A Hearty Valentine

Here's a sentimental offering to show your loved one that you care on Valentines Day. Instead of wearing your heart on your sleeve, why not offer it on a dinner plate? California rockfish baked in parchment is elegant, yet so easy to prepare. You'll impress your sweetheart ­ and maybe even yourself!

About California Rockfish

"Turn the fillet skin­side up and it's Pacific red snapper. Flip it over and it's rock cod," a fish market owner explains. Whatever it's called, rockfish is one of the most important fish families in California seas. It is also among the most versatile of seafoods, and among the most diverse of California's fisheries. California's rockfish family contains about 59 species, most of them desirable at market. California law provides that 13 of the most abundant species may be marketed under the common name Pacific red snapper. However, none of these fish are actually a true red snapper, an Atlantic species not found on the west coast. What's more, talk to any fisherman about his catch and you'll hear names like "reds" and "brownies," "chuckles" and "Johnny bass," not to mention idiot fish, white bellies, bolinas and roseys. To make matters more interesting, each species has its own life history patterns, habitat preferences and migration routes, although rockfish are thought to be essentially nonmigratory in the broad sense of the word. Traditionally most rockfish were harvested by fishermen using longlines. As gear has become more efficient, so have rock cod catch methods. Today, longliners, hook­and­liners, deep­water gillnetters and trawlers all work hard to deliver top­quality local rockfish to market. In 1995 California rockfish landings totaled an estimated 17.6 million pounds, all species combined. California's rockfish fishery is strictly regulated by the Pacific Fishery Management Council under rules and regulations mandated by the federal Magnuson Fishery Management and Conservation Act.