Take home sea treats

If you’re in the grab and go mood, here are some great take home ideas from Santa Barbara Fish Market. Depending on the season, and your appetite, they can make for a quick snack or a complete meal.

Ahi Poke

The core ingredient here is sashimi grade ahi tuna, combined with fresh ogo seaweed (locally farmed by The Abalone Farm), wakami seaweed, sesame oil, fresh chopped green onions, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and sesame oil. The fish is gently mixed together with and then topped with toasted sesame seeds. “We make our poke fresh every few hours to ensure it is as fresh and tasty as can be,” says owner, Brian Colgate.

Ceviche

Made fresh on site daily with white fish and sometimes shrimp, the ceviche is a true house favorite. The key ingredient is fresh fish, which, depending on the season can be local halibut, local white sea bass, or local or pacific snapper. The fish are cut into pieces ranging from 1/4” to 1/2” cubes, and then marinated in fresh lemon juice for 3 to12 hours depending on the type of fish and the size of the cubes. “We always chop the vegetables fresh on site after the fish has been marinated in lemon juice and is ready to eat,” says Colgate. “We use tomato, cucumber, red onion, bell pepper, cilantro, chill flakes, salt and pepper as standard baseline ingredients. We try and keep it simple and let the flavor of the fresh fish be the main focus!”

Sea Urchin

The Market offers only locally harvested, Santa Barbara Sea Urchin. Because of its unique warm and cold swirling currents, the waters in the Santa Barbara Channel are known as one of the best regions in the world for sea urchin, which are hand harvested and delivered to the Market by commercial divers. Sea urchin is great raw by itself, or as a spread on toast or vegetables, or in pasta. The hard part, which the Market has so elegantly done for you, is getting past the spike like spines. Delicious!

For more info call SBFM at 805-965-9564.

If you choose the poke as your take home dish, try pairing it with some homemade spicy garlic fries…like these

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 Tablespoons Avocado oil

(this light-tasting oil is not only high in monounsaturated fats, but can withstand high-heat cooking. Besides, the flavors of avocado and tuna are a great pair!)

3 large Idaho baking spuds, 12 ounces each

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves Teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 450° F. Sautee the oil and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat for two minutes. Separate the garlic from the oil with a mesh strainer. Set both garlic and oil aside.

After cutting the spuds into 1/4-inch sticks, toss them in a large bowl with the oil and salt using your hands. Assemble in a single, even layer on a coated baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until crisp and golden in color. Remove potatoes from the tray with tongs. Toss with parsley, Cayenne pepper, reserved garlic, and additional salt, to taste. Serve family style with the poke, ceviche and urchin.

Once butter is emulsified into the wine/shallot mixture set the pot back on low flame, then add the rest of butter whisking until fully emulsified. Add the juice of meyer lemon & salt to taste. Strain into small container keeping it warm (not hot!)

The Fish:

Corvina (Skin On)

Grapeseed Oil

Preheat oven to 450˚ F

Heat enough oil to coat the bottom of a cast iron pan. Season fish with salt and pepper with both sides. When the oil begins to smoke add the fish skin side down. After a couple seconds, reduce heat to medium high until there is slight color on the fish where it meets the pan. Put entire pan in the oven. After 5 minutes, check fish (it should look slightly opaque and pink). Flip fish over so the flesh side is now in the pan. Let it sit one minute in pan.

Accoutrements:

10 ea. Rock Shrimp

1 tbl. Butter

1 1/2 cup shredded Savoy

Cabbage

1 1/2 cup Salsify

Heat a heavy bottom pan over high heat. Add grapeseed oil to the pan. When the oil starts to smoke, add salsify to the pan with rock shrimp. Reduce heat to medium and let caramelize about 1 minute. Add savoy cabbage to pan with the butter and 2oz. of chicken stock or water. Toss to evenly cook the cabbage, and let liquid reduce down. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.

Place Corvina on top of cabbage/salsify mix. Spoon sauce around the outside.

Pure Joy Caprese

(6-8 servings)

Properly pronounced caaprays-zay, the Caprese is a deceivingly simple dish that’s all about the integrity of the components. This dish originated in the island of Capri, I admit I have strayed a bit from its pure simplicity but it’s a delicious deviation. I like to reduce my own balsamic vinegar to take the edge off and give it a bit of body so it sits thicker on the salad instead of pooling on the plate. Toasted walnuts give it a nice crunch too. Heirloom tomatoes are key and can be the green striped zebra, the sweet orange ones, the odd shaped darker red ones or the endless variety we are so fortunate to have on display throughout the summer and fall here in Santa Barbara.

4 lb. local heirloom tomatoes (DO NOT REFRIGERATE)

2 lb. fresh mozzarella

2 bunch fresh basil or wild arugula

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Maldon flake salt & freshly ground pepper

Optional garnish:

Balsamic vinegar (boil; reduce by half to thicken)

Handful of toasted pine nuts

Quarter inch slice the tomatoes and cheese. Arrange with the cleaned basil or arugula & drizzle with the best olive oil you have, dot with reduced balsamic, maldon salt & pepper. Finish with the pine nuts if you like.

SCARLETT BEGONIA’S

BRASADELLA BISCOTTI

Not a traditional biscotti, as it is not baked twice. Wonderful cake texture with the dryness of a biscotti, perfect with espresso.

14 ounces AP Flour

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

6 ounces Butter

7 ounces Sugar

2 Eggs

¼ cup Milk

1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest

1 teaspoon Almond Extract

1 teaspoon Anise Extract

Cream butter and sugar; add eggs one at a time. Add milk, lemon zest and extracts. Add dry ingredients.

Place dough on floured board, knead until firm, and roll into a log. Shape log into an s on the half sheet. Score with a knife down the center of the dough, sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Sicilian Style Steamed Black Mussels

(Serves: 7)

Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 30 minutes

5 lbs Live Black Mussels

2 cups Chardonnay Wine (if you drink wine, use the wine you will serve with dinner)

5-6 Roma Tomatoes (fairly firm) Roughly chopped

1/2 cup White onion Diced

1 1/2 sticks Sweet butter

4-5 cloves Fresh garlic smashed & chopped

2 tbls olive oil

1/4 cup Fresh basil (fine chop)

1/4 cup Fresh Italian Parsley (fine chop)

1 tsp Sea salt

1/2 tsp Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

1/4 tsp Ground cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp Crushed Chili Flakes

1/4 tsp Dry oregano

1-2 loaf Fresh Baked Crusty Bread

First scrub and de-beard the mussels under cold running water (discard any mussels that have stayed open during this process, as they are most likely dead).

In a large stock pot heat the olive oil and the butter over a medium-high heat until the butter is melted and the two have mixed together. Add in the onions and sweat them for about 5 minutes

Turn down the heat to medium; add in the salt, chili flakes, black pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano and garlic Sauté for about 2-3 minutes then add in the chopped Roma tomatoes. Cook these down for about 5 minutes and add in the wine. Mix this all together for 5 minutes and then add in the mussels.

Stir the mussels as good as you can and then cover the pot. The mussels will create a

Home Cooking

lot of liquid which will bring the sauce together. Let the mussels steam for about 5 minutes; then carefully remove the lid and stir the mussels; replace the lid and steam for another 5 minutes

The mussels should be opening by now; check to see how they are doing and give them another stir; replace the lid and finish steaming for about 5 more minutes. Carefully remove the lid and stir in the Italian Parsley and basil

Serve these up in a large bowl (with the liquid broth) discard any mussels that did not open during the cooking Most important thing is serve these with a fresh baked crusty bread so you can sop up the broth. (Trust me you’ll want to drink the broth.) —Recipe is courtesy of Whole Foods Market, 3761 State St. 805837-6959.

LEMON FILLED LAVENDER CUPCAKES

1 cup all purpose flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon dried lavender flowers

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

2 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

1/4 cup lemon curd

1 stick butter, room temperature

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1.5 teaspoons lavender honey*

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Pulse lavender flowers and sugar in a food processor to combine. Beat lavender sugar and butter together until pale and fluffy. Beat the eggs into the butter mixture, one at a time, then sift in the flour mixture and fold gently. Stir in the milk, then spoon the mixture into the muffin cups.

Bake for about 18 minutes until risen and golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely. Use a paring knife or melon baller, remove a “plug” from center of cupcakes. Fill hole with lemon curd. Beat butter, cream cheese, and honey together until combined. Beat in sugar until stiff enough. Frost cupcakes and top with a lavender flower. (*Lavender honey is available at gourmet food stores such as Whole Foods.) —Recipe by Mariana Delio, blogger, YummyMummyKitchen.com

BALSAMIC STRAWBERRY & GOAT CHEESE TOASTS

(Serves 4-6)

1 baguette, sliced on the diagonal and toasted

4 oz goat cheese at room temperature

1 pint/basket fresh strawberries, diced

2 tablespoons good quality aged balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

In a medium bowl, stir strawberries with balsamic and basil. Spread goat cheese over bread slices and top with strawberry mixture.

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