We all know we should be eating more fish and fewer hamburgers, but many of the ocean’s most popular offerings, like tuna and cod, are overfished or contaminated with toxins. Here, some of the city’s top seafood chefs share their favorite alternatives.
If you like swordfish, try dogfish. “It’s a boneless white fish with a meaty texture like swordfish, and a sweet flavor,’’ according to Michael Chernow of Nolita restaurant Seamore’s.
If you like salmon, try wild Arctic char. “It’s high in healthy fat, but it’s more abundant than wild salmon and doesn’t have the pollutants found in farmed salmon,’’ says Michael Vignola, chef at Upper West Side bistro Isabella’s.
If you like tuna, try bonito. “It’s as flavorful and doesn’t contain high mercury levels,’’ says chef Yoshihiko Kousaka of West Village sushi spot Kosaka. “It’s [also] lower in calories and high in omega-3.’’
If you like cod, try barramundi. “[This] fish is sustainable, high in omega-3 oils and low in calories, like cod,’’ says Todd Mitgang, chef-owner at Crave Fishbar, with locations in Midtown and on the Upper West Side.