In the Photo: Chef Warren Geraghty of West and his appetizer dish of Sablefish Noisettes, Artichokes and Saffron Barigoule.
Photo by Jackie Connelly Photography
CHEFS' NEW INGREDIENT - SABLEENES In their efforts to more fully utilize food animals, chefs have been bravely experimenting, if not frightening their customers, with the introduction of such novelties as tongues, ears, feet and other "less popular" cuts of meat onto their fine dining menus. The seafood department is getting no exemption from these trendy ideas about waste reform either. The greater dining public may not be ready for fins and eyeballs, nevertheless, fish carcasses are being reexamined for overlooked tasty bits that hitherto may have been flung from the backs of fishboats as seagull buffet.
From this search has come the sableene (pronounced like Mabeline), and it's an item that's not turning out to be a hard sell at all. "Sableene" is the chosen marketing term for a thumb-sized piece of flesh attached to the collar behind a sablefish’s main dorsal fin, a part that usually gets thrown away when fishmongers discard the head. However, digging it out of its surrounding bone and cartilage is well worth the effort, because just the like the filet on steak, this small morsel has a distinct flavour and texture all its own.
Warren Geraghty, executive chef of Vancouver’s
West restaurant describes the sableene as having a sweeter taste than the rest of the sablefish, and without its flaky texture.
“Meat from the sablefish collar is denser and more fleshy, somewhat like a monkfish cheek,” Geraghty says. “And, it takes caramelization beautifully! That, and its compact size, makes it perfect for appetizer dishes.”
Sableenes are such a new item to the market that Chef Warren has only been working with the product for about two weeks – about the same time that
Seaside Marketing first introduced the product to local Vancouver chefs for their feedback.
Beyond the fish itself, what the seafood wholesaler offers is the convenience factor. You don’t get much of the item from a single fish. But while their fish boats are still at sea off the Queen Charlotte Islands, the company has the sableenes separated from the collars in bulk and then flash frozen directly after harvesting. Later they get delivered to the restaurants, sealed in Cryovac packages, approximately 20 pieces per packet.
As shown in the photo above, Chef Warren has been using the item in his
Sablefish Noisettes, Artichokes and Saffron Barigoule. It’s one of the three courses in West’s $49 prix fixe menu for spring, and its available at the restaurant now. Apparently the response from customers has been one of unanimous approval.
“Before I came to Canada, I never cooked with frozen fish”, says the formerly London-based Geraghty. "And I never thought I would, but this product is of such good quality, it's changing my mind.”
