Dogfish croquettes, oysters with a message, and wrasse rillettes
It’s rare for “non-chefs” to be invited into the research team of NorthSeaChefs. But last week, Belgian biologist and food technologist Maxime Willems of Nursh had the honour. NorthSeaChefs is an organisation that inspires both professionals and consumers to use bycatch and lesser-known fish species responsibly. Willems shares their ambitions and recent projects.
As a PhD biologist and passionate chef, Willems blends the best of two worlds. At his Proef food lab in Ghent, he develops prototypes of products and recipes, in an incubator space designed for co-creation between food companies, start-ups, chefs, and scientists.
A Longstanding Fascination with the North Sea
North Sea fish have been on Willems’ radar for years. During his doctoral studies, he led practical courses on marine ecology and biodiversity, including trips to the Boulogne-sur-Mer fish auction. He was struck by the low prices fishermen receive for their hard work—but even more by the tonnes of bycatch discarded without a second thought. Perfectly good fish written off as “waste,” despite their culinary potential.
Later, in the lab of ecotoxicology expert Prof. Colin Janssen, he saw how microplastics can enter the human body via filter feeders like mussels—a reminder worth revisiting now that mussel season is here.
The NorthSeaChefs research team’s mission is twofold:
- Better valorisation of catch through scientific innovation.
- Raising awareness among chefs and consumers.
At Proef, cross-sector collaboration is already second nature. Our projects always bring together science, gastronomy, and industry.
From Nose to Tail… and Fin
NorthSeaChefs is exploring ways to use the whole fish—from head to bone. With chef Gilles Bogaert of Bar Bask, they’re reviving ancient techniques like Roman garum (fish sauce), updated with modern food science.
Garum is made by salting fish guts, bones, and fillets so their natural enzymes break them down into a rich, savoury liquid. While not strictly fermentation, an extra layer of flavour can be achieved by mixing in barley koji. In one experiment, this yielded a tasting bite of bacalhau, walnut cream, pork trotter terrine, and a hit of sardine garum.
Dogfish Croquettes
In collaboration with chef Wim van Thielen of Lush Foods, they created croquettes made from dogfish—served with a salad and seaweed powder. Dogfish isn’t directly targeted by local fisheries, but is landed as bycatch alongside sole, plaice, and monkfish. It’s often undervalued, yet delicious in its own right.
Sharks and rays are cartilaginous fish, meaning their skeletons are made of collagen-rich cartilage—an on-trend “superfood.” In these croquettes, the collagen provided a unique bite, eliminating the need for pork gelatine. In 2020, Belgian fishers landed 1,428 tonnes of rays (mostly bycatch) for just €1.15–€1.83 per kilo. Forget Botox—eat more ray!
Nose-to-Fin Experiments
Proef has long been working on sustainable fishing and seafood applications with various NorthSeaChefs ambassadors. In 2017, we co-created a “nose-to-fin” workshop with chef Michiel Rabaey of Storm in Ostend, introducing foodies to underloved species like cuttlefish, lemon sole, and dogfish. We experimented with fermentation techniques—garums, for instance—using ultrasonic equipment to extract maximum flavour from fish bones and even crab shells.
Oysters with a Message
Oysters are filter feeders, reflecting the “terroir” of their waters. Sadly, they can also ingest microplastics, potentially leading to suffocation and population collapse.
To raise awareness, we created the “Microplastics” tasting: an empty oyster shell filled with tapioca pearls infused with various juices, including oyster leaf sap—no actual oyster served.
For Tummie magazine, we developed a more hopeful experiment: live-infusing oysters with coloured, flavoured “salt teas” that break down into particles small enough not to clog the gills—unlike microplastics. Using beetroot for its earthy flavour and vivid colour, paired with rose petals (a documented food-pairing match), we served a stunning red oyster with a unique flavour profile.
What’s Next?
Now that Proef is officially part of the NorthSeaChefs research team, the experiments will keep coming: dry-aged fish, bycatch XO sauces, new garums, and more. The goal is to inspire, protect the North Sea terroir, and increase the value of its catch—whether through cutting-edge culinary techniques or simple, delicious recipes for home cooks.
Want to try for yourself? Start with this wrasse rillette from NorthSeaChefs founder Filip Claeys of two-Michelin-starred De Jonkman in Bruges.