Mass. wants to get flounder back on the menu. They enlisted Boston chefs
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Cassava flounder croquettes with shito aioli. Photo: Steph Solis/Axios
Sāsha Coleman's cooking has filled tables at Comfort Kitchen and earned her a James Beard Award nomination.
- Now the executive chef is using her talents to reintroduce locals to flounder, serving cassava flounder croquettes with shito aioli at the Pavilion Pier.
Why it matters: New England's flounder population has rebounded since the fish market collapsed 30 years ago, but demand hasn't, says Daniel McKiernan, director of the state Division of Marine Fisheries.
Threat level: Despite the ample supply, flounder hasn't caught on because fishermen lose money on it.
- Restaurants rely on cod, haddock, salmon or imported fish, causing wholesale flounder prices across New England to fall below $1 a pound in recent years.
- Some fisheries have given up on flounder, and now fish cutters specializing in flounder are a dying breed.
State of play: That's why DMF is working with the chef's council, of which Coleman is a member, to revive the market.
- Ten restaurants across the state are offering flounder specials through the end of the month as part of the "Flat is Back" campaign.
What they're saying: "I love flounder. … It's just something I grew up on," Coleman tells Axios.
Zoom in: She grew up fishing with her family and attended an annual fish fry held for her grandmother's birthday.
- Now she buys fish at the pier to incorporate into her dishes served at Comfort Kitchen in Dorchester, highlighting seafood dishes across the African diaspora.
- "It fits perfectly because it's something local to what we do, but also we talk about the immigrant story, so how do immigrants bring a food tradition here, and how they use the resources that are close," Coleman added.
Where to go: Comfort Kitchen is offering flounder specials, along with Bistro du Midi, Catalyst and Puritan Oyster Bar in the Boston area.
- Davio's is offering the specials in Boston, Lynnfield and Foxborough.
- Row 34 is offering specials in Boston, Cambridge and Burlington.
- Other restaurants include the Chatham Bars Inn, Straight Fish Wharf in Nantucket, the Sail Loft in Dartmouth, Sloane's Tavern at Miraval Wyndhurst in Lenox and three New Bedford restaurants — the Black Whale, Candela Cucina and the National Club Mexican Cantina.