by Sarah Shaffer
Last weekend Real Food Revolution and Slow Food UVM co-hosted a Slow Fish Workshop on campus. Slow Fish is a branch of Slow Food International, committed to “bringing about change by returning to the origins of food, putting curiosity and pleasure at the service of responsible choices.” Slow Fish is dedicated to fulfilling the goals of Slow Food by sharing the importance of artisanal fishing practices, and the inclusion of neglected fish species our diets.
Organizers of the event aimed to reconnect students and the greater UVM community with their food by learning how to prepare a variety of local aquatic species. To kick things off, Spencer Montgomery, a Community Organizer for Slow Fish USA, shared his experience as a young, local fisherman and the importance of building connections with local fisheries in the same way many people make connections with local farms.
The ten different aquatic species used were sourced from Lake Champlain and the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. A variety of the species prepared at the workshop are often under-utilized in traditional meal preparation despite their locality and abundance. Throughout the five-hour workshop, participants learned how to filet fish, prepare soup stock from and cook a variety of accent dishes to complement the fresh fish entrees.
Here’s a peek at the menu:
· Whole, pan-fried rock fish and perch caught in Lake Champlain with cranberry salsa and collard greens
· Chowder with Atlantic Pollock and Local Bacon
· Risotto made with Jonah Crab, Rock Crab and Green Crab (an invasive species), all from the coast of Maine
· Braised Whelks, served in the shell
· Steamed Mackerel on a bed of Onions and stuffed with Lemon and Garlic
Many participants acknowledged that while they’re knowledgeable about the local and sustainable food movement, the concepts were not usually applied to seafood. UVM Dining has made it a priority to source 100% sustainable seafood throughout our dining locations.
Additionally, our new partnership with the company Red’s Best will help promote the importance of supporting local fisheries by sourcing less common, yet still tasty, white fish species. Red’s Best is a seafood distributor, working with local, small scale, responsible fisher-folk to ensure transparency in the food chain and promote the success of small-scale fisheries. You can find Red’s Best on the menu at Harris Millis’ Simple Servings station weekly.
We hope to continue the discussions from the workshop and implement the ideas discussed within our own campus’ food system. If you are interested in getting involved with any of the organizations noted above please contact UVM Dining’s Sustainability Intern, Sarah Shaffer at svshaffe@uvm.edu.
