The stuffed sole this afternoon is somewhere approaching
perfection. Nestled inside the white filet is a mixture of crab and
shrimp, which is mixed with diced red peppers that perfectly offset
the rich quality of the cream sauce.
The stuffed sole this afternoon is somewhere approaching perfection. Nestled inside the white filet is a mixture of crab and shrimp, which is mixed with diced red peppers that perfectly offset the rich quality of the cream sauce.
Rosy’s at the Beach, though it’s nowhere near the ocean, has been specializing in fresh seafood for 23 years. The Morgan Hill eatery was originally the third in a chain of restaurants, but owners Rosy and Rich Bergin sold off the other locations to focus on a local “mom and pop” venue last year.
When the Bergins made their professional move to Morgan Hill (the couple were already residents) they brought with them their San Jose chef, MartÃn Rios.
Rios is now going on 16 years with Rosy’s, and said the secret to his success lies in purchasing.
“I always talk to the salesperson to find out what they have that’s the freshest,” said Rios, a small man with bright eyes who speaks with voice both soft and animated. “Ninety percent of the things we serve are completely fresh, but the prawns are from farther away. (If someone is going to do this at home), it is very important that before they learn to cook, they learn to shop.”
To ensure customers at Rosy’s can make an educated selection, Rios makes notes for the servers with information like where the fish came from and what sort of texture should be expected. He’s also happy to accommodate special requests.
“If we don’t have it, we’ll order it for the next time they come into the restaurant,” he said.
When they started out with a fish market, the Bergins didn’t expect to wind up in the restaurant business.
When customers continued to make requests for cooked fish, they complied, beginning with a small menu and occasional specials.
“We’d cook a special and people would say, ‘Wow! That’s really good. You should add that to your menu,'” said Rich. “Pretty soon we had a whole menu of specials.”
The couple cooked for the fledgling restaurant themselves, but as it grew they took on more of a management role.
“We still work very closely with MartÃn and our staff,” said Rosy. “One of our most popular menu items, fish tacos, was inspired by a trip we took to Baja California.”
Current fresh favorites (many coming directly from Monterey Bay) include halibut, salmon and snapper. Crab season opened Tuesday, so visitors can also expect to see a new crop of fresh specials pop up in the next two weeks.
Rosy’s at the Beach is located at 17320 Monterey St. in Morgan Hill.
Cioppino
2 whole. crabs
1/2 lb. mussels
1/2 lb. clams
8 scallops
12 jumbo prawns
1/2 lb. firm fish fillet
(like snapper)
Sauce
6 whole tomatoes, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
2 T fresh garlic, chopped
1 qt. tomato sauce
Salt and pepper
1 c. red wine
2 T sugar
2 T Italian seasoning
2 c. fish stock
2 T olive oil
Step 1: Sauté garlic in olive oil until brown (don’t burn). Add onion and celery, continuing to sauté until soft.
Step 2: Add diced tomatoes and stir before adding red wine, salt and pepper, Italian seasoning and sugar. Stir again and add tomato sauce before thinning mixture with fish stock. Bring mixture to a boil and then let it simmer while covered for 15 minutes.
Step 3: Add crab, clams, mussels and scallops, simmering until clams and mussels open. Add prawns and fish. Simmer five minutes and serve.
Stuffed Sole
4 fillets petrole sole
Stuffing:
1/4 red onion, diced and raw
1/2 red bell pepper, diced and raw
3 oz. mozzarella
1 c. shrimp meat
3/4 c. crab meat
2 slices soft white bread, crusts off and sliced thin
3 c. heavy creme
2 c. fish stock
Step 1: Combine all stuffing ingredients except cream in bowl. Place inside layer and roll. Add cream and simmer 10 to 12 minutes (covered) until cream thickens. When creme reduces it’s ready.
Step 2: Place fillets on serving platter and pour remaining creme from sauté pan over fillets. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Tips on buying seafood
• When buying seafood, talk to the counterperson. He or she should know what’s freshest.
• Filets should look moist and slick when you purchase them.
• Consider purchasing a whole fish instead of filets. Boiling the head and bones will make excellent fish stock.
• Good shellfish should be tightly sealed when purchased. You can tell it’s done when the shells open.
• If you suspect your fish is a bit dry, cook it on lower heat.
• Prepare side dishes before you cook a fish dish. It’s very time-sensitive and should require no more than three to four minutes per side, generally, so you don’t want to leave the stove area when it’s cooking.
