Sautéed Yellowtail & Summer Salad
Photo by Oriana Poindexter.
This recipe uses a 1-inch thick fillet, skin-on, of California Yellowtail. California Yellowtail in its raw form is a translucent pink, and cooks white. It is firm and dense, with a milder flavor than tuna, but is richer tasting than most “white” or lean fish.
California Yellowtail does not belong to the same family as our tunas, but is sometimes confused with Yellowfin Tuna due to the superficial similarities in their names. Compared side-by-side with one another, Yellowtail are much “thinner” in body, unlike the torpedo-shaped tuna, and also have leaner and lighter-colored meat.
Ingredients
1/2 pound fillet of California Yellowtail, skin-on
2 tablespoons neutral oil, or 1 pat of unsalted butter
Sprouts
Preferred salad greens (romaine, arugula, etcetera)
Fresh corn, sliced in ribs off the cob
Halved cherry tomatoes
Cocktail cucumber, thinly sliced
Your dressing of choice
Salt and pepper to taste
For Hot Honey Basil Marinade
Fistful of basil
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 jalepeno (seeded)
3 tablespoons EVOO
1 tablespoon honey
Photo by Oriana Poindexter.
Sautéed fish over a seasonal salad ought to be a go-to meal for anyone looking to eat more fish on a regular basis. It’s inherently customizable, depending on what’s in season, and creates a lot of sensory satisfaction because it both looks beautiful and tastes great.
Photo by Oriana Poindexter.
How to Prepare:
1. Pulse marinade in blender or food processor, marinate serving of California Yellowtail overnight.
2. Heat up a skillet over a medium-high flame, adding your oil of choice.
3. Sear fillet skin-side down. Flip after skin becomes crispy (about 3 minutes).
4. Turn down the heat to medium-low and cook for 3-5 more minutes, or until fully cooked. Slightly rare in the middle is also delicious, cook according to your preference. Remove immediately from heat
3. Serve on top of your assembled summer salad ingredients and pair with your favorite dressing.
