Swai Not?

It's pretty rare for me to walk into my grocery store and see something I've never heard of before. So yesterday, when I was purchasing Salmon for Xmas Eve dinner and I saw a fish called Swai (pronunciation rhymes with "why"), I said to myself: "Swai not??" The fish boy said that it was similar to a Dover Sole (which is not actually my favorite),but I told him to wrap me up a couple of filets and went home to play!

First, my two large filets came to the stunning total of $1.91. No that's not a typo, under $2. And the two filets were the perfect size for Mr. Vino and myself. After a little research (Thank you Google!), I discovered that Swai is also called Iridescent Shark. But Swai is really a type of catfish native to Southeast Asia.

I've been trying very hard to eat sustainably. My guide to seafood is the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx). Normally fish from Southeast Asian are not considered sustainable, but they list the Swai as a good substitute and sustainably harvested.

Evidently Swai is starting to become quite popular with consumers wanting to add fish to their diet, but not able to afford the astonishing $19.99/lb that Halibut or Swordfish are currently getting. There were a number of interesting recipes available online, but I decided on an old favorite: Meuniere.

I spritzed my non-stick skillet with my olive oil mister, dredged the Swai in flour (then shook it off really well), sprinkled it with salt and pepper and sauteed it for 3 minutes on each side, then removed it to the oven to keep warm. I browned 1T of butter in the sautee pan, then added a bit of shallot and the juice of a lemon. Plated the fish and drizzled the sauce over the top (a little meunier sauce goes a looonnng way). Time elapsed to prepare dinner: 10 minutes.

Let me just say that I am now a Swai convert. Catfish can frequently have a "muddy" taste to them. The Swai was the least "fishy" fish I have EVER tasted. But it was the consistency I fell in love with. The Swai was the consistency of a perfectly prepared omelete.

At $1.99/lb, Swai is my new "go-to" fish. Go to your fish market and tell your fish guy "Swai not??" You will be so glad you did. Next up, Swai poached in miso broth over udon and/or Swai dredged in seasoned cornmeal and baked with Mrs. Vino's lowfat Cole Slaw.

And, if you go to your supermarket and see something you've never seen before, BUY IT! If you can't figure out what to do with it, call Mrs. Vino at the tasting room and we'll figure it out together!