A GREAT FISH STORY
Bonefish Grill specializes in market fresh fish and seafood cooked to perfection over a wood-burning grill. But leading up to the moment the fish hits the grill there's the story of the passionate commitment that drives us to search the fisheries of the world to discover the finest fish and seafood, at the peak of its natural flavor and quality, and to bring it home to our customers.
This is an ongoing series of dispatches from that story.
1
Posted by R.N.
This may sound like a strange thing to own up to, but I love cold water fish, especially the Nordic members of the Salmonidae family.
It seems to me that there's a certain cleanness and brilliance of flavor common to the many related species twitching and speeding along under the glacial lakes or struggling upstream through cold mountain rivers. And though my impression might be less scientific than experiential (poetic, maybe? overly influenced by Mutual of Omaha's "Wild Kingdom", maybe?) I like to think that the sheer force of life necessary to thrive under cold conditions makes this northern fish an especially wild and noble thing. Tasty, too.
And such variety: the Salmonidae family engulfs a whole range of fantastic species and flavors, both fresh- and saltwater. Not only the obvious salmons (King Salmon, Atlantic, Coho, Chinook, and the ever-fun-to-say Sockeye Salmon, to name a few), but also members of the trout, whitefish and charr sub-families.
Which brings me to the Charr. Particularly the incomparable Arctic Charr.
The Arctic Charr has an appearance and taste that falls somewhere in between two of its more familiar relatives, the Salmon and the Trout. It's mild, yet distinctive, and having adapted nicely to its frigid natural habitat, it has a decent amount of flavorful (no worries, Omega-3) heart-friendly fat.
Arctic Charr is also a versatile fish. It can be grilled, poached, sauteed, smoked (really good) or cured like gravlax. It can even be turned into tempura and served as a kind of Japanese fish and chips, if you're so inclined.
Its natural habitat is Nordic. In fact, it's the northernmost freshwater fish known, and is fished in northern Canada, Norway, Siberia, Greenland, and Iceland. In the wild, Arctic Charr feed on a variety of smaller neighbors, including mollusks, certain kinds of plankton, crustaceans and, er, occasionally smaller char, as well.
There's also extensive aquaculture or farming of Arctic Charr in northern countries. And it's considered one of the more environmentally-responsible species of farmed fish because of the sustainable, impact-reducing methods used.
Of all of the countries where Arctic Charr is found, Iceland is a leading producer of both farmed and wild types. Its cold inland lakes, rivers, and their mouths onto the North Atlantic ocean are rife with the fish.
So where better than there to travel in search of one the best sources of my favorite cold water species? With the exception of the small, strange and talented singer, Bjork, I don't know much yet about the culture, history and people there.
But at this point, I do know that it's a good place to find great fish.
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