National Culinary Review

Give a chef seafood to menu and the result will be a flavorful dish with a unique twist. With so many choices, chefs and diners alike can enjoy a seemingly endless repertoire of extraordinary seafood items. Here, we offer fish and shellfish recipes guaranteed to get the creative juices flowing.

California Avocado, Prawn and
Endive Salad

Jen Biesty, Chef Scala's Bistro San Francisco

California Avocado Commission

Gently Roasted Alaska Halibut with Leeks,
Peppers and Olives

Jerry Traunfeld, Executive Chef Poppy Seattle Yield: 8 servings

Yield: 4 servings

4 oz. black olive tapenade

9 oz. olive oil, divided

12 (16/20) prawns, butterflied Kosher salt, as needed

1 qt. avocado oil ¼ oz. ( 2) garlic cloves, crushed

1 oz. (1) Fresno chili, cut in quarters

3 sprigs marjoram, bruised ½-inch piece ginger, peeled, roughly chopped 8 oz. extra virgin olive oil

4 oz. Meyer lemon juice

1½ t. salt, divided ¼ t. pepper

12 oz. ( 6 heads) endive, cut in ½-inch pieces 13 oz. fresh California avocados, peeled, ²/³ oz. (1 bunch) thyme, finely chopped

2 oz. honey

1 garlic clove, microplaned

2 oz. almonds, roughly chopped

1 oz. lemon juice

1) Put leeks, peppers, saffron and butter in large sauté pan or deep pot. Pour in chicken broth. Cook over medium-high heat until leeks are soft and broth boils down to about ¹/³ amount, 12-15 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, olives and a good grinding of black pepper. Taste; add salt as needed. 2) Preheat oven to 300°F. 3) Reheat leek mixture to a simmer. Pour ²/³ into 9x13-inch baking dish. 4) Season halibut with salt. Arrange over leeks; spoon remaining leeks over fish. Bake until halibut flakes apart slightly when nudged with finger and interior is no longer translucent, 25-35 minutes. Serve immediately with steamed or boiled small potatoes.

1) Mix black olive tapenade with 1 oz. olive
oil to thin to drizzling consistency. Add more
oil, as necessary. 2) Season prawns with
kosher salt; refrigerate. 3) Put avocado oil
in shallow, wide saucepot. Add crushed
garlic, chili, marjoram and ginger. Put on
medium-low heat; slowly bring oil up to
180ºF. Remove from heat; let steep 30
minutes to infuse flavors. 4) Strain oil; put
on medium heat. Remove prawns from
refrigerator. When oil is hot, add prawns;
cook 3 minutes, or until cooked through.
5) In small bowl, whisk together extra virgin
olive oil, Meyer lemon juice, 1 t. salt and
pepper. 6) Combine endive in bowl with
Meyer lemon vinaigrette. Add avocado;
toss to combine. 7) Pour remaining olive
oil into small bowl. Add thyme immediately
to preserve color. Add honey, microplaned
garlic, almonds, lemon juice and remaining
salt; stir to combine. 8) To assemble: Place 1
cup avocado/endive salad in center of each
plate. Stand up 3 prawns in circle around
salad. Drizzle ¹/³ cup thyme/honey/almond
pesto around salad. Drizzle 1 oz. black olive
tapenade mixture around each plate.