Not long after I moved to Oregon, I became enamored with the idea of fishing. I was never an outdoorsman before moving here. I had never fished before, either. But there’s something about the beauty of the Oregon coast, mountains and streams that tempts you to be outdoors.
I started easy with trout fishing off the dam at Detroit Lake. It was exhilarating to get a bite and then have to reel as fast as you could to get the fish up the face of the dam to you before it managed to wiggle its way off your hook.
Then, I moved on to jetty fishing. My favorite spot was at the north jetty at Garibaldi. I was amazed at what I hauled up out of the ocean fishing off that jetty: kelp greenling, black rock fish, cabezon and once, a ling cod.
But I found my true passion when I tried deep sea fishing for albacore tuna. A friend of mine recommended Dockside Charters at Depoe Bay, notably the world’s smallest harbor. The boat left at the crack of dawn and took a couple of hours to get out to where the albacore were. When the boat passed above a school of albacore and they start hitting the lines and the poles started dancing, we all picked a pole and started reeling, with the fish fighting back and pulling the lines.
It was like a crazed dance on deck with guys pulling taught poles, reeling, moving around as the fish pulled us in one direction and then the next — all while trying to keep out of each other’s way.
By the end of the day, with sore arms and shoulders, we had reached our limit and headed back to the dock and the catch was divided amongst the fishermen. The nice thing about the arrangement is the catch is pooled among all of the charter fishermen, including the ones who had to stay below decks from sea sickness, so everyone gets fish. Everyone who is able, keeps fishing until the entire boat limits.
At the dock, you could pay someone a nominal fee to have your fish expertly cleaned. I had them give me the tenderloins (4 in each fish), cheeks and trimmings. When I got home, I sliced the tenderloins into serving-sized pieces, vacuum packed them and stuck them in the freezer. I had so much fish from that first trip that we didn’t have to buy tuna for almost a year.
With an abundance of albacore to play with, I tried to come up with many different ways to cook it. One of my favorites was a tuna take on enchiladas: Albacore Enchiladas with Cream and Mexican Cheese Sauce. The recipe is super easy and delicious!
After trying this dish, it may inspire you to go on your own albacore fishing adventure. Enjoy!
Albacore Enchiladas with Cream and Mexican Cheese Sauce
Serves four
Ingredients
For the albacore
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ of a Walla Walla or sweet yellow onion, sliced
- ½ of a large red bell pepper, sliced into thin pieces
- 1½ teaspoon Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute (or ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano, ½ teaspoon thyme and ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes)
- 2 pounds of albacore, sliced into chunks
- Salt to taste
- 10–12 corn or flour tortillas, warmed briefly in microwave
For the sauce
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (or half and half)
- 2 cups Tillamook Mexican Cheese Blend
- 2 tablespoons chopped roasted red bell peppers (you can find Mezzetta Roasted Bell Peppers in 16-ounce jars at the grocery store)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Heat oil in non-stick pan over medium-high heat and sauté garlic and onions. When onions begin to turn soft and translucent, add bell peppers, spices, and albacore chunks, and season with salt. Gently stir until albacore is cooked. Remove from heat and set aside.
Make sauce by gently heating the cream over a low flame in a small saucepan. Add cheese and stir until cheese melts and sauce is thick. Add roasted red bell peppers and stir. Turn off heat.
Fill tortillas with tuna mixture one at a time and roll and place seam-side down in a 3-quart baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the rolled tortillas. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with beans and rice.