I managed to catch up with Hans Haverman, a dad, fisherman, and fishmonger at the Saturday Aptos Farmers Market at Cabrillo College. It’s been a while since we last spoke, even longer since I’d seen his storefront, H & H Fresh Fish Company, at the Santa Cruz Harbor. Spending time with Hans is like having Santa Claus, sans beard and red suit, as a fishing buddy. His smile is warm enough to bake a biscuit, and his handshake firm enough to squeeze a lemon dry. I’ve known Hans for over twenty years, and I never cease to be amazed at his knowledge of fish of all sizes and shapes and how to cook them. If he’d practiced a musical instrument as long and as hard as he’s worked at supplying our community with fish, he’d be a star performer at Carnegie Hall. Amidst the remodeling of his Santa Cruz storefront, we talked of our respective families, government regulations, and of course fish.
“We live next to Monterey Bay, the most amazing body of water on the planet,” he began, a seriousness replacing his smile. “There is so much food in the Bay for fish to eat. It hasn’t been shipped from somewhere else. I get it the day it’s caught.” His temporary sales counter showcased what the Monterey Bay had just provided. “We’ve got poke and ceviche and other ready-to-eat products in addition to filleted fish such as rockfish, sea bass, calamari, and more. “We have fresh fish year-round. Some fish are available only during certain times of the year. King salmon is a good example. The salmon season opens Sunday, May 1. When we get them, they’re just so beautiful and delicious.”Recent changes in the regulations that govern salmon season are an on-again-off-again situation. “It really is difficult to keep track of,” Hans sighed as we walked through his facility. H & H Fresh Fish Company employs seventeen people to keep the daily catches moving, “from boat to throat” as he says with a chuckle. “Salmon is a fish you just need to buy when you see it because it might not be there tomorrow. We try to get it whenever the window to fish it is open. King salmon is probably the star attraction of all the fish we sell.”
In his younger days, Hans worked with celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck. He’s building his own legion of fans by posting “how-to” videos online on his social media pages. To those of us with limited experience cooking fish, these videos are useful as well as entertaining. Of course, there are always personalized, one-on-one cooking instructions freely offered at the H & H booth on Saturday mornings. “Just ask us if you’re unsure how to cook something. We know what we’re doing. The fish we sell are excellent sources of protein, and it’s local too. We’ll tell you how to get the most flavor out of it.”
At their booth at the Saturday farmers market, you’ll find petrale sole, rockfish. halibut, frozen salmon, prawns, scallops, prepared poke, and freshly made ceviche.
Hans finally had to redirect his attention to the incessant buzzing of his phone, marking the end of our visit. I left with a gift of smoked salmon smear for my morning bagel and a few more memories that will make me smile when I eat it.
For salmon recipes, visit our companion website at www.edibleparadise.com. Also, visit www.hhfreshfish.com for more of Hans’ recipes and tutorials.
