Seafood/8 recipes

Canned tuna simmered in homemade coconut milk with cinnamon, crushed red chili, garlic, and tart rhubarb for a sweet-spicy-tangy curry served over rice. This unexpected flavor combo is the real surprise here.

Tom yum goong, the Thai hot and sour shrimp soup: a fragrant broth of kaffir lime leaf, lemongrass and galangal, made fiery with chili and sour with lime. Light, aromatic and ready fast.

A quick dinner for two: canned salmon, sorrel or spinach ribbons, and broccoli tossed with buttered fresh spaghetti, lemon, and Parmesan. Pantry-friendly elegance in 20 minutes.

Fish and crawfish mold: a creamy Louisiana-style cold seafood spread blending cooked fish, crawfish tails, cream cheese, wine, and hot sauce. Make ahead, serve on crackers at your next cocktail party.

Lobster or shrimp fra diavolo in a spicy tomato sauce with red wine, hot peppers, garlic, and fresh herbs, tossed with pasta. Italian-American seafood at its boldest.

Coconut shrimp deep-fried until golden with a shredded coconut coating, served with a honey mustard horseradish dipping sauce. Inspired by Scottsdale's Camelback Inn.

Fritto misto: Italian mixed seafood fry with squid, sole, and shrimp in a light, egg-white-lifted batter. Crisp, golden, and ready for a squeeze of lemon.

Mahalia Jackson's okra gumbo, a soulful Louisiana feast of crab, shrimp, beef, ham, sausage, and chicken in a tomato-okra base, built on a from-scratch shrimp-shell broth. Big-batch comfort, ladled over rice.

Long Jing Chao Xia is a classic Hangzhou dish of shrimp stir-fried with Dragon Well green tea and rice wine. Delicate, elegant Chinese cooking with just a handful of ingredients.

Polpo con salsa, Italian octopus braised in tomato sauce with garlic, dry sherry, and optional ink for deep, rich flavor. Tender after one hour of gentle simmering.

In Norway, this dish is often accompanied by raw diced carrots, sprinkled with lemon juice and new potatoes.

Salmon Creole casserole: canned salmon, tomatoes, onion, green pepper and chili powder simmered together, then baked under buttery breadcrumbs and melted cheese. Pantry-friendly Louisiana comfort food.

Chilled pappa al pomodoro with crab meat crostini, a Tuscan bread-and-tomato soup served cold with a lemony crab-topped baguette float. An elegant no-cook summer appetizer that turns stale bread into something special.

Pan-seared halibut over a mashed fava bean purée with fresh mint and lemon zest. A spring dinner that bridges tender flaky fish with grassy, herbaceous mashed favas.

Steamed king salmon strips folded over spinach leaves, served on basil sauce with Belgian endive spears and salmon caviar. An elegant, light seafood dish ready in minutes.

Grilled trout with olive butter: butterflied whole trout marinated in Pernod and finished with a chive-flecked compound butter of black olives, shallot, and parsley. A French Provencal-style fish dinner.