Saving Seafood

UMass Features New England Caught Dogfish on Cafeteria Menus as “Under Loved” Fish Specie

January 30, 2017 — SEAFOOD NEWS — It may not have the tastiest name, but a University of Massachusetts chef says dogfish is becoming a popular fish on campus.

All the dining commons serve the fish — 400 to 500 pounds of it — as part of a fish fry every Friday night.

Bob Bankert, chef de cuisine for UMass Dining, said UMass began seeking alternatives to cod several years ago, and began serving dogfish in the fall.

“Cod is way over fished,” Bankert said.

Before arriving at dogfish, the dining halls also began serving other so-called “trash fish” such as pollock and redfish. 

But Bankert rejects the “trash fish” moniker — born from the practice of fisherman tossing such species out instead of bringing them to market — and instead calls fish like dogfish “under loved.”

Bankert said people don’t have problems with the idea of eating catfish — but some balk at the name “dogfish.”

Dogfish — a shark species also known as “cape shark” — is native to New England waters. But, about 90 percent of the harvest has been sent to England for that country’s fish and chips, Bankert said.

 He’s hoping that through word of mouth and focus on the fish, more people will try it and be able to find it at markets.

A few years ago, he said, shoppers couldn’t find fish like pollock or redfish in markets — and now they can.

UMass students are always open to trying new things — and, anyway, he said, “We know how to make it tasty.”

So, dogfish will stay on the menu.

Besides the fish fries, the dining halls serve dogfish in wraps once a week and in bouillabaisse or other fish stews.

Bankert described dogfish as not as flaky as cod or haddock, but not as thick as swordfish. He compared it to halibut in texture, with a stronger taste than cod.

Besides serving more plentiful native fish, dogfish is less expensive — and he said, “We’re supporting local fisheries.”

A recent PBS Newshour story on the fish has raised its profile, Bankert said, Boston Magazine published a story last summer.

He’s hoping more positive attention will do the same.

This story originally appeared on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission. 

UMass’s award-winning dining halls serving up tasty dogfish as chefs reject ‘trash fish’ moniker

January 27, 2017 — AMHERST, Mass. — It may not have the tastiest name, but a University of Massachusetts chef says dogfish is becoming a popular fish on campus.

All the dining commons serve the fish — 400 to 500 pounds of it — as part of a fish fry every Friday night.

Bob Bankert, chef de cuisine for UMass Dining, said UMass began seeking alternatives to cod several years ago, and began serving dogfish in the fall.

“Cod is way over fished,” Bankert said.

Before arriving at dogfish, the dining halls also began serving other so-called “trash fish” such as pollock and redfish.

But Bankert rejects the “trash fish” moniker — born from the practice of fisherman tossing such species out instead of bringing them to market — and instead calls fish like dogfish “under loved.”

Bankert said people don’t have problems with the idea of eating catfish — but some balk at the name “dogfish.”

A spiny dogfish swims along a stretch of sandy seafloor. UMass-Amherst serves the fish during a weekly fish fry. Matthew Lawrence, NOAA Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary

Dogfish — a shark species also known as “cape shark” — is native to New England waters. But, about 90 percent of the harvest has been sent to England for that country’s fish and chips, Bankert said.

He’s hoping that through word of mouth and focus on the fish, more people will try it and be able to find it at markets.

Read the full story at MassLive