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To the eager and earnest home cook and the many contributors to this book.
CONTENTS
F ew culinary categories run as deep (quite literally) as fish and seafood. From bright, gleaming red snapper to pearlescent mollusks, from tiny anchovies to tunato say there is a lot to navigate when it comes to seafood is an understatement. The various ways to prepare fish and the vibrant flavors of diverse regional recipes make seafood an unequivocally exciting area to explore in the home kitchen.
It seems like preparing fish has been labeled as intimidating, and I think its time for a rebranding. This undeserved label may be due to common misconceptions and some genuinely bad experiences. Many feel that good-quality fish is difficult to come by, perhaps due to location or budget. Some may be uncertain about the best practices concerning fishing and sustainability and unsure about what to ask when perusing the local seafood counter. Others may feel overwhelmed by the varying techniques for preparing seafood and believe that fish is too hard to handle. What if a recipe goes south, and the seafood splurge is all for naught?
All valid feelings, reader. Im not here to minimize the depths of the, ahem, uncharted waters of cooking fish.
Although seafood territory is vast, having just a few easy, essential techniques under your belt opens up a world of opportunity. Fish is such a delicious, healthy, versatile protein. If youre not entirely confident with it yet, fear not!
Im Dani Colombatto, a recipe developer who, you guessed it, happens to have a deep love for vibrant seafood recipes. I grew up on the coast of Southern California between Orange County and San Diego, which is, for lack of my own personal pun restraint, packed to the gills with accessible, delicious seafood. From the Mediterranean-inspired dishes I regularly ate at home, to the richly Mexican-influenced seafood I enjoyed while exploring the coast, to the late-night fodder of fried clams and fish and chips at beachside shacks, I experienced a world of flavor that forever colored the way I want to eat. With time and exploration of other cultural cuisines, seafood only got more exciting.
As you peruse these pages, you will find 115 recipes featuring a variety of cuisines, fish you can commonly find, and a bright multitude of flavors. From classic , you will discover recipes for a range of occasions and levels of home cooking experience.
My goal in this book is to shift preparing seafood from intimidating to exciting, so that it eventually works its way into your everyday recipe repertoire. Whether youre incorporating fish into your diet for health reasons or exploring new flavors and techniques, Im confident there is a dish (and a fish) in this book for you. With that, its time to sharpen those boning knives, stock up on the citrus, head straight for the fish counter, and cook something delicious.
In this chapter, we get into the categories of fishof which there are manyand talk about nuances in flavor profiles, textures, and cooking methods. We cover what to look for when seafood shopping and best practices for shopping sustainably. Additionally, we learn how to judge doneness and how to safely store, freeze, and reheat fish.
Lets talk about health benefits first. Seafood is full of fat-based nutrients, primarily fat-soluble vitamin D. Though our bodies make most of the fats they require, omega-3 fatty acids are an exception and are essential for optimal brain and body function. They support cardiovascular health and mood health, and they lower inflammation. Because they improve skin-barrier function and moisture absorption, omega-3s even benefit hair and skin cells. These examples only scratch the surface of the benefits omega-3s offer.