Sardine Pupu
Sardine pupu is a simple, prototypically Filipino treat: Splashes of shoyu and vinegar essentially qualify it as adobo, while a crucial glug of lemon oil on top adds complexity. My favorite part is the raw onions, which I rinse under ice water, a technique that softens their bite and brings out the sweetness. This is a primo snack, or add two scoops of rice and you’ve got a meal. My recipe for the lemon oil and chile pepper water can be halved or quartered if you’d like, but they have endless uses if you want to store the extra in the fridge. If the lemon oil and chile pepper water are already made, the dish comes together in about 10 minutes.
Cioppino with Fennel and Saffron
An abundance of seafood and three types of fennel (bulb, seed, and pollen) infuse Boudet's version of this San Francisco fish stew with remarkable flavor, while Calabrian chile paste and crushed red pepper add a subtle layer of heat. Because the West Coast is famous for their Dungeness crab, a large orange crab with meaty claws, it makes a dramatic showing in this seafood-packed dish. Dungeness crab are available fresh from November through June, but this dish can be made any time since many fish markets have cooked and frozen crabs available year round.
Barbecued Oysters with Smoky Uni Butter
Briny uni and acidic lemon, mixed with smoky paprika and rich butter, combine to make an extraordinary flavored butter to top oysters before roasting. If shucking oysters isn’t your thing, you can ask your fishmonger to do the job for you.
Slow-Roasted Salmon with Walnut-Olive Vinaigrette
A vinaigrette bolstered with chopped olives, toasted walnuts, and fresh parsley is a bold finishing touch for roasted salmon basted with smoked paprika and lemon. The combination of basting and slow roasting yields incredibly tender salmon; the walnut-olive vinaigrette adds a briny, buttery crunch. Source skinless salmon for a prettier presentation. To coax the most flavor from the walnuts, toast in a 350°F oven for about 12 minutes.
Salvadoran-Style Pescado Frito (Fried Fish)
Inspired by her mother's cooking, Karla Vasquez's recipe celebrates this popular style of cooking fish in El Salvador. Many families use mojarra, a fish found in agua dulce (fresh water), but trout makes a great substitute. Salsa inglesa, or Worcestershire sauce, is a frequent find in Salvadoran condiment drawers and teams up with the mustard to create a punchy, umami-packed crust. Delicate, meltingly tender whole trout gets crispy skin from a quick sear in a cast-iron skillet.
Honey-Garlic Shrimp with Scallions
These quick-cooking shrimp are the ideal weeknight go-to. A gently sweet honey-garlic marinade, enriched with soy sauce and fresh ginger, delivers fast flavor—and does double-duty as a finishing sauce for the shrimp, too. Mirin, a staple in Japanese cooking, helps add depth and balance to the umami-rich flavors. The shrimp are especially delicious over simply steamed rice with a side of sauteed greens.
