Anderson Seafood Extravaganza & Giveaway!

Having been born and raised on an island (Dominican Republic) and then having found the love of my life & living on another island (Martha’s Vineyard), my love for anything seafood (except raw oysters, I just can’t do it) has always stuck with me throughout the years. Back home, my Mom used to pair fresh fish with coconut sauce over rice, which to this day is one of my favorite ways to eat fish. We’d also go to Boca Chica, one of the closest beaches to us, and indulge in the fish stands on the beach that served up freshly caught fish, fried to perfection and served with nothing but a slice of lime.

Recently, I was contacted by Anderson Seafoods to see if I’d like to try their products and possibly develop a recipe with them and I said, of course! After perusing the Anderson Seafoods site, I realized there were a few varieties of fish that I had yet to try and choose to taste test: Ono and Opah.

With the Opah, we wanted to taste it in all it’s glory so just barely seasoned it with salt and pepper and then dredged in black and white sesame seeds. Seared on both sides and then finished cooking in a 350F oven for about 5 minutes.

Opah or Moonfish as it is sometimes called in tribute to its large, round profile. Opah has long been regarded as a good luck fish by old time longliners and was never sold, only given away as a gesture of goodwill. – Anderson Seafoods

The flesh is incredibly tender and needs to be cooked all the way through, but still leaving the fish moist and flaky. Served on top of spicy fettuccine and sauteed broccoli florets, it was a perfect weekday meal that took about 15 minutes to throw together!

With the Ono, we seared half of it and made fish cakes with the other half, and then preceeded to eat them so fast that I never snapped a picture. But that’s when the Chilean Sea Bass comes in, because I actually did snap a photo of it and there it is, in all it’s glory. Sweet, melt in your mouth Chilean Sea Bass sitting on a bead of jasmine rice and a butternut squash puree. Topped with a butter sauce, you can’t really ask for more! Butter Sauce is one of those things that you need in your life, and today I’m teaching you a basic technique to get you saucing your fish with this sauce. It’s luscious and decadent, and can be adapted and tweaked to your liking.

But first, let’s talk about Chilean Sea Bass. When I posted the picture above on my Facebook page, some of my readers wondered if Chilean Sea Bass was on the sustainability list or not. To give you a correct and honest response, I quickly emailed Alberto Andrade, CFO of Anderson Seafoods and asked him the same thing. Here is his response and I encourage you to check out the links he suggests for more information:

This fish comes from deep waters (close to a mile deep) in Patagonia (Argentina, Chile and even Peru). These vessels have GPS equipment on them, and are tracked to ensure they stay / fish within the areas that are not restricted and only fish during specific times throughout the year. Additionally, the FDA verifies the proper documentation / traceability at the port of entry.

Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing has depleted some populations of Chilean Sea Bass particularly by Chinese, and other Asian vessels that use unmodified bottom long lines but it is less common at the present time.

We source from suppliers who have our same vision and encourage those who do not, to have a better vision and become more sustainable. Anderson Seafoods is serious about its eco-impact. We do not do business with suppliers that overfish, deplete fish stocks or destroy their habitat.

I encourage you to spend 5 minutes reading our Sustainability section on our E-Commerce site: http://www.shopandersonseafoods.com/t-sustainability.aspx

For a more in depth analysis, please visit our Corporate Website at: http://andersonseafoods.com/Sustainability/sustainability.htm

Another item I tried were their Peppered Ahi Tuna Potstickers, conveniently packaged and frozen to deliver the best quality product possible. Steamed and then served atop wilted greens, sprinkled with black sesame seeds, they make a fantastic quick lunch or dinner appetizer.

Would you love to try Anderson Seafood for yourself? Well, thanks to the generous folks over there, one lucky Cooking with Books reader will win a $200 gift certificate to spend it all there! How exciting is THAT!?

Entry Methods (do one or all, just leave a separate comment for EACH entry!)

Visit the Anderson Seafoods website and comment about a fish you’d like to try!
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Follow me on Google Friend Connect
Follow @AndersonSeafood on Twitter
Follow @nella22 on Twitter
Tweet the following message: Love seafood? Enter to win a $200 gift certificate to @AndersonSeafood via @nella22! #giveaway http://bit.ly/MOQlnV

The comments are the official entry, there is no purchase necessary, void where prohibited. US mailing addresses only. One (1) winner will be chosen randomly. Prize will be shipped by Anderson Seafoods. The contest ends Sunday July 10th, 2012 at 11:59 pm Eastern time. The winner will be announced on Monday, July 11th, via email and will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.

Disclaimer: Anderson Seafood sent me product free of charge to review, and I am sharing it with you because I honestly loved them, as well as their fantastic customer service. No monetary compensation was exchanged.