Chef Bobby Palmquist of Sea Creatures Restaurant Group. Photographs by Bri Dwyer

Where do you draw inspiration from when thinking of new seafood dishes and why?

“I look to French, English, and Italian coastal regions to give me inspiration. I really feel that the climates in many of these areas are very similar to what we have here in Seattle. The simplistic presentation and approach to seafood really stands out. It should be all about highlighting what you are serving, never covering it up or masking it.”

What is the restaurant's philosophy for sourcing sustainable seafood?

“Sea Creatures strives to serve local and sustainably harvested seafood from the west coast. We work closely with a few different people fishing in the Seattle area specifically targeting sablefish, halibut, and some salmon. We also make sure our choices line up with MSC standards and the Monterrey Bay seafood watch.”

Why do you enjoy working with Sablefish?

“I really love the versatility of sablefish. It is absolutely delicious simply roasted or in something like a smoked sablefish mousse. It has such a great rich flavor and texture without being dry or bland. It has a great flavor on it’s own and doesn’t just blend with the accompanying items.”

Can you describe the flavor profiles of the dish you created?

“This is definitely a rich dish. But the beurre blanc really plays greatly with the texture and oil content of the sablefish. The sauce has good acidity from the white wine and champagne vinegar. The summer savory adds a great vegetal taste, and the salmon caviar adds refreshing pops of salinity.”

What do you hope guests take away when dining at your restaurant?

“We prioritize both our focus on serving quality ingredients and fostering great relationships with our purveyors. This is all translated through our approach to serving simple ingredient focused dishes and making sure our staff is equipped with the knowledge to talk to our guests. All in all we really want our guests to have a great time with us, and our staff have a great time working with us.”

Recipe: Roasted Sablefish w/ Summer Savory & Salmon Caviar Beurre Blanc

Roasted sablefish: (each portion about 6oz)

Preheat the oven to 450*. Heat a cast iron or oven safe heavy frying pan over medium high heat on stovetop. Season the portioned sablefish filet with salt on the skin side. Add a glug (about 2-3 tablespoons) of olive oil to the pan until it is about smoking. Place the sablefish skin-side down in the pan. Shaking the pan to make sure it doesn’t stick. Add one tablespoon of butter to the pan. Place the pan in the pre-heated oven until the fish is cooked through. Sablefish is very forgiving, but it should look like it is starting to flake (about 4-8 minutes). Take the fish out of the oven and flip the fish, taking care to not tear the crispy skin. Let rest until ready to plate.

Summer savory and salmon caviar beurre blanc:

1 medium shallot, diced

1 cup white wine

1/4 cup Champagne vinegar

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1/4 pound cold butter - cut into cubes

1 tablespoon chopped summer savory

2 oz salmon caviar (ikura)

Salt to taste

In a small sauce pot place the shallots, white wine, and vinegar. Over medium heat bring to a simmer and reduce to about 3 tablespoons of liquid. Turn the heat down to low and whisk in the cream and a pinch of salt.Whisking constantly over low heat, add the cold butter in one piece at a time until it is incorporated before adding another. When all of the butter is emulsified into the reduced wine/vinegar the sauce should be thick and glossy. Stir in the chopped summer savory and the salmon caviar. Taste for salt, adjusting if necessary.

To plate the dish:

Place 2-3 spoonfuls of the beurre blanc on the plate. Then place the roasted sablefish on top of the beurre blanc skin side up. Garnish with flake salt on the fish.