Serves 4 chips: 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and chopped into 1½-2 cm ngers 2 teaspoons sea salt tablespoon olive oil fish: 1 medium free-range egg I cup ice-cold water ½ cup plain our ½ teaspoon baking powder Finely grated zest of 1 lemon Sun ower oil for frying 4 Paci c cod llets, skin removed Food & Drink by Shari Darling For more information on wine and food, go to www.sharidarling.com I cannot remember a time when I could buy sh without considering the amount of mercury that I might be ingesting. For a long time as consumers, we have been conscious of the impactful factors involved in choosing and eating sh, such as ingesting heavy metals such as mercury and fat-soluble pollutants. But heavy metal and fat-soluble pollutant intake are just two of the factors which we must now consider. Today, we must also think about environmental factors in sh purchasing for the betterment of our marine systems. Buying sh today also involves social responsibility factors, such as making sure that we refrain from buying sh which comes from industries involved in slave labour and human tra cking. It all seems like too much to think about when buying sh! What makes it easier is to follow the ideas and recommendations of environmentalists such as David Suzuki, and of organizations such as Seachoice.com and Oceanwise.com. ese entities help to teach us how we can become responsible sh and seafood consumers. e rst step in our being responsible consumers is to choose sustainable, oceanfriendly sh. According to one of the world’s leading sustainable seafood experts, chef and author Barton Seaver, sustainable varieties include pole-caught yellow n tuna, black n tuna, albacore and wahoo. Other varieties include Paci c cod, Alaskan pollock and Paci c halibut. Paci c cod is high in omega-3 fatty acids and protein, and low in calories. A three-ounce portion has 85 calories with less than one gram of fat and 20 grams of protein. is three-ounce portion also contains more than 30 per cent of our daily intake of vitamin B12. Paci c cod (also known as Alaskan cod) also contains B6, niacin, phosphorus and selenium. Fish with the highest mercury content include shark, sword sh, king mackerel, tile sh, orange roughy and marlin. Cod is lower in mercury than these sh. e challenge is to nd healthy sh recipes using sustainable sh varieties. Fish and chips need not be an unhealthy choice. Here is a recipe for homemade sh and chips that o ers a lighter batter, fewer calories, less sodium and less fat. Pacific Cod Fish and Chips Preheat the oven to 429F/220C. Boil the chips in a pan of boiling water for 7-10minutes until just tender. Drain and pat dry. Place chips in a roasting tin. Toss with salt and olive oil. Roast the chips for 15 minutes, turn, then cook for another 20-25 minutes until golden all over. Meanwhile, to make the sh batter, whisk the egg in a medium bowl with the water until frothy. Si the our and baking powder into another mixing bowl, then gradually whisk in the egg mixture. Stir through the lemon zest and season well. Pour the sun ower oil into a wide, deep pan until half full, and then heat to 400F/200C. Set the sh llets into the batter to coat, and then use a slotted spoon to lower them into the hot oil. Do in batches if needed. Fry for about three minutes until golden. Turn over and fry on other side until golden. Remove sh with spatula and drain on kitchen paper. Serve sh with the chips. 50 | www.snowbirds.org
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