Hook, Line & Savor

by Brenda Shafer

You don’t need a trip to the coast to chow down on the catch of the day. Drop anchor at one of these area restaurants, and you’ll fall – hook, line, and sinker – for these savory seafood dishes.

Inocencio Torres, Chef

Battera

Totto Sushi & Grill

• Fish filet for sashimi
• 1 avocado
• 2 cups sushi rice (prepared vinegar rice)
• Fish eggs for garnish

Cut fish horizontally into quarters. Place strips of fish, slices of avocado, and any other thinly sliced vegetables into a mold. Try to make the arrangement as neat as possible. Fill the mold to overflowing with sushi rice. The rice should be about 1/4 inch above the sides of the mold. Moisten your hands slightly to keep the rice from sticking. With your hands, press the rice down firmly into the mold. Make sure there are no air pockets. When it’s firm, remove the sushi from the mold, and cut into bite-sized pieces. Garnish with fish eggs and any sauce you desire (spicy mayo, sriracha hot sauce, etc.). Serves 1.

(above) photos by Lanewood Studio

Lawton Haygood, Chef & Owner

Whole Fried Flounder

Boathouse Rotisserie & Raw Bar

• Peanut oil, enough to fill pan
• 1 lb. whole flounder, cleaned
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 cups cornmeal
• 1 avocado
• Chipotle crema*

Fill a large pot or pan big enough to fit the flounder and fill with peanut oil. Bring the oil to 350⁰. Score the flesh on both sides of the flounder in long diagonal lines to form diamond marks. Season both sides with kosher salt, getting the salt into the score marks. Fill a shallow dish with the cornmeal and lay the fish onto the cornmeal. Toss the cornmeal over the flounder, working it into the score marks and coating the fish evenly on both sides. Slowly lower the fish into the oil and fry for approximately 6 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown. Remove the flounder once fully cooked and allow it to drain on paper towels for a moment before plating. Serve with slices of fresh avocado and chipotle crema. Serves 1.

*To make chipotle crema:

• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 Tbsp. chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• Mix all ingredients together and pour into a small bowl to serve with fish.

(above) photos by Lanewood Studio

Chase Cope, Chef

Arctic Char with Braised Fennel, Sunrise Potatoes, and Grilled Chard

1885 Grill

• 2 medium cipollini onions, quartered
• 2 stalks fennel, julienne bulbs and quarter stalks
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 qt. chicken stock
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. fennel lace (fronds)
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 1/4 lbs. sunrise potatoes, quartered
• 1 1/2 lbs. arctic char, skin on, cut into 6 oz. portions
• 8 stalks Swiss chard
• Salt, pepper, and olive oil to taste

For sauce:

• 1/4 cup braising liquid
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 Tbsp. garlic, chopped
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. honey
• 1 whole lemon, squeezed

In a large pot, sauté cipollinis and fennel bulbs with butter on medium-high for approximately 5 minutes until onions begin to turn a slight golden brown. Add chicken stock, balsamic, fennel lace, salt, pepper, and fennel stalks. Simmer uncovered until reduced by half. Add potatoes, cover and simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes until tender.

Remove potatoes and strain remaining braising liquid. Reserve 1/4 cup of braising liquid for the sauce and discard the fennel stalks. Add the reserved liquid to the pot and then add the rest of the sauce ingredients. Cook on low heat until butter is melted. Cook sauce on as low heat as possible to avoid burning the butter.

Season char with salt, pepper, and olive oil, and grill to your liking over medium-high heat. Wash Swiss chard, and remove stems from leaves. Lightly oil stems and season with salt and pepper. Grill stems until lightly charred. Remove stems, quarter and reserve. Lightly oil leaves and season with salt and pepper. Grill leaves until they wilt.

Place potatoes and wilted Swiss chard on a plate with two grilled stalks. Top with grilled char, spoon the sauce over fish, and drizzle remaining sauce on the plate. Garnish char with fennel lace. Serves 4.

(above) photos by Lanewood Studio

Tanner Marino, Chef

Cioppino

Broad Street Grille

• 2 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 large white onion, diced small
• 1/2 lb. unsalted butter
• 1 cup red wine
• 1/2 lb. littleneck clams
• 1/2 lb. Prince Edward Isle mussels, shells scrubbed and beards removed
• 1 cup tomato juice
• 2 cups tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup shellfish stock
• 1/2 lb. jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup chopped fresh herbs (thyme, basil, parsley)

Sauté the garlic and onions in butter until translucent and deglaze (pouring cold liquid into a hot pan to unstick brown bits) with red wine. Add clams and mussels, and cook until they both open. Remove mussels and clams and set aside, reserving all liquid in pot. Add tomato juice, diced tomatoes, and shellfish stock, and continue to simmer on low uncovered for about 15 minutes. Add shrimp and cooked clams and mussels. Continue to simmer until shrimp is fully cooked. Season with salt and pepper and add fresh herbs. Serve with toasted baguette or your favorite bread. Serves 4.

(above) photos by Lanewood Studio

Troy Sutton, Chef & Partner

Mangrove Snapper with Sweet Pepper Polenta, Lightly Stewed Okra-Tomatoes, and Roasted Garlic Butter

Food Works

For snapper:

• 4 snapper filets, pin bones removed, scored on skin side
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Oil for cooking

Season the non-skin side of fish with salt and pepper. Place a nonstick pan on high heat. When it’s hot, add oil. When oil is hot, carefully slide the fish into the pan, skin side down. Reduce heat to medium-high, and cook on that side until two-thirds done. Then flip to cook the other side. If it is a thick cut of fish, finish it in an oven at 350-400⁰ until cooked completely.

For sweet pepper polenta:

• 4 cups water
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 cup polenta (coarse ground cornmeal)
• 1 bell pepper, roasted, skin and seeds removed, diced
• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Bring water, salt, and sugar to a boil. Reduce to simmer. Slowly whisk in the polenta, and continue whisking to prevent lumps. Add diced peppers and continue stirring. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring every 4-5 minutes until cornmeal is tender. Then stir in the butter and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For stewed okra and tomatoes:

• 6 Roma tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
• 1 yellow onion, julienned
• 2 cups okra, split
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 Tbsp. roasted garlic butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

Oven roast tomatoes on 350⁰ for 20 minutes or until they have roasted color. In a saucepan, sauté onions on medium-high heat. Add okra and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the roasted tomatoes, white wine, and water. Reduce heat to low, and cover and cook for another 7-10 minutes, stirring often. Finish with stirring in the butter to emulsify with the stew liquid. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4.

(above) photos by Lanewood Studio

Kevin Dunlap, Chef

Hickory Grilled Alaskan Halibut with Watermelon Crudo

Canyon Grill

• 1 cup fresh watermelon
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• Fresh Alaskan halibut
• 1/16 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp. cracked black peppercorns
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
• Fresh chiffonade basil for garnish

Remove seeds from watermelon and cut into half-inch chunks. Place melon chunks on a sheet tray. Sprinkle with salt and chill for 30 minutes. Lightly season halibut with kosher salt and grill over hickory fire to 130⁰. Remove melon from cooler and transfer to a bowl. Add remaining ingredients except basil and gently toss to combine. Serve immediately over grilled fish and garnish with basil. Here, the entrée is paired with sautéed mushrooms and grilled red cabbage. Serves 1.

(above) photos by Rich Smith

Joseph Black, Chef

Seafood Cavatappi Florentine

Hennen’s Steakhouse

• 4 jumbo gulf shrimp
• 2 diver scallops
• Olive oil for pan
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper 
• 3 oz. fresh spinach, chopped 
• 1 Tbsp. fresh minced garlic
• 2 oz. house-made basil pesto
• 5 oz. 40% heavy cream 
• 4 oz. lobster claw meat, poached
• 6 oz. Cavatappi noodles, cooked 
• 1 oz. fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 oz. fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped 

Pan sear shrimp and scallops in olive oil, with salt and pepper, and then reserve. In a separate pan, sauté fresh chopped spinach, minced garlic, and house-made basil pesto. Add heavy cream and reduce. Once reduced, add poached lobster claw meat and cooked Cavatappi noodles, and stir. Then add shrimp and scallops. Finish with fresh Parmesan cheese and garnish with parsley. Serves 1.

(above) photos by Lanewood Studio