Seafood

The lime juice keeps the avocados from discoloring.

Fennel and tomatoes go silky when poached in olive oil, and when halibut follows suit, it picks up hints of the vegetables' flavor and becomes succulent and delicately nuanced.

The squid in this entrée is tender and picks up the flavors it's cooked with.

Cedar-plank cooking infuses the shrimp with a delicious smokiness. Use leftover chipotles in flavored butter, guacamole, and vinaigrettes.

The combination of tuna and olives is reminiscent of a salade niçoise.

This is a traditional aioli— a mayo-like emulsion made from raw egg yolks. For ease of preparation, you can also replace the egg yolks and oil with one cup of purchased mayonnaise and whisk in the remaining ingredients.

Harissa is a spicy Tunisian sauce made from chiles, spices, and olive oil. Here, grilling the ingredients gives the sauce great smoky flavor.

Satay is an Indonesian-style kebab served with a spicy peanut sauce. Here, we've amped up the sauce's flavor with some sweet peach nectar.

Shrimp get a wake-up call from a bold spice paste that really packs a punch. A brief 30-minute swim in the marinade imbues the shrimp with intense flavor—jalapeño, ginger, and garlic lend heat, while garam masala contributes depth. Sparkle comes from a splash of lime juice. Think of the mango chutney as a fresh Indian salsa; it's crunchy, colorful, tart, and very refreshing.

A spin on Nobu's famous miso-glazed black cod, these tuna kebabs are uncommonly satisfying—like umami on a stick. Shiro miso—aided and abetted by mirin and lush mayonnaise—asserts itself beautifully against the meaty tuna. The sugar in the marinade caramelizes over the hot grill, giving the quickly cooked tuna some tantalizingly crisp edges.

A simple recipe for flaky grilled halibut with an herby sauce.

The verdict in the test kitchen was unanimous: When we order crab cakes in restaurants, these meaty beauties are what we want—not the bready hockey pucks that dot many menus around the country. Pair them with a simple salad or some fries for a Chesapeake-inspired two-person dinner done right.

The pasta is extra flavorful because it's cooked in the herb broth. Serve with warm rustic bread.

Serve this cold or at room temperature—perfect for a picnic or barbecue.

Bruschetta becomes a main course when it's topped with roasted fish.

Asian flavors add some heat to the classic French dish moules marinières.

Bulgogi—beef marinated in soy sauce,sesame oil, and other seasonings—is a popular Korean dish. Here, we've subbed in salmon for the sirloin.

A satisfying first-course salad with beautifully balanced Asian flavors.

Baby arugula is sold prepackaged in markets. It has a clean, sharp flavor.