Author: Chef Steve Black

Cobia is one of the best-tasting fish in the ocean. The cobia’s firm white meat goes well in just about any preparation, but this dish is a bit different. Served with a tasty blood orange and carrot broth, this dish is almost as colorful as it is delicious. INGREDIENTS For the Fish: 4 Cobia Fillets, Seasoned 4 Ounces Olive Oil 1 Clove Chopped Garlic 1 Tbsp. Seasoning Salt For the Broth: 1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil ½ Tbsp. Chopped Garlic 1 Large Shallot, Chopped ½ Cup Chicken Broth 1 Cup Carrot Juice 1 Pinch Chinese Five Spice Powder 2…

Spiny Lobster & Avocado Salad Recipe There are a few natural matches with food that create the perfect marriage — bacon and onions, tomatoes and basil, steak and mushrooms and my personal favorite, lobster and avocado.This is an easy recipe that can be presented either on a plate or you can simply stuff a half avocado with the lobster salad. Either way, you can’t lose. Ingredients Serves 4 2 Whole spiny lobsters, steamed (7-8 minutes), cooled, meat removed and diced 2 Hass avocados ¼ cup mayonnaise 1 Tbsp. chopped chives 1 Tsp. dijon mustard ¼Tsp. Old Bay Seasoning (go easy,…

First you need to steam the lobster whole. Once it’s cooked, remove it from the hot water and set it on a counter or workspace. Let it cool until you can handle the lobster without getting burned. Start by grabbing the body of the lobster and wedge both claws facing down under the body. Push the body forward and the claws will both break loose. Next grab the end of the claw and position a heavy-bodied French knife in your dominant hand. Give the claw a firm blow to drive the knife blade a quarter-inch in to the claw shell.…

Fish and lasagna makes a perfect combination when you use grilled salmon and roasted eggplant. The lasagna rolls make for a beautiful presentation and the Choron sauce included in this recipe is out of sight. Prepare to wow your next dinner guests with this one. INGREDIENTS: Grilled Salmon with Eggplant Lasagna Rolls Recipe Fish 4 Salmon Fillets, 4 to 5 ounces each, sliced thin 2 Tbsp. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil 1 Tbsp. Your Favorite Seasoning Salt Mix 1 Clove Chopped Garlic 1 Shallot, Chopped Lasagna ¼ Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil 2 Cloves, Chopped Garlic ½ Onion, Peeled, Diced 8 Medium Mushrooms, Chopped…

Well now that the dang offshore fishing is finally heating up on the West Coast and there’s good-looking water heading north, I figured BD members would like this recipe. It features a cool salad to pair with your fresh catch of the day. I used ahi, or yellowfin tuna, but this recipe really works for any kind of fish. INGREDIENTS: Red Curry Ahi & Cucumber Salad Recipe Serves 4 2 Hot House Cucumbers, seeds removed, sliced thin 2 Carrots, peeled, sliced thin or julienned ½ Cup Pickled Ginger with liquid, sliced 4 Radishes, sliced 8 Baby Red and Yellow Pear Tomatoes,…

Unfortunately, I have yet to land my first pelagic fish of the 2012 season. On our last trip we ended up running down to Punta San Thomas just south of Ensenada. The bottom fishing there is very good, so we did scratch up enough to bring home fresh fish for dinner. The anchorage is comfortable and it was blowing a solid 20 when we went to bed and it blew most of the night. We left at 7:30 the next morning with 85 miles to go, so the next time we will plan to spend five days or so to…

Seafood Recipe Spicy Ahi Tuna Summer is here and soon the albacore, bluefin and yellowfin will not be far away. This recipe always wows our guests at upscale events and it makes a nice small plate or appetizer as well. It’s not hard to make and you just can’t go wrong with fresh-caught tuna. The key ingredients to making this dish shine is to make sure you use Japanese mayonnaise, Kikkoman Lime Ponzu Sauce and a good amount of Vietnamese chili. The Shiso Leaf is a cool way to wrap the tuna and serve them, and I added some barbecued…

Using aluminum foil is a great way to cook any kind of fish with minimal preparation and tasty results. There’s also very little cleaning since you hardly use any pots or pans. In the culinary world, the process of using an aluminum foil pouch or parchment paper to cook food is called “en Pappiotte.” Steam builds up within the pouch and this is what cooks the fish. You should always keep a steady supply of aluminum foil onboard just in case your stove or grill breaks down. I mention this because you can cook this recipe and other similar dishes…

We host a lot of local, social groups here at the hotel and while this Bistro Salad with steak and shrimp is nothing completely out of the ordinary, it’s always popular. However, it’s a very versatile recipe because you can change or add to it in many different ways. I just got my Boston Whaler ready to head back to the marina and can’t wait to start this year off with some California halibut. The yellowtail have begun to show and the thresher sharks will be here when the ocean temperature rises another three degrees to 62. Speaking of thresher…

Being located in San Diego, we serve all kinds of fish with our very own Vera Cruz Sauce. The sauce has a base of clam juice and tomato but I put my own twist on the seasonings. The fish and vegetables that we serve with the Vera Cruz sauce are always very popular. You can use any kind of fish for this particular recipe, but it’s best served with rice. INGREDIENTS Serves 6 6 6-ounce Halibut Fillets 6 U-10 Dry-Pack Scallops, Split in Half 1 Tbsp. Seasoning Salt 2 Tbsp. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil 2 Cups Clam Juice ¼ Cup Tomato…

At a recent offsite gig, our client chose the humble Pacific codfish for their main course because it is one of the best-eating fish and it comes from a healthy, sustainable stock unlike the Atlantic codfish that continue to struggle. Atlantic cod have been overfished in the Gulf of Maine for decades. I paired the fish with white polenta, another favorite that comes out creamy and delicious the way we slow-simmer it, adding in a lot of cheese. I wanted to give the plate some color to make it visually appealing so I added the roasted roma tomatoes, asparagus and…

Preparing a homemade potpie is a great dish to serve family style. This potpie mixes it up with shrimp, scallops and a delicious cream sauce made with white wine and shallots. The pastry on top of the pie comes out with a beautiful golden color that will look great when you place the pie on the dinette table. INGREDIENTS 1 Tbsp. chopped garlic 1 Tbsp. chopped shallots 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour ¼ Cup white wine 1 Cup clam juice 1 Cup heavy cream 8 Strands saffron 1 Tbsp. chopped dill 2 Tbsp. chopped chives 1 Tbsp.…

Cioppino is an Italian-style fish stew that was traditionally made with the catch of the day. The dish is great when you have a lot of seafood and want to cook up something really special for a large group. So if you’ve got a big party coming up and a bunch of fresh fish from a recent trip, this might be the perfect recipe for you. INGREDIENTS: Pacific Cioppino Recipe Yields 2 gallons 4 Ounces olive oil 1 Large diced onion 1 Cup chopped celery 1 Cup chopped carrots 1 Tbsp. chopped garlic 4 Branches fresh thyme leaves 1 Pinch saffron…

I went on a five-day trip on the Royal Polaris a while back and the yellowtail fishing was incredible with anglers loading up on fish up to 40 pounds. With the yellowtail season on the horizon, I thought I’d share this incredibly simple recipe that can be used with lobster to create more of a Northeast-style stew or chowder. I had to add the fresh yellowtail I brought home from that trip and man, was it good! INGREDIENTS: Yellowtail & Lobster Stew Recipe Serves 8 1.5 Pounds of spiny baja lobster, steamed, meat removed, cut into large chunks 1 Pound fresh…

I first tried green sea beans when I was in Europe and I’ve liked them ever since. The beans are tender, crisp and their natural salty flavor does not require any additional seasoning. Sea beans come from the northwest and may never reach the status of a regular vegetable, but you should try them with any kind of seafood if you ever have the opportunity. They go especially well with sea scallops. When you are picking out scallops, remember to buy “dry pack” scallops. These are not treated with any sodium triphosphates, a chemical that helps retain water in the…

While there are a lot of ingredients used in this recipe, it’s really relatively simple to prepare. The preparation combines many fresh flavors with one of the best-tasting, flaky fish out there — halibut. The braised fennel and tomato sauce used on the halibut is also delicious on just about any other seafood, including shrimp and mahimahi to name a few. INGREDIENTS: Basil & Artichoke Crusted Halibut Recipe Serves 6 6 Ounces fresh cleaned basil leaves 6 Ounces drained, marinated artichoke hearts 1 Tbsp. lemon juice ½ Tbsp. grated lemon zest 1 Tsp. chopped garlic 6 Ounces extra-virgin olive oil ½…

Fettucini alfredo is an Italian comfort food — rich and delicious — an indulgence that you have to make every once in a while. If you’re a fan of alfredo, try adding some smoked salmon to give it an added special something. INGREDIENTS: Smoked Salmon Fettucini Alfredo Recipe 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 1 Clove chopped garlic 1 Chopped shallot 2 Cups heavy cream 2 Tbsp. fresh chopped chives 7 Ounces smoked salmon, cut into strips 1.5 Pounds dry fettucini noodles 1 Cup grated Parmesan cheese ½ Cup frozen peas Kosher salt to taste Fresh ground black pepper to taste DIRECTIONS…

At the risk of sounding like Bubba in the movie Forrest Gump, there are few foods that are as versatile as the shrimp. This is a fun recipe that you can serve just about anywhere. INGREDIENTS: Shrimp Ranchero Tostadas Recipe 4 Ounces vegetable oil 2 Cloves chopped garlic 1 Diced onion 6 Stalks chopped green onion 1 Chopped Serrano chili 4 Chopped tomatoes 4 Pounds chopped shrimp meat (16- to 20-count size) 1 Bunch cilantro, chopped ½ Tbsp. chipotle pepper paste 3 Limes split for juicing 4 Ounces tomato paste 1 Package corn tortillas Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper…

Yellowfin tuna is a versatile fish and always a favorite at the sushi bar. This simple recipe uses several Asian flavors to bring out the ahi while incorporating crab and a nice seaweed salad. Ahi Crab Roll & Seaweed Salad Recipe 9 Ounces sushi-grade ahi (yellowfin) tuna cut into pieces that are 5″ x 3″ x 1″ 1 Pound of canned crabmeat, drain out all excess water 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise ½ Tbsp. Vietnamese chili paste 1 tsp. Chopped serrano chili 1 tsp. Chopped cilantro 2 Tbsp. Sweet soy sauce (also called eel sauce, this can be found in most Asian…