Red’s Best and The Trustees celebrated National Seafood Month on Friday by cooking a completely seasonal and locally-caught seafood dinner in The KITCHEN at the Boston Public Market.

“It takes a community to feed a community,” said Valerie Rosenberg, Director of Retail and Marketing at Red’s. They only buy from local, community-based boats, supporting the fishermen in our New England communities. “We’d rather feed our community than ship our fish overseas,” Valerie said, and urged everyone to buy local and in-season.

Most people don’t realize that there is a season to seafood, but just like crops grown on land, there is a season for different kinds of fish. Red’s brought in-season razor clams, scup, hake, monkfish, and mussels to the feast. Jason Tucker, Red’s Best’s Farmer’s Market manager, led the cooking class of two dozen through an elegant but very simple three-course meal.

Here are two of the recipes that use locally caught, sustainably sourced fish. They are incredibly easy to make at home and will impress all of your dinner guests. And bonus- all of these ingredients can be found at the Boston Public Market for a completely locally sourced meal!

We’d love to see what you’re cooking, so post your photos to social and use the hashtags #thecleanfoodclub and #NationalSeafoodMonth

Sautéed Razor Clams with Butter and Parsley

Makes 4 servings

Total time: 15 minutes

In My Basket

2 lbs live razor clams, shucked with liquid reserved (from Red’s Best, Boston MA)

1 tbsp fresh parsley (from Corner Stalk Farm, Boston MA)

6 tbsp chopped garlic (from Stillman’s Farm, New Braintree MA)

1/4 cup dry white wine (from Massachusetts Farm Winery and Growers, Ludlow MA)

1 loaf crusty country bread (from Somerville Bread Company, Somerville MA)

From the Pantry

6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

6 tbsp butter

1. Heat oil and garlic in a large sauté pan. Once hot, add the clams and the butter. When butter has melted, add clam juice and white wine. Sauté until clams are heated through, sprinkle with parsley. Transfer to a serving platter.
2. Serve with crusty bread for dipping in the clam sauce.

Roasted Whole Scup with Warm Garlicky Potatoes

Makes 4 servings

Total time: 50 minutes

In My Basket

4 whole scup, less than 1 lb each, already de-scaled (from Red’s Best, Boston MA)

9 sprigs fresh parsley, one sprig chopped (from Corner Stalk Farm, Boston MA)

1.5 lbs small red potatoes (from Stillman’s Farm, New Braintree MA)

4 cloves minced garlic (from Stillman’s Farm, New Braintree MA)

From the Pantry 

1/2 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 lemon, cut into 1/4 in slices

To cook the potatoes:

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Wash and dry potatoes, then quarter.
2. Coat potatoes in olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Roast on a baking sheet for approximately 45 minutes, or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Flip halfway through for even browning.
4. Transfer to a serving bowl when done. Sprinkle with parsley.

To cook the fish:

1. While the potatoes roast, use sharp kitchen shears and CAREFULLY trim the fins off the fish (they are very sharp!). Discard the fins. Slice the fish along the belly from head to tail (or ask the people behind the counter when you buy the fish to do this for you).
2. Using a very sharp knife, press firmly, and in one motion, score the fish two or three times from head to tail. Stuff lemon slices and herbs into the belly. Generously rub olive oil, salt and pepper over the exterior of the fish.
3. Roast fish on a baking sheet in the oven until flesh bounces back after pushing on it, about 35 minutes.
4. Plate a whole scup alongside the potatoes. Enjoy!

The KITCHEN at The Boston Public Market is a community gathering place, managed by The Trustees, that is restoring the craft of seasonal cooking in Massachusetts, New England, and beyond. Celebrate the farmers and artisans of this region through hands-on classes and educational experiences. Find and book one of their many cooking classes, workshops or experiences at www.bpmkitchen.eventbrite.com. They have classes almost every day, for every taste, ability, and interest.

 

Alice Kathryn Richardson is a new media photojournalist and creator of The Clean Food Club. She previously spent two years working on Deserts in the District, a series of short-form documentaries exploring food access and hunger in Washington, DC. She is committed to supporting local and sustainable food businesses by telling their stories with photo and video. Follow her on Twitter @AKR_Pictures.