Cowichan Bay Seafood

1751 Cowichan Bay Road

Cowichan Bay, BC, V0R 1N0

Anne and Gregg Best

Store phone: 250 748-0020

info@betterfishing.ca

We’re now open 7 days a week and working hard to bring you the freshest seafood on Vancouver Island. The fresh prawn season is winding down for the year with the season closing on June 25th. Luckily, we have been stockpiling our supply of frozen spot prawn tails. When the prawns are frozen in slat water (in blocks of 1 lb and 1/2 pound sizes) they retain their properties wonderfully and will reputably keep for up to 2 years – although ours never seem to make it that long!!

Fresh Salmon is coming on stream with Sockeye and Spring leading the way. Perfect for summer BBQ’s, we like nothing better than a summer patio party featuring a few skewers of spot prawns as an appetizer (of course) and a slab of fresh BC salmon cooked on the grill. Planked salmon is an easy and nearly fool-proof way to cook up a delicious west coast treat.

This recipe is from Bill Jones of Deerholme Farm and is a recipe from the farm that was featured in the August 2009 issue of Gourmet Magazine.

Cedar Planked Salmon with Maple and Mustard

Serves 4-6

Prepare a plank of cedar by giving it a good scrub with a brush and soaking in a tub of water for at least 2 hours. Heat a BBQ and pre-heat for at least 20 minutes. Can also be baked in an oven with good (although less smoky) results. We use Big Leaf Maple syrup from Vancouver Island.

1 side               wild salmon (sockeye, coho, etc)        about 2 lbs (1 kg)

Sea salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp.            Big leaf maple syrup                           30 mL

2 Tbsp.            fresh rosemary, minced                       30 mL

2 Tbsp.            grainy mustard                                    30 mL

lemon or lime juice

Prepare the salmon by removing the pin bones and cutting the side into 1 inch (2.5 cm) strips, cutting down to but not through the skin of the fish. This will allow the marinade to penetrate and make serving the fish easier.

On a tray, place the cedar plank and top with the salmon skin side down. Season the salmon well with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the maple syrup and spread the mustard over the surface. Allow to sit for 15 minutes. Place the cedar plank on a hot BBQ grill and close the lid.

Cook for about 10 minutes. Lift lid and check doneness. You want the salmon to be moist and just starting to flake under light pressure. You will see beads of salmon fat begin to form on the cuts in the salmon. Remove from heat and allow to rest for a five minutes before serving. Drizzle with lemon or lime juice and serve warm.

There have been lots of changes going into our space in Cowichan Bay. The building was essentially gutted and new insulation, flooring and equipment are now being installed in the space. We are most excited about the live tank for storing crab, prawns, and shellfish (oysters, clams and mussels). The tank has a sophisticated filter system, including biological filters which are critical for keeping the products at an optimum state. The result should be some of the freshest tasting and healthiest products on the island.

Right now we are aiming at opening up around the middle of March. We’ll hopefully ease into operation and are working hard to network with local fishermen over the next few weeks to seek out the best and most sustainable seafood in our region. In addition to fresh seafood, we’ll have a selection of smoked, cured and flash-frozen products. Many of these frozen products are exceptional, including our own salt-water block of spot prawns as well as albacore tuna, halibut loins and specialties like pacific octopus.

Cowichan Bay is emerging as a little culinary oasis on Vancouver Island, we boast many interesting food shops including the great True Grain Bakery and the wonderful cheese shop run by Patty and Hillary Abbott. Cowichan Bay is the first town in North America to be designated a Citta Slow site and proud to uphold the ideals of the Slow Food Movement. We are happy to be in such company and hope to add another fine dimension to your shopping visits to the Bay.

Just in time for Halibut season, the new seafood shop in Cowichan Bay has risen from the dust of renovation. Equipped with state-of-the-art live tanks for their own dungeness crab, the shop is ready to serve local customers who have waited patiently for the store to re-open.

Presently, we’re cutting up whole 10-20 lb Halibut, fresh from the docks to make some of the freshest halibut available on Vancouver Island. In addition, we try to keep our prices competitive, while offering the fishermen fair prices for their efforts at sea. In all things seafood – remember you get what you pay for – there is a wide range of quality and sources out there, you often find quick sales on frozen product from last years harvest or fish that needs to be sold quickly. We stand by our commitment to fair prices, quality and sustainability in our halibut and all products in the store.

Come by and check out our selection of products, we can try to source any local product for you if you give us a couple of days. Just remember that we deal in Ocean Wise and Sea Choice recommended fish and shellfish – so don’t even bother to ask for Chilean Toothfish (often marketed as sea bass), or sharks fin, or farmed salmon or ….

If you want the best value seafood from ethical and responsible merchants, come by and visit us.

Cowichan Bay Seafood

1751 Cowichan Bay Road

Cowichan Bay, BC, V0R 1N0

Anne and Gregg Best

Store phone: 250 748-0020

info@betterfishing.ca

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PAN-SEARED, SPICED PACIFIC HALIBUT

serves 2

2    100g pieces halibut (about 1/2 lb)

25 mL   olive oil (2 tbsp)

5 mL   hot sauce (1 tsp)

1   clove garlic, minced

5 mL  Five Spice Powder  (1 tsp)

salt and pepper to taste

wedge of lemon

On a plate, add the halibut and sprinkle with half of the oil and all of the hot sauce, garlic and five spice powder. Toss on the plate to coat the fish in the seasoning. In an non-stick pan, heat over medium heat and add the remaining oil (you can also add a little butter for flavour and colour). Saute the fish about 2-3 minutes per side (turn down the heat if it browns too quickly). When browned, remove from heat and allow to sit for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the lemon juice before serving.

Serve with rice, potatoes or salad, along with your favourite vegetables for a healthy and balanced meal.