Seafood
This episode of Cooking with Angus takes place at Plitt Seafood in Chicago, IL. Rob Solomon, president of the 88-year old company, explains the operations and who his customers are. Chef Angus discusses the process for catching, packaging and delivering seafood across the United States which has changed over time to ensure that the seafood is as fresh as possible.
Rob and Chef Angus also discuss the several the variety of ways that fish are prepared prior to being shipped, whether it be simply gutted or also filleted, scaled, or in smaller portions. In addition, the differences between farm-raised seafood and wild seafood are explained. Another topic for discussion is environmentalism; and Solomon illustrates Plitt’s policies with respect to steering consumers away from varieties of fish that are endangered.
Next, cuts of tuna are examined, and Rob explains the difference between standard tuna and sushi-grade tuna.
Another topic for discussion is the machinery and the actual processing of the fish; in past days, workers would use metal brushes to scale the fish. This method has been replaced with a Japanese-designed system that uses high-pressure jets of water to remove the scales, and the water used is oxygenated which simultaneously disinfects the fish.
In addition to fish, Plitt carries shellfish, and Rob explains that portion of the business to Angus, beginning with lobster. He notes that Plitt began solely as a shellfish company, specializing in clams and oysters and describes the wide variety of clams, mussels and oysters that the company provides.
The final half of the episode features Chef Angus in the kitchen preparing two dishes. The first is an Italian dish called a carpaccio, using some of the sushi-grade tuna. The meat is acid-cooked in lemon juice and vodka, and prepared with shallots, shallots, salt and pepper. The carpaccio is finished off with a garnish of salad.
The last dish is a tartare, another raw dish that originated in the Baltic provinces of Russia. Another cut of tuna is diced, and prepared with a variety of ingredients, including peppers, hot sauce, sesame oil, and chive. The dish is garnished with cucumbers flavored with vanilla and sugar, and a combination of chive oil, reduced soy sauce, and lemon juice.