Are We Loving Seafood to Death? | Rick Moonen

This is a Vintage episode from 2006.Why This Episode MattersLong before sustainable seafood became a mainstream restaurant conversation, Rick Moonen was pushing chefs and diners to think about where their fish came from and how it was caught.Moonen explains why cooking fish requires precision and why buying the freshest fish often means abandoning your shopping list and letting the market decide dinner.From beluga caviar to Chilean sea bass, the conversation shows how quickly popularity can put pressure on a species.And because this is The Restaurant Guys, a serious discussion about ocean conservation eventually leads to foie-gras potatoes and steaks stuffed with oysters.BanterMark and Francis consider the economics of extraordinarily expensive restaurants and why a casino might happily operate one without worrying much about the restaurant itself making money.Naturally, this gives them an idea: put slot machines downstairs at their own restaurant.There is, unfortunately, the small matter of getting arrested.The ConversationRick Moonen joins The Guys shortly after making the move from New York to Las Vegas, where RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay represented the biggest opportunity of his career.They talk about why seafood can be unforgiving to cook, Moonen's effort to make home cooks more comfortable preparing fish, and how to shop for seafood by looking at what's freshest rather than arriving at the market with a fixed plan.Then the conversation turns to sustainability. Moonen discusses the pressure on sturgeon and caviar, the enormous popularity of Chilean sea bass, and the responsibility chefs have when deciding what goes on their menus. His message extends to diners, too: ask where your seafood came from, ask how it was caught, and don't assume one person's choices don't matter.Finally, the conversation returns to the friendship between Moonen, Mark and Francis through their years in the Red Meat Club including one memorable cookout featuring potatoes cooked in foie gras fat and carpetbagger steaks stuffed with oysters.Guest BioRick Moonen is a chef best known for his work at The Water Club, Oceana and RM Seafood, as well as his longtime advocacy for responsible seafood sourcing. In this 2006 conversation, he was also working on his cookbook Seafood Without a Doubt.Timestamps0:00 The price of luxury dining5:30 Rick joins: leaving New York for Mandalay Bay9:00 Why cooking fish intimidates home cooks13:00 How to buy fresh fish and cook what's in the market15:30 Sustainable seafood, caviar and Chilean sea bass21:20 The Red Meat Club, responsible sourcing and an upscale cookoutInfo & LinksRick’s book Seafood Without a Doubt Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals-the-ocean/how-to-choose-sustainable-seafood/seafood-guidesPerry's Restaurants — Rick Moonen currently serves as Master Development ChefWe're bringing our kitchen to the farm!Join us at Dreyer Farms in Cranford, NJ for a Table-to-Farm Dinner.Sunday, September 13 @ 5:30https://www.stageleft.com/event/91326-table-to-farm-dinner/ Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regularhttps://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/Stage Left Wine Shophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Our PlacesStage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Reach Out to The [email protected]