to our weekly specials. Call or stop by to see what you can find. We will be sampling our hot soups daily. Our lobster bisque in renowned in Chicago, but I love the Vietnamese Bouillabaisse best! Try a new fish or recipe this month. We will be happy to help with suggestions and all the details!
Washington state Dungeness crab is back in our tank this month and Florida Stone crab season opens on the 15th.
The best crab of the year will come towards the end of the month when we start to get FRESH and LIVE Dutch Harbor Alaskan Red King Crab! These are the crabs that you see on the Discovery Channel's show, Deadliest Catch, caught by the Bad Boys of the Bering Sea! This is the best and most sustainable crab fishery going. Don't be mislead by the cheaper frozen Russian product.! Buy Alaskan! Buy USA!
Dirk and Chris are going to make a trip to Dutch and pull some crab. We plan on going there to reserve the very best crab for you here in Chicago. You won't find this fresh crab in very many places down here in the lower 48 and once you try it you will never look at King Crab the same. We will try not to eat it all while we are up north.
Be sure to try the Blackfish or Tautog when it's available. It feeds on crustaceans and shellfish so the flesh is sweet and mild. A very versatile fish that's kind of an East Coast secret.
There are more and more studies concluding the healthful attributes of fish and seafoods. with the bottom line being people don't eat enough fish. Mercury is an issue that is over exaggerated for most groups of people (pregnant or nursing women and young children should check out the FDA recomendations for consumption). Avoiding fish is more harmful than the mercury. Fish is low fat, high in protein, omega-3s, easy to prepare plus sll the great tastes and flavors, the list of positives grows. Check out the health page of our website for links and information. Remember, fish is the drug of choice!
Experience the culinary event of the season! Join us at October 24th at the 14th Annual Bag Hunger Auction put on by the Greater Chicago Food Depository. More than 30 of Chicago's top chefs will be preparing tastings. We will be there joining forces with the John G. Shedd Aquarium and the Plitt Company for some tastings of our own. There is also be alive auction that always has many great offerings. It's for a wonderful cause right here in your own neighborhood!
Visit WWW.CHICAGOSFOODBANK.ORG for tickets.
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| SUSTAINABILITY AND OUR FISH
With fish and seafoods in the spotlight for health these days, the demand on current stocks of fish is growing. Presently almost fifty percent of fish and seafood consumed in the world today is farm raised, which is a good thing because otherwise the pressure on wild stocks would be far too heavy. There are many opinions about many issues and these issues can get very cloudy sometimes(or all the time). The media doesn't always help with their sensationalist reporting, after all bad news gets more play than good.
I try to balance all that I read, hear and research to decide what fish and seafood we will offer here at Dirks. I reference the seafood watch lists, which I can agree with mostly though I do have some differing opinions there. I read all the current fish information that is available on a daily basis and try to buy responsibly. I believe that the fish we sell is fresh, pure and sustainable.
We have stopped offering fish like Bluefin tuna, Orange Roughy and Shark, and imported wild sturgeon caviar, just to name a few that are under too much pressure.There are fish on the Avoid lists that have certain seasons, quotas, and have stocks that are well managed and are from sustainable sources. We try to keep track of these and only offer these fish that are in season and sustainability harvested.
If a fish is offered on our counters, it's a good fish. These issues are constantly changing and we promise to stay abreast and keep you informed as best we can. We want to offer you fish and seafood that you can eat without any guilt or worries and just enjoy for its taste and healthful properties.
Dirk
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Blue Marlin
Makaira nigricans |
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Our marlin are usually caught in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. A female blue marlin can weigh as much as 1400 pounds and males rarely reach 300 pounds. The fish that we carry are smaller fish, avereaging 150 pounds. Marlin are caught on longlines and are a sustainable species that mature and reproduce very quickly.
If you are looking for a fish with a steak-like texture and a mild taste, marlin is the fish for you. It's great in tartar, ceviche or one of my favorites, fish tacos.
On sale 9/3-9
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Regular price$14.00lb.
Special price:$12.00 lb.
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Fish Tacos with Marlin Steaks | |
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Kona Kampachi Seriolarivoliana |
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Kona Kampachi is hatchery reared and sustainably raised in pens in the pure clean waters off the Kona coast in Hawaii. This fish is one of the freshest and highest in omega-3s of any fish on the market today. Check out their website Kona Blue. We are featuring Kona Kampachi again because it has become one of my favorites and I want more people to taste how good this fish is. Raw as sashimi, rolled in a maki with scallions or briefly grilled with a fresh herb marinade, Kampachi is one of the best fish on the market.
On sale 9/ 10-16
Regular price:
$30.00 lb.
Special price:$25.00 lb. |
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Garden Fresh Herb Marinade
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Hybrid Striped Bass
Morone chrysops x saxitiles |
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| This fish is a hybrid bass that is a cross between freshwater white bass and saltwater striped bass. They are smaller than their saltwater cousins, about 2 each. They are freshwater farmed in many parts of the country with ours generally coming from the southeastern USA.
Hybrid striped bass are one those mild versatile fish that can be cooked in many ways. We bring them in whole and will process them any way you would like. Try some fillets with one of our marinades or do a whole bass stuffed and baked in salt (one of of my favorites).
On sale 9/17-23
Regular whole price: $10.00lb
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Sea Scallops
Placopecten magellanicus |
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Sea scallops are caught up and down the Atlantic Northeast coast from Canada to North Carolina. Ours usually come from Maine, Delaware, or Rhode Island. They are a well managed and sustainable resource. They grow as large as 8 inches across and are usually shucked and cleaned at sea before returning to port and being shipped fresh to us.
We only carry a "dry pack" scallop, which means that no chemicals are added to retain water so that when you eat them all you taste is scallop! Theses tasty bivalves can be cooked in many ways. Try them on the grill or pan sauteed. I like them "Provencial style".
Try the easy recipe below.
On special 9/24 thru 30
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Regular price:$26.00 lb.
Special price:$22.00 lb.
Brown Butter Sea Scallops- Provincal Style |
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Arctic Char
Arctic char are farmed in enclosed reticulating systems here in the United States and Canada. The fish are usually harvested in the 2 to 4 pound range and shipped immediately after harvest for optimum freshness. This fish has a flavor somewhere between Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout with a high omega-3 oil content. Since this is a farmed fish, it is available year round, making it a great choice for all your festivities, holidays and everyday.
It's as good on a cedar plank as baked in the oven. You will find char to be moist, mild, versatile and a great addition to your menu. Try it with a pesto made with the last of the fresh basil in your garden.
Regular price:$18.00lb.
Special price:$16.00lb.
Toasted Almond Pesto | | |
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Dungeness Crab
Cancer magister |
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| Our Dungeness crabs come from Bellingham, Washington and are caught by our friend Brad. When I call him, I often hear the boat motor running and the seagulls in the background. These are fresh crabs! The crabs are trap caught with out any impact on other species. The females are returned to the ocean and only males of legal size are kept. Any other bycatch is released unharmed. Due to good management policies, this fishery continues to grow. These crabs get their name from the town of Dungeness, Washington.
We sell the succulent crabs live from our pond or we can cook them for you if you call ahead. They are one of the meatier crabs with a yield of about 35% meat. They are high in protein, minerals and low in fat. Simply boil, crack and dip in melted butter, yum!
On sale 10/ 8 thru 14 |
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Regular price:$14.00 lb.
Special price:$ 12.00 lb.
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************ Pacific Halibut
Hippoglossus stenolepis |
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Halibut are among the most well known of fish on the market today. They are hook and line caught in Alaska, March through November. These fish run as big as 800 lbs. We just get the little ones, 20 to 40 lbs! This is one of Alaska's "green fisheries" certified by the Marine Stewardship Council. You can't make a better choice for the environment or for taste.
Halibut can be made in a myriad of ways, I had some breaded with panko crumbs in a burrito that was amazing.
Try the recipe below for a succulent Halibut Roast that will make you the hero of the dinnertable.
On sale 10/15 thru 21
Regular price: $24.00 lb.
Special price: $$22.00 lb.
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************ Blackfish
Tautoga onitis |
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| HAPPY HOLLOWEEN!
Blackfish or Tautog as it is also know, come from the Atlantic coast, ours are out of Rhode Island. Hook and line caught, these fish are highly managed commercially with only two seasons per year, one in April and one in the fall. Since they feed on crusteancens and mollusks, their flesh is firm, and mild tasting. Though this fish is gaining in culinary popularity, it's just hard to come by. Tautog by either name is certainly worth a try.
It's great, steamed,
baked/broiled or grilled. I've also had it described to me by a couple of old die-hard East Coasters as "the best damn chowder fish"! Try our recipe below after soaking Blackfish all day in our Miso marinade.
On sale 10/ 22 thru 31
Regular price $18.00 lb.
Special price: $16.00 lb.
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UPCOMING CLASSES...
TAILGATING
Join us for an evening of gourmet tailgating. Next time you show up for a Bears game you will be sure to WOW the hot dog and hamburger crowd!
BBQ Corvina Poorboys
Chicago Shrimp Roll
Grilled Tuna Chili
Cambozola cheese Stuffed Marlin Burgers
Bring your friends and favorite beverage.
September 25th 7:30 til 9:00
SUSHI CLASS
This is a great place to start if you have an interest in rolling your own sushi. We will go thru the basics while we serve you our fresh miso soup and tuna/avocado salad. Then it's hands on to roll 4 maki and 3 nigiri, all of which you will have to eat. Bring a mate, a date or your spouse and your favorite beverage for a night of rolling fun!
October 16th 7:30 til 9:30
$75.00 per person
Call ahead for reservations we tend to fill up fast.
773.404.3475 |
| Dirk's Fish & Gourmet Shop
2070 N. Clybourn Ave., Chicago Il. 60614
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"WHEN ONLY THE VERY BEST WILL DO"
If you want to try something new or inpress that special person, we can get you almost anything you wish from the water, fish or seafood, If you need some special attention or a great recipe, we can do that too.
If you are looking for something in particular, give us a call and we will do our best to get what you need.
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