sold whole. It takes a chef
like David with the skill
set necessary to handle
them. Not cutting fsh
until it is ready to serve
preserves the texture and
favor of the meat."
Griner and his family eat a
lot of smaller fsh whole and
cook them every imaginable
way. One of his children's
favorites is deep fried
black sea bass, a delicate
white meat fsh available
of the coast year round.
Best-Kept Fish Secret
According to Seidel at
Carolina Fish Market, one of
the lesser-known fsh from
North Carolina waters is
monkfsh, an ugly species
that is spiny, with mostly
bone and skin. The fsh
supposedly got its name
because fshermen would
give it to local monks, but
they soon discovered the
only edible portion, the tail,
tasted just like lobster.
The best-kept local secret,
though, is triggerfsh, Seidel
says. Although the catch is
limited, the triggerfsh diet
consists entirely of crabs,
crustaceans and sea urchins.
"Fish are what they eat,"
he notes, "so their meat
tastes like crab" — sweet,
not fshy. "Customers say
it is one of the best fsh
they have ever had."
Ready for serving, Gallery Restaurant special features the red snapper
that chef de cuisine David Moore acquired earlier the same day.
Photo
by
Shane
Baskin
STONECREST SHOPPING CENTER: 7930-D REA RD 28277 (CORNER OF REA RD & BALLANTYNE COMMONS PKWY)
BALLANTYNE MAGAZINE 71
SPRING 2015