Matthew Basford, Executive Chef | Canoe, Atlanta
At farm-to-table Canoe in Atlanta, Matthew Basford’s top seller is New England cod, followed closely by farmed Atlantic salmon and Rhode Island swordfish. When Basford plans a seafood dish, he homes in on how strong the flavor of the fish is. He has served the stronger tasting swordfish with sweet corn and spicy Parmesan dashi.
“With cod being a fish with mellow flavor, I keep the flavors complementary,” he says. Most recently, he’s coated the cod in a brioche crust and served it with brown butter and crawfish tortellini, but past combinations include a panko crust; mashed potatoes and spinach and a basil crust; and ravioli with a pea purée.
Basford says it’s gotten easier to source and serve seafood. “The buying process has become far simpler, and the quality of seafood has risen with customer expectations for the freshest, highest quality seafood,” he says.