Dining This Week
Captain Jim’s Seafood
by Sherley Buckland
Dining out is wonderful, especially in
Dining
in can be equally fabulous when you have a friend like Marc Smith of Captain
Jim’s Seafood in
Smith, originally from Tarboro, purchased Captain Jim’s Seafood four years ago thinking this would be his “retirement.” In that time he has eluded retirement by taking a struggling fish house and turned it into a profitable seafood business.
According to Smith, he “learns something new every day and is completely dependant on the local fishermen,” with 90 percent of his inventory brought in daily by them. His inventory changes regularly, depending on the season and water conditions. During my visit, he had just received approximately 60 pounds of triggerfish, which he was certain would be gone by the end of the day.
Captain Jim’s Seafood is a wholesale and retail seafood business, meaning the seafood comes directly to him from the fishermen (sometimes he even has to meet them at their boats). Here the seafood is packed and distributed to area fish markets, restaurants and seafood dealers across the state. Smith also ensures a quality selection in his storefront each day for the general public, stating, “My primary goal is working with the public and providing the best quality, freshest seafood available out of our waters.”
A member of the Carteret Catch program, Captain Jim’s
plays a vital role is extending their mission – to sustain the livelihood
and heritage of the
Daily
offerings at Captain Jim’s Seafood include fresh crabmeat from Oriental,
whole fresh fish or fillets of favorites such as grouper, flounder, mahi,
yellowfin tuna, sea scallops, bay scallops, local shrimp, gulf shrimp, local
soft shell crabs, clams and cleaned conchs. When oysters are in season and the
waters are open Captain Jim’s offers oysters from North River and
Call-ahead orders and special requests are welcome and don’t forget dessert – they offer key lime and pineapple cream cheese pies for sale as well.
If all this talk about fresh local seafood has your mouth watering, and your thinking, “dining in does sound fabulous tonight,” pick up some Carteret Catch and give one of these recipes a try.
You’re sure to discover a fabulous “dinner in” is just what the Captain ordered.
Chef Tim Coyne of Bistro by the Sea, also a member of Carteret Catch, suggests Wild striped bass with corn sauce and fennel and tomato compote:
Ingredients
For
the corn sauce
2
ears of corn, shucked
1
T. olive oil
¼
cup onion, minced
1
celery stalk, minced
¼
cup yellow bell pepper, minced
¼
cup white wine
½
cup shrimp stock
½
cup heavy cream
Salt
and pepper
For
the tomato confit
4
large roma tomatoes, peeled, cut in half, and seeded
1
garlic clove, peeled
2/3
cup olive oil
For
the fennel compote
½
large fennel bulb, cut into ¼ inch dice
Salt
and pepper
For
the striped bass
Four
6-ounce striped bass fillets, skin on
Salt
and pepper
2
t. crushed fennel seeds
Technique
For
the corn sauce
1)
Stand an ear of corn in a large bowl and, with a knife, shave the
kernels off into a bowl. Turn the knife over and, with the back of the blade
scrape out the cream and juices. Set
aside.
2)
Heat oil in a sauce pan and when shimmering add onion, celery and pepper and
cook until softened. Add corn and juices and cook for 5 minutes. Add wine and
bring to a simmer. Add stock, cream, salt and pepper. Transfer to a blender
and process until smooth. Keep
warm.
For
the tomato confit
1)
Put the tomatoes, garlic, and oil in a small saucepan and heat over low
heat until the tomatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon,
transfer tomatoes to a bowl and keep warm.
Reserve the oil.
For
the compote
1)
Heat the oil from the tomatoes over medium heat. Add fennel, salt and
pepper and cook, stirring every now and then until the fennel is soft, about 5
minutes.
For
the bass
1)
Heat two heavy frying pans. Add one tablespoon of oil to each and heat
until the oil shimmers. Meanwhile, sprinkle the bass on both sides with salt,
pepper, and the crushed fennel seeds.
2)
Place two fillets, skin side down, in each of the pans and cook until
the skin is lightly browned and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes.
3)
Carefully turn the fillets with a spatula and cook until just cooked
through, 2 to 3 more minutes.
To
plate
Spoon
¼ of the corn sauce on each of four plates.
Place ¼ of the fennel compote in the center of the corn sauce.
Top with a bass fillet, skin side up. Top each fillet with ¼ of the
tomato confit. Can be garnished with fresh parsley or basil.
Location
Phone 726-3454
Reservations Special orders and requests welcomed
10/05/07
See the previously reviewed restaurants on the Restaurant Archive page
Featured listings in this series:
Morehead City
Capt. Jim’s
Seafood-Fresh seafood sold by the
pound
Price Range:
$1.99-$12.99 lb.
4665 Arendell St.
252-727-3454
Captain’s Table-
Seafood and Southern Style cooking, Breakfast and Lunch Favorites
Price Range:
$1-9
Reservations:
N/A
Dress:
Beach Casual
4113 Arendell St.
Cattle Ranch &
Oceans Restaurant-Seafood,
Steaks, Greek,
Mediterranean Cuisine
Price Range:
$3-25
Reservations:
Accepted
Dress:
Beach Casual
4051 Arendell St.
252-726-0120
Floyd’s 1921-Southern
and eclectic
Price Range:
$4-28
Reservations:
Encouraged
Dress:
Business casual
Fourth
and Bridges Street
(252)
727-1921
Mrs. Culpepper’s
Crab Café & Thai Stir Fry-
Thai & Seafood
Price Range:
$5.50-14.95
Reservations:
N/A
Dress:
Business Casual
5370-D Hwy 70W
252-240-1960
Mrs. Willis
Restaurant-Seafood-Steaks-American
Favorites
Price Range:
$2-25
Reservations:
Accepted
Dress:
Business Casual
3114 Bridges St.
252-726-3741
Smithfield’s
Chicken & Bar-B-Q-Barbecue,
Chicken, Shrimp
Price Range:
.79-$20
Reservations:
N/A
Dress:
Beach Casual
4114 Arendell St.
252-247-7476
Atlantic
Beach
Amos Mosquito’s-Swampy
Chic, Cajun Style Cuisine
Price Range: $5-30
Reservations: Accepted
Dress:
Business Casual
703 E. Fort Macon Road
252-247-6222
Channel Marker-Seafood-Fresh
Grilled-Blackened Seafood-Angus Beef
Price Range: $9.95-37.95
Reservations: Accepted
Dress: Business
Casual
718 Atlantic Beach
Causeway
252-247-2344
White Swan BBQ-Country
Style Barbecue
Price Range: $3-10
Reservations:
N/A
Dress:
Beach Casual
2500 W Fort Macon Road
252-726-9607
Beaufort
Sharpies Restaurant-Contemporary
Coastal Cuisine
Price Range:
$6-35
Reservations:
Accepted
Dress:
Business Casual
521 Front St., Beaufort
252-838-0101
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