Seafood

>Editor's note: The recipe below is from Govind Armstrong's Small Bites, Big Nights and is part of a special menu he created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

This play on osso buco forgoes veal for the dark meat of turkey legs. A vibrant gremolata made from lemon and orange zest and fresh parsley offsets the richness of the meat.

The sweet and savory flavors coaxed from the bacon, onion, raisins, and vinegar in this dish complement the delicate trout without overpowering it.

This soup was inspired by a meal at the Copenhagen microbrewery Nørrebro Bryghus. (Who knew breweries could be fine-dining destinations?) Lager lends a malty richness to the velvety broth, thick with mussels; cold chopped avocado and tomato mingle with the heat, bringing the whole spectrum of flavors into sharper focus.

Though Denmark travel guides characterize smørrebrød as an open-face sandwich, food editors Melissa Roberts and Maggie Ruggiero found that this national favorite is somewhere between that and an oversize canapé, with a few carefully chosen ingredients arranged generously on top (often to the point where the bread is no longer even visible). Here, whittled down to bite-size, it's an elegant hors d'oeuvre that retains the Danish spirit; caraway butter complements the classic rye base, and lightly fried beets and sweet onion are an alluring counterpoint to the smoked salmon.

Posole, a hearty Mexican soup, is traditionally prepared with pork or chicken. Shrimp and scallops make this version special enough for a party.

Wasabi peas are dried green peas that are covered in a spicy coating made from wasabi powder. They can be found at some supermarkets and natural foods stores, and at Asian markets. Serve this dish with a bowl of steamed jasmine rice.

Paired with the pea tendrils, chanterelles, and fingerling potatoes, this main makes the most of spring's best ingredients.

Creamy-tangy gribiche (a fancy version of tartar sauce) and smoked salmon add richness to the asparagus in this first course.

For a lighter version, wrap the fish in very large butter lettuce leaves.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from The Gourmet Slow Cooker: Simple and Sophisticated Meals from Around the World by Lynn Alley. For more on slow cooking, click here. Poaching salmon, or any fish for that matter, in the slow cooker is a no-brainer. Although it isn't a traditional dish for long, slow cooking, it is one of the things that the low, even temperatures of the slow cooker does well with. Poached salmon, needing no oil to cook, makes a light lunch paired with lemon rice, steamed vegetables, and salad, or a sumptuous dinner with herbed mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables.

Saltfish is a staple throughout the Caribbean, providing a rich, salty flavor for simple dishes like fritters, steamed callaloo, and rice. This dish is called "pick-up saltfish" because the salt cod is pulled apart and shredded. It's made into a salad that's eaten for breakfast or brunch with coconut bake or crackers. It's a good party snack, too. The salt cod needs to soak overnight, so start this recipe a day ahead. Salt cod is available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

Often found at shacks on the beach in Puerto Rico, this full-flavored crab dish is served in the shell, or with rice and green bananas or plantains. A defining element of the dish is sofrito, a traditional Spanish sauce of tomatoes, onions, garlic, bell peppers, cilantro, and hot pepper.

In Jamaica, this dish turns up by the seaside or near rivers, as janga (river crayfish) are often used. It is seriously, deliciously hot — wash the heat down with ice-cold beer. Using uncooked shrimp that have been deveined with the shells intact will make the shrimp much easier to peel.

A Cuban dish, enchilado (different from a Mexican enchilada) is seafood cooked in a mildly spicy tomato sauce. Serve this with rice and fried plantains.

Sheila Jacobs and Lynn Kramer of Abreu, Cabrera, Dominican Republic write: "We're both from the U.S., but we have lived in the Dominican Republic for about 25 years. We're friends, business partners, and neighbors, so we entertain together often. Cooking the local dishes has made us feel a part of the country." This recipe is inspired by pescado con coco (fish with tomato, garlic, and coconut).

"Shark and bake," a popular Trinidadian pocket sandwich, is found at beach shacks and street stalls throughout the island. Part of its appeal is the variety of go-withs, from mango chutney to sliced cucumbers. "Bake" is a catchall term for several types of bread, grilled or fried. Since blacktip shark — the traditional choice — is not readily available, catfish or tilapia fillets are substituted here. Pita pockets are a stand-in for the flatbread that's typically used to make the sandwich.

Improv: Top with smoked salmon instead of caviar.