Seafood recipes

Salmon scallops pounded paper-thin, flash-cooked in seconds, and served over wilted garlicky spinach with a bright lemon-parsley pan sauce. French bistro technique for sky-high quality dinner.

Citrus shrimp salad: shrimp poached in orange-sherry-rosemary broth, chilled, and tossed with grapefruit, oranges, lettuce, and toasted sesame seeds. Bright, low-fat main-dish salad.

Pecan butter, a Creole-style compound butter made with toasted pecans, unsalted butter, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. The 15-minute Louisiana sauce that turns grilled fish into something restaurant-worthy.

Smoked salmon cheese ball blends flaked salmon with cream cheese, sour cream, lemon, and a pinch of tarragon. A 10-minute make-ahead party appetizer that freezes beautifully and rolls in nuts or parsley.

Shrimp porcupines: large shrimp wrapped in shaggy kataifi pastry threads and fried golden, served on a bed of bright purple cabbage-mayonnaise sauce. A showstopping appetizer with serious crunch.

Salmon mousse, a classic French restaurant appetizer of pureed raw salmon whipped with egg white and heavy cream, spiked with Pernod, cognac, and a spoonful of caviar. Pipe and serve cold.

Peach jambalaya: Louisiana-style jambalaya with shrimp, ham, smoked sausage, and unexpected fresh peach slices. Sweet-spicy fusion served over rice for four.

Whole grilled speckled trout brushed with seasoned flour-oil paste and hot sauce. Quick 10-minute fisherman's-camp dinner straight off the grill.

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.

Tuna kebabs alternate fresh tuna and artichoke hearts on bamboo skewers, brushed with a Shanghai-spiced peanut, tamari, and ginger sauce, then broiled until just opaque.

Cheesy creamy shrimp and rice layers cooked rice, shrimp, sour cream, sauteed mushrooms, and cheddar in a 30-minute casserole. Comfort food without the cream-of-anything can.

Southern-style cheesy okra and crab casserole: fresh crabmeat baked with sliced okra, diced carrot and Tabasco in an egg custard, then topped with melted cheddar. A Gulf Coast main dish with Lowcountry roots.

Cajun shrimp jambalaya simmers smoky ham, the Holy Trinity of onion, celery and bell pepper, tomatoes and converted rice in bacon drippings before folding in shrimp at the end. A one-pot Louisiana classic.

Oysters Veracruz: Mexican-style baked oysters topped with chipotle sauce and melted quesadilla cheese. A spicy, smoky twist on classic baked oyster appetizers.

Cold-smoked grilled pompano with a smoked tomato and aged balsamic vinaigrette. A two-stage technique that builds deep smoke and char on a rich Gulf Coast game fish.

Fish in a fish: a fish-shaped pastry wrapped around flaked salmon and parsley-rice filling, served with creamy shrimp-dill sauce. An impressive Russian-inspired kulebiaka style showpiece for special occasions.