Fish

This fresh salmon dish, which gets its distinctive flavor from a hint of cloves, is so quick and easy that it will become an on-the-go favorite. For a change of taste, try topping the salmon with Yogurt Dill Sauce (page 263).

Wrapping each person’s dinner individually in cooking parchment, or en papillote (en pah-pee-YOHT or PAH-peh-loht), gives the meal a special touch.

Pesto with both Italian and Mexican touches turns simple grilled or broiled fish into a delicious entrée.

In less than 30 minutes from starting to prep the ingredients to serving, you can make this exotic fish dish and the accompanying fruit relish. Another time, make only the fruit relish and serve it with roasted pork or chicken.

Sour cream replaces mayonnaise as the base for the tartar sauce here. Serve this fish with corn on the cob and chilled slices of melon on the side.

Pair this cornmeal-coated fish with Garden Coleslaw (page 75) and Green Beans and Corn (page 236) for a healthy southern meal.

A crust of whole-wheat crumbs and snipped fresh parsley with just a few drops of hot-pepper sauce kicks up the flavor of mild fish.

Fresh lemon juice, capers, basil, and olive oil provide your palate with a taste from the Greek Isles.

Quickly sear the fish fillets, then keep them moist by reducing the heat. Top them with a mild zing of jalapeño and a splash of fresh lime—that’s dinner in a snap!

A scoop of crunchy tuna salad on a bed of juicy mango slices makes a nice lunch entrée.

The combination of fresh basil and lime in the dressing makes this dish distinctive and delightful. It’s a nice and easy way to work some fish into your week.

This creamy chowder boasts chunks of potato and your favorite mild white fish. For a little crunch, top it with crumbled no-salt-added pretzels.

This was the first dish I learned to cook on the Big Green Egg, at the masterful hands of Ray Lampe, aka Dr. BBQ. This recipe yields a very succulent, lightly cooked, smoky fish. It calls for salmon, but any seasonal fish such as halibut or even trout can be substituted. I like to keep the seasoning to a minimum so the flavor of the fresh fish comes through. If you choose to add more herbs to your version, dried herbs work best. Adding fruit wood chips to the hot coals contributes another layer of flavor. I like apple wood best for maintaining a sweet flavor. Serve with lightly dressed baby greens.

Olive oil is very good as a poaching liquid, especially when you want the poaching liquid to gently transfer heat yet not penetrate the food. This method yields amazingly moist fish. And it’s lovely to use the infused oil in the salad dressing for the accompanying salad.

Poaching refers to cooking in a liquid that’s heated to just below boiling. The shells are kept on the shrimp while cooking to keep them tender and to allow the shells to release their flavor into the poaching liquid. Cooking halibut, salmon, or shellfish this way produces a delicate texture.

The traditional seafood stew of Provence is typically made with tomatoes, shellfish, local fish, and herbs, but this version is made without tomatoes, allowing the fish and saffron to be prominent. Cooking it over a wood fire adds a bit of smoke to the beautiful fish. Serve with a crusty baguette to soak up the flavorful broth.

This recipe from Georgeanne Brennan shows a classic way to cook in a tajine, layering flavors and food together for the slow, moist cooking. It includes the Moroccan sauce sharmula, which gives a spicy flavor and adds moisture to the fish during the cooking. You can make many variations on this dish, substituting chicken for fish or tomatoes and eggplant for artichokes.

Salt-roasting is a traditional Mediterranean technique for cooking fish. The salt crust creates an almost impenetrable barrier that traps the moisture and allows the natural juices of the fish to remain—the salt never penetrates into the food itself. Salt-roasting is a great hybrid of steaming and roasting, and can be used to cook meat, poultry, and vegetables.

Many Mediterranean cuisines wrap fish in leaves for grilling or roasting. This version uses Swiss chard. You can use either the white-stemmed variety or one of the colorful rainbow chards. Use fresh grape or fig leaves for an even more flavorful result.

In Spain, the native land of paella, this classic dish is often prepared over a live fire. Georgeanne Brennan and I adapted this recipe from The Mediterranean Herb Cookbook on a wood-fired grill at her home, using onions, garlic, peas, and fresh herbs from her garden. You can use fresh or frozen calamari. The quality of the ham and chorizo is very important, so shop for the recommended types. If you can’t find them in your local store, shop online at The Spanish Table or La Tienda (see Resources). One of the secrets to this dish is that the herbs are added in layers. The second secret is to cook it over a wood fire!