Sea Bass Recipes , Cod Recipes ...You Name It, We've Got 'em

Don't even think of using margarine for these expensive guys. If you're only after a "healthy" seafood dish, open a can of sardines.

6 soft-shell crabs, dressed
Salt to taste
6 Tbsp all-purpose flour, or as needed
8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter
White pepper to taste
Fresh lemon juice to taste
Watercress sprigs, for garnish
Lemon wedges, for garnish

Dry the crabs well, sprinkle them with salt, and dust very lightly with the flour.

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the crabs (don’t crowd them) in the foaming butter until golden brown on one side, then turn to brown the other side. Turn them only once, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Like most fish and shellfish, these should be cooked fast, but be careful not to burn the butter; you’d really hate that.

Sprinkle the crabs again with a little salt, and season with white pepper and a squeeze or two of lemon juice. Spoon the golden butter in the skillet over the crabs, and serve garnished with watercress and lemon wedges. M-m-m-m-m good!

That optional dash of Tabasco is just enough to give the dish a little tang, but feel free to omit it if even a little tang is more than you want - after all, you are the Cooker!

4 (6-oz) flounder fillets
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
3 finely chopped green onions
1/4 tsp salt
dash hot pepper sauce (optional)

Preheat broiler.

Place fish in a greased, shallow baking pan, sprinkle with lemon juice, and broil for 4 to 6 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cheese, butter, mayo, green onions, salt and pepper sauce; set aside.

Remove the flounder from the oven and spread cheese mixture over it. Put back under the broiler just until the spread browns a bit, about 30-45 seconds. Serve warm with very thin slices of lemon on top.

This may start as a St. Patrick’s Day treat, but you’ll probably make it many times after that.

2 lbs fresh mussels, scrubbed, de-bearded, and rinsed in cold water
1 shallot, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup stout (like Guinness)
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 tsp minced fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

Garnish & Accompaniment:
2 Tbsp fresh minced parsley lemon wedges
crusty French bread

To a large lidded pot, add liquids and bring to almost boiling over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, add the mussels, thyme & butter and cook with lid on, stirring once or twice, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until mussels open. Get rid of any that don’t open.

Divide the mussels among shallow bowls, ladle the broth over them and sprinkle with the fresh parsley. Serve with a lemon wedge and slices of bread to sop up the juices. And, at least on St. Paddy’s Day, you and your eaters might finish off the 5 & 1/2 bottles of the Guiness six-pack.

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1 fennel bulb, cut lengthwise into 6 wedges
1 medium onion, quartered
3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 & 1/2 tsp dried thyme
I/8 tsp dried red-pepper flakes
1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes in juice
1 & 1/2 cups water
1 cup full-bodied red wine
1 (8-oz) bottle clam juice
1 lb skinless fillets of halibut or much-less-expensive pollack, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 Ib cultivated mussels

Pulse fennel, onion, and garlic in a food processor until coarsely chopped.

Heat oil in a 5-6-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then stir in chopped vegetables, bay leaves, thyme, red-pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

Cook, covered, over medium heat, stirring once or twice, until vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes.

Add tomatoes with their juice, water, wine, and clam juice and boil, covered, 20 minutes.

Stir in seafood and cook, uncovered, until fish is just cooked through and mussels open wide, 4 to 6 minutes. (Toss the bay leaves and any mussels that remain closed because they may be spoiled.) Serve up.

Don't panic over the number of ingredients in this sensational seafood creation. It's still a quick and easy recipe so it will be ready in about thirty minutes. And it's certainly "fancy" enough to serve as a "company" dish; just double or triple the ingredients for a crowd.

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Small onion,thinly sliced
1 Clove garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed
1 14 oz can Italian tomatoes
1 small yellow squash or zucchini cut into matchstick pieces (we call that "julienned")
1 Small yellow bell pepper, seeded and julienned
3 Tbsp. minced parsley
6 oz. cod fillet
8 Large raw shrimp in shells
8 Mussels in shell, scrubbed, beards pulled off (Ouch!)
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/3 cup dried orzo(tiny little pasta)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Start about 1 & 1/2 qts. of water for the orzo to boiling in a 3-quart pan over high heat.

Heat oil in a wide nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and fennel seeds. Cook, stirring often, until onion begins to soften (about 4 minutes).

Add tomatoes (squeeze between your fingers to break up - it feels go-o-o-d) and their liquid, the squash, bell pepper, and 2 Tbsps. of the parsley. Increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to a simmer; then simmer,uncovered, until slightly thickened (about5 minutes).

Water should now be boiling so stir in orzo and cook,uncovered, until just tender to bite (al dente, remember?) (8 to 10 minutes).

Rinse fish, pat dry and cut into 2 portions.Add fish to sauce. Cover and simmer gentlyfor 3 minutes. Add shrimp, mussels, andlemon juice. Cover and simmer until musselspop open (toss any that don't)and shrimp are just opaque in center; cut one to test (about 5 minutes).

Orzo should be ready now so test, drain well and toss with cheese.

Divide pasta between 2 soup bowls or individual casseroles. Ladle seafoodstew over pasta and sprinkle with remaining1 Tbsp. of parsley.

Isn't that a tasty dish to set before the Queen or King!