Halibut

For this simple—yet boldly flavored—entrée, tuna or sea bass can be substituted. Chilies in the sauce add nice heat.

Meriel MacDonald of London, England, writes: "Having grown up at Kinloch Lodge, my family's hotel on the Isle of Skye, I truly understand what it means to be too busy to cook. There were always guests to attend to, telephones ringing, and other interruptions. Still, my mother found the time to cook while overseeing the hotel's day-to-day business. Today, she continues to run Kinloch Lodge, and over the years she has shared with me many of her recipes and cooking tips, which have helped me in my job as catering manager for a large advertising agency. For work events, I often rely on family recipes, because they're dependable and delicious. I also use many of those same recipes for simple home suppers during the workweek."

NORMANDY In Normandy, this richly flavored stew would be served with a composed salad of watercress, shallots, and roasted beets. What to drink: Muscadet, Chablis, or unoaked Chardonnay.

Mark Taylor of West Hartford, Connecticut, writes: "I started cooking out of necessity when I first graduated from college, since I couldn't afford to eat out. Having grown up watching my mother cook for our large family, I used her recipes. She was always trying new dishes whenever we had guests and sharing her adventurous attitude toward eating. These days, even though my wife and I both work, we still cook several times a week. Now I tend to rely on recipes I've picked up from restaurants and friends. I enjoy experimenting with different ingredients and figuring out new ways to improve a recipe, as I've done with the one here." Serve the fish and sauce over couscous.

At the restaurant the chef garnishes this dish with fresh seasonal flowers, chervil, and chives.

Salmon and cod also work well.

The agrodolce (tart-and-sweet) flavors of vinegar and raisins used in marinating the fish are typical of Jewish-Italian cooking.

Osso buco is a traditional Italian dish of veal shanks simmered in a pungent tomato sauce and topped with gremolata. Ming Tsai's clever version is made with fish.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are reprinted from Andreas Viestad's book Kitchen of Light: New Scandinavian Cooking._Viestad also shared some helpful tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. There are different, equally authentic ways of making this soup. The big schism is between those who like to thicken the soup with a combination of flour and cream, so it becomes like a chowder, and those who prefer it thin. I think it is easier to appreciate the unique sweet-and-sour freshness of the soup when it is made with only the minimum of thickener.

Modeled after Hunan-style steamed fish, this fiery, fast, flavor-blasted weeknight-friendly dinner is rounded out with a cooling cucumber salad and steamed rice.

Flaky fish with a buttery, crispy stuffing crust and a fresh salad makes for a delicious meal using holiday pantry staples—all under 30 minutes.

Understated cod gets a major glow-up in this sheet-pan dinner thanks to a savory spiced topping of cheesy chorizo breadcrumbs.

Inspired by Greek avgolemono, this versatile stew is a seafood party with a lemony punch in a creamy broth enriched with eggs.

Don’t be fooled by the short ingredient list: Jammy sliced lemons, sizzled garlic, and mild Aleppo-style pepper make this speedy fish dinner one to remember.

Keep this 20-minute taco recipe featuring pan-seared fish fillets, a lime-infused slaw, and a creamy, spicy sauce in your back pocket for busy weeknights.

A quick, crowd-friendly dinner featuring quick-cooking fish, lots of dill, and a fun and funky nuoc cham salsa.