Seafood

Fleer's family enjoys indoor picnics with brandade (made here with a shortcut: smoked trout) and storebought fixings. "We just sit on the floor and chat and chew," he says.

Used in place of mayonnaise, yogurt brings tang and brightness to these crostini.

A version of this recipe helped Danny Bowien win the Pesto World Championship in Italy in 2008. He was kind enough to let us adapt it a bit.

In search of a classic tuna melt? This is the best we've tried. Palace Diner makes its own pickles, but of course you can start with store-bought.

Watson, who's from Louisiana, grew up on his mom's dirty rice; that dish helped inspire this bastardized fried version. The chicken-liver base tastes very concentrated and intense on its own, but becomes nicely balanced in the finished dish.

Nilou Motamed, Epicurious Editor-in-Chief, swears by this herb-infused lobster roll recipe inspired by her father-in-law Michael DePorte. When available, Nilou prefers soft-shell lobsters, or “shedders”, for their easy-to-crack shells (no tools required!) and sweet, tender meat. If you choose soft-shell lobsters, reduce the cooking time by 2 to 3 minutes. She also prefers filtered seawater as a cooking liquid, so if your fishmonger has it available, give it a try! Boiling lobsters in well-salted water is the next best thing.

Rich, buttery parmesan and pine nuts balance out the bitter flavor that is characteristic of broccoli rabe. Serve this classic Italian side dish with steak Florentine or porchetta, or try it in a sandwich if you have leftovers.

A mixture of white wine and white wine vinegar, plus a host of spices and vegetables, infuse these shrimp with tangy, fragrant flavor. Serve them as a cocktail party hors d'oeuvre or toss them into a salad.

You can also make this dish with littleneck or cherrystone clams instead of mussels.

With store-bought cooked lobster (or shrimp if that’s more your speed) this luxe, buttery pasta comes together at lightning speed.

To check if the fish is done, press on the spot right behind the head: If it feels firm and a thin knife inserted there reveals flaky flesh, you're good to go.

We love the rich, salty flavor of anchovies, especially with lamb, but we don't really want to bite into one. Chop until they're practically a paste.

For stress-free, no-sweat hosting, grill the lamb a few hours ahead of time and slice it at room temperature.

You can infuse your shellfish with smoky flavor (and keep the smells out of the house) by throwing it on the grill. The lobster, shrimp and clams here are meant to be cooked at the same time and served with three sauces for mixing and matching. If you make the sauces in advance, the mixed grill comes together in less than a half hour. For a simpler dinner, you can absolutely make one type of seafood and one of the sauces; just make sure to increase the quantities as needed.

In addition to the tuna, the leeks and garlic are also grilled, giving this simple Mediterranean-inspired pasta sauce complex flavor.

Make sure to buy whole squid; precut rings will slip through your grill grate.