salty // sour // bittersweet: Futures market.

For those of you who've yet to be indoctrinated with uber liberal environmentalist can-you-feel-the-GHGs-melting-the-planet-yet commentary - hold onto your butts. It's about to happen.

Some facts and figures for your digestion:

90% of the world's large predatory fish population has been eradicated since 1900 (including tuna, cod, swordfish, and the 3 Michelin star favorite Patagonian Toothfish otherwise known as Chilean sea bass. Marketing works wonders.)
Conservative estimates suggest 70% of the world's fisheries are exploited, over-exploited, or completely collapsed. 1% are in recovery.
1+ billion people rely on depleted fish sources for their protein.
The U.N. projects that by 2050 almost all fish will be gone from the oceans. On the upside, squid and sardines will probably still be readily available due to their short prolific lives.

Maybe you're one of those people who doesn't eat seafood on the reg. Why should you still care? Because overfishing means the population of the ocean aka 71% of the Earth's surface is about to go extinct. Even in disregarding the effect of rising sea levels, the consequences of pollution and overfishing on depleting sea life puts all other Earth bound life in peril. Subsistence fishers will have no sustainable nutrition. Animals that eat the sea life down the food chain will die. Basically we're looking at an ecological collapse of the most diverse environment on our planet. I mean, what if I have to spend my time studying instead of watching Blue Planet?!

What should you do about overfishing? It's pretty easy if everyone participates. Go here and download or order a little booklet that shows you the sustainable fish in your area. You can also download an app on your smartphone. Try to buy "best choices" and occasionally "good alternatives". Heed the "avoid" list. Look, I know HEB sells farmed Atlantic salmon for [what should be] criminally low prices, but is that really worth ecological collapse? Save up your pennies for wild Alaskan or go for Rainbow Trout. It's also fairly inexpensive and has a similar flavor since it's almost the same fish, minus the ocean going time. Alternatively, buy tilapia. Tilapia is probably the easiest fish to prepare and cheap as all get out. Tilapia finds itself amongst a very select few species that have been successfully and sustainably farmed (farming often times leads to even more problems).

If you have a few bucks to spend, get Pacific Halibut and make this:

Sustainably Scintillating.

Potato Wrapped Halibut
for 1 serving

Halibut

(1) 4-6oz fillet of wild pacific halibut, skinned and deboned
1/2 russet potato sliced very thin on a mandolin, about 1/16" thickness. Use the middle part of the potato so you get even rounds. Yukons can also be used and have a great flavor, but the russet holds together better due to the high starch content.
Kosher salt and pepper
2 T butter or olive oil
Plastic wrap

Shingle the potatoes on the plastic wrap in this formation:

Mmm, ugly oxidized raw potato photo.

Lightly season the layered potatoes and the fish with salt and fresh pepper. Lay your fish in the center and wrap gently. This may take a little rearranging. Wrap as tightly as possible with the cling wrap and put in the fridge to rest. This is an important step because it allows the potato starch to adhere to itself and create a crust that won't pop off at the slightest touch. Meanwhile, make the Romesco sauce and salad.

Romesco

2 T yogurt
2 T Romesco. This is a time consuming sauce and though I've made it before (this is my preferred recipe), I just used a prepared version my father sent me for this recipe. Wayyy easier and pretty good.
1/2 T mayo

Mix together, set aside. If you wish, put it in a squeeze bottle for nice plate finishing. However, make sure the bottle has a large opening otherwise the almonds will clog it.

Shaved Vegetable Salad

(1) small zucchini - you won't use all of it and I'd recommend buying the baby zucchini if you can find it.
(1) carrot
(1) green onion, cut on the extreme bias.
1/2 lemon's worth of juice
1T good olive oil
2 oz roasted butternut squash (split in half, seeds removed, seasoned with salt & smoked pepper, roasted at 400F for 1h)
Salt and Pepper
Handful of maché lettuce (also known as lamb's ear)

These vegetables can really be anything in your refrigerator. This is just what I happened to have on hand. Slice the zucchini and carrot on the mandolin lengthwise fairly thin (about 1/16" to 1/8") being extra super careful because mandolin's favorite food is index finger. Toss with the green onion, lemon juice, olive oil and set aside to marinate (preferably in the fridge).

Assembly

Put a heavy pan on medium heat, not too high or the potatoes will burn and the fish will be raw. Sear the fish turning as few times as possible in olive oil or butter.

NO TOUCHE

As the fish is searing, toss the mache with the veg and rip in chunks of butternut squash. Don't do this too soon otherwise the mache will wilt into a sad slop. The squash adds a lot of substance to this light dish. Add salt and pepper to taste.

When the fish is done, plate with the salad and a squirt of Romesco in as artsy or non-artsy of a fashion as you desire.