Recipes to Inspire: National Seafood Month
There's still time to cook up some clams, salmon, tuna!
WHOA, October is half over! How did that happen?
October is many things: the true start of Fall and soup season, spooky Halloween to close the month out, a month to celebrate cookbooks (woo, more soon!!!), and also, National Seafood Month. We’ve pulled some of our favorite seafood recipes to inspire you. Don’t forget to share on social using #TalkCookbooks!
Remember, we always offer a free trial to our hundreds of recipes from featured cookbooks—and through October, new paid subscribers will get 20% off:
A Fin-tastic Bite to Get Started
San Francisco chef Brandon Jew’s shui jiao are bursting with a mix of rock cod, shrimp, scallops, and cabbage. (Psst: Brandon recently launched some frozen dumplings under his Mamahuhu brand. I tried both the Pork + Cabbage and Tofu + Mushroom, and they cooked up perfectly. The wrappers are made with rice & oat flour, so they’re gluten-free and crisp up so nicely, with flavorful, generous filling. He’s shipping to California now. But for your seafood fix, Brandon’s recipe for Seafood Shui Jiao is below.)
Prawns for the People
Perhaps you’ll keep it simple with the Queen of Weeknight
’s Turmeric Shrimp with Citrus & Avocado, which is such a stunner that the photo graces the cover of her debut cookbook, I Dream of Dinner.If shrimp is speaking to you but you’ve got more time,
has you covered with her still-weeknight-friendly Curry Leaf Coriander Shrimp Curry from Juhu Beach Club.Or take a cue from Ayesha Curry with her Pancake-Battered Coconut Shrimp (inspired by a place she and Steph frequented when they were dating: their local Outback Steakhouse.)
If that’s not enough, author Marti Buckley’s Basque Country has a recipe for the ganba brotxeta—a famous bacon-and-shrimp pintxo from San Sebastián, blanketed with a vinegary pepper and onion sauce. Or turn up the heat with some Hot Chicken-Style Shrimp from Atlanta chef Todd Richards’ Soul.
The Big Honchos (Fish & Shellfish Mains)
It’s hard to get simpler than
’s Slow Salmon, which is equally great for a Monday night or a dinner party. “Confession: I can’t find a better way to cook salmon,” Alison writes. “I’ve tried, but this is truly the best.”Another quick weeknight option is this take on dag hareef, the spicy Moroccan fish dish, from Einat Admony, which centers on the “flaming-red fiery sauce that begs for a thick slice of challah for dipping [and] graces almost every North African table on Friday nights.”
For a non-spicy-yet-still-show-stopping option, turn to this Lavash-Wrapped Trout from the authors of Lavash, Kate Leahy and Ara Zada. Mirroring the French technique of “en papillote,” this recipe forgoes the paper for lavash and the gentle, earthy presence of tarragon. Even better: it scales easily!
Speaking of show-stopping, one of my favorite dinner party options, when I’ve got a grill handy, is the signature whole fish from Gabriela Camara’s beloved Mexico City spot, Contramar. It’s a stunner with the duo of salsas—a spicy red adobo paired with a tamer parsley-based one—and one that pleases both spicy and non-spicy eaters alike. Weeknight tip: Filets can work in place of a whole butterflied snapper, too.
Clams are one of my favorite fancified weeknight dinners, as they are quick to prepare, fun to eat, and feel elegant with a glass of wine and a nice loaf of bread. Stacy Adimando’s debut cookbook Piatti brought us this winning combination of littleneck or Manilla clams, prosciutto, and broccoli rabe.
Happy cooking!
Brian