Tuna is often thought of as the quintessential sashimi star, but taste Roberto Navarro’s Bluewater Grill Sashimi Sea Scallops, and a different seafood may grab the top spot. Navarro, the kitchen manager at the Bluewater Grill in Newport Beach, joined me in my kitchen to share the secrets of these sweet, buttery Peruvian shellfish wonders.
A bed of crushed ice decoratively topped with seaweed forms a welcome bed for the scallops, each one loosened and resting on a shell. Flavorful sidekicks are judiciously spooned atop the scallops, building irresistibility: ponzu sauce, wasabi aioli, seaweed salad, pickled ginger, and masago. Delicious.
Navarro’s been cooking in Orange County for more than 30 years, building his skills at restaurants that include Bistro 201 and French 75. After tasting the scallop sashimi, I understand why it’s such a popular dish at Bluewater Grill, with at least 30 orders a night.
Growing up in Nayarit, Mexico, he spent much of his childhood closely watching his mother, Besanta, as she cooked, especially when she prepared her mole or her beef stew. Her culinary advice to him? “Whatever you cook, make it with love. If not, it won’t taste good.”
I’m sure he makes his sashimi with love because it’s scrumptious.
Bluewater Grill, 630 Lido Park Drive, Newport Beach, bluewatergrill.com
My Hangout: I’m a people watcher, and Disneyland is a great place for that. There are always a lot of people from different places. I like to talk to them.
Favorite Restaurant: Caló Kitchen + Tequila at South Coast Plaza—I like their carnitas plate. They cook the pork in water—that gets the grease out, then they make it crispy on the flat top.
Culinary Influencer: My wife, Elena, and I talk about dishes. We go to restaurants, and I get advice from her about what she likes the most and why.
Childhood Hero: My father, Roberto, because he was always strong. He worked seven days a week, even when he was sick. He said that there is time to play and time to work.
Few People Know: I was a soldier in the Mexican Army for three years. I volunteered, and I loved it.
BLUEWATER GRILL’S SEA SCALLOP SASHIMI
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients
Crushed Ice
Decorative seaweed
6 sushi-grade sea scallops in the shell (loosened from the shell)
1/4 teaspoon ponzu sauce
1/2 teaspoon minced pickled ginger
1/2 teaspoon seaweed salad (wakame), finely chopped, see cook’s notes
1/4 teaspoon wasabi aioli, see cook’s notes
1/2 teaspoon masago, see cook’s notes
Micro cilantro
2 lemon wedges
Cook’s notes: To make wasabi aioli, combine mayonnaise with Japanese wasabi powder to taste. Seaweed salad is sold at Japanese markets, most often labeled “wakame.” Masago is the small, orange edible roe (eggs) of the capelin fish, a type of smelt; it’s sold at Japanese markets. If you buy sushi-grade sea scallops without the shells, you can buy scallop shells online.
1. Place ice on a rimmed plate or oyster plate. Arrange one or two stands of decorative seaweed on top. Top with scallops in shells. Scallops should be loosened from the shells.
2. Top each scallop with a little ponzu sauce. Next, top each with a little minced ginger and a little seafood salad. Top with a little wasabi aioli and a little masago. Garnish with some micro cilantro. Place lemon wedges on the ice next to the scallops and serve.
Source: Roberto Navarro, Bluewater Grill, Newport Beach
Cathy Thomas is an award-winning food writer and has authored three cookbooks: “50 Best Plants on the Planet,” “Melissa’s Great Book of Produce,” and “Melissa’s Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce.” For more than 30 years, she has written about cooking, chefs, and food trends. She was the first newspaper food journalist to pioneer taping how-to culinary videos for the web. cathythomascooks.com
The post Cathy Thomas Makes Bluewater Grill’s Sashimi Sea Scallops with Roberto Navarro appeared first on Orange Coast.