BEFORE HE BECAME executive chef at Salt, Marcelo Gallegos took his Chicago culinary-school training to Italy, where he perfected—among many skills, both handed down and professional—the fine art of cutting and preparing fresh fish. While working at the Michelin-starred Dal Pescatore in the waterside city of Mantua, he would pull live trout from a tank in the back of the kitchen the minute a ticket came in and “smack the little fishes on the head, and gut them, and filet them right there,” Gallegos recalls. “How can fish get any fresher than that?” Now, with the nearest ocean hundreds of miles away from his Midwestern restaurant, the chef has learned that freshness has as much to do with care and intention as it does with proximity to a major body of water. He just had to master a different set of skills.
Among the plated stunners that have appeared on his menu at Salt: buttery, sweet pan-seared miso black cod; Parmesan-crusted Chilean sea bass; and hearty Italian cioppino loaded with mussels, calamari, and massive stone crab claws—all showcasing fish sourced from trusted purveyors in Chicago who get shipments flown in every day from around the world. Like many Indianapolis-area chefs sending out seafood that could go up against anything served at a coastal-city restaurant, Gallegos demonstrates (in one bite of pan-seared halibut with potato puree, sautéed kale, beurre blanc, and trout roe) how the tides have shifted in the fish industry.
Diners who scoff at the idea of ordering seafood in a landlocked market may be surprised at how advancements like overnight delivery, Cryovac deep-freezing, and kitchens well-versed in proper handling and mindful sourcing render that kind of thinking outdated. At the brightly stocked Broad Ripple Seafood Market, for example, fish caught in waters as far afield as Alaska and Key West makes it into the shop’s case in 48 to 72 hours, according to president Todd Reisenbigler. “And it’s day boat–caught fish, which means it’s brought in the same day it’s caught, packed on ice, and shipped to our processing center.”
At Bluebeard—where the menu might feature wild striped bass in grapefruit beurre blanc, curry octopus ragu, delicate dab sole splayed over potato cream and mint pistou, or some delicious preparation of executive chef Alan Sternberg’s favorite Pacific halibut—whole fish arrive from top-tier suppliers like Chicago’s Fortune Fish & Gourmet, which is known for its high benchmark for quality, sustainably caught seafood. Sternberg breaks down the fish himself, making quick work of the 7- to 10-pound catches. It’s his hands-on way of ensuring the best natural flavor, as well as his respect for the fish in its entirety. “I like to be able to see the eyes and gills,” he says. “I want to be able to see how the fish is when it’s still intact. It’s good for the bottom line, because we will make fumet out of the bones, pull off some collars, and use more of the product. But we also get to see exactly what state the fish is in to make sure that it’s the quality we’re looking for.”
That kind of craftsmanship goes a long way in squashing the myth that good seafood can’t be found this far from the coast. What matters is the care chefs like Gallegos at Salt and Sternberg at Bluebeard put into preparing it. The gorgeous dishes featured on these pages show just how well their level of intention travels inland.
Get Schooled
Seafood comes with its own vocabulary, much of it delivered confidently from behind glass cases and printed on menus in fonts that imply authority. The problem is that many commonly used terms are fluid at best, unofficial at worst, and occasionally meaningless. Here’s a plain-English guide to terms used in seafood marketing.
Fresh
In the seafood world, “fresh” usually means the fish has never been frozen. But there is no federal definition that requires sellers to prove it. Most seafood sold in the Midwest was frozen at some point during transport, whether or not the word appears on the sign. In practice, “fresh” can mean whatever the seller wants.
Previously Frozen
This is exactly what it sounds like: seafood that was frozen and later thawed for sale in the store. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this process. Freezing is often what keeps fish safe and helps maintain its high quality during long trips inland. It also (if done properly) destroys fish parasites (though not bacteria).
Farm-Raised
Farm-raised fish come from controlled environments, usually ponds, tanks, or ocean pens, and the term has a clear, widely accepted meaning. However, the quality of such offerings varies wildly, depending on factors such as species and farming practices. In other words, it may not tell you much about a specific product.
Wild-Caught
Wild-caught fish are taken from natural bodies of water rather than raised in farms, and the term is legitimate and regulated in labeling. While it does not automatically mean the fish will be better tasting, more sustainable, or safer to eat, it remains one of the most powerful two-word sales pitches at the seafood counter.
Fishery
A fishery, which can be both a wild area where fish are harvested or a commercial fish farm, refers to a specific population of fish, shellfish, or aquatic animals and the industry that harvests them in a defined geographical area. It’s a term used by regulators, scientists, and sustainability groups, but typically not marketers.
Aquaculture
Aquaculture is the practice of farming aquatic organisms, including fish, shellfish, and even seaweed. The term is formally defined and widely used by regulators and scientists. Like “agriculture,” it tells you how food was produced but not whether it was produced in a sustainable and healthful manner.
Sushi-Grade
There is no official government definition for “sushi-grade” or “sashimi-grade” seafood in the United States. The terms are used voluntarily by sellers to suggest that a fish is safe to eat raw. Such terms usually imply that the fish was flash-frozen to kill bacteria and handled with extra care to ensure the best flavor and texture.
