I’m certain there are plenty of small, cute beach shacks on France’s southeastern coast where you can get mussels and fries and drink rosé and pastis with your friends or your lover or alone. But my favorite small, cute beach shack is tucked directly into the seawall (?!) about 20 minutes south of Marseille’s city center, and they toss their mussels in aïoli. Do that here, and add fries.
I discovered a variation of this recipe during my research for Nistisima (my previous book) in a book called Culinaria Greece by Marianthi Milona. I’d never heard of prawns being cooked with honey and was intrigued. In addition, fish sauce was something I had never seen used in Greek food before. After much research I realised it probably referenced “garum,” a fermented fish sauce that was used in Ancient Greece and Rome. There are people today who make their own versions, and it seems like it isn’t too dissimilar to the commonly found fish sauce used in south-east Asian cooking (or even Worcestershire sauce). This truly delicious, genuinely speedy recipe has become a new staple in our house.
I’m a believer in low-key meals that still feel glorious and indulgent, and here each bite of cod feels more luxurious than the last, but the work is minimal. When you want to celebrate the smallest of achievements, like learning to change a tire or finishing a book, this is the meal, boos. I don’t know anyone with a pulse who doesn’t love garlic butter—a golden ticket to a surere flavorful meal. This is a great recipe to have in your back pocket if you’re hosting a small dinner party and want to save your energy for playing host. And while you wait, pour yourself a glass of wine, make a cocktail, or just kick it.
One of my favorite ways to cook fish on a weeknight is on the stove. I save this dish for those especially busy days because it comes together in under 30 minutes. I like to use a firm fish, such as branzino or red snapper, which is less likely to fall apart than cod or other flaky fish. The method here is incredibly simple, just make sure to use a well-seasoned pan or a nonstick skillet and begin cooking the fish with its skin pressed down on the skillet. The scallion-lemon oil pairs well with anything, so you can also serve it with other dishes, such as roasted chicken. To keep the meal light but satisfying, accompany the pan-seared fish with a salad, such as Green Salad with Umeboshi Dressing, Cucumber and Fennel Sunomono, Potato Salad, or Loaded Vegetable Miso Soup in the winter.
Fishcake recipes are always handy, featuring ingredients from the pantry. In Malta, similar patties are also made with corned beef. I like to serve these with plenty of lemon and a salad of iceberg lettuce. They are also nice eaten cold and can be added to a platt Malti.
I eat this pasta twice a week and never get bored of it. Instead of giving the dish a fishy taste, the fatty anchovies melt into the sauce and give it a salty umami note that becomes hard to place, but who cares because it’s damn delicious. The briny capers, tart lemon, and sweet tomatoes round the whole thing out, along with the red pepper flakes, which leave a subtle spicy finish. It’s downright crave-worthy.
LOUISIAN A BARBECUE D SHRIMP is that sort of magical dish that’s intensely flavorful, quick to cook, and perfect for sharing—all you need to do is spend a few minutes revving at the spice drawer first. Despite the name, the recipe isn’t cooked on a barbecue but simmered straight in a spicy-bright pan sauce. As Toni Tipton-Martin explains in her book Jubilee, drawn from her collection of nearly 400 African American cookbooks, “‘Barbecue shrimp’ is just the name Louisiana Creole cooks assigned to shrimp braised in wine, beer, or a garlic butter sauce.” This one is Toni’s favorite version, based on one from the late model/chef/restaurateur B. Smith.
Sometimes, Toni doesn’t even wait to get the shrimp out of the pan, serving it in the kitchen as an appetizer, right in the skillet it’s cooked in, with lots of hot crusty bread to get every bit of sauce. No more than 10 minutes have passed.
Cooking your fish in a parcel is a great way to keep it juicy and tender. It’s a fabulous method to apply to different fish and flavors. Try using curry leaves, tomatoes and garlic or soy, chili and a little Shaoxing wine as alternatives.
The brightness and color of this pasta with the meatiness of the scallop cannot be beat. You might want to add fresh greens or arugula to toss in the pasta to add texture and dimension. This can be made with tinned scallops or even sautéed ones that have been thawed from your freezer “pantry”!
When it comes to finding sustainable scallops, farmed scallops are basically sustainable, landing in the “Yellow-Green” range overall. Antibiotics and feeds are not used in scallop farming, there’s no affluence, and chemical use and ecosystem impacts are minimal. As with all tinned seafood, know your source and look into where the scallops come from and how impacted they are. I like using Ramon Pena‘s Small Scallops in Sauce!
Recipe from The Tinned Fish Cookbook: Easy-to-Make Meals from Ocean to Plate—Sustainably Canned, 100% Delicious