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Community Corner

Two Island Chefs, One Whole Fish

Local chefs squared off Saturday in the second annual Seafood Throwdown at the West Tisbury Farmers' Market.

Fans of the iconic Food Network shows "Iron Chef" and "Throwdown with Bobby Flay" were treated to their own Vineyard version of the two shows at the second annual Seafood Throwdown this weekend. The event was sponsored by the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance and the Martha’s Vineyard/Dukes County Fishermen’s Association. Josh Aronie, chef and owner of the Menemsha Café competed against Chris Fischer, chef and owner of Beetlebung Farm.

The events theme was “Who Fishes Matters”: why it is important to support local fisherman, buy local seafood, and give local communities control. Martha's Vineyard Fishermen's Association's Warren Doty emceed the event.

Chefs Aronie and Fischer were given their secret ingredient of bluefish only moments before the event began. The Throwdown was held at the West Tisbury Famer’s Market so the chefs were given 20 minutes and $50 to shop the market for additional ingredients to create their dishes. The chefs were allowed to bring three ingredients of their own, and were each provided with lemon, lime, garlic, salt and pepper. They had one hour to complete as many dishes as they chose. The chefs were evaluated on their originality, taste, and presentation. In addition, a unique category for this competition included their use of the whole fish so that there is no waste.

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Judges for the contest included Charlie Kernick, a self-proclaimed foodie; Karen Pickus, chef and food stylist for “Good Morning America,” and Joan Nathan, a cookbook author and New York Times critic who has also been a guest commentator on “Throwdown with Bobby Flay.” The judges have all been coming to the Vineyard for years and each now own residences here.

Doty kept an enthusiastic crowd entertained by providing a running commentary on the dishes being prepared and how each chef was using their farm market finds. Vineyard residents and visitors looked on as Chef Aronie, assisted by chef Alex Kempner, began meticulously preparing his unique bluefish dishes.  Nearby Chef Fischer, aided by chef Miles Moutijoy, was filleting his bluefish, getting it ready to grill.

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“I love all fish, but the secret to bluefish is that it has to be super fresh,” observed Karen Pickus. “People eat it too long after it has been cut. Preparation is very important for bluefish, more so than for flat fish.  If it is not cooked fresh it will get oily, pungent and lose its taste.”

Nathan said that she was interested by the chefs’ difference in style and techniques. “I like simplicity. Too many chefs think that they have to make their dishes complicated. If you use too many ingredients you lose the flavor of the fish.”

As the Throwdown began to wind down, emcee Doty pointed out that Vineyard wild-caught seafood such as sole (fluke), lobster, bluefish, striped bass, oysters, quahogs (littlenecks), black sea bass, scup, tuna and squid are available all summer. 

As the hour closed, Menemsha chef Aronie presented the judges with bluefish marinated in yogurt with za’atar (Middle Eastern spice mixture); potato cake with scallions; a fennel, cherry tomato and fresh corn salad with dill; a bluefish consumé, and bluefish pâté. Beetlebung chef Fischer’s dishes included bluefish crudo, which is prepared raw with mashed chilies, shallots and edamame; fried crispy bluefish skin with dill aioli; and grilled bluefish with cherry tomatoes, green beans, fennel and crispy potatoes.

While both chefs impressed the judges with their menus, Chef Fischer edged out a victory over Chef Aronie by just one point. The judges and the crowd left full and mesmerized, already looking forward to next year’s Seafood Throwdown.

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