When I was growing up in Seattle, one on my family’s favorite places to “eat out” was at the Captain’s Table. We often came into town on a Sunday evening and waited patiently for a table. The moment I walked into the restaurant, I could smell the sea. There were lobster tanks all around to look into and the noises of happy people. The waiters knew how to treat children and immediately made me feel special. We came for their salmon and were never disappointed. It was a family place and a celebratory experience all rolled into one.
Today, McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants, located in Bellevue’s Lincoln Square, has built its reputation by focusing on providing its guests of all ages with a quality dining experience. It, too, has a service staff that can make anyone feel at ease. It also has a menu that offers more choices than you can imagine.
I love to check out what is fresh, and I found that McCormick & Schmick’s fresh sheet-menus are printed daily and highlight the arrival of more than 30 seafood species. You may find out that its lunch menu differs from dinner offerings, as fresh deliveries arrive throughout the day.
“McCormick & Schmick’s sterling reputation and high level of guest loyalty are a result of our commitment to customer service,” said General Manager Jeremy Plowman.
This popular Eastside restaurant provides guests with liberal portions at reasonable prices. And in today’s economy, that sounds great. I have to tell you that it was hard to choose what to eat from the vast menu.
As a lover of cookbooks, I had to get “McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant Cookbook” (Arnica Publishing), priced at $19.95. These recipes are all favorites of the chefs and have been tailor-made so that home cooks like me and you can bring freshness, quality and excellence to the dinner table. I vote for that!
In this second edition, McCormick & Schmick’s editors have added a “Heart-Healthy” section. It includes recipes such as a Rainbow Cobb Salad and Seafood Chili. With a growing concern for eating foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, seafood may help to maintain cardiovascular health by playing a role in the regulation of blood clotting and vessel construction — food for thought!
Best of all, the recipes in the cookbook are easy to prepare and very quick. It’s worth getting a copy, but in the meantime, here is a sample of some of the great dishes for your enjoyment. McCormick & Schmick’s is located at 700 Bellevue Way in Lincoln Square. Call for reservations at (425) 454-2606. Check out McCormick’s Fish House & Bar in Seattle, at 722 4th Ave., 682-3900, and 1103 1st Ave., 623-5500; and Harborside, at 1200 Westlake Ave. N., 270-9052.
McCORMICK & SCHMICK’S CEDAR-PLANKED SALMON WITH NORTHWEST BERRY SAUCE
Yield: 4 servings
1 cedar wood plank (for indoor use only)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 (6- to 7-ounce) salmon fillets
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup Northwest Berry Sauce; see recipe below
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush the sides of the cedar plank with oil. Place the salmon on the board and moisten the fillets with a small amount of oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the board in the hot oven and roast until the fillets are done, 7 to 8 minutes. Salmon is perfectly cooked when it is still slightly pink in the center of the fillet. Drizzle the Northwest Berry Sauce on the side.
NORTHWEST BERRY SAUCE
Yield: 2 cups
1 1/2 cups frozen, mixed berries
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 large shallot, chopped (or 2 TBS. chopped onion)
4 to 5 whole black peppercorns
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 lb. very cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Place the berries in a saucepan with 1/4 cup water and simmer on low heat until the berries are mushy and the mixture is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
While berries are cooking, place the white wine and vinegar, shallots, peppercorns and heavy cream into another saucepan. Reduce the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches the consistency of corn syrup. Strain out shallots and peppercorns. Strain the berry mixture into the wine mixture and discard the berry solids. Remove the mixture from the heat and whisk, adding the butter two to three cubes at a time.
BRONZED MAHI MAHI WITH PAN-ROASTED CORN SALSA
Yield: 2 servings
McCormick & Schmick’s is now serving this dish with avocado corn salsa and jalapeno polenta in the restaurant. This is a great dish to utilize local corn but still works well year round.
2 (6- to 7-ounce) mahi mahi fillets
4 ounces of your favorite barbecue sauce
4 ounces butter
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely diced green bell pepper
1 cup corn, fresh off the cob or frozen
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup purchased salsa of your choice
4 cups black beans, cooked or canned
Grill mahi mahi, basting frequently in barbecue sauce. Meanwhile, sauté the onions, peppers and corn in the butter until cooked but still crunchy. Season with cumin, salt, pepper and lime juice. Add the salsa. Toss to blend and divide mixture onto serving plates. Place a mound of the black beans in the center of each plate and top the beans with the mahi mahi fillets.
AVOCADO SALSA
Yield: 1 cup
Another choice salsa topping.
1 large avocado, diced to about 1/2 inch
1 1/2 TBS. finely diced onion
1 tsp. minced jalapeno pepper
1 1/2 tsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 TBS. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 TBS. purchased salsa
Pinch of salt
Combine all ingredients and fold to blend. Be careful not to smash the avocados.
McCORMICK & SCHMICK’S GRILLED RAINBOW TROUT
Yield: 2 servings
2 rainbow trout fillets
2 TBS. vegetable oil
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 TBS. melted butter
1/2 tsp. chopped chives
4 TBS. Hazelnut–Apple Chutney
Coat the fish with vegetable oil, season with salt and pepper, and grill over a hot fire. Transfer the fish to serving plates, coat each fillet with the melted butter, and scatter with chopped chives. Serve alongside the Hazelnut–Apple Chutney.
HAZELNUT–APPLE CHUTNEY
1/4 cup diced onion
1 cup diced Granny Smith apples
2 TBS. butter
2 TBS. cider vinegar
1/2 cup Major Grey’s Chutney
Sauté the onions and apples in the butter until they are soft and lightly browned. Add the vinegar. Stir together and remove from the heat to cool. When the apple mix has cooled to room temperature, combine it with the chutney and mix thoroughly.
McCORMICK & SCHMICK’S LEMON BUTTER SAUCE
Yield: 1 cup
6 ounces white wine
2 TBS. freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 whole black peppercorns
1 shallot, quartered
1 cup heavy cream
6 ounces cold, unsalted butter; cut into pieces
3 ounces cold butter, cut into pieces
Combine wine, lemon, peppercorns and shallot in a non-corrosive saucepan — stainless steel, Teflon or Claphalon. Reduce the mixture to 1 or 2 tablespoons, until it has the consistency of syrup. Add the cream and reduce again until the mixture is 3 to 4 tablespoons and very syrupy. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the butter pieces, about two ounces at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each piece to melt in before adding more. If the mixture gets too cool, the butter won’t melt completely, so you may have to heat it a bit. Strain sauce and hold warm on a stove top trivet or in a double boiler until ready to use.
McCORMICK & SCHMICK’S GRILLED SWORDFISH WITH SUNDRIED TOMATO BUTTER
Yield: 2 portions
2 (7 to 9 ounce) swordfish steaks
2 TBS. vegetable oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 1/2–inch slices of sundried tomato butter
Coat the fish with vegetable oil and season it with salt and pepper. Grill over a very hot fire. The fish should be barely cooked through. Place a slice of sundried tomato butter on each steak.
SUNDRIED TOMATO BUTTER
1/2 lb. softened butter
4 TBS. chopped sundried tomatoes
2 TBS. chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp. crushed red chiles
Combine all the ingredients and form into a 1 1/2–inch diameter log. Wrap the butter in plastic wrap and chill or freeze.
Eileen Mintz has been a restaurant consultant for the past 18 years. She can be reached by phone at 232-1984 or e-mail at eileenmintz@comcast.net.
1/2 lb. softened butter
4 TBS. chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 TBS. chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp. crushed red chiles
Combine all the ingredients and form into a 1 1/2–inch diameter log. Wrap the butter in plastic wrap and chill or freeze.
Eileen Mintz has been a restaurant consultant for the past 18 years. She can be reached by phone at 232-1984 or e-mail at eileenmintz@comcast.net.
