Local Food: Essence of Fish

I picked up over 2 ½ lbs of fluke and about 2 lbs of white sea bass yesterday from Catalina Offshore Products. I had called last night and was told that 2 lbs of this local catch was just the right amount for a meal for two. Hmmm, perhaps if we were dolphins. It appears that fish is on the menu for the rest of the week.

The Catalina warehouse is located in a commercial district near the bay and surrounded by other fish suppliers. On entering the office, I was taken right back to Aix-en-Provence, the little town in France where I met my husband (who was living in an apartment directly over the daily fish market). As I loaded the cardboard box of plastic-wrapped fish into the car a few minutes later, I admit to smiling smugly to myself. There's nothing like the satisfaction earned from a purchase well researched!

We prepared about half the halibut last night, and my husband – official meat cooker of the household – pulled out his trusty George Foreman cookbook and grill to cook it up. Here’s the oh-so-easy recipe that we used (I had all the required ingredients!):

Quick & Easy Halibut Fillets

1 t. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 T. fresh parsley, finely minced
1 t. black pepper, coarsely ground
4 6 oz. Halibut fillets

In a small bowl, combine first five ingredients. Warm up the grill (to 300 degrees if you’re using your Foreman) and drizzle the sauce over the fillets. Cook until opaque (4-8 minutes on the Foreman).

Afterwards, our neighbor came up and made mojitos with mint picked from our garden outside. The mint appeared last summer of its own accord and has since been growing with great panache. I’m hesitant to plant any herbs purposely though, for fear of our rather over-zealous gardeners that like to cut back with a weed-wacker. Stay tuned because I have another plan!