Thursday

Jun 7, 2018 at 2:00 AM


NEW BEDFORD — The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center and New Bedford Port Authority are teaming up to present a series of free seafood cooking demonstrations and classes this summer.

Funded through a grant from the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, these programs are designed to promote the New Bedford Seafood brand, educate the public about local, abundant and underutilized species, and inspire local residents to explore a wider variety of seafood choices while building a market for these species.

The first demonstration will take place at Kyler’s Seafood Market, 2 Washburn St., on Saturday, June 9 at 2 p.m. Chef and author Maria Lawton, "Azorean Cooking: From My Family Table to Yours," will demonstrate a recipe for fresh hake poached in onion, garlic and tomato sauce (Bacalhau fresco escalfado com molho de tomatecebola, alho). The demonstration will be followed by a tasting opportunity. Signed copies of Lawton’s book will be available for sale.

Additional demonstrations featuring local cook Rhonda Fazio will take place at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 13 at DeMello’s Market (redfish) and Thursday, Aug. 9 at the New Bedford Farmer’s Market (scup).

Cooking classes will be taught by chef and Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School Culinary Arts Instructor Henry Bousquet. Classes will take place on three Wednesdays from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School. Each class will focus on two underutilized species. Participants will prepare two dishes and enjoy their creations at the end of each class.

- June 27: The Mediterranean Diet: How the Foods You Eat Can Save Your Life featuring Pollock and Scup

- July 25: How to Cook and Serve Whole Fish Preparations featuring Red Fish and Whiting

- Aug. 15: Crafting Sauces that Enhance and Highlight Underutilized Species featuring Red Hake and Dog Fish

Classes will be presented free of charge and limited to 20 attendees. Pre-registration is required. To register for each class, visit http://fishingheritagecenter.org/programs/classes/ for more information.

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is dedicated to telling the story of the fishing industry past, present, and future through exhibits, programs, and archives. For more information, contact the Center at 508-993-8894 or programs@fishingheritagecenter.org.