Finding Local Fish in Sacramento

J — “They’re inside the Asian Food Market on Broadway,” I was told.

Right. The good sources are usually hidden away like that. For years I had driven by Sunh Fish not knowing what I was missing. Of course, Luke knew all along. Then, The Son took over for The Father and things got even better. Not only were they easier to find in their huge new space at 19th & V Streets with lots of parking, but they were just 4 blocks from home. How cool is that.

Want fish tonight? Don’t even have to decide which fish. Just walk a few blocks and choose from an amazing array: sushi-grade ahi, salmon and hamachi, wild black sea bass, whole branzino, wild Alaskan halibut, live lobsters and oysters, a half-dozen types of shrimp… and on!

So, in our quest to share local resources, we took a photo journey there early on a Friday morning to see them prepare shipments for their wholesale business.

This is a serious operation: picking, packing and sending for delivery hundreds of orders from, basically, all the top restaurants within a 50-mile radius. The names of Mulvaney, Ella, Mikuni, Hana, and many more, were hurriedly written on pallets of product as they were loaded.

The whole thing was over in 90-minutes. Wow!

Now, retail customers start arriving.

Dots connect! Light bulbs go off! This is the center of the fish universe in Sacramento, and we get to shop here. Life is good!

A Recipe

Just so you know I’m not lying, here’s a riff on the French classic salade frisee with lardons… only the poached eggs are replaced with huge, Cajun-seared scallops from Sunh Fish.

Frisee Salad with Cajun Seared Scallops and Pepper-Bacon Lardons

Recipe type: Mains

Author: Jim

Prep time: 25 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 8 large, “dry” scallops
• 2 Tbsp. Cajun spice mix/rub. I prefer Paul Prudhomme’s, but just about any good one will do fine.
• 1 lb pepper bacon, cut as lardons. Have the butcher cut generous ½-inch-thick slices from a slab and remove the skin, if any. Then, at home, make ½-inch cubes from the slices before cooking.
• 2 small heads of frisee [baby curly endive]
• Good croutons. Make them yourself! It’s dead easy and way cheaper.
• ⅓ cup + 2 Tbsp. grapeseed oil. You can use olive oil, but grapeseed oil has a more neutral flavor and won’t burn.
• 1 Tbsp. course-grained Dijon mustard.
• ¼ cup white Balsamic vinegar. Use more or less, depending on emulsification and how sweet you want the dressing.
• Salt and pepper to taste. Smoked finishing salt, if desired.

Instructions

1. Make croutons, if you are. Set aside.
2. Cube and cook lardons. Drain. Set aside.
3. Pat scallops dry of excess moisture. Coat evenly with spices.
4. Heat flat-top or heavy skillet on high until hot. Add 2 Tbsp. oil. When shimmering, turn heat to medium-high, add scallops and sear on one side for 1 to 2 minutes. Turn scallops and sear the other side for about the same time. Set aside on paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
5. Wash and break up the frisee into manageable pieces.
6. Whisk Dijon, oil and white balsamic vinegar to emulsify. Add salt and pepper to taste. Correct with balsamic, if needed.
7. Pour dressing in bottom of large bowl. Add frisee, lardons, croutons and toss well. Serve in large, individual salad bowls.
8. Place 2 scallops on top of each salad. Sprinkle with ground pepper and a pinch of smoked finishing salt, if desired.
9. Enjoy.

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