The Minnesota Zoo is hosting a weekly Farmers’ Market this summer through Wednesday, September 3, 2014. Along with a variety of great local produce and goods, the Zoo’s Fish Smart program is also present to teach guests the importance of sustainable seafood, as well as how to properly prepare delicious sustainable dishes.

Sometimes talking about sustainable seafood can get confusing. Knowing what to buy and when to buy it isn’t always the easiest thing to do, which is why we encourage you to ask questions and to use the tools that exist out there like the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch App.

One of the biggest obstacles to seafood sustainability is species diversity. We need to start looking beyond just salmon, cod, halibut, tuna, and shrimp for the seafood that we eat. There are literally millions of fish species and many of them are not only edible, they’re also delicious!

At this week’s farmers market, we used a fish called porgy (or scup) to build a really fresh and delicious summertime dish. Using some of the really fresh produce from the market, we grilled the porgy using lemon and dill and served it with a really fresh tomato and cucumber salad and garnished it with a tangy quick pickled onion.

This is a really simple dish that takes no time at all to make. We really hope that you give it a try and if you do, share your photos with us on Facebook and Twitter!

And for more video recipes and sustainable seafood tips, don’t forget to check out our YouTube channel!

Grilled Porgy with Norwegian Tomato Salad & Pickled Onions

Serves approx. 2 – 4

Ingredients:

1 lbs cherry tomatoes, sliced
1 cucumber, diced into cubes
1 red onion, sliced
2 whole porgys, gutted and scaled
1/2 lemon, sliced
Juice from half a lemon
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
Sour cream
Dill
Olive oil
Salt

Directions:

In a sauce pan, bring apple cider vinegar and sugar to a boil. Cook until sugar melts. Add in onions and simmer for 30 sec – 1min. Remove from the heat a let cool to room temperature and then chill. Onions will keep for at least a week.

Add the sliced tomatoes and diced cucumbers to a large mixing bowl. Add in about 2 tablespoons of roughly chopped dill and squeeze in the juice from half a lemon. Season with salt to taste.

Add lemon slices and a few sprigs of dill into the stomach cavity of the fish. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt. Place fish on a hot grill for about 3-5 minutes per side, depending on desired level of doneness.

Plate fish on top of tomato salad, add on a small dollop of sour cream, and garnish with the pickled onions and a bit more dill.

Enjoy!