American dream: Why this Alaskan yellowfin sole sea dog is something special

W​e love everything American right now and one thing the U.S.A. does well is tasty dogs. Don't worry, we're not talking about the furry canine kind, woof! But the delicious dogs you can scoff from a street-side food truck or inside a stadium kind: hot dogs, chilli dogs, corn dogs, and, in this case — the sea dog. Brits, bear with us.

Put simply, the sea dog (also Yankee slang for a sailor) is a battered fish sandwich dolloped with tartare sauce and served with a pickle. See what they've done here? The seafood half of our beloved British traditional fish and chips has been jammed in a bun, that's what. But, these dogs are seriously delicious — the tartare tang, the crunch, the salty fresh fish! *MAJOR SWOON.

This recipe we're sharing with you — an Alaska yellowfin sole sea dog with pea tartare and vinegar slaw — is extra special because its super easy to recreate AND the fish has been caught sustainably along Alaska's rugged 34,000-mile pollution-free coastline. It's also high in protein, low in saturated fat and rich in essential vitamins and minerals.

W​e know this because we are seafood nerds. But also for the fact that the quality of this fish is governed by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI), a public-private partnership between the State of Alaska and the Alaska seafood industry that ensures only the best seafood reaches the rest of the world.

While we are talking of dogs. In Alaska they even eat their hot dogs differently: The dogs are made from caribou and the onions on top are caramelised and deglazed with Coca-Cola. That's enough to make your mind fizz! What next? The Tribe dog. The main ingredient? Spam. Of course.

Alaska Yellowfin Sole Sea Dog, Pea Tartare and Vinegar Slaw

Hot diggity dawg

Total time25min

Serves4

CuisineA​merican

MealL​unch

Ingredients

• 4 hot dog buns
• 4 dusted Alaska yellowfin sole fillets
• 1 punnet of cress, to decorate
• Tomato sauce
• Lemon wedges, to serve
• 1 Little Gem lettuce, washed and shredded, to serve
• ...F​or the Pea Tartare...
• 1​50g frozen peas
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 dill pickled cucumbers, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp of capers, roughly chopped
• 1 shallot, peeled and chopped
• 2 tsp of wasabi
• Chopped parsley
• F​or the vinegar slaw
• ½ white cabbage
• ½ red cabbage
• 1 fennel bulb, finely shredded
• 1 red onion, peeled and sliced
• Chopped coriander, mint and parsley
• Sea salt flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 100ml olive oil
• 150ml cider vinegar
• 75g caster sugar
• Juice of 2 lemons

Instructions

1. Pre heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.
2. To make the pea tartare, cook the peas in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain, place in a bowl and crush slightly. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
3. Put the sole fillets on a lightly greased baking sheet and place in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
4. For the vinegar slaw, shred the red and white cabbage finely and place in a bowl along with the fennel, onion and chopped herbs. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Whisk the remaining ingredients together, pour over the slaw and toss until evenly coated.
5. Remove the sole from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
6. Split the hot dog buns and fill with a little shredded lettuce before adding in the yellowfin sole filets. Top with some pea tartare and a little tomato sauce.
7. Serve with the slaw and lemon wedges on the side.

Recipe by

Rachel Green