thursday, june 14th, 2007

In the best of all worlds, the model for the farm raised fish Kona Kampachi is the future of aquaculture. Since its introduction a few years ago by the Hawaiian based company Kona Blue, chefs around the world have used the well marbled, impeccibly clean, succulent white fish in their Sashimi and Sushi preparations and I know that many who have discovered the virtues of Kona Kampachi might consider it sacrilege to cook it. It's that good. Extraordinary flavor virtues aside, the best part about Kona Kampachi is that it's raised in a sustainable environment that leaves little, if any imprint on its surroundings, which in Kona Kampachi's case is the ocean where it is raised in a pen exposed to the clean, flowing waters of the deep blue sea. Kona Kampachi is also twice as high in omega-3s as Atlantic Salmon and even higher than the mackerel, the omega-3 power-house of fish. It has not been genetically engineered, has no detectable traces of mercury and does not contain hormones or antibiotics. Its fat content hovers at 30% which lends it the rich, highly coveted marbled qualities of Copper River Salmon but with a cleaner flavor profile and more subtle flavor.

With all of its virtues, I'm sure you've already fallen for this majestic fish, but the good news doesn't end there. While Kona Kampachi is a farm-raised fish, it does not suffer the dubious reputation that dogs many other farm raised species. Kona Blue rightly touts their "hatchery to harvest" philosophy in that the fish are born in captivity and not harvested, as many farm raised fish frequently are, from the ocean's depleted stocks of wild fish. A relative of the yellowtail Amber Jack and also sometimes referred to as a Kahala, Kona Kampachi are raised in pens submerged 200 feet down in the cool, blue waters off Hawaii's Big Island. Kona Blue was founded by two marine biologists in 2001 and before the introduction of their product to the public in 2005, extensive studies of fish aquaculture were conducted in order to produce a product that is environmentally sustainable, extremely healthy and incredibly tasty.

Since the fish are raised in pens, they do not suffer the internal parasites that other varieties of yellowtail fish can succumb to in the wild. Their feed, comprised of 50% fish meal and oil and 50% vegetable protein, is created entirely from products raised in sustainable, managed fisheries and farms instead of harvested from the ocean as the feed for many farm-raised fish is today. The pens are placed in such a way so as to not damage coral reefs or other marine ecosystems and since the fish are only harvested to fill orders, it is virtually guaranteed that the fish was plucked from the sea less than 48 hours before it hits the consumer's plate.

The prized fish's only blemish is its cost. It's pricey at upwards of $20 per pound but as ever in the marketplace, increased supply driven by demand will eventually drive the price down. Kona Kampachi is an excellent substitute for Chilean Sea Bass, a wild fish that has suffered devastating consequences as a result of consumer demand. As a result of this and for countless other reasons, I am happy to pay a little more once in a while for fish that is a model of how farmed fish should be raised.

The reason I sought out Kona Kampachi at the market was because I recently tried it at a sushi restaurant and was blown away by the first bite. I decided to cook it this time because I wanted to see if it tasted as fresh and delicious after it hit the pan. Good news. It does! Drawing inspiration from the Kona Blue website and in the Aloha spirit, I crusted it with macadamia nuts. The fillet will most likely contain pin bones which should be removed with needle-nose pliers or the handy pin-bone tweezers a friend gave me when I was struggling with salmon pin bones in culinary school. It's a cheap but handy gadget and once you've used it to fillet a fish, needle-nose pliers will feel clumsy and awkward. A resource guide on where to purchase Kona Kampachi as well as a pin-bone pliers tweezers.

I paired the fish with a crisp, fresh jicama salad that's a breeze to prepare and serves as a light, zesty accompaniment to the richness of the fish and the sweetness of its crust.  I threw in a few shaved purple carrots because they add such festive coloring to anything they're added to, especially something that remains uncooked such as this slaw that I can't resist buying them when I see them.

Halibut or monk fish would also pair well with this slaw if you're having difficulty finding kona kampachi but I would definitely suggest snatching it up the next time your fish monger has it in stock and if they don't, order it from Kona Blue. It's an ideal substitute for halibut as it shares the same meaty but clean flavor profile and the marbling of Kona Kampachi adds a richness and depth of flavor found in few other fish. Kona Kampachi's virtues are endless and I'm hoping that as awareness is raised about this remarkable fish, it will appear more frequently at the market and on restaurant menus.

Macadamia Crusted Kona Kampachi With Jicama Slaw 

1 cup jicama, peeled and shredded

2 purple carrots (substitute orange if desired) peeled and shredded
1/2 head red cabbage, peeled and shredded
1/2 cup gently chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus oil for sateeing
salt, to taste

1 1/2 cup roasted, salted macadamia nuts
1 1/4 cups flour
1 egg
1/2 cup whole milk
4 - 6-8 ounce kona kampachi fish fillets, skin & pin bones removed 

For the jicama slaw 

1. Combine jicama, carrots, cabbage and cilantro in a bowl. Combine vinegar, honey and olive oil in a small ramekin and then add to the jicama mixture. Mix to incorporate. Salt to taste. Refrigerate in a covered container until ready to serve.

For the fish 

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine macadamia nuts and 1/2 cup flour in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well combined. Place remaining flour in a flat bowl (large enough to contain the length of each fillet). In a second bowl combine egg and milk. In a third bowl add the nut mixture. Lightly salt each fillet and then apply the standard breading procedure to each fillet. In a heat-resistant pan, sauté each fillet in olive oil for about a minute on each side. Place the pan and all four filets in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, turning once during baking.

To plate

3. Mound four plates with a portion of slaw and top with a fillet.  

Yield: 4 servings 

Resources

Kona Kampachi: Buy it directly from Kona Blue. They provide a simple checkout process and the minimum purchase is two fillets. They also provide an extensive list of stores and restaurants that offer the fish.