Good Fish: 100 Sustainable Seafood Recipes from the Pacific Coast

In 2011, Becky Selengut released Good Fish: Sustainable Seafood Recipes from the Pacific Coast, a cookbook of recipes celebrating locally sourced Pacific Coast seafood. Now, in 2018, she has updated and expanded her book with a brand new edition, Good Fish: 100 Sustainable Seafood Recipes from the Pacific Coast.

* Complimentary Book Received for Review.

The “good” in “Good Fish” is meaningful on many levels; of course, the fish must be deliciously good, and good for you, but it also must be environmentally good, able to be caught or farmed without depleting the fishery or harming the environment. The introductory section of the book is full of great information on these aspects of the fish, as well as discussions to help you get the most from the fish in your own kitchen.

The three main subdivisions in the recipe portion of the book are Shellfish, Finfish, and Littlefish and Eggs. Specific fish species are found in the appropriate section, as follows:

• Shellfish: Clams, mussels, oysters, Dungeness crab, shrimp, scallops, and squid
• Finfish: Wild salmon, Pacific halibut, black cod, rainbow trout, albacore tuna, Arctic char, lingcod, Pacific cod, mahi-mahi, and wahoo
• Littlefish and Eggs: Sardines & herring, and sustainable caviar. It’s important to learn about the nutrition benefits of caviar and then incorporate it into your diet.

There are several recipes for each of those featured fish. Selengut begins the section for each fish with a personal introduction followed by information about the fish, including a breakdown of why it’s a “good fish,” how it’s harvested or raised, buying and storage tips, and more.

Curious about the recipes? Here’s a sampling:

• Mussels with Guinness Cream
• Dungeness Crab with Bacon-Cider Sauce
• Scallops, Grits, and Greens
• Seared Salmon Tikka Masala
• Cast-Iron Rainbow Trout
• Dad’s Sardines on Crackers with Caramelized Onions
• Caviar Hash

The recipes are thoughtfully written, with helpful tips and full directions. To top it off, sommelier April Pogue has provided each recipe with a suggested wine (or other beverage) pairing, along with an alternate in case you can’t locate the first option. You’ll also find a few accompanying non-fish recipes to add to your repertoire, such as Dandelion Crackers, Herb Oil, and Dilly Beans.

Wait, that’s still not enough? Selengut has included cooking lessons such as how to determine doneness (“The Anatomy of a Flake”). And for visually-oriented people, she continues the lessons at her website, GoodFishBook.com, with over a dozen videos demonstrating techniques including how to select quality seafood, devein shrimp, wok-smoke fish, and season a cast-iron skillet.

If you love seafood, this book belongs on your bookshelf, even more so if you live on the Pacific Coast. Read this book and you’ll never look at fish—good fish—the same way again.

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Disclaimer: A. Bailey received complimentary products for review purposes & feature on The Classy Chics blog. No monetary compensation was received. A. Bailey’s thoughts, opinions and words are 100% her own. Your thoughts may differ.