Seafood

Working with a superhot pan is key to getting a nice crust on the outside of your fish without overcooking the inside. A quick sear on each side leaves the interior quite rare, so make sure you are working with only the freshest sushi-grade tuna.

Sriracha and seafood truly are a perfect match. To me, it’s an excellent example of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts, and this ceviche just reinforces my belief. I’m a fan of just scooping it up with tortilla chips or tostada shells, but you can also fry up any wonton wrappers you might have chilling out in your freezer, leftover from making our Sriracha and Crab rangoon Wontons (page 35), for a nice Asian twist. If you are unable to find persian cucumbers, feel free to substitute the english or hothouse variety.

This is one of my absolute favorite recipes to make, and you’ll quickly see why. It has even won over a few friends who usually steer clear of raw fish. It is also quite versatile. On its own, the tuna tartare is great piled high on crackers, flatbreads, or fried wontons, but it can also be used as a first-course salad topped with microgreens or radish sprouts. It also excels atop a plate of mixed greens, with the marinade drizzled over as a dressing.

Despite the Burmese name, crab rangoons were more likely a clever invention of the Bay Area tiki palace Trader Vic’s rather than some exotic tropical import. Premade wonton wrappers, which can be found in the frozen or refrigerated section of Asian markets and some supermarkets, make these an easy fix no matter where you—or the rangoons—call home.

Sometimes creating a recipe is a little like trying to solve a Rubik’s cube. You twist it this way and that and get real close to figuring it out, only to realize you’re not quite there yet. Such was the case here. Halibut is a great fish for health, but left to its own devices it can be rather bland. So I toyed, I tinkered, and went through more fish than Shamu until—hallelujah!—I got it right. If you aren’t in the mood for this southern Italian version, try the south-of-the border variation below.

Normally I like to pan-sear or broil salmon, but a lot of my clients have asked for a different way to approach fish. Poaching salmon is the answer. It’s a great way to enjoy a fillet without having to endure a lot of cooking smells. Most people associate poaching with eggs, and the concept is the same here. By briefly dunking the fillet in a simmering liquid, it quickly becomes moist and tender. Poaching isn’t boiling, and thank goodness, because that kind of long immersion is a sure way to give fish the consistency of a hockey puck. Here, the poaching liquid is Magic Mineral Broth, which infuses the salmon with even more nutrients—and more yum. Moroccan Pesto is a snazzy topping for this dish, but the possibilities are endless. See the variations below for a few more suggestions.

Shopping for fish can be intimidating. Maybe it’s the fact that half of them are staring at you from behind the counter, as if to say, “Jeez, how did I end up here? “ So, if you’re going to do them—and yourself——justice, here’s how to rustle up a fine, fresh fillet. You need to use your eyes and your nose. Look for a cut where the flesh is moist and glistening, with no flat, brown edges. If the fish looks dull, take a pass. Same goes for any fillet with a fishy or ammonia smell. Don’t be shy about asking your fishmonger a few questions, like when the fish came in and from where. Most stores have regular shipments; knowing that schedule in advance can help you plan when to have fish. If black cod were in a band, it would be the bass player: steady, meaty, but not much of a soloist. It benefits from some jazzy front men and especially likes to swing with citrus high notes. You’ll find plenty of those riffs in this dish.

All salmon are not created equal. This recipe features wild Alaskan sockeye. It’s the “wild” part that’s really important. Wild salmon are far higher in omega-3s than their farm-raised brethren, and omega-3s have been linked to a whole host of cancer-fighting benefits. The nice thing is, you don’t have to go fishing or even handle a salmon fillet to make this dish; there are great brands of wild sockeye that come in cans (see Resources). That said, of course you can also make this with an equal amount of leftover home-cooked salmon. Either way, this salad is easy to prepare: All it takes is a quick stir with a few choice ingredients, and there you go—a nice, filling dish that’s rich in protein, yummy, and versatile. Serve it in a pita, wrap it in a tortilla, or mound it atop salad greens.

My kids love the sweet and spicy flavors of this meal. The pork together with the potatoes, carrots, and green beans offers a kid-friendly, well-rounded dinner loaded with nutrients and low in fat. Look for boneless center-cut pork loin, 1/2 inch thick. Or substitute a turkey tenderloin, a salmon fillet, or even chicken for the pork.

I love the rich, decadent sensation of scallops in my mouth, but you can make this recipe with any kind of seafood, fish, or poultry For a south-of-the-border kick, add a tablespoon of tequila to the sauce mixture and sprinkle with a tablespoon of chopped cilantro before adding the spinach. Be sure to liberally coat the inside of the lid with oil so that the spinach will not dry out and stick.

Traditional masala spices are dry-roasted, which releases the aroma. Masala also calls for pureeing the onions and tomatoes together in a blender with the yogurt mixture. Here I offer a simplified masala, designed to be quick and easy. Of course, you may always vary any recipe to suit your own preferences. You can purchase masala spice mix in a specialty food store, or you can make your own. Combine 1/4 teaspoon garam masala, 1/4 teaspoon curry powder, 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/8 teaspoon turmeric, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne. Keep leftover mix tightly covered in a dark cabinet. Substituting soy yogurt or light coconut milk is fine. Coconut milk used to get a bad rap for being high in saturated fat, but now we know it has the good kind of saturated fat. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory herb, thought to be good for diseases that cause internal swelling, such as multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, and arthritis.

The flavors here remind me of Jamaica, luring me in with the sweet citrus and then kicking it up with the chile peppers.

Puttanesca is a traditional pasta dish that supposedly had its origins in the food prostitutes cooked for themselves at the end of the night. The amount of spice called for here makes a medium-spicy dish. Adjust it according to your own taste. Although anchovy paste (or minced anchovies) is called for, don’t worry if you don’t have any or just want to leave it out. A tip: Do not lift the lid “just to check” before this meal is done or it will take longer to cook and your pasta may not come out perfectly al dente. This recipe works equally well with fresh or frozen shrimp. Instead of broccoli and artichoke hearts, try this with spinach or green beans. Consider red bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, or eggplant as well.

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) was an ancient staple grain of the Incas. It’s a complete protein with all essential amino acids and more calcium than milk, along with iron, phosphorus, and vitamins B and E. Use it as a grain and substitute freely for rice or pasta. Just be sure to maintain the proper ratio of dry grain to liquid (for quinoa use 3/4 cup quinoa to 1 cup liquid). I buy quinoa from the bulk food bins at the health food store, although you can find it at many supermarkets alongside the grains. Raw seafood is always preferable when making a Glorious One-Pot Meal, and frozen shellfish is less likely to overcook in this method. I keep a bag of uncooked shrimp in my freezer for just such a reason.

The sweet potatoes soften in the broth to emerge creamy and bursting with flavor. Even though this exciting meal doesn’t contain chile peppers, ginger adds considerable zing. Be careful not to overdo the black pepper as it will intensify during cooking. Chanterelle or hedgehog wild mushrooms heighten the flavor in this dish, but shiitake or button mushrooms will taste good in a pinch. To make julienne sticks, cut the potato into thin disks. Stack the disks and cut into thin sticks lengthwise.

Adapted from a recipe out of Guam, the bananas give this meal a tropical flavor that my mother and mother-in-law both love. Be sure to cut any brown spots off the bananas before slicing. Sweet potatoes and yams range tremendously in size. You may be able to use all of a medium sweet potato in a single meal. However, if it is ten inches or longer, use only part of it. To make this dish even spicier, add a diced fresh jalapeño or serrano pepper to the onion layer at the bottom.

In this recipe I deviate from the usual formula where the spinach would be the last ingredient added. I do this because sometimes spinach that touches the lid becomes browned, and although this doesn’t bother me, some may find it unappetizing. This method leaves the spinach greener. I get the best results when using frozen raw shrimp, though thawed raw shrimp will work well, too.

Cioppino, or fisherman’s stew, had its origins in San Francisco by way of Italy, but all Mediterranean countries have similar fish stews. Make this version your own with your favorite treats from the sea. Traditionally, this dish is not very soupy; for more broth, do not drain the can of tomatoes. I prefer to avoid precooked seafood for Glorious One-Pot Meals. If your frozen shrimp is pink, it’s precooked. While using precooked seafood certainly won’t ruin your meal (it’s difficult to fail with a Glorious One-Pot Meal!), raw seafood results in a stronger flavor and will be more tender after cooking.

My young children won’t eat the scallions in this recipe, so I leave them whole and remove them before serving. But I’m nonetheless pleased to know I’ve added another flavor to their taste memory that will increase the spectrum of their eating preferences and habits over a lifetime. The mildest types of fish-and thus more acceptable to non-fish or picky eaters-are the flat white fish: flounder, sole, even haddock or tilapia. This is one time when it is okay if the pieces of fish overlap or are even frozen together. It is rare for me to use butter in a recipe, but in this particular case I think it gives the fish a smoother mouth experience, which might be less offensive for difficult or timid eaters. You certainly can use olive oil, or just skip it altogether

Throughout the 1980s, my family vacationed in Cozumel, off the coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. This recipe was one of our favorite local dishes prepared by the descendants of the Mayan Indians. Corn, peppers, and limes are all native to the New World and were likely cultivated by the ancient Mayans much as they are today. Spice up this dish with red pepper flakes or chopped chiles. Try a white, flaky fish such as cod, flounder, or sole. Or try a slightly meatier white fish like Oreo Dory, tilapia, mahi mahi, or snapper. Either fresh or frozen fish fillets work fine. This recipe is also wonderful with seafood such as shrimp or with thin slices of flank steak or pork.