Kitchen Bliss

Picture this. A four year old hooked on The Galloping Gourmet, Julia Child and Jacques Pépin. Picture working for decades with chefs from Provence and Brittany. Picture a friendly face beaming with unbridled enthusiasm while preparing your Fish & Chips.

That’s Scott Forbes, owner of Hammerhead’s. His love of seafood dates back to East Coast summers at his grandmother’s house on the beach where he delighted in grossing out cousins by eating fresh raw clams. The Hamiltonian’s journey took him to Toronto for training and cooking, with stints in London, Paris and the French Alps before he returned to Ottawa Street - loving the food scene in his home town.

Hammerhead’s space has history. The guy who takes away Scott’s used oil recalls that even in the 80s, the space was a “fish fry joint”. All that history was meticulously scrubbed away, but it remains a small space offering take-out, delivery and minimal seating. Too cold now for the outdoor tables, the seating for eight is snug but, when possible, eating onsite is worthwhile!

You can eat in quiet solitude, but you’ll find Scott and Company to be great conversationalists. While cooking and prepping they cheerfully answer questions and tell stories. You begin to feel “at home” in their cozy kitchen. Other than lovely quatrefoil floor tiles and the proudly displayed Acadian flag – a tribute to the heritage of Scott’s wife, Jennifer – there is no overarching décor at play. Mostly just the organized clutter of a well-run kitchen.

The chalkboard menu lists prices for one, two or six pieces of fish. The choices were BC Rock Fish, Nova Scotia Haddock, Lake Erie Pickerel and BC Halibut - served with homemade tartar or curry sauce.

We chose the daily special - Turbot from Gaspé Bay, described by Scott as having the “delicate flavour of halibut with big buttery flakes like cod”. That wonderfulness was enveloped in an amazing batter which– like almost everything in the eatery - is gluten-free.

Ever been disappointed when the “fish” part of “fish and chips” is mostly doughy batter? Forced to hunt for the fish buried in white mush, the result tastes more like grease than fish.

At Hammerhead’s, the batter is delicate, tempura-like. Scott’s technique? Cold fish, cold batter, hot oil and a quick fry. The crunch sound when you break into your generous portion whets the appetite. The taste of fresh fish is enhanced by equally crispy home cut fries.

British-style, the fish is served on newsprint type wrapping. Coleslaw is topped with black sesame seeds. Mushy peas are creamy, mixed with tarragon and mint.

Our seafood adventure included Scampi and Scallops - moist and flavourful - and Spicy Szechuan Calamari. “Spicy” translated into flavour and not unbearable heat, and the calamari was tender and scrumptious.

The Szechuan Calamari is made from Japanese flying squid caught off the coast of New Zealand. The scallops are Dry U10 Wyse Bay Scallops from New Bedford Massachusetts. When it’s on the menu, certified organic salmon is from Cape d’Or (Truro, NS) – no antibiotics, no red food colouring.

Too much information? Scott is passionate about helping patrons learn more about seafood, and his “brand” values fish being traceable, sustainable and fresh; and disease, parasite, chemical, hormone, antibiotic and GMO free. He is starting small but has exciting goals. Inspired by the Honest Weight shop in Toronto, Scott hopes to one day become your local fish monger.

Dining onsite gives you time to notice contents of the freezers. You can buy frozen seafood – what he’s using and, when we visited, Lake Huron Trout, and Ahi Tuna Baja from Mexico.

Then there are the “Crafted with Love” (frozen, take-home) soups. The Acadian Chowder with salmon, haddock and halibut is creamy white, while the Manhattan Chowder is tomato based - both generous with large chunks of fish. We enjoyed the Provencal soup - a puree offering up the flavours of fennel, pastis and saffron, garnished with saffron rouille and Gruyère cheese. Scott describes this as a close cousin of Bouillabaisse from Marseilles - another nod to his experience with French cuisine. Put off by the complexity of making a bisque, I can now simply buy Scott’s, garnish with shrimp or scallops and impress my guests.

Lastly, a quick mention of other menu items – Sri Lankan Style Fish Curry; Poutine – Classic or Crab; and ice cream sundaes for dessert.

Their Instagram announces daily specials, occasionally crab cakes or a chance to order lobster. (Addendum - they now sell shrimp from Planet Shrimp - Pacific white shrimp raised in Aylmer Ontario.)

Once they featured smelts. With memories of smelt fishing with my Dad on the Burlington Beach, I’ll be looking forward to the reappearance of that feature. I’m sure they will be “Crafted with Love” - the secret ingredient in Scott’s kitchen.

[Click to read the review as it appeared online in the Hamilton Spectator - with interior/exterior photos.]