Moonlit sand, a flashlight beam, and the scrape of tiny fins make grunion runs a rare chance to cook immediately on the beach. Bring a skillet or fire-ready gear so the catch becomes a smoky, surf-salted meal before dawn ends the run.
Some fish have evolved remarkable breeding behaviours, including spawning on land, which served them well until humans began picking them up in the act. The most famous of these is California’s grunion runs. Grunion are small, smeltlike fish that on certain nights leap onto the shore in drives, where people often are waiting to meet them, flashlights and buckets in hand. How do they know the grunions will appear?
Actually, few fish are more predictable in their habits. Long observation has shown that grunion spawn at night shortly after high tide, but only during the second, third, and fourth nights following the full moon in March, April, May, and June.
It is a well choreographed event. Like surfers, pairs of grunion’s ride the crests of the waves onto the beach. When the wave flattens on shore, the pair swims onward, pushing through the succeeding wave.
Then the female digs her tail into the sand and the male arches himself across her, and they spawn quickly before riding the next receding wave back out to the sea. Two weeks later, the eggs hatch and the larvae emerge on the equally high new-moon tides.
Grunion runs last for only a few hours, but thousands may be on the beach at once, making the gathering easy. Grunion are delicious, and parties are often held on the beach, with grunion skewered in bonfires as the top grunion recipe.
A similar fish, capelin, performs a comparable ritual in parts of the Canadian Maritimes. In Newfoundland, the capelin fish run in summer, and their presence often corresponds with a sudden influx of whales and seabird mobs that feed on them.
When capelin hit the beach, they can turn the shores spongy with their reddish spawn, which may reach a foot deep in places. Capelin are gathered by the bushel to be fried, smoked, salted, or used as fertilizer.
Light a driftwood bonfire above the high tide line, thread rinsed grunion onto soaked bamboo skewers, and coat them with a marinade of 1/4 cup olive oil, juice of one lemon, 1 tsp smoked paprika, and 2 minced garlic cloves. Hold the skewers eight inches from the coals, turning every two minutes for about 6-8 minutes, then finish with parsley and charred lemon wedges.
Heat 2 tbsp butter with 1 tbsp olive oil, dredge 12 cleaned grunion in 1/2 cup rice flour mixed with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, and lay them in the skillet without crowding. Cook 2 minutes per side until golden, toss in 1 tbsp capers and a tablespoon of fresh thyme during the final turn, and finish with browned butter drizzled with lemon zest.
Whisk 1/2 cup rice flour, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup ice water, 1 beaten egg, and a pinch of baking powder into a lumpy batter, then let it rest while heating oil to 360 F. Dip each fish, fry until golden for 2-3 minutes, drain on a rack, and serve with a dipping sauce made from 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, grated ginger, scallion, and pickled cucumbers.
Rinse grunion in cool seawater, purge for ten minutes, pinch off heads, slit bellies with scissors, and scoop out entrails before rinsing the cavity and patting the fish dry. Lay them skin-side down, stack between paper towels over crushed ice if not cooking immediately, and keep them chilled for up to six hours before using.
Brine 1 pound of grunion in 4 cups water, 1/4 cup kosher salt, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tbsp crushed coriander, and a smashed garlic clove for 30 minutes, then rinse and air-dry until tacky. Smoke at 180 F over alder or apple wood on cedar planks for 45-60 minutes, add chopped dill before they go on, and rest in foil for ten minutes before serving or chilling.
Pair the fish with charred corn tossed with 1 tbsp honey, lime zest, and chili flakes, plus a cabbage slaw dressed in 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tsp honey, and olive oil. Add buttered fingerling potatoes warmed on the grill and pair the meal with a crisp pilsner, an unoaked Sauvignon Blanc, or tequila blanco with fresh lime to brighten the brine.
Stack fresh grunion on crushed ice in a cooler at 32 F, drain meltwater often, cook within 24 hours, and never leave them above 40 F for more than two hours. To freeze, wrap each fish in parchment, seal it in a vacuum or zip-top bag with as much air removed as possible, keep at 0 F for up to three months, thaw overnight in the fridge, and reheat to 145 F.
Next time you witness a grunion run, pack the recipes and tools so you can move from shore to skillet before the tide shifts. These methods let you taste the moment with every bite and share the secrets of the run with friends.
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