Right, so this idea, “dry dock seafood menu,” got stuck in my head a while back. Wasn’t even a specific restaurant I remembered, more like the sound of it. Dry dock… made me think of taking something out of the water, stripping it down, fixing it up, basic stuff. No fancy sauces, no complicated sides. Just the seafood, cooked right.
I’d been getting tired of all the fancy recipes you see everywhere. You need ten ingredients just for the sauce, another five for the garnish. Takes forever. So, this “dry dock” idea felt like a good direction for a change. Keep it simple, you know?
My Little Experiment
So, I decided to try it out myself. See if I could make a decent meal based on that stripped-down concept. Here’s what I did:
- First, I went to the market. Didn’t look for anything exotic. Just grabbed some decent-looking cod fillets. Nice and white, looked fresh enough.
- Got home. Usually, I’d be thinking about marinades, herbs, what wine to use. Not this time. Dry dock rules.
- I just patted the fish dry. Real dry. Put some salt and pepper on it. That’s it. Seriously.
- Heated up a cast iron pan. Got it real hot. Little bit of oil, just enough so it wouldn’t stick right away.
- Laid the fillets in the pan. Let them sear hard on one side. Didn’t touch ’em for a good few minutes. Wanted that crust.
- Flipped them carefully. Seared the other side. Reduced the heat a bit to let them cook through.
- While that finished, I just steamed some basic green beans. Again, nothing fancy. Just salt.
The Result
Pulled the fish off the heat. Put it on a plate next to the beans. Looked plain, I’ll admit. No color pops, no fancy drizzle.
But you know what? It tasted pretty darn good. The cod was flaky, cooked perfectly. That hard sear gave it a nice texture. The salt and pepper were enough. You could actually taste the fish, not just the stuff you put on it. The beans were just… beans. Crisp, simple.
It wasn’t a restaurant meal, not by a long shot. But it was easy, quick, and honest. Felt like that “dry dock” idea came through. Sometimes just getting back to basics is the way to go. Less fuss, more focus on the main thing. Worked for me that night, anyway. Might do it again.
