Shellfish

Avocado is right at home in this Asian-style one-bowl supper of shrimp, snow peas, and brown rice. Serve the citrusy sauce on the side, or drizzle a little over each portion.

This quick-cooking dish proves that you can make flavorful Indian curries entirely from scratch with just a handful of fresh (and easy to find) ingredients.

Begin cooking the shrimp and sauce while the pot of water is coming to a boil so everything is ready at the same time. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp, as they can easily become tough.

Sugar snap peas add distinctive crunch to this refreshing salad. Look for plump green ones with smooth pods. If using frozen shrimp, thaw them overnight (see below). The zesty dressing is inspired by popular versions served at Japanese restaurants.

YOU CAN’T BUY THIS INTENSELY FLAVORED STOCK anywhere; you have to make it yourself from fresh crab shells. In the Pacific Northwest there are two types of crab available, Dungeness and Alaska king crabs. We use Dungeness for its sweet crab flavor, but king crab can be substituted. We don’t recommend using Atlantic blue crabs, as they have a completely different flavor. In my house, making the stock always comes the day after a crab feast. Crab stock is a wonderful base for any fish stew, but it plays the starring role in the Crab Mac and Cheese (page 74). Without it, the cheese overwhelms the flavorful crab.

SWEET, SALTY OYSTERS AND SPICY SAUSAGE are the stars of this classic American stuffing. This is great for Thanksgiving and perfect with most meat or poultry dishes.

A BEAUTIFUL BOWL OF FRESHLY STEAMED MUSSELS is even better with marinara sauce, with the tomato playing off the tender, salty shellfish. Serve this dish as a starter, or ladle the mussels over spaghetti for a hearty pasta dish. Be sure to serve a loaf of warm, crusty bread alongside to soak up the juices.

CIOPPINO, THE CLASSIC ITALIAN-AMERICAN FISH STEW for which San Francisco is famous, takes on a new life in the Northwest, with fennel and a hint of anchovy to boost the flavor. The mashed avocado is used as a thickener and adds a richness to the dish, but it’s optional. We use a variety of seafood, but feel free to use whatever is fresh in your fish market. We like to use true cod, also known as Pacific cod, because of its flaky texture and mild flavor. (Pacific cod is preferable to Atlantic cod, an overfished species.) True cod is often available frozen. If you find it fresh ask your fishmonger to bone it for you.

THE MILD-FLAVORED PICKAPEPPA is my favorite brand of steak sauce. Made from a centuries-old recipe in Jamaica, Pickapeppa is completely natural and has just the right balance of smoky, sweet, and spicy flavors. It is particularly delicious when served with meaty scallops. Serve the scallops hot as a passed hors d’oeuvre or chilled as a light summer appetizer.

SMALL, TENDER, AND SWEET, MANILA CLAMS are the most tender of the Pacific Northwest clams, which also include Pacific littlenecks, geoducks, butter clams, and jackknife clams. Manila clams are available at most fish markets. Parsley and cilantro brighten the flavor of this dish, but any other fresh herb can be used, such as thyme, basil, or oregano.

DUNGENESS CRAB CAKES ARE THE QUINTESSENTIAL SEATTLE DISH, and there is much debate around town about which restaurant makes the best. Some local chefs like to add unusual ingredients to their crab cakes, but our only twist is a bit of cheese, which adds richness without overpowering the crab. We use Dungeness for its sweet crab flavor, but blue crabmeat can be substituted. To minimize last-minute preparation, you can refrigerate the crab cakes for several hours before cooking. Allow them to come to room temperature, uncovered, for at least 15 minutes before cooking, as slightly warmer cakes hold together better during cooking. Serving the crab cakes over fresh spinach with a light vinaigrette completes a lunch or dinner.

THIS IS A TRULY DECADENT DISH, but you won’t want to save it for special occasions. Adding another Pacific Northwest flavor to our classic mac and cheese was easy; the base is a cheese sauce made from flavorful crab stock, and cauliflower balances the sweet crab flavor.

BRINY SCALLOPS AND WOODSY MUSHROOMS are tied together with the light, sweet note of sherry in this creamy fall pasta dish. We prefer hedgehog mushrooms because of their small size, but you could substitute other wild mushrooms if you prefer.

COBB SALAD IS A LUNCHTIME STAPLE, and when a few new ingredients such as crab, crispy prosciutto, and lime-jalapeño dressing are thrown in the mix, the classic just gets better. The Curried Crab Lumps can be made one day in advance and kept in the refrigerator.

THIS LIGHT SALAD WILL BECOME A GO-TO RECIPE in your kitchen. Taking only minutes to prepare, it can be served as a first course or as a main course for a summer lunch. Or spoon the salad on slices of fresh bread for a seafood sandwich. We prefer Dungeness crab, but King or blue crab can be substituted. Or skip the crab and use prawns, bay shrimp, or lobster instead. Add just a sprinkling of celery seed; its flavor is very strong, and you will need only a very small amount.

WHETHER YOU FRY THEM, SAUTÉ THEM, OR EAT THEM RAW, fresh oysters are simply sublime. Our local favorites are the tiny Olympia oyster (the only oyster native to the Pacific Northwest), plump Pacific oysters, European Flat oysters, and petite Kumamotos. The large Pacific oysters are the best for frying. Coated in cornmeal, they make a savory sandwich, but fried oysters also make an impressive appetizer. One tip: Use two hands while battering the oysters—one hand to dip in the flour and one to dunk in the egg and cornmeal—so you don’t end up with two messy hands.

NEW ENGLANDERS HAVE THEIR CLAM CHOWDER; here in the Pacific Northwest we also make chowder with fresh local crab. Even better, this soup can be served cold in the summer and warm in the winter months. Don’t let the jalapeño in the recipe scare you; this soup isn’t spicy. Seeded, diced, and sautéed, the jalapeño loses most of its heat and adds a nice undertone to the rich crab and creamy potato.

WHY IT’S LIGHT Cut strips of sliced cabbage to resemble long, thin noodles and you can reduce the amount of real noodles by half. Cooked briefly, the cabbage wilts slightly but retains some of its characteristic crunch. Linguine stands in for the usual wheat-flour noodles (called lo mein) in this version of the Chinese take-out favorite, but you can use Asian noodles if you have them.