Alton Brown at Cooking for Solutions

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Last weekend Alton Brown did two demos for Monterey Bay Aquarium's Cooking for Solutions, while I couldn't travel cross-country to see the event, one loyal reader did (well from Seattle). Big thanks to Amy for her account of the demo and photos.

The talk itself was about Sustainable Seafood. For those that have seen the Good Eats episode “The Once and Future Fish”, it was similar. He got the audience involved with asking what Sustainable Seafood was, and talked a lot about the Seafood Watch app for smart phones that lets you know what seafood was on and off the watch list. He also explained about the word “organic”, and how it used to mean something important, but because the Government got involved, it became too expensive to get certified, and “organic” became a marketing term. Within the last couple of years, Sustainability has been a term that’s caught on, but in order for it not to become like the word “organic”, we have to educate the people. You don’t have to care about the bottom of the ocean (he says); just pick a fish, learn how to cook a fish, and do it because it tastes good.

The talk itself was probably only 15-20 minutes. (Authors note: He did go off subject for a minute when he talked about how he lost weight, and how people would come up to him and say “I hope you get better soon”, and “what’s the treatment like?” He told us that yes – he had lost too much weight at first but has gained some back.) The rest was spent doing the demo. The demo itself was going to be a marinade of swordfish and salmon, using the Blowhard 3000 in order to make it into jerky.

He got the audience involved again when he asked: “What is cooking?” and “What is a marinade, and how is it different from a brine?” He totally ranked on some 12 yr old kid about what cooking was – that was kind of funny. Someone in the audience thought that leaving the fish in the marinade for two hours would “cook” it, but they were probably thinking of ceviche, which isn’t exactly the same lol. He teased the lady about offering the marinated fish to eat, but then pulled back joking about the liability issues.

The best part was the banter between AB and his chef Tammy. Alton’s witty comebacks not only made me laugh, but made me slightly jealous. I love that he has a response for everything and that he can think on the fly. My favorite scene was when AB got “angry” and slammed the knife tip first into the cutting board – a plastic cutting board mind you, and it stuck. I loved being so close to the action because when he finished putting the fish into the filters and let the air blow into the room, it smelled wonderful!

The room had a nice setup with the Q&A after the demo. Not only were there microphones, but he had an iPad set up at the front of the room where people could email him questions. Someone asked about the difference between tank-raised fish and open pen-raised fish. The difference being that in a tank setting, the environment is controlled and therefore not only do the fish not escape (like the crawfish did in China) but the tanks filter the water and diseases don’t develop (and so the fish don’t need to be pumped full of antibiotics). Another good question was “What is your favorite beer?” His answer – “The next one!”. The last question of the day was one asked many times before, and if anyone has seen his Q&A’s, he gives the same answer. “Who is your favorite Iron Chef?” Yes, they are all precious snowflakes and good in their own, unique ways.



Swordfish or Salmon Jerky

Yield 8-10 ounces Jerky

1lb. Swordfish or Salmon fillet, skin on, pin bones removed

½ cup soy sauce

1 Tbsp. Molasses

1 Tbsp. Lemon juice, freshly squeezed

2 tsp. Black pepper, freshly ground

1 tsp. Liquid smoke



Place fish in freezer for 30-45 minutes, until firm but not frozen



Place soy sauce, molasses, lemon juice, black pepper and liquid smoke into a large ziptop bag, seal and shake to combine. Remove fish from freezer, slice off skin and cut into thin strips. Add strips to bag with marinade, reseal and allow to marinate for 2-3 hours.



Drain strips in a colander and pat dry on paper towels. Evenly distribute strips of fish onto two paper air-conditioning filters, laying strips across grooves. Stack two filters on top of each other and top with a third empty filter.



Lay a box fan on its side and place filters on top of it. Strap filters to fan with two bungee cords. Stand fan upright, plug in and set to high. Dry fish for 12-18 hours. If using a commercial dehydrator, follow manufacturer’s directions.



Once dry, store in a cool, dry place in an airtight container for 2-3 months.