Seafood

This low-heat method is very gentle, lending the salmon a velvety texture.

Crème fraîche delivers tang along with creamy butterfat to this deconstructed salad; Greek yogurt can be substituted if you wish.

Cooking the salmon skin side down maximizes its crispy potential; brown butter carries nutty flavor into the flesh.

Cooking the shrimp with their shells on helps them retain flavor; scoring them along the back lets you remove the vein and makes peeling easier. Win-win.

Crisp julienned vegetables add crunchy texture to wheat-free pasta. To prep them fast, try the Oxo Julienne Peeler ($10, Oxo.com).

These tacos combine tender grilled octopus with spiced harissa and piquant chorizo potatoes and are finished with the acidic bite of quick-pickled ramps.

Clams are inexpensive, plentiful, easy to cook, and delicious. And you barely need a recipe—once they open, they're done.

Squid is tender when it's either cooked quickly over high heat, or gently for a long time. This is the quick version.

Overcooked lobsters will be tough and rubbery; if yours are less than 1 1/2 pounds each, decrease the cooking time by a few minutes.

Take care with these little shrimp: They'll cook through quickly.

You can substitute whitefish or hot-smoked salmon for the trout.

Serving Size: 8

The hardest part of this recipe is getting your hands on the octopus. Give your fishmonger a few days to order it for you.

Okay, so maybe you don't live across the street from a blooming locust tree—you can still make a killer butter sauce.

For this rustic interpretation of brandade, Aizpitarte uses desalinated salt cod, which is not easy to find. We got great results (and the right texture) by simply using fresh cod, but when it comes to the addictive relish spooned over the top, we wouldn't dare change a thing.

Almonds are the new breadcrumbs. Their toasty flavor and crunch add just the right contrast to pasta.

Elegant and easy, this flavorful fish stew comes together in less than 30 minutes.

Look for pea shoots at the farmers' market or at Asian markets (though any tender green will work in a pinch).