According to Tommy Gomes, a lifelong fisherman and owner of Tunaville Market & Grocery in Point Loma, “the uglier the fish, the better they taste. The more defense mechanisms a fish has, the better it tastes.”

Why? “Because everything’s trying to eat it out there,” he said emphatically. “The big fish eat the small fish, but we don’t eat the small fish. We eat the big fish.” If you’re a seafood eater and a home cook, it’s time to think further down the chain as well as think locally. San Diegans are fortunate to have a wide variety of local seafood — delicious local seafood.

In June, when I visited Gomes and chef Christina Ng, who created a few recipes for me, we decided on bocaccio rockfish, a firm whitefish, to pan roast and serve with her Ratatouille Sauce, and kingklip, another firm, white-fleshed fish, to stir fry with vegetables and serve over Sesame Scallion Noodles. Ng was also preparing a seafood gumbo, which included a few pounds of cut-up fish—mixed odds and ends to show how home cooks can collect various off-size pieces and meld flavors. You’ll love these recipes in my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune.