June 11, 2014 — Fried seafood, long a favorite preparation, is losing its hold on diners. Instead, seared and pan-roasted seafood dishes are on deck to replace fried fare.
It’s unclear whether the shift is motivated by diners’ desire for more healthful fare, more flavor or both, but chefs across the country are putting more seared and roasted seafood dishes on their menus — and diners are eating them up.
According to recent research from Datassential MenuTrends, “pan-seared” and “roasted” are among the top five seafood preparations at restaurants for center-of-the-plate seafood dishes. “Roasted” appears on 19 percent of menus, a 14-percent increase since 2010. “Seared” appears on 17 percent of menus, a 13-percent rise. Though “fried” remains the most popular seafood preparation on menus, appearing on 43 percent of them, in the last four years “fried” has declined by 14 percent.
“[Searing and roasting] provide the cook with more control over the cooking process,” said chef Kyle Rourke of Red Star Tavern in Portland, OR. “Therefore, the flavor is great.”
While fish tacos traditionally feature fried fish, Rourke pan sears halibut fish tacos. Maximum flavor and control inspired Rourke to choose pan searing over frying for the tacos, which he serves with tangy cabbage slaw, spicy escabeche pickles and salsa verde.