High School Pupils in Washington Successfully Transform Caught Sablefish into Award-Winning Dish, Embracing Regional Flavors
In a significant victory for sustainable seafood practices in the Pacific Northwest, the culinary team at Bonney Lake High School has won first place at the national ProStart Culinary Invitational in Baltimore, Maryland, with their miso-glazed sablefish recipe.
The dish, developed by students under the guidance of instructor Kahale Ahina, showcases the flavours of the Northwest region while promoting the use of responsibly farmed sablefish. The win marks a successful fusion of culinary education and sustainable aquaculture efforts in the region.
The Bonney Lake team's journey began when they partnered with Mark Tagal of IBSS Corp., who received an eeBLUE aquaculture grant in 2024 to promote public education and awareness of locally farmed seafood. This partnership led to collaborations with organisations such as NOAA Fisheries' West Coast Region, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Jamestown Seafood, and the Northwest Aquaculture Innovation Center.
Tagal, a passionate advocate for sustainable seafood, aims to educate the restaurant industry and the public on the variety of seafood grown on farms, including mussels, clams, oysters, and starry flounder. He has been instrumental in the Bonney Lake team's focus on sablefish, a species that is farmed rather than wild-caught, promoting responsible seafood consumption and helping reduce pressure on wild fish populations in the Pacific Northwest.
The miso-glazed sablefish recipe was refined for the state ProStart competition, where the team won first place, earning them a spot at the national competition in Baltimore. During the competition, the team attracted long lines for their dishes, featuring sablefish and coconut rice.
The students visited Manchester to see how the farmed sablefish are raised and have received support from shellfish growers interested in Tagal's work. Ken Cain, who manages the sablefish aquaculture program at Manchester for NOAA Fisheries, praised the Bonney Lake team for creating a winning recipe for the species.
The team's presentation on "merroir," the marine equivalent of terroir, was developed with the grant funding and taken to high schools, colleges, and meetings of the Washington State Chef's Association. Wyatt Miller, a student on the team, stated that they built their menu around the flavours of the Northwest for the national competition.
The students aim to highlight the rich taste of the sablefish and contrast it in their dish, addressing the common perception that farmed seafood may not be as high-quality. The sablefish is being raised at NOAA's Manchester Research Station in collaboration with the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe and the University of Washington.
Tagal is exploring the use of environmental DNA to explain the taste of different seafood, focusing on the marine equivalent of terroir. He speaks at grocery stores and demonstrates the distinctive flavours of oysters from different environments.
In Baltimore, the Bonney Lake team will compete with their sablefish dish against other culinary teams from across the nation. The competition is expected to introduce more restaurant leaders to farm-raised fish such as sablefish, potentially leading them to add it to their menus.
This win by the Bonney Lake High School culinary team is a testament to the power of sustainable aquaculture education and community engagement in promoting ecological seafood consumption in the Pacific Northwest. The team's miso-glazed sablefish recipe serves as a shining example of the delicious and responsible seafood that can be produced through such partnerships.
[1] Merroir: The Marine Equivalent of Terroir [2] Bonney Lake High School Culinary Team Wins State Competition with Miso-Glazed Sablefish Recipe
- The Bonney Lake High School culinary team's miso-glazed sablefish recipe, developed under the guidance of instructor Kahale Ahina, showcases flavors from the Northwest region and promotes sustainable aquaculture, fusing culinary education and aquaculture efforts.
- Mark Tagal, a partner and passionate advocate for sustainable seafood, received an eeBLUE aquaculture grant in 2024 to promote public education and awareness of locally farmed seafood, leading to collaborations with organizations such as NOAA Fisheries, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Jamestown Seafood, and the Northwest Aquaculture Innovation Center.
- The team's presentation on "merroir," the marine equivalent of terroir, was developed with grant funding and taken to high schools, colleges, and meetings of the Washington State Chef's Association, aiming to educate about the rich taste of farm-raised sablefish produced through sustainable living practices.
- In Baltimore, the Bonney Lake team will compete with their sablefish dish against other culinary teams from across the nation, with the potential to introduce more restaurant leaders to farm-raised fish such as sablefish, potentially leading them to add it to their menus, showcasing the versatility of global cuisines and the importance of healthy cooking and sustainable living.
