Author: Yanni Hassir

Yanni Hassir of Fisherman’s Belly said, “This is the fifth tuna recipe in this summer’s series of Tuna War Recipes. Growing up in SoCal, I fell in love with Mexican food with the first bowl of chips and salsa that I ate. I also fell in love with Mexican fish dishes packed with Mexican spices and flavors. With all the tuna getting caught off our coastline, this recipe was easy to conceive of. If you’re a Mexican food lover like me, you love this version of a tuna burger. It has a special chipotle-ketchup secret sauce, plenty of cilantro and…

I wanted a cow a year ago, badly. Those were Nam’s words, while telling me about the day he caught his big 288-pound bluefin. It happened on June 28th, 30 miles of the coast of San Diego. Nam is a member of the Freedom Boat Club, out of Dana Landing. On Wednesday,  June 28th, Nam and a good friend got their reserved boat and headed out to find big tuna. The first thing he needed was clear water. That didn’t happened until they were 30 miles off the coast. Nam spotted breaking yellowfin, but that wasn’t his target. His Fujinon Techno-Stabi…

When it was time to think about my next recipe in my “Tuna Wars” series, I looked back at the biggest school of boiling tuna I’ve ever seen and fished. My buddies and I were camping and fishing up and down Baja back in 2004. Those tuna were wreaking havoc at Baja’s midpoint, the Bay of LA. We camped at Camp Gecko just outside of town. The fishing was unbelievable, but it was the locals I’ll never forget. We spent that day fishing a few of the nearby islands, and on our way back in, we stumbled upon what must…

It’s still June, yet the California coastal tuna bite continues to rage. My fishing mentor, Adi, and his boat partner Brad the Mad Scientist, found what they were looking for last weekend; big bluefin tuna. Last Saturday, they headed off San Diego to the 302 where they found themselves within a parade of fishing boats. Adi and Brad, being total mavericks, left the crowds and started searching inside the 302. They found lots of marks, but no takers. The pattern didn’t change until mid-afternoon. That’s when they saw boiling tuna. However, they were small and they teased the boys by…

Yanni Hassir at Fisherman’s Belly is kicking off a summer run of fish recipes aptly named “Tuna Wars”. “This video teaches you the secrets of creating “ground fish” at home, fast and easy. But that’s not all, there are plenty more tips and tricks to creating the perfect backyard tuna burger for your family and friends”, said Yanni. Grilled American Tuna Burger Makes 4 burgers Ingredients 1 pound frozen tuna, grated on a hand-held grater (turned into ground fish) 1 Large tomato sliced 1 Head of lettuce Mayonnaise 4 Tbsp. sweet relish 1 ½ Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped 1 Red…

Grilled Swordfish With Cactus Salsa Recently the California’s Coastal Conservation Association held its first kayaking tournament, The Battle of the Bays, in San Diego. My old kayaking buddy, Jim Salazar was coordinating the effort, so I offered to help him in the cooking department. Jim handed me 50-pounds of fresh swordfish. He proposed we make tacos. I proposed we make them memorable. I love making and serving Nopal Cactus Salsa. It’s tasty, old world, and definitely memorable. On fish, it’s a great an opportunity for people to try something they’ve never tried. At the tournament, everyone loved the cactus salsa! There’s…

Yum-Bang! Rockfish Ceviche Recipe Yanni Hassir of Fisherman’s Belly says, “Home from a fishing trip with a bag full of rockfish fillets? Here’s a fast, easy and unforgettable ceviche recipe; Yum Bang Fish Ceviche. We served this ceviche at a party. People couldn’t stop talking about it. It’s made with papaya, fresh rockfish, white and green onions, and ketchup! Find this fish ceviche recipe, and more at Fishermansbelly.com.” Serves 4 Ingredients 1 pound rockfish fillets ¼ Medium papaya diced 4 Stalks green onions chopped ½ White onion diced 1 Bundle cilantro chopped 6 Limes juiced 2 Oranges juiced 6 Tbsp. ketchup 1 Tbsp.…

Peruvians absolutely love ceviche! Their streets are packed with “cevicherias.” They also love their Leche De Tigre, ceviche juice and liquor. This video teaches you how to make both, simply. All you need is your fresh halibut or any white meat fish. My good buddy, Tony Parks and his crew, the boys of Team Sewer (George, Roby, and Greg) have been staying on top of the halibut bite. Their results have been impressive. Tony’s crew is finding that the halibut are staging themselves on canyon’s edges ambushing prey rather than shoreline staging, their more common pattern. My hat is off…

Yanni of Fisherman’s Belly says, “The bluefin are here, but so are the white sea bass. Must be time for a white sea bass recipe!” Small schools can be seen just below the water line searching for an easy meal. In our kayaks, it’s easy to tie ourselves off in the kelp and blend right in while presenting our bait. Just ask my buddy Chris Blevins. He nailed a 64.7-pound monster. That’s a lot of fish! I had to make another white seabass dish, especially since they’re cooperating. I call this dish,  White Seabass Veracruz. It’s inspired from Mexico’s eastern coastal…

Bouillabaisse Recipe A few words from the Chef, Yanni Hassir: “With spring just around the corner, SoCal fishermen are starting to get antsy. Water temps are rising, fin bait is moving to the mid column, and our grey ghosts are infiltrating our shores. I’m not even mentioning the quality sized brut yellowtail acting like starving wolves, or am I? I met a bunch of my fishing buddies on the water in San Diego just a couple of days ago. We’re all looking for a trophy fish just as the winter is ending. Although lately, the bite had been off-and-on, we’re…

Yanni at Fisherman’s Belly makes it look so easy to whip up delicious Mexican Fish Soup in his latest recipe video.  A few simple ingredients and your fresh catch and you too can create these mouth-watering dishes. You can easily call Mexico the land of soup, especially when it comes to fish and seafood soup. Anywhere along Mexico’s coastline you’ll find a family enjoying a bowl of homemade fish soup or, Caldo De Pescado. Here’s your chance to take your fresh catch and turn your house into a coastal casaita, filled with aromas of a hearty Mexican fish soup. This…

Yanni of Fisherman’s Belly says, “Here’s a recipe for the smart SoCal fishermen who are nabbing monster lobsters right after it rains!  Fried Lobster Spring Rolls recipe will put you straight into a Vietnamese village enjoying crunchy spring rolls right out of the frying pan, stuffed with lobster. All you need is a few simple Asian ingredients and fresh lobster.” Enjoy! Vietnamese Fried Lobster Spring Rolls I love spring rolls especially if they’re fried. Traditional Vietnamese fried spring rolls, Cha-Gios, are filled with ground pork and intensely flavorful herbs and vegetables. I’m using lobster instead of pork. Then I’m creating a very…

Yanni from Fisherman’s Belly recently spent some time on the Let’s Talk HookUp show and knocked their socks off with his Lobster Spring Rolls.  He share’s it with us too at BD. Thanks Yanni! Yanni says, “I’ll never forget the first time I ate fresh spring rolls in Little Saigon, SoCal. They were stuffed with shrimp, wild tasting vegetables and herbs, pucker-your-mouth-up dipping sauce, and this wonderfully textured semi-wet rice paper wrapping. The whole thing was so foreign, yet, was an instant hit in my mouth. I was in love. This is my second lobster spring roll recipe. The first…

Yanni Hassir of Fisherman’s Belly has done it again and shares this cooking gem with us at BD.  Yanni said, “While working in Honolulu, I found a restaurant in Little Manila that was serving up Ono Curry. Man, was that tasty. I recall the thick flavorful curry and chunky Ono or wahoo, all on a bed on Jasmine rice. Then, on top of that was caramelized pineapple and a squirt of Sriracha sauce. I’m salivating right now. I’ve recreated this dish many times at home in SoCal, especially when I get the fever to jump on a plane and soak…

Tex Mex Poke Recipe Get ready to turn your fresh fish into a Texas delight. This poke recipe only needs fresh fish, a few ingredients and spices, coupled with hearty corn tortillas and you’ll have poke like no other. Ingredients 2 pounds tuna, small cubes (keep your tuna cubes cold in the refrigerator while making the poke sauce) 1 Bag fried Mexican corn chips ¼ cup Mexican Crema, or sour cream 3 Tbsp. soy sauce 2 Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped 4 Stalks of green onions 1 Bundle of cilantro Coarse black pepper Ground cayenne pepper (mild chill powder is…

Thai Fish Soup Recipe Yanni says, “This Thai fish soup recipe will turn your mouth into a dance hall.  Fish soup is good for the soul. Your soul will be happy with this recipe right out of Thailand. The flavors are clean, crisp and they’ll turn your mouth into a dance hall. It’s so easy to make—it took me less than a half hour. Eating this soup puts you on the shores of Thailand enjoying the same foods and flavors as the locals. The ingredients are readily available in any Asian market. The only thing left is catching that fish. Catch…

Yanni from Fisherman’s Belly is at it again with another amazing recipe video.  This time its Crispy Fish Tacos. Check out his easy to follow and fun to watch step-by-step how to videos for many types of recipes. Fisherman’s Belly is a great source of cooking information, recipes, and techniques.

Yanni Hassir of Fisherman’s Belly has a cure for the chill of winter.  How about some wahoo chili or make it with the fish of your choice. Yanni said, “I have a simple deal with my fishing buddies, they give me fish, I give them recipes. That was the deal with Rick Dahl and his 106-pound wahoo that he scored recently in Mag Bay” Check out this and many more recipes at Fisherman’s Belly.

Yanni Hassir of Fisherman’s Belly is tempting our taste buds again with this amazing Ecuadorian Wahoo Ceviche. Yanni says, “I’ve got lots of friends coming home with wahoo and they’re asking for recipes.  I love latin cuisine, where ceviche is king. You can walk the streets of Ecuador and find my recipe using any firm white fish. It’s the real deal. Wahoo is a perfect candidate. When my fishing buddy, Dave Greenjeans came home from a 9 day on the Spirit of Adventure, out of San Diego it set the wheels in motion. Next Wahoo recipe will be Wahoo Chili.”…

Yanni is at it again! Cooler waters are making for a great SoCal lobster season. Here’s a tasty sandwich that’s way gourmet and way easy to make! With a few fresh ingredients and a couple of lobster tails, you’ll be in sandwich heaven! Find more easy and exciting seafood recipes like this, at FishermansBelly.com

Yanni from Fisherman’s Belly has recreated a fantastic meal he experienced from a street vendor in a back alley of Puerto Nuevo. He had a Baja Lobster Burrito in combination with Guacamole Tacquero, another first. A meal Yanni will never forget and now you can taste it too. Check out this and more at Fisherman’s Belly.

Yanni from Fisherman’s Belly has a brand new recipe for a delicious lobster breakfast after a long night of SoCal lobstering. The reports are good and his buddy has inspired this Green Eggs and Lobster recipe. Visit Fisherman’s Belly for the full written recipe or more great cooking ideas.

Yanni of Fisherman’s Belly has done it again.  He has taken a simple dish and made it into a delicacy.  This works with many types of fish and is quick and easy.  There is also a tangy homemade tartar sauce to go with. This is not your Momma’s fish sticks from a box! You can check out the full written recipe and so many more delicious ideas at Fisherman’s Belly.  You need to go fishing, just so you can make this.

Well Yanni of Fisherman’s Belly is at it again.  His latest kayak catch was a mixed bag of rockfish and he shares his recipe for grilling his whitefish whole over the embers. A succulent way to celebrate the retreat of red crabs. Check out Fisherman’s Belly for the written version and many more amazing seafood and fish recipes by Yanni.