By Flavor & The Menu
September 10, 2019

Jeremy Sewall has been fascinated with farmed seafood since he was a culinary student in the early ’90s. “The idea of farmed salmon and trout was new to me. From there I discovered farmed clams, mussels and oysters,” he says.

He found it fascinating enough, in fact, that he got into farming himself, working with the University of New Hampshire on an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) system—a method in which multiple species are raised together—off the New Hampshire coast.

On his menu at Row 34, most of the shellfish is farmed, as well as several finfish varieties. In the fall and winter seasons, he’s able to feature the steelhead trout raised in the IMTA system. “It’s a great project that has a great story of balancing harvesting and protecting the ocean at the same time,” Sewall says. He sautés the steelhead with sweet potatoes, lentils and crispy Brussels sprouts leaves. “I love to do a simple preparation that lets the flavor of the fish stand out,” he says.

Sewall is eager to share his passion for seafood with customers, using that as an opportunity to make a connection. “I love to talk about seafood, so I’m happy to engage with guests on the pros and cons of farmed seafood,” he says. “And we do have the fish farmers come to the restaurant and talk about the product, so our waitstaff is very well trained in all things fish.”