L
ong Island, as well all know, is a special place for many reasons. Whether it’s time spent in the Hamptons, enjoying the outdoors, or catching those incredible days at our ocean beaches, not much can compare to a perfect day out-east.
Another fascinating aspect of Long Island is it’s world-class fishing. Even if you aren’t a fisher, enjoying local Long Island Seafood is an opportunity not to be missed. We are in a special place; the Labrador Current draws cold water species down from the North off of our shores, and the Gulf Stream Current brings Southern species up from the South. These two currents almost create a ballet of advances and releases throughout the year. Along with this ever- performing dance of ocean currents, comes some of the most bountiful, unique and sought after seafood that we are known for around the world. So lets talk about all of these special, and sometimes hidden, local treasures! For starters, what is Calamari? Calamari is another name for Squid, and there are many types throughout the worlds oceans. Here on Long Island, right off of our ocean beaches, we harvest Loligo Squid which happens to be one of the most sought after of all! If you should see a larger local commercial fishing boat meandering within eyesight of the beach in summer, chances are they are harvesting the same Calamari that you would enjoy at Haskell’s Seafood in Westhampton Beach! Haskell’s Seafood is committed to only working with the local landings of Long Island, so it’s actually a sure bet. Not many people visiting Long Island realize there is such an important fishing industry operating among everything else that is happening, and the good news is that the fisheries on Long Island and in the United States are the most carefully regulated and sustainable in the world. OK, what about fin-fish….and what is a “fin-fish” technically? Fin-fish is a very broad definition of all the fish that move through the water using their fins for guidance and propulsion. Some of the popular fin-fish local to Long Island consist of Striped Bass, Fluke, Tuna, Mahi-Mahi, Black Sea Bass and more. At Haskell’s Seafood, we often hear “Wait a minute! I thought Mahi-Mahi comes from Florida!?” Thanks to the Gulf Stream Current mentioned, Mahi-Mahi actually range seasonally from Florida all the way to Long Island as well. Mahi-Mahi, Yellowfin Tuna, Bluefin Tuna, Big Eye Tuna, and even Wahoo, appear off the Long Island shores in deep water in the summer months. Imagine the Gulf Stream Current as the I95 Highway for warm water loving seafoods! And let’s not forget that the Labrador Current deserves the I87 Highway credit for all the cold water loving seafoods like Codfish, Hake and more. Finally there are those fin-fish that are most comfortable in the middle. Fortunately for us, Striped Bass, Fluke, Weakfish and Porgy tend to appreciate 68 degrees like most Long Islanders seem to keep the air-conditioning set. As mentioned, here on Long Island there is a meeting ground and performance of seafoods coming and going, all able to find a moment of residence, which we fondly refer to as “Seasonality”. If you are starting to wonder if there are more important aspects about local Long Island seafood beyond this incredible seasonal selection, you are absolutely right! Think about how eating food from the place you are in is the most sustainable approach to living. It’s an old way of living that is gaining more and more renewed attention everyday. When we as people “eat local”, we are cutting out a huge amount of energy from the equation
that it takes imported foods to get to us. We shrink the carbon footprint of our food when choosing, for example, local Black Sea Bass fillet over an imported fish from origins we are unsure about. No matter what, far less energy was spent in getting that food to our plate, and it’s something to feel very good about. What about the abundance of seafoods? Long Island and the Untied States have the most closely managed fisheries in the world, so at all times, there are management groups tracking how much fish is being harvested, how robust the stock of each species of fish is, and then adjusting our fishing regulations immediately to ensure that our fish stocks will always have a sustainable future. Some of our seafoods have enormous stocks and may at times be even lesser-known. So let’s talk about some of these fish that may need a formal introduction! A fish that has an enormous stock or bio-mass, that is lesser known, we at Haskell’s Seafood refer to as an “Underutilized Seafood”. These fish include Skate, Smooth Shark, Ling, and some that have gained popularity include Porgy, Weakfish and Triggerfish. So what would be the best way to explore some of these fish? A visit to Haskell’s Seafood in Westhampton Beach and a solid recipe offered can open a world of discovery to ones new favorite fish! Most importantly, education about our local fisheries is really the doorway to new food experiences and engaging in conversations like this one can inspire. Pairing local Porgy fillet with local basil and green vegetables is one of those things that is just incredibly right, and a lot of it has to do with seasonality; they were meant to go together. Finally, the stars of the raw bars, Shellfish and Crustaceans! We are once again blessed with some of the best Clams, Oysters, Mussels, Blue Claw Crabs due to the fact that our bays have tidal and briny ocean water that passes back and forth over them cyclically throughout the day and night. In our Atlantic Ocean, the true meaning of Dry Sea Scallops are harvested and Lobster are potted off the coastal ledges. All we have to do know is recruit a boat or two that would be willing to target the migration of Royal Red Shrimp that pass by the tip of Montauk in April in very deep water, just for a moments time, and we could consistently boast about that too! Much of our fisheries are about telling it’s story. Many of us have our own; growing up and fishing on the bays of Long Island, bringing the catch back to the house for an evening feast with family. It truly is our heritage on Long Island that we are talking about and sharing that story keeps heritage alive and well. We encourage this type of conversation at Haskell’s Seafood which often leads to education passing back and forth, awareness of our surroundings, and a responsible role that is played in the big/small picture of our Local Seafood Landings. I often say to myself, “What better of a life could you live, sharing all of this with others, experiencing the seasonal offerings year after year, and celebrating life on Long Island the same way it has been done for centuries, but doing it today and each day thereafter.” We look forward to all of your visits at Haskell’s Seafood this season and thank YOU for being a part of the big/small picture here on the East End of Long Island! Capt. Peter Haskell Haskell’s Seafood Westhampton Beach and Quogue
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