From Our Seafood Festival Kitchen: Two Recipes from Chef Gavin Smith

One of our favorite parts of our annual Harvesters Seafood Festival is getting to share local seafood the way we think it should be enjoyed: simply, creatively, and surrounded by community.

This year, our great friend Chef Gavin Smith of FoodMinded Fellow led the cooking—and absolutely put on a show.

We love collaborating with Gavin because he exemplifies so much of what we look for in a chef. He puts community and the ocean at the center of every seafood dish, lets great ingredients speak for themselves, and has a knack for making local seafood feel both special and approachable.

For everyone who joined us at the festival—and those who couldn't make it—Gavin was kind enough to share a couple of the recipes he prepared.

🐟 Miso-Glazed Tuna

Savory, slightly sweet, and incredibly simple. The key here is a very quick sear on the tuna so the outside browns while the center stays medium-rare.

Miso Glaze

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp miso*

• 1 Tbsp honey

• 1 Tbsp hot water

• 1 Tbsp low-sodium tamari

• 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar (not seasoned rice vinegar)

Chef Gavin likes chickpea miso from South River Miso Company in Conway, Massachusetts. His advice: skip the shelf-stable miso paste and look for real miso in the refrigerated section.

Method

• Add the miso and honey to a bowl. Pour in the very hot water and stir until the miso loosens and the honey is fully incorporated.

• Add the tamari and rice wine vinegar and mix until smooth. Set aside while you cook the tuna.

Tuna

Ingredients

• 1 lb tuna, cut into large dice

• 2 tsp neutral, high-heat oil such as grapeseed, canola, or vegetable oil

Method

Heat a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the oil and let it heat for a few seconds.

Add the tuna in a single layer. Don't overcrowd the pan. If necessary, cook it in batches.

Give the tuna a few seconds without moving it so the bottom begins to brown, then turn the pieces with a spatula.

The entire cook should only take a couple of minutes. You're looking for a nicely browned exterior with a medium-rare center.

To Serve

Add the cooked tuna directly to the bowl of miso glaze and gently toss until every piece is coated.

Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and scallions. Serve over rice crackers as an appetizer, eat it straight up with a fork, or spoon it over rice for an easy meal.

🌿 Gavin's Gremolata (Green Sauce)

This bright, fresh sauce is the kind of recipe worth keeping in your back pocket. Citrus, parsley, garlic, honey, and olive oil come together into a versatile sauce that pairs beautifully with local seafood.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves only

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 Tbsp honey

• 1 tsp white balsamic vinegar

• 1 lemon, juice and zest

• 1 lime, juice and zest

• ¼ cup olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Combine the parsley, garlic, honey, white balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice, and olive oil in a blender.

Blend on medium just until everything comes together. You don't want to completely purée the parsley—the sauce should retain some texture.

Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, and acidity. Citrus varies quite a bit, so if your lemon or lime isn't especially juicy, add a little more citrus juice or white balsamic vinegar.

Transfer the sauce to a bowl. Fold in the lemon and lime zest and serve.

🐟 Make It Your Own

That's one of the things we love about Gavin's cooking: these aren't recipes that require you to be a professional chef.

Start with really good local seafood, treat it simply, and build flavor around what came out of the water.

That's also what our Seafood Festival is all about—bringing fishermen, chefs, members, and friends together around the incredible seafood we have right here on Cape Cod.

Thank you, Gavin, for feeding our community and for being such a great friend of the co-op.