Grilled Spanish octopus at Driftwood Kitchen

cooking it properly . It ’ s not a secret that there ’ s nothing worse than an overcooked tuna that is just bone dry , or an undercooked salmon or sea bass that is chewy , like eating rare lamb .

TOP LEFT TWO PHOTOS AND BOTTOM LEFT : ANNE WATSON PHOTOGRAPHY ; TOP RIGHT : COURTESY OF MONTAGE LAGUNA BEACH ; BOTTOM RIGHT : SARAH KING PHOTOGRAPHY

LAGUNA BEACH MAGAZINE : What are some of your biggest inspirations when it comes to preparing seafood ? RAINER SCHWARZ : I always let the freshest seafood available inspire and guide me . I want to use just-out-of-the-water seafood that ’ s not packed on ice — it ’ s going to be the best tasting .

LBM : What techniques do you tend to favor when cooking seafood dishes ? RS : Let the seafood dictate your technique . Once you gain experience with cooking seafood , you ’ ll know which tastes best grilled , seared , fried , poached , et cetera . For example , I wouldn ’ t recommend poaching a fish with thick skin .

LBM : What are some of your favorite dishes to make at Driftwood Kitchen or The Deck ? RS : I always love to prepare fresh Chilean sea bass . It is a delicate white fish with a buttery flesh . We serve it at Driftwood Kitchen , sourced from sustainable certified fishery Glacier 51 [ Toothfish ] and served with a corn and fava bean succotash , pickled Fresno chile and charred scallion relish . I also love octopus , prepared simply and super tender — like our grilled Spanish octopus , with chickpea puree , tomato-caper vinaigrette and za ’ atar . It ’ s extremely popular and absolutely delicious ( see recipe on page 82 ).

LBM : What tips do you have for preparing seafood at home ? RS : Obviously , buy fresh seafood and focus on

LBM : What are some of the best types of fish or seafood to use in dishes ? RS : Seafood pasta is something that any cook can create at home if they use seafood that sears nicely , like a shrimp or baby scallops . This will mix well with the pasta — after all , you don ’ t want a piece of fish just placed on top of pasta . My lobster spaghetti carbonara is a perfect example of a great seafood pasta dish : With a farm-fresh egg , pork guanciale , grated Parmesan-Romano and tarragon , it ’ s a favorite that will stay on the [ Driftwood Kitchen ] menu indefinitely .

LBM : Where do you look for seafood locally ? RS : You can find great seafood at quality places like Santa Monica Seafood , Whole Foods [ Market ] and Bristol Farms , but I ’ ve seen great fish at the local supermarket , if you know what you ’ re looking for . The key is looking for fresh fish ; you don ’ t want anything frozen or packed on ice and , more than anything else , it should never smell fishy . /

BEN MARTINEK ,

EXECUTIVE SOUS CHEF AT MONTAGE LAGUNA BEACH

“ My favorite Laguna Beach raw fish dish is featured on the Broadway [ by Amar Santana ] menu . It is the Japanese hamachi sashimi , complemented by a citrus-sesame dressing , avocado sorbet , cilantro and wasabi tobiko . I have had this dish several times now , and have never been let down . The seasoning and acidity balance with the richness of the fish . The ice-cold sorbet is a refreshing touch , and the textures make the dish quite interesting to eat .”

LAGUNA BEACH MAGAZINE 57