Seppie in zimino, a Tuscan chard and cuttlefish stew.
A traditional recipe to make seppie in zimino, the Tuscan chard and cuttlefish stew, and some thoughts about seafood and sustainability.
Have you seen Seaspiracy on Netflix? I was shocked, then I started questioning what I had just seen, and finally read one of Mark Bittman’s newsletters, You deserve more than what Seaspiracy has to offer. He is always spot on, balanced and informed in his opinions. He shared an article by Alan Lovewell, from Real Good Fish.
Seaspiracy brought some very real and serious global issues to light but chose to tell only a sliver of the story, supported by sensationalism and an agenda. In response, let’s better educate ourselves on the issues. Let’s support domestic and local fisheries. Seek out seafood sources who can tell you where your fish comes from. Eat lower on the food chain and try underutilized species. And above all, celebrate and honor what the ocean provides.
If you are interested in sustainable seafood, it is a very good read.
The positive effect of having watched Seaspiracy is that it made me question the way I choose seafood. If I tend to buy meat mainly from our butcher, who has excellent local, organic meat, I still have a lot to learn about fish. Now that we share the same food with Livia, I’m even more conscious about what we buy, what we eat, and how it gets to our plate.
Recently, I also incidentally discovered that on Tuesday mornings a cooperative of fishermen from Livorno, on the Tuscan coast, comes to my town to sell the daily catch. I decided that, if possible, from now on I will buy fish exclusively from them. I consider this a privilege, because that fish is not only fresh, sustainable, and local, but also more expensive. I balance out this choice by introducing at least 6 legume-based meals a week.
When I’m at the fishmonger, I try to choose fish that is not sea bream and sea bass, exploring local varieties that are less known, sometimes a bit trickier to cook, but definitely tasty. That’s how I ended up roasting mustella, which is very similar to the Atlantic cod, and pesce balestra, Grey Triggerfish. I also bought mussels, after having being inspired by Dan Saladino’s episode of BBC Food Program, The Magic of Mussels, with my friend Regula Ysewijn, Flemish food writer and historian, and mussel connoisseur and lover.
Then I bought cuttlefish, and today I’m sharing with you the recipe to make a Tuscan chard and cuttlefish stew, seppie in zimino.
Have you seen Seaspiracy? How do you choose what seafood to buy?
