Seafood

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Jean Anderson's book A Love Affair with Southern Cooking. Pickled oysters are a cocktail favorite wherever oysters are fresh, plump, and flavorful, meaning most of the South. The hostesses I know like to mound them in small crystal bowls, top them off with a little of the pickling liquid, and pass with toothpicks so that guests can "go spearfishing." Though the red serranos add color, I suggest sprigging the bowl with fresh dill umbels or sprigs of Italian parsley. Come to think of it, small fennel umbels would also be attractive and appropriate. Note: Because cooking clouds the oyster liquid, I pour it through a coffee filter–-lined sieve directly onto the oysters and spices. Makes for a prettier presentation at serving time.

Simple to make and packed with omega-3s, this soup can be an easy weeknight supper or a sophisticated starter at a dinner party. Serve it with oyster crackers for the kids.

The trick to this tasty combo is slicing the tomatoes ultra-thin. For added ease, buy presliced salmon at the supermarket.

Rillettes—a spread made from meat or fish that's traditionally cooked in fat—is a fitting way to kick off Christmas dinner. This lighter take still feels indulgent but comes together quickly.

This hearty fish soup get tons of flavor from smoky bacon and fragrant saffron.

Fresh fennel and fennel seeds flavor this elegant main course.

This new way with latkes is a delicious main course for brunch, too.

Leeks prepared with a dab of butter are a perfect complement to delicate white fish.

Because curry powder is a blend of many spices, it's a tremendous way to get both depth and complexity in one fell swoop. Adding cayenne compounds the intensity. Take a taste of this fragrant, pleasantly spicy dish, and you'll agree.

Sautéing the squid in the bacon fat adds tons of flavor to the seafood itself. Fried calamari with marinara sauce will be but a distant memory once you try this.

Beware—once you've had a few bites of this rice, you'll surely be back for seconds and thirds. Loaded with bits of treasure—smoked oysters, meaty mushrooms, Chinese sausage that tastes almost candied—the rice itself has an amazing chew that exemplifies the Chinese genius for varying textures in a meal. Though the lotus-leaf wrapping is optional, the rice gains a beguiling aroma, suggestive of tea, if you do use it—and the drama of unwrapping the stuffing at the table, like a lovely present, shouldn't be underestimated.

The secret ingredient in Kristen's version of this southern classic? Evaporated milk.

In this recipe, butter lettuce is cooked in pan drippings for a quick side.

An immersion blender makes the prep time even shorter.

Rouille is a Provençal sauce that's traditionally made with peppers and served with fish. Here, it's the spread for an easy, flavorful appetizer.