Sammy Monsour and Kassady Wiggins are looking to save the oceans, one fish dinner at a time.
The chef and the mixologist have created a book, Salt & Shore, that they hope will help to do just that. The book has cocktails that use oceanic ingredients such as algae and can be made non-alcoholic (Monsour stopped drinking five years ago). It also has recipes using fish from grouper to shellfish in dishes from dips to stews, all an ode to cooking in the Southeast.
“We really love storytelling, being docents of Southern culture,” Wiggins said. “It’s so rich and so important to American cuisine in general, and it’s what inspires us.”
Wiggins grew up in Greenville and Monsour in Cary, N.C., although he spent much of his time in his parents’ restaurants in Chapel Hill and Raleigh.
The two met at Preux & Proper in Los Angeles, where Monsour was the executive chef and later co-owner and Wiggins was working her way up to beverage director.
“I was looking for someone who was passionate about cocktails and wanted to work more closely with the kitchen. Kassady stuck out, and we ended up falling in love. Our chemistry and admiration started with being creative together and, to this day, that’s what we do. We are life partners, married, in love, but also run a business together,” Monsour said.
Covid caused the closure of Preux & Proper, but not before it won a Michelin Big Gourmand designation. A few years later, Monsour and Wiggins opened Joyce Soul and Sea in Los Angeles, but both felt homesick for the Carolinas, which brought them in 2022 to Charleston, where they now spend half their time when not flying to oversee Joyce. They say they will transition to spending more time in Charleston as Joyce becomes more self-sufficient, and they one day hope to open a restaurant here.
Environmental advocacy
In addition to being a chef, Monsour is an environmental advocate.
He is on the advisory board for Smart Catch, a member of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Blue Ribbon Task Force and a founding member of the Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture, where he has built and leads a team of 25 chefs to advocate for sustainable food systems policy in the U.S. He’s also advocated internationally, speaking at conferences in Norway and in Rome.
Wiggins learned about sustainability at her grandfather’s small farm outside of Asheville and her zero-landfill beverage program won her a green star from the city of Los Angeles.
The passion for preserving the ocean, as well as the Southern roots, join in the book, Salt & Shore, which features not only recipes, but essays introducing local craftsmen and purveyors who are dedicated to running their companies in a sustainable and environmentally responsible way. The title came from Wiggins, who said a pinch of salt is frequently a great addition to many cocktails, as well as being the foundation of ocean water.
The book also seeks to cure the “fear of fish,” Monsour said.
“Cooking seafood seems intimidating,” Monsour said. “Three out of five seafood meals in the U.S. are eaten out and a big part is people aren’t confident in cooking fish. People don’t know what to buy, they think it’s expensive. Even some chefs are intimidated!”
He said the book focuses on the home cook and seeks to give them confidence through simple, straightforward cookery focused on techniques and flavor-building.
Monsour said home cooks can increase the sustainability in their meals by looking for local fish that is in season — some of the kinds of fish that aren’t as popular are just as delicious and sold at bargain prices.
“If you want a rule of thumb, whether farm-raised or wild-caught, buy U.S. seafood,” Monsour said. “90% of what we consume in this country is imported.”
Although the couple hesitates to single out any one recipe from the book, each has a personal favorite.
For Wiggins, it’s the Blue Bayou, a cocktail made blue by the use of algae, which earns an essay of its own.
“People eat with their eyes and this drink is the most fun-looking,” she said.
For Monsour, it’s the Blue Crab and Green Chili Pimento Cheese.
“It takes five minutes to make. You make a pint, and it’s so good, you will eat it in 15 minutes,” he said.
Salt & Shore can be purchased online at simonandschuster.com.
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.