Chesapeake Rockfish and Southern Baby Greens

Ingredients 

  • 3-4 lbs. rockfish filets, skin removed and portioned evenly
  • 1 cup blue corn meal
  • 4 cups baby greens — spinach, arugula and kale
  • 2 oz. cooked country ham, shaved
  • 2 tbsp. garlic, minced
  • 5 tbsp. olive oil
  • ½ stick butter 

Instructions

Season the rockfish filets with salt and pepper, then press one side of the rockfish into the blue corn meal (choose the bone side; this will offer the best presentation). In a large sauté pan, over medium heat, add one tablespoon of the olive oil and the butter; when the butter begins to bubble, add the filets corn meal side down and cook for three to four minutes. Flip them over and cook for another three to four minutes. Remove from the pan and keep warm.

Place the baby greens in a large mixing bowl; set aside. Heat the remaining olive oil over medium high heat. When the oils begins to shimmer, add the shaved country ham slices and garlic. Just as the garlic begins to turn golden, pour the mixture over the baby greens and toss until they wilt and are warmed by the oil. Serve the rockfish with the greens and white cheddar grits.

Chef’s wine suggestion: A light pinot noir would be excellent with this dish.

Waypoint Grill: Waypoint Seafood and Grill Restaurant marks Williamsburg’s latest culinary destination from Chef Hans Schadler. The Waypoint menu is a celebration of Chesapeake ingredients and includes items grown at local farms and caught in regional waters. The pure flavors and rich ingredients presented in the seasonally changing entrees represent modern regional American cuisine with classical culinary roots. But by far, it’s the people of Waypoint that bring it alive, serving as our key ingredient. Read more below about Chef Hans and Howard, Restaurant Manager.