Chef makes the most of ‘trash fish’

Richard Garcia, executive chef of the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel, has developed a unique sustainable seafood program by giving his customers what they didn’t know they wanted.

Eschewing local favorites like cod and haddock, Garcia is introducing his customers to fish such as sea robin, dogfish, butterfish and Acadian redfish.

Garcia — who heads the Boston chapter of the Chefs Collaborative, an association devoted to sustainable sourcing and safeguarding the environment — said his focus is “on the fishermen instead of the fish.”

Sustainable seafood organizations label seafood as green, for the best choice; yellow, for a questionable choice; and red, for seafood whose population is threatened. “If one thing should be on the red list, the fishermen should be,” Garcia said.

Local restrictions on catching popular but overfished species have made it more difficult to make a living if those are the only fish consumers want to eat.

By paying $2 or $3 per pound for so-called “trash fish” that otherwise might be regarded as worthless, Garcia and other chefs help fishermen earn a decent living. “At the same time, we’re letting the cod and haddock stocks hopefully rebuild,” he said.

Garcia said his approach also makes sense from a business perspective. For instance, cod fillets or loins can cost $7 to $10 per pound, while pollock, which Garcia said he thinks has a better flavor and texture that most people can’t tell from cod or haddock, doesn’t rise above $5 per pound.

“Your margin increases, or on the flipside you can lower your pricing a little bit. It works for everyone. I’ve paid $2.50, $3 a pound for sea robin and charged $28 for a nice 10-ounce portion.

“People have the misconception that running responsible product doesn’t make you money, but by utilizing some of this delicious fish that people don’t necessarily know about, you’re also doing something great for your bottom line,” he said.

Garcia uses trash fish in a minestrone, including Acadian redfish — which he said is a great substitute for red snapper — in addition to pollock and lobster. Although lobster is prized now, Garcia noted that New England’s favorite crustacean was once shunned, and served mostly to children, indentured servants and prisoners.