I had first run into Chad Wells when I met him at his old digs at Alewife in Baltimore. In our brief meeting, I was impressed with this young man whose food philosophy included running a scratch kitchen, while turning table numbers that would choke an elephant. We spoke at length about topics he was passionate about that included the environment, big business and the decreasing quality of our food supply – topics that most young people his age would brush aside. This young chef has the heart, soul and wisdom of someone much older, perhaps earned through the school of hard knocks where stepping stones are achieved through true grit. I must say that it was quite refreshing to sit and chat with this old soul whose thick skin will certainly take him far in this industry.
On this particular day, we met early one afternoon to talk about some exciting new projects that he’s involved with, one of which is the Potomac Snakehead Tournament that will take place again this year on June 29 & 30, 2013.
Chad knew that I had been dying to try some snakehead fish for a while now, and since he has a few snakehead items on the menu at Rockfish in Annapolis, he asked me to come down and try them. If I was going to try it with anyone, Chad was the right guy to make the introduction. The fish is surprisingly delicious with a very thick, meaty texture very reminiscent of Chilean sea bass. On the menu at Rockfish he offers a snakefish ceviche with a mixed citrus marinade and an Asian snakehead taco…both delicious, hearty and even addictive.
I did a little research on the snakehead and found some very disturbing facts. Apparently, snakeheads are native to Africa and Asia and are known specifically as predatory fish distinguished by a long dorsal fin, large mouth and sharp teeth. They breathe air with gills as well as a lung that develops as it grows older. There are about 35 different species of snakeheads and each species varies greatly in size. They can range from 9 inches long to well over 3 feet.
Snakeheads are invasive and can cause significant ecological damage because they have no natural enemies other than alligators in Florida. They can breathe air and survive on land for up to 3 days. They have been known to migrate on land between bodies of water for up to ¼ mile, and have been referred to as Fishzilla by National Geographic. The northern snakehead reaches sexual maturity by age 2 or 3 and each spawning female can release up to 15,000 eggs at once. Snakeheads can mate as often as five times a year, so in one year a single female can release up to 75,000 eggs.
In 2002, snakeheads became a national news topic in the United States when the northern snakehead was found spawning in a Crofton Maryland pond. In 2004, they became permanently established in the Potomac River and have an established population in Florida.
Other snakehead populations have been discovered in Chicago, California, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Virginia – a scary and growing concern that has some states baffled at what to do next.
As soon as we sat down to our meeting, Chad’s passion for the industry and his support for sustainable agriculture was clearly evident and before you knew it, he was on a roll.
After my interview, I will say that he exudes the passion and enthusiasm that we need from leaders in this business. He is someone who has paid his dues and is on his way up, yet still very receptive to the advice of others. Like many other chefs, Chad works within the confines of the restaurant industry yet continues to bend the business model to create what he believes is a solid and marketable product. Once you have spent 5 minutes with this young chef, you will realize that you can’t help but like and respect what he stands for. I for one am proud to know him…
Tell me about you passion for hunting and fishing?
I’m a fisherman first and a hunter second. I love to fish and I create the opportunity in my life to be able to do that every day. I became fascinated with snakehead fishing as it became more and more invasive in our environment.
Did you know that snakeheads blend in so well with the environment, that they are sometime hard to spot. They generally tend to be dark green or black in color, sometimes brown, especially in the spawning season when they get a little brighter. Both anglers and bow fisherman are pulling more and more out of the water, and some bow fisherman have caught them weighing up wards of 19 pounds, which is absolutely huge. This end of the sport does not record weights for their catch, so I’m sure they have pulled some up that weigh more than that.
Snakeheads have no known predators which is why they can get very big. As you move along the water in your boat, you can see them hiding among the tall grasses, and if they feel threatened, they can rise and descend easily in the water to hide from anything they may consider as threatening.
Where are the snakeheads most prevalent?
Right now, they still have not made it into the bay, they are still in the tributaries but it’s simply a matter of time. They are so adaptable and resilient. Right now, they are not directly going after bass, but I have seen them eating small perch, frogs and even small birds which they have learned to ambush at the water’s edge.
They are very problematic because they are creating ferocious competition in the food cycle. They are very prolific breeders and are monogamous. They are very protective over their spawning areas and push out other fish from the area and don’t allow them to breed. I believe that over time, we will see them taking over spawning areas and encroaching on the breeding of other species.
The average size of a snakehead is about 6-8 pounds, and they can very easily reach half that weight within 2 years. Initially, anglers would catch one or two, but now they are catching so many that they are considered a nuisance. Their popularity has grown among fisherman, especially bow fisherman because they are not only good to eat, but easy to catch. I’m more of a hook and line guy but I support bow fishing. They have the ability to catch a lot more because unlike traditional fishing, you don’t have to wait for the fish to take the bait – once you spot one in the water, you’ve got him. It’s different than traditional fishing and they have made a bigger dent in the snakehead population than traditional anglers. On a good day, traditional fishing will bring in 3 or 4 snakeheads, whereas a bow fisherman can bring in 30 fish in one night. The snakehead tournament last year brought in 1300 pounds of fish in 18 hours, and about 85% of that came from bow fisherman.
Are we managing the snakehead population?
At this point, there really is not much that can be done to manage the population. The state of Maryland has chosen to support the fishing of the snakehead commercially but Virginia has made it illegal to sell the fish. I don’t agree with any of the regulations and decisions that the governing agencies in Virginia have made, which is based on their belief that the population is still not problematic. Unfortunately, by the time they do something about it, it will be too late. Once they have entered the bay, they will become a huge threat to watermen who make a living from the crab and rockfish in the area. With the growing population, I believe that this can happen in as little as 5 years.
If you look at our tournament website, most people are catching snakeheads 70% of the time and posting pictures. These fish are very hardy and can survive for hours even when severely injured or almost gutted.
The key things to look for when worrying about the growing population is diminishing spawning grounds for other species, diminishing populations of eel, small rockfish, bass and perch which the snakeheads feed on. If you see this happening that should send up a huge red flag.
They are very strong predators and very cool animals, but they should simply not be here. They are very marketable, so we are trying to promote them on menus like we do with the blue catfish population that is also another invasive species in Maryland.
Commercial guys don’t have the right equipment to catch them yet, so it has not caught on with everyone. A local company called Profish brings in about 5,000 pounds per week for restaurants that want to serve it, and we are one of the few.
How did snakeheads get here?
Well, there are a couple of theories about how they invaded our waterways. One theory is that they were a popular aquarium fish and as they grew larger, they were released into the waters. Unlike other species that grow according to the size of their environment, snakeheads continue to grow regardless. The theory is that once they became too large to be contained, they were released. Another theory is that perhaps they were brought in with other live fish from Asia. A large bust in Chinatown in 2011 included 350 live snakeheads that were brought into the country illegally and passed off as Chinese black sleepers in an attempt to throw off customs officials. It’s unknown if any of them were released into the waterways.
I have heard biologist say that they are between stages of evolution with their ability to walk on land and be out of water for up to 3 or 4 days, what do you think of that?
They are very snake-like and don’t swim like other fish. They have evolved to take on the strongest qualities of an eel, a fish and an amphibian. They can walk on land and can survive out of the water for days. I don’t know about that evolution claim, but I do know that they are very well evolved and very smart. I have seen some behaviors that show how they learn from adversity – almost as if they communicate and warn each other about impending danger.
How did the episode with Andrew Zimmern come about?
Andrew and I had been communicating via twitter. I had been sending him some pictures of snakeheads because he is always very attentive and interested in unique things. His producer contacted me about doing an episode and spent an hour with me on the phone. After that I never heard back, so I simply thought that it had fallen through. Then I did an event at the Hippodrome and reconnected with Andrew who happened to be there, and 2 days later, our tournament director got a call from the producer of Bizarre Foods who wanted to set up a fishing trip for snakeheads. Andrew then followed up to make sure they had contacted us and we were set for filming. We convinced them to go bow fishing while he was here filming an episode in DC. I believe the episode is still airing through the end of the year.
How did you get started in the food industry?
I fell into it through a friend who has since passed away. I was a bad kid and didn’t like school, so I got into a program where I began to work early on in the industry. I was cutting school every day and that was the only thing that saved me and kept me interested. I worked with several chefs who weren’t famous but were very inspirational and taught me so much. Chefs like Allen Sassier, David Suarez and Steven Sappe. I learned different things from each one that molded me into who I am today. The one who inspired me the most was Barton Sever. He has been so influential in my life and lectures worldwide on the topic of sustainable seafood.
What do you like to cook and why?
To cook at home, it’s important to find ingredients that are comforting and easy to work with. For me it’s a fresh fish that I just pulled out of the water that I might throw on the grill with a few simple ingredients. I also like a lot of game meat, but pork is my favorite protein. I was recently hunting in Texas for wild boar which is a little different than the one here in Maryland – much richer in flavor and not gamey at all.
What is your food philosophy?
I believe that people have the right to know what they are eating. Large conglomerates like Monsanto are destroying the integrity of our crops with genetically modified seed, and other large companies are focusing on making food cheaper by over processing. These two significant issues are making our population sicker and hurting the weakest members of our society, namely the poor who are not able to fight back. You should look at the lists of food that WIC recipients have to choose from – it’s disgraceful. Very little is allowed to be purchased as whole food, and they are even told which brands they need to purchase. They should be allowed to buy what they want.
What advice would you give aspiring chefs?
I would say forget culinary school. Ask yourself what things make you happy and what you like to do the most, and surround yourself with others who like to do the same things. Allow them to inspire you with their efforts and find a way to connect this passion with a stream of income.
If you went to a restaurant and had a bad food experience would you go back?
Yes I would- we all have good days and bad days, and no one is in business to make bad food. I always give people another chance and am glad to do so. If it is a restaurant that is consistently bad or rude, then no –who would want to go back for more of that. I especially like to support restaurants who incorporate sustainable and environmentally friendly practices.
What are the top 5 things that you want people to know about you?
- I’m a diehard fisherman and fish before work every day
- I’m not a Beatles or Led Zeppelin fan, just give me The Clash, The Ramones and The Who
- I’m also a musician and play multiple instruments including the bass and drums
- I’m a very easy going and accessible person, always willing to talk to people and help them
- I like to build menus that are not pretentious. Every place has to have a nice selection of bar food, but that should not define who you are. With each menu, choose a few strong items and execute them really well. Keep them fresh, change menu regularly or seasonally. Have high standards for excellence, and always put out good and satisfying food.
To learn more about the menu at Rockfish, please visit their website and contact the restaurant for reservations and catering requests at 410-267-1800 or email them at therockfish@rockfishmd.com. The Rockfish Raw bar & Grill 400 Sixth Street, Annapolis, MD 21403.
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