Mariner’s Menu

Mariner’s Menu, North Carolina Sea Grant’s popular online seafood guide, includes hundreds of free recipes. Enjoy these seasonal favorites.

Sautéed Tuna Steaks with Tarragon (above)

• 4 tuna steaks, about 1 inch thick
• ⅔ of a cup of dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup of butter

In a small bowl, mix the wine and tarragon. Lightly salt and pepper the fish. Melt butter on medium-high in a large skillet. Add steaks and cook about 3 to 6 minutes per side or until it reaches your preferred doneness. Spoon tarragon wine over the steaks as they cook. Place fish on a serving platter, and pour the remaining wine mix over them.

Baked Clams with Garlic Butter

• 36 littleneck clams
• ¼ pound of butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons of coarsely chopped garlic
• 3 tablespoons of coarsely chopped green onion, including tops
• ½ cup of coarsely chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ cup of dry white wine or chicken broth
• ¼ cup of fresh bread crumbs
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• rock salt

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Scrub the clams thoroughly with a stiff brush under cold, running water. Open clams, and discard the top shell.

Combine the butter, garlic, green onion, parsley, wine, crumbs, salt, pepper and half the Parmesan. Blend until smooth.

Place the clams on the half shell in a bed of rock salt in a cooking pan. Spoon the butter mixture evenly over clams. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake until clams are done and cheese is melted, about 6 to 8 minutes.

*Oyster Fritters

• chopped oysters (about 1 cup)
• 1 egg, beaten
• flour
• salt and pepper

Mix together chopped oysters, beaten egg, and seasonings. Add just enough flour to hold it together. Drop by spoonful into hot grease. Fry until golden.

*This recipe was contributed by the late Eloise Pigott of Gloucester, N.C.

For more free seafood recipes, visit MarinersMenu.org. 

FROM THE WINTER 2025 ISSUE