Clean Catch

Trigger Fish Season in the Gulf of America

Giggle: Trigger Happy

That Guy goes fishing… with guns! And he blames the trigger fish for their name and trigger like fin. Dearie is ready to catch his kill. Other fishermen are ducking for cover. And he is having the time of his life playing cowboy.

View all “That Guy!” toons at Culinary Cartoons.

Gab: Clean Catch

The Gulf of America is a great place to fish. And trigger fish season started March 1. If you can’t get to the coast this spring, find trigger fish and other Gulf fish in local markets and at local restaurants. Avoid farmed fish and salmon because salmon are now genetically modified. So even if the salmon is wild caught it could be GMO.

Seafood is an important part of the new food pyramid, which focuses on high-quality, nutrient-dense protein from both animal and plant sources, along with healthy fats from whole foods, such as eggs, seafood, meats, full-fat dairy, nuts, seeds, olives, and avocados. The new goal is 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. Gulf triggerfish is high in protein. This lean white fish has approximately 20–21 grams of protein per 100-gram serving and zero carbs.

Gourmet: Chef’s Secrets

For March Clean Cooking continues its Chef’s Secrets series, with recipes from my archives. Most months will feature an archived chef’s recipe although some months it will be a new home cook’s recipe.

Home cooks are often intimidated by cooking fresh fish and seafood. We question if the price is worth the risk of cooking it ourselves. So this month, I turn the page back in time to a place, Chez Fonfon, where I learned from Birmingham’s most celebrated chef, Frank Stitt how to cook Fish Paillard. Fish paillard is a classic French dish featuring thinly sliced, lightly pounded, and quickly cooked fish. The fish is typically served with light, fresh garnishes like citrus, herbs, or salad. Anyone can cook this fish!