same way, I like to bring different species
in for the betterment and interest of my
kitchen staff and wait staff.”
LIONFISH CEVICHE
As a result, Pollinger leans toward moist,
meaty thresher shark—which has a medium
to full flavor and stands up to bold flavors—
to liven up his menu. He menus the wild-caught shark as a 7 oz. blackened steak.
Michelle Bernstein
Executive Chef/Owner
Michy’s and Sra. Martinez, Miami;
Michelle Bernstein’s at The Omphoy, The
Omphoy Ocean Resort, Palm Beach, Fla.
“The shark is offered when it’s available in
the market, which generally is from April
to August,” he says. “I buy what I need for
the day, which is anywhere from 40 to 60
portions, but I might buy the entire 100 lb.
shark, knowing I’ll serve it all by the next day.”
Yield: 4 servings
Sean Brasel’s mixed grill trio features
Amazonian paiche seared with foie gras
and truffle salt; prime deckle steak with
baby artichoke confit and sun-dried
tomato/lemon pesto; and wood-grilled
veal tenderloin Rossini served on
asparagus and topped with a mole butter.
2 T. minced ginger
1 T. chopped habañero (or serrano) chili
¼ cup (¼-inch dice) celery
1 T. kosher salt
2 lbs. cleaned lionfish (or any white
invasive fish), skinned, filleted, sliced
in thin strips
¼ cup paper-thin-sliced red onion
3 T. rough-chopped cilantro
5 limes, juiced
2 oranges, juiced
Popcorn popped in olive oil, for garnish
Avocado slices, for garnish
One of Sessoms’ favorites is Atlantic
sheepshead. Barnacles and small crabs are
its main diet, making the flesh firm, white and
sweet. “We purchase 10-14 lbs. twice weekly,
usually priced below grouper,” Sessoms says.
Pollinger starts by seasoning the shark
with salt, dipping all sides in a spice
mixture of smoked paprika, ground white
and black peppercorns, onion and garlic
flakes, and cayenne, and cooking it in a
lightly oiled heavy skillet over medium-high
heat until nicely blackened. The shark is
finished to desired doneness in the oven,
and generally takes no longer than 6-8
minutes for a 2-inch-thick piece cooked
medium-well to well-done.
“The fish cooks well in a hot pan with butter,
and is complemented by salty and acidic
applications such as capers, lemon and
tomatoes. This past summer, we menued a
6-oz. portion of sheepshead with creamed
corn and cherry tomato/caper brown butter.”
Executive chef Ben Pollinger at Oceana,
New York, says of the seafood species
offered at the restaurant, “I like to have
variety to keep everyone interested. In the
USING THE UNDERUTILIZED
Michelle Bernstein, executive chef/owner
of Michy’s and Sra. Martinez, Miami, and
Michelle Bernstein’s at The Omphoy, The
Omphoy Ocean Resort, Palm Beach, Fla.,
chooses not to menu certain seafood.
“People always ask why we don’t have
sole, Chilean sea bass and others,” she
says. “I refuse to serve those fish that are
overfished and on watch lists.”
Method: Combine ginger, habañero,
celery and salt. Add lionfish; refrigerate
for 30 minutes. Add red onion, cilantro,
lime juice and orange juice; chill for about
30 minutes before serving. At service, top
with popcorn and avocado slices.
In researching fish to menu that are
underutilized and provide good taste, and
also to do her part in being sustainable and
educating the public, Bernstein works with
local fishermen and fishmongers. “What I’ve
discovered is that a lot of the fish I’d like to
use is bycatch, such as arctic char, lionfish,
yellowtail, wolffish and others,” she says.
“What’s great about using these fish is that all
types of cooking methods can be applied, and
they all don’t have a huge amount of flavor on
