Wild Corvina

Gillnet or handline caught, Ecuador.

Many years ago we took a fish cooking class where we were introduced to corvina, a fish we had never heard, of much less cooked. It was delicious, firm, mild, and sweet. Then corvina was hard to find, but now it is much more widely available. 

It can be prepared in a number of ways: as ceviche, baked, broiled, grilled, and sautéed.

Corvina is a generic name for a large number of fish in the Sciaenidae family which includes both croakers and drum fish. (Those common names reflect the sounds each fish makes: Croakers croak while drum make a beating or drumming sound.) Low to moderate mercury. Kosher.
1 lb. for $21.00

-- Asian-Style Pan-Fried Corvina with Leeks and Shiitake Mushrooms (adapted from Merry Edwards Winery)
-- Grilled Corvina with Lemon/Herb Compound Butter (HOF)

Whole Yellowtail Snapper

Hook and line caught  Florida

We hold that cooking whole fish is a special experience. Among the reasons to try it: it makes a dramatic presentation, it is quite easy, a whole fish makes for a leisurely dinner, added to which the bones and head add more flavor. The videos below demonstrate how easy and delicious cooking whole fish can be. 

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One of my greatest fish memories is of a college trip to Greece where I learned to love fish. I was horrified by my Greek friends' competition for the greatest delicacy—the eyes—but I loved sitting around the table talking and laughing while picking the bones clean. 

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These 1½-to-2 lb. whole snappers arrive cleaned and ready to cook. Just add citrus and herbs of your choice and cook. Yellowtail Snapper, considered by many to be the best tasting of all of the snapper varieties, has a firm texture with large flakes and a bright, almost sweet flavor. Seafood Watch rates it a "Good Alternative.” Low mercury level. Kosher.
1 whole fish for $18.00

-- How to Roast a Whole Fish (Melissa Clark/The New York Times)

-- How to Carve and Serve Whole Cooked Fish (video by Serious Eats)

-- Whole Roasted Snapper, Portuguese-Style (video and recipe by Saveur)

-- Whole Roasted Fish with Oregano, Parsley, and Lemon (Daniel Gritzer / Serious Eats via Entertain the Possibilities)

Frozen Fair Trade Shrimp

Supera net caught, Mexico

Finally a shrimp you can feel good about eating! We just might have been the first in Chicago to feature certified Fair Trade shrimp, and we are pleased to report that they are delicious! We are going against our standard here by offering a frozen product. Here's why: Instead of dealing with giant gas-powered trawlers to catch their shrimp Del Pacifico works with artisanal fishermen in Mexico who use small sail-powered boats called pandas, which are slightly larger than a rowboat and have a spectacular sail. (Score one.)

The wind and tide guide the net. Because they operate on such a small scale the fishermen can remove bycatch and return it to the water alive resulting in the lowest bycatch in the shrimping industry! (Score two.) 

Because the boats are small and have little storage area they can't be out at sea for long periods meaning that the shrimp are blast-frozen within hours of capture. What is more, Fair Trade certification guarantees that there are no human rights abuses and that a percentage of the profit is returned to the community that caught the shrimp. (Score three and four.) 

Keep in mind that these shrimp are peeled and deveined FROZEN shrimp. US Fair Trade certified.
1 lb. (about 26 to 30 per pound) for $14.00)

-- Provençal Wheat Berry Salad with Shrimp and Mustard-Caper Vinaigrette ( Susie Middleton / Fine Cooking)

-- Cuttlefish Spaccatelli with Shrimp, Fresh Tomatoes, Green Onions and Chili (Food 52)