A surge in seafood restaurants in El Paso brings different fish, imaginative entrees
In El Paso there is more beach than ocean, but that hasn’t stopped local chefs from keeping up with the latest in seafood trends.
“There is a new wave of seafood places,” said Jorge Cruz, co-owner of Pacífica Seafood and Bar at 5801 N. Mesa. “You go to Mexico and there are a lot of restaurants opening that have a fusion between different seafoods from around the globe.”
In a region of the United States where natives prefer its sunset-hued desert landscape to the sailboats and sea gulls on the Pacific Ocean, seafood restaurants have been springing up all over El Paso of late.
“There’s also a big wave from California with the fish tacos,” Cruz said. “You can say El Paso is right in the middle of things happening in California, things
that are happening in Mexico and a few things that are happening out east.”
Areas chefs aren’t going to allow a little thing like distance keep fish off the menus.
“It’s been a lot of fun working with different types of seafood that people in this area aren’t used to eating,” said Armando Martinez, the lead chef on the hot line at Pacífica. “There is a lot of different variations you can use with shrimp, octopus and crab.”
Items such as red snapper with ginger chutney and sashimi with a crust of sesame seeds and ginger sauce are popping up on menus across town.
“Wings are getting old and burgers are getting old, and people want to try something new,” Martinez said. “People are always up for something new.”
Most restaurateurs in the
city get their seafood fresh frozen from places such as San Francisco, San Diego and Mexico.
“If someone tells you something else, they’re lying to you,” Martinez said. “You need a private plane coming in every day to get fresh fish here.”
Down the road, in a small hut in the middle of the shopping center at 5360 N. Mesa, you’ll find the Little Shack.
There is nothing more literal than the name of Enrique Bordier’s place.
“We gave it a relaxed beach place feel, didn’t we?” he said with a
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smile. “I had a bigger place called Marlin on the West Side a few years ago, and when I saw this little place, I thought, ‘Why not?’ “
Little Shack, which has been open for eight months, offers clamatos, ceviche tostadas, shrimp, oyster, clam or octopus cocktails and fish and shrimp tacos.
“I have no idea why there’s been so many seafood restaurants opening, especially on the West Side,” he said. “My concept is very different from everyone else. I only have seven tables. It’s not formal, but we have really good food and the prices are reasonable.”
Jimmy Diaz, the owner of Pelican’s Restaurant at 130 Shadow Mountain and 1780 N. Lee Trevino, said he isn’t surprised by the current seafood boom, particularly on the West Side.
“You have
a lot of the Mexican nationals moving in from Juárez, and a lot of the seafood restaurants they had over there are coming over now,” Diaz said.
One of those is the long-established, family-owned restaurant from Juárez, Villa del Mar, which opened in 2004 at 7988 Gateway East, off the Yarbrough Drive exit. The finishing touches are being made to the West Side restaurant at 5668 N. Mesa.
All this competition has been good for places like Pelican’s, which has been in operation since 1981.
“It’s been great for us,” Diaz said. “The influx of the Mexican nationals has brought a lot of business to the West Side for sure. My sales have been ahead of last year’s so far.”
Another reason for the popularity of seafood, Diaz said, is that people are becoming more health-conscious.
“El Paso, for the most part, has always been a meat and potatoes type of city,” he said. “In the past five years, people have been more welcoming to seafood. It’s a healthy choice, and that’s always a plus.”
As for the freshness of the fish being brought to the desert, Diaz said, newer methods of transporting seafood has increased the quality of the crustaceans and fish.
“The technology has really improved,” he said. “What they do now is they catch the fish at sea and they freeze it and process it right there on the boat so you’re not shifting up and down with the temperature.”
Some of the more popular fresh fish items at Pelican’s are ahi tuna, Atlantic salmon and Alaskan halibut, which is in season now.
“We try to get our seafood fresh whenever we can,” Diaz said. “There are some things like the Australian cold-water lobster tail or the Chilean sea bass and the New Zealand orange roughy that we have to get frozen.”
Whether it’s frozen or not, Westsider Richard Murrillo prefers to get his seafood from local restaurants.
“I try to skip the big chains like Landry’s and Red Lobster,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with them, but I’d prefer places like Surf Club for fish tacos or if I want Mexican-style, I’ll hit Puerto Vallarta.”
Murrillo said he prefers striped bass, black bass, red snapper or tilapia served complete with head and tail.
“On occasion it’s cool to eat them like that,” he said. “My kids and wife get grossed out by the gills and bones, but that’s the beauty of living in El Paso — you can enjoy fish any way you want.”
Victor R. Martinez may be reached at [email protected]; 546-6128.
Place flour in a shallow dish or resealable plastic bag and season with salt and pepper. Dredge fillets in flour mixture or add to bag, close, and shake to coat.
Place 1 tablespoon of the butter and oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. When it foams, lower heat to medium-low. Shake excess flour off 2 of the fillets, add to pan, and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes per side. Remove fillets to a plate and repeat with remaining fillets.
Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and cook until it begins to brown. Immediately remove from heat, stir in lemon juice, and pour over fish. Lay a lemon slice over each fillet, sprinkle pistachios over top and serve with mashed or roasted potatoes and a simple green salad.
Serves 2.
Source: Aida Mollenkamp from Food Network’s “Ask Aida.”
For pea puree:
2 cups frozen peas, thawed (about 10 ounces)
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
For salmon:
1/4 cup olive oil
4 (4 to 6-ounce) pieces salmon
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
To make the lemon brodetto, warm the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until tender, about 7 minutes. Add the lemon juice, zest and broth. Bring to a simmer, and keep warm, covered, over low heat.
To make the pea puree, combine the peas, mint, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor and puree. With the machine running, add the olive oil in a steady drizzle. Transfer the pea puree to a small bowl and stir in the parmesan. Set aside.
To make the salmon, warm the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Season the salmon pieces with salt and pepper. Sear the salmon until a golden crust forms, about 4 to 5 minutes on the first side. Flip the fish and continue cooking until medium-rare, about 2 minutes more depending on the thickness of the fish.
To assemble the dish, add the tablespoon chopped mint to the lemon brodetto and divide between four shallow dishes. Place a large spoonful of pea puree into the center of each bowl. Place a salmon piece atop each mound of pea puree. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.
Source: Giada De Laurentiis, Food Network’s “Everyday Italian.”
