Issue link: http://southshoremagazine.uberflip.com/i/165447
great tastes John C. Picardi How to cook a whale When I was a kid I did a report for my sixth grade class on the fishermen of Boston. My parents took me to the piers to witness the fishing boats come into port and from that day forward I was hooked on all creatures caught from the sea. I tackled my fish report with all my heart, read it proudly to my class, and brought fish cakes in for my classmates. For extra credit, I drew a picture of my archenemy Scott Webster being eaten by a shark; it was the year of Jaws, and needless to say it didn't go over too well, although I thought it hilarious. At the end of my report, I gave my classmates a glowing smile, until Scott Webster shouted, "And fish is good brain food and you should eat a whale!" Of course I was angry, and humiliated, and I smeared mayonnaise in his locker–but that's another story. Recently, after reading an interesting article on the benefits of fish, I exclaimed, "Holy Mackerel that dope Scott was right, fish is good brain food!" And not only that, nutritionists say that eating fish twice a week is a great way to improve your health in numerous ways. Fish is packed with vitamins and minerals, is a terrific source of omega-3 fatty acids (which studies show lowers the chance of heart attack), makes babies smarter, harpoons dementia, helps to prevent strokes in the elderly, and it improves your sex drive hook, line, and sinker. In my next life I hope Braised Pork Belly will do all those wonderful things for my body, but in this life, eating badly will take its toll on your health. With that said, you don't want to eat tons of fish coated in greasy fried batter or swimming in butter or a cream sauce. But heck, we all need to have fried fish a few times during the spring and summer; it's only fair, so let yourself off the hook and indulge. Okay. So let's talk about ways to prepare fish, which for some people is a typical dilemma because our everyday diet mostly consists of pork, beef, and chicken. Most people in this area of New England cover fish with butter and cracker crumbs and bake it (try tossing a can of chopped clams on top next time—it's really good!) but there is so much more you can do with fish. Remember, imagination and the Internet are your friends! One of my favorite types of fish is Chilean Sea Bass, and years ago when I lived in New York there was a seafood restaurant around the corner from where I lived where the chef coated Chilean Sea Bass 72