Waterman Martini

On his penultimate drop he deploys an “aspetto” technique, scratching rocks to attract curious fish, then waiting, breath held, at depth, hoping one will emerge from the murk. A big blue rockfish obliges and Keener’s shot is true. Soon the four of us are waiting for a window between the bigger and bigger breakers to beach ourselves awkwardly on the stony shore.

PACIFIC TO PLATE

The haul fills the stylish cutting boards provided by yet another partner, The Rustic Craftsman (aka Lindsey Krezeczowski), and plates from local textile savant, Nicole Pilar. We add mussels we gather from the shallows.

“Yes, there’s a challenge to the ocean: How deep and how long you can dive,” Keener says. “But it doesn't have to stop there. Cooking is hard.”

That thought primed Gentry, Keener and Charlie Robinton to arrange 2019’s Catch and Cook Competition at Monterey Bay Kayaks on Del Monte Beach. Unlike most fishing tournaments, the goal would not be catching the biggest fish but cooking the best dish.

They expected a dozen entrants. Thirty-eight showed for the 6am safety check and returned by the 1pm deadline with a prepared plate. Divers’ families joined a Save Our Shores trash-collection competition that earned an 8-year-old a $500 prize package. Local businesses contributed $15,000 in awards and raffle items. Celebrated Monterey chefs Danny Abbruzzese (Portola Hotel, By The Bay BBQ, Seaside Seafood & Market), Tom Snyder (Seventh & Dolores) and Colin Moody (The Club at Pasadera) judged.

“I didn’t know who the hell they were, but I wanted to check it out,” Moody says. “When I saw what was going on—no bravado, more about family, local identity and conservation, the whole package—I thought it was badass.”

Dishes got surprisingly complex, like the second-place crispy skin grassy rockfish with dirty rice made with 100% wild-harvested ingredients. Moody was so impressed with Shane Wescott’s third place rockfish, wrapped in puff pastry and baked with bricks in the sand, he almost offered him a job.

The event’s organic success inspired Fin + Forage itself and our own version of it on this winter day. Moody, now Fin + Forage’s head chef, is among those who greet us on the South Coast shore. He surveys the spoils and springs into action.

“It’s fun when you don’t know what’s coming,” he says with a big smile.

Moody cleans and gently sautés everything from the crab to the mussels. He thinly slices a big limpet, an abalone cousin. He sears it and some scallops in brown butter. Between the stock and the fruits de mer, Moody uses every bit of the seafood, layering the tender fish and invertebrates over sourdough crumbs, and garnishing with spot prawn shell powder and sea lettuce-infused potato foam. Dish number two is blue rock cod-scallop ceviche with grilled citrus and avocado served with crispy fish skin and sea lettuce chicharrons. (See recipe, page xx.)

While this is happening, sommelier and local event coordinator Toby Rowland-Jones, F + F’s house mixologist, pairs Galante Viognier, Dawn’s Dream Rosé from the Santa Lucia Highlands and his own cocktail creations with the food. Not a bad Pacific-to-plate picnic.

Moody has been around the area—and in and out of the bay exploring and surfing—for decades. He’s seen some things, but never anything quite like the Fin + Forage menu.

“As chefs we get some foraged things,” he says, “but not stuff like this.”

The next Catch and Cook Competition will expand well beyond Monterey Bay, happening via YouTube, and launching as soon as early March, with a three-month deadline. Categories will range from Best Meal to Best Story to People’s Choice, with celebrity judges like Outdoor Chef Life’s Taku and spearfishing cinematography star David Ochoa joining local judges like Moody.

After lunch, he and I stand on the beach and watch the persisting swell obscure whatever might be on the horizon.

“We know what we want to do and what we want to be a part of,” Moody says. “It’s about holding on to that and being ready with your skills and experience. The path ahead may not be clear, but our intentions can be.”

That thought feels right on time. The uncertainty surrounding coronavirus on land and the ills we’ve caused our oceans can be unnerving, but only seem to inspire and intensify Fin + Forage’s push for engagement and education. It also makes navigating the onrushing future that much more important—and adventurous. A full send is only appropriate.

Mark C. Anderson is a roving reporter, editor and photographer based in Seaside, California. Reach him via @MontereyMCA on Instagram and Twitter. MontereyMCA.

Courtesy Toby Rowland-Jones and Good Ship Pip Pip

2 unces Gray Whale Gin ¾ ounce Campari Juice of 1 grilled or fire-roasted tangerine Smoked citrus sea salt

Shake and strain into martini glass rimmed with juice of tangerine and smoked citrus sea salt. Makes 1 drink.