A new Providence fish market encourages home cooks to go beyond tuna and cod.
Roasted whole fish is often found on restaurant menus, but it isn’t as commonly cooked at home. And that’s too bad, because it can be relatively affordable and easy to prepare, said Stuart Meltzer, owner of the Fearless Fish Market, a new seafood shop on the West Side of Providence.
“It’s harder to overcook than a fillet,” Meltzer said. “And it actually falls off the bone quite easily.”
But, yes, you do have to be careful not to eat the bones, he added.
In his shop, Meltzer is trying to empower his customers to be a little more adventurous with cooking seafood. Beyond preparing whole fish, he suggests working with octopus and squid, two other restaurant favorites that aren’t as frequently found on home cutting boards.
To help, Fearless Fish chef Nikhil Naiker, a Johnson & Wales graduate, is often available at the store to offer instructions and tips.
For our newest Small Bites cooking video, Naiker demonstrated how to roast a whole Point Judith scup, served with chimichurri sauce. The recipe works just as well with black bass, which Meltzer also sources locally.
Meltzer opened Fearless Fish in February, after working for several years in the wholesale seafood business and then for retail shops. At the store, you’ll find an ever-changing inventory of fin fish and shellfish, including monkfish, razor clams and Rhode Island oysters. He uses Instagram to regularly update customers on what’s available when.
With an eye toward sustainability, Meltzer obtains most of his catch from wholesalers who buy directly from local fishermen in nearby ports: Point Judith, in Narragansett; New Bedford; and Boston.
“A lot of the fish that we sell, like scup, Acadian red fish, hake, pollock, don’t really have the brand name cachet of, say, tuna, sword, or cod,” Meltzer said. “But they’re good fish at a good value, and we want to spread the word about that.”
Details: Fearless Fish Market, 425 West Fountain St., Providence, (401) 415-8905, fearlessfishmarket.com. Open Tuesday-Friday 11 a.m.-7 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Small Bites videos are created in collaboration with the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau. They are shot in a demonstration kitchen at Hope & Main, the food-business incubator in Warren. Find this video and all Small Bites cooking videos at providencejournal.com/smallbites.
Roasted Whole Fish with Chimichurri
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 lemon, juiced
½ cup red wine vinegar
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons, divided use
2 bunches scallions, thinly sliced
1 bunch parsley, chopped, with a few springs set aside for garnish
½ teaspoon red chili flakes
2 whole fish, about 1 pound each, scaled, gilled and gutted (have your fishmonger do this for you)
A few springs of dill for garnish
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
To make the chimichurri, put garlic in a medium-sized bowl and massage with the salt and sugar. Let sit for a few minutes. Add lemon juice, mix and let garlic marinate in lemon juice. Add red wine vinegar and ¾ cup olive oil, whisk until well combined. Add more salt to taste, if needed.
Add scallions, parsley and red chili flakes to oil and vinegar mixture. Let sit and begin preparing the fish.
Pat fish dry with paper towel, before drizzling with the reserved 2 tablespoons olive oil. Generously season with salt and pepper. Put fish inside preheated oven in the middle rack. Set timer for 10 minutes.
Check fish after 10 minutes. Fish is done when internal temperature reaches 145 degrees or when fish flakes apart easily and the flesh has turned opaque. Cook longer if necessary. Once done, transfer fish to plate and top with chimichurri. Garnish with fresh parsley and dill. Serve with a crusty bread, if desired.
Makes 2 servings