In the 1980s, a diminutive octogenarian named Clara Peller made advertising history with three words: “Where’s the beef?”

In this television ad for Wendy’s, Clara held a huge hamburger bun containing a miniscule hamburger. The not-so-subtle message: More beef is good.

Today we may ask the same question. Where’s the beef? With increasing attention to living a more healthful life, more and more people are replacing beef with plant protein and with fish.

Adding more plants to my diet? Check. Cutting down on sugar? Check. It’s National Nutrition Month, and this month I’m concentrating on eating more fish.

The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least twice a week as part of a healthy diet. Fish is a nutrient powerhouse, a good source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins D and B2 (riboflavin), calcium, phosphorus and minerals such as iron, zinc, iodine, magnesium, and potassium.

I asked Mark Lewis, owner of my favorite fish market, Dry Dock on Commonwealth Avenue in Fullerton, for some tips about cooking fish.

“If there’s complaints about the fish, that means you cooked it too long,” he said. “Fish takes only four to six minutes to cook, unless you’re using it in combinations like with peppers and tomatoes, for example.”

I know the proper way to cook salmon is slightly underdone, but I prefer it fully cooked. I asked Mark, “How do restaurants get it crispy on the outside without drying it out on the inside?”

“What they do is sauté it first and then put the pan in the oven,” he told me. “That way it’s crisp on the outside and it stays moist.

“I use a Le Creuset pan, which is cast iron, so it keeps the heat steady. Then put it in the oven for eight minutes tops for cooked through, the way you like it, depending on thickness, or you can pull a fork across it and see if it comes apart to check if it’s done,” he said. “Some people pour apple juice over salmon and a few drops of soy sauce to make it brown. It’s like you’re steaming it. It’s wonderful.”

Dry Dock shrimp is the best I’ve had.

“We have two kinds of shrimp, Patagonian and Mexican. Both have a lot of flavor,” said Lewis. “The Patagonian is wild from Argentina. We get it from a woman that has five boats. They’re all women working for her. She cleans them and flash-freezes them on the boat.”

I’m confused about the difference between wild and farm raised fish.

“Wild fish comes from the ocean directly,” Lewis explained. “Farmed is no longer done the way it used to be. When it first was done, they had a runway and raised the fish in an enclosed area. Their process now is what we call ‘harvested.’

“They start with little fish and let them out in the ocean. Then the fish come back and they catch it. That’s a quality fish,” he said.

“The process started with the Japanese. If it wasn’t for the Japanese, I wouldn’t be popular,” he said. “They made fish popular. The Japanese people let everybody taste the fish. It’s like the French with the wines and the perfumes.”

Stepping out of my comfort zone, I selected branzino for my first try roasting a whole fish.

Branzino is a mild, slightly sweet white fish in the sea bass family. I served it with sautéed onions and Kalamata olives. Delicious!

Fullerton’s Judy Bart Kancigor is the author of “Cooking Jewish” and “The Perfect Passover Cookbook.” Her website is cookingjewish.com.

ROASTED BRANZINO

This recipe comes Alla who shares recipes and tips on her website Mintykitchen.com.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 whole branzino (about 1-1.25 pounds each), cleaned and gutted, rinsed and patted dry

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 lemon, sliced into half rounds

1 bunch fresh herbs (parsley, dill or thyme

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Set oven rack in center of oven.

2. With sharp knife, make 2 to 3 slits at an angle on each side of fish. Rub fish with olive oil, and generously season cavity, slits, and both sides with salt and pepper. Stuff cavity with 2 to 3 lemon slices and fresh herbs.

3. Transfer fish to parchment-lined baking sheet, place in oven, and roast until skin is crisp and inside is opaque, about 15-20 minutes, depending on size of fish. Transfer fish to a platter and serve.