Great Catch!

From disease-dodging omega-3s to copious amounts of protein to a treasure trove of vital vitamins and minerals, there’s a boatload of reasons to give fish top billing on your summer menu.

Case in point: Harvard researchers reported that subjects who consumed fish two to four times per week were 15 percent less likely to develop heart disease than those who shunned seafood.

But these benefits come with two big caveats: Overfishing is rapidly transforming our oceans into a humungous ghost town, and toxins are turning certain fish into swimming bullets.

To continue enjoying this nutritional powerhouse worry free, here’s an arsenal of crowd-pleasing recipes featuring some of Canada’s best fish and shellfish that get high-water marks on health and sustainability.

Recipes

• Sweet and Sour Tomato Mussel Soup
• Smoked Mackerel Paté
• Arctic Char with Strawberry Salsa and Green Beans
• Haddock with Saffron Broth and New Potatoes
• Sesame Salmon with Orange-Scented Quinoa
• Pomegranate Glazed Grilled Plums

Reel in overcooking

It’s vital not to overcook a nice cut of fish, as this makes the meat tough and destroys flavour. Generally, fish is done when the flesh turns opaque and just begins to flake easily with a fork.

Cooking times vary based on the fish and cut, but 10 minutes per inch is a good starting point. Let fish rest for a couple of minutes before slicing into it. Also, keep skin attached during cooking to hold in moisture and improve taste.

Eco-savvy

All the worry about sketchy toxins and overfishing plaguing certain species may leave even the most ardent fish lover wondering if it’s something that should be slapped on the grill.

But there’s no need to scale back on your intake if you know what to look for at the fishmonger. A handful of environmental watchdog groups have set up online resources that can help you sort through the minefield of information and misinformation regarding what’s okay and what’s not okay to eat.

Three good places to start:

• SeaChoice (seachoice.org)
• Environmental Defence Fund (edf.org)
• The Monterey Bay Aquarium (montereybayaquarium.org)