A Sea Cuisine Lunch with Top Chef’s Stefan Richter

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we heart this was thrilled to accept an invitation from the one and only Stefan Richter to drop by his house and enjoy a Top Chef cooked lunch, California-Style Fish Tacos featuring Sea Cuisine Seafood. Our resident foodie, Heather and I could not say yes fast enough and today we’re sharing the story of our ‘field trip’ to Stefan’s charming Santa Monica home. ~ Tyna

As soon as we spotted the sweet vintage car in front of Stefan Richter’s house we knew we had to be in the right place. From the guy who cornered the market on cool in not just one but two Top Chef seasons, we would expect nothing less. Stefan had invited us over to talk to us about his new partnership with Sea Cuisine, a line of globally inspired high quality fish and seafood.

Stefan models with Sea Cuisine’s Potato Crusted Cod

Stefan was born in Finland, but these days he lives in a quintessential California bungalow filled with contemporary art, gorgeous vintage appliances and the coolest wine opener we have ever seen.

Cool artwork adorns the pantry

Stefan preparing tortillas over an open flame – check out the cool brass wine opener bolted to the table!

A peek inside his fridge!

You know how journalists always like to ask what’s in people’s fridges? We got to look in Stefan’s fridge! The first things that caught our eye were the adorably retro-looking Cool Grape cans. Turns out the those cans are not full of grape soda, but a special Finnish cocktail made of gin and grapefruit that Stefan brings back when he visits his home country. He said it comes in packs of 12, so he allows himself one a month as a special treat.

Stefan’s cool retro stove that sees very little action!

Beverages aside, his fridge was actually fairly sparse. He explained to us that the biggest misconception people have about chefs is that they cook fabulous meals at home. In reality, he said, after a long day of cooking at work the last thing chefs want to do is go home and cook some more. Makes sense.

With this revelation came a dirty little secret: the fare chefs eat when off duty tends to be pretty pathetic out of sheer convenience. The same folks that craft intricate farmer’s market fresh dishes at work might just swing through a drive-thru their way home from work.

When Stefan tried Sea Cuisine he saw that easy dinners didn’t have to mean crappy ones. The ease of Sea Cuisine was one of the first things that caught his attention, but like a true chef he saw endless meal possibilities between all of the different flavors.

A few, fresh ingredients to round out the tacos

It’s not often that you can find something with the trifecta – convenient, delicious, and healthy! Although he has had plenty of opportunities, Sea Cuisine is only the second product Stefan has elected to endorse (the first being one of his favorite Finnish beers). And as an avid fisherman himself, Stefan knows a thing or two about good fish!

We got to choose whether to have fish tacos or a sandwich for lunch and, like proper Southern Californians, we elected for the fish tacos. Stefan baked his favorite, the Potato Crusted Cod, for the tacos.

Mixing the Spicy Aioli filling

While the fish was cooking, he thinly sliced jalapeno and some pepper jack cheese, cut up an avocado, and prepared a deliciously easy sauce of mayo (Best Foods/Hellman’s all the way, no subs according to both Stefan and Tyna!), chipotle Tabasco sauce, lime and fresh cilantro.

Stefan gave the tortillas a quick char over a flame and by the time all of this prep was done, the fish was too. We went from lunch decision to eating in just 15 minutes.

Stefan said that he normally eats over the sink – who wants to do dishes?! Especially not chefs, who are used to having someone in the kitchen doing that for them.

The crunch of the potato crust contrasted perfectly with the cool sauce and creamy avocado. Breaking bread with a Top Chef over his own sink – priceless!

Stefan’s outdoor sitting area

After eating Stefan gave us a tour of his lovely backyard, including an amazing sitting area with a fire pit and his very own sauna that he built himself!

That’s an outdoor ice bath to the right – and behind it…an outhouse!

We learned that we had been doing the sauna thing all wrong all these years: instead of sitting in the heat until you almost pass out, take short 10 minute stints in the sauna and then hit the ice bath and grab a beer. Gotta say this method sounds pretty good to me!

Tyna just chilling with Stefan

We also got Stefan to field a few of the we heart this writing team’s questions:

wht: What was the most challenging part of Top Chef?
Stefan: The berry farm in season 10.

wht: What was the most rewarding part of Top Chef?
Stefan: Meeting Eric Ripert. Just a really nice, wonderful, warm, down-to-earth guy.

wht: What was different about doing Top Chef the second time from the first time?
Stefan: For one, the editing. The second time around they didn’t need me to be the villain, so they showed more of my lighter moments.

He said the second time around was harder in some ways, because he knew what to expect and how difficult it was going to be. He also had to miss a huge motorcycle trip around Europe that he organized with a bunch of friends. On the up side, he got to do things like see Alaska, meet amazing people, and hobnob with chefs like Eric Ripert!

wht: What’s your favorite ingredient?
Stefan: Thyme

Heather, Stefan and Tyna

After our Q&A session we made sure to get photographic proof (bragging rights) of our wonderful afternoon with Stefan.

Best. Lunch. Ever. (photo: Sea Cuisine)

Want to make Stefan’s Sea Cuisine California-Style Fish Tacos for yourself? We’ve got the recipe! Click here for all the details.

Bonus pic: A look at Stefan’s sweet ride!

we heartsters – Don’t you feel better knowing that even professional chefs just want something easy and delicious for dinner too?

photos: we heart this, unless marked

Heather blogs at foodforfunandpleasure and is a spice mistress extraordinaire at the Spice Station in Silverlake, CA.

Disclosure: This review includes products that were provided by the manufacturer/PR firm for our consideration. For more info, or any questions, please see our disclosure policy.