Fish Recipes

This tender, flaky oven-roasted Chilean sea bass is the headliner on musician Patrice Rushen's holiday table. To make it, Rushen bakes butter-rubbed fillets in a citrus-forward mixture of freshly juiced oranges, ponzu, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic, which infuses the fish with a lovely flavor without overwhelming it. Seek out Chilean sea bass with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification label to ensure it was caught sustainably, or substitute salmon or halibut, which are also good choices for this preparation. Timing will vary depending on thickness of your fish; for thinner fillets, begin checking fish after about 12 minutes into the cooking time.

Spiked with a pinch of cayenne, tart pomegranate molasses and savory-sweet date syrup give this gently roasted salmon layers of flavor and a gorgeous bronzed exterior. Choose higher-fat king or Atlantic salmon for best results; if using a skinless fillet, spray the baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray first.

Gefilte Fish is a dish made from a poached seasoned ground fish and served as an appetizer in Ashkenazi Jewish households, most traditionally during Passover. This recipe starts with a whole whitefish, turning the fillets into flavorful gefilte fish, and the trimmings into stock. You can find whole whitefish at some supermarkets and delis, and can ask your fishmonger to grind the fish for you at the store—just make sure to ask them to reserve the bones, head, skin, etc. for making stock.

The Anchovy Bar, sister restaurant to State Bird Provisions in San Francisco, celebrates the tiny, humble fish in a host of ways, including this made-to-share snack board of quality Spanish anchovy fillets, ripe heirloom tomatoes, and fresh Japanese cucumbers. "The build-your-own aspect of this dish makes the simplicity work so well," says co-owner Nicole Krasinski, who opened the restaurant with her husband, Stuart Brioza, a 2003 Food & Wine Best New Chef. "Everything is meant to be clean and fresh and offer a great balance to the salty anchovies." Source a variety of quality tinned anchovies from caputos.com to taste the differences in salinity and texture. This build-your-own toast board is ideal for entertaining or a light alfresco meal. Try using any leftover tomato vinaigrette tossed with pasta as a simple no-cook sauce.

In this creative salmon Caesar salad, Caesar dressing gets spread on the salmon before grilling, creating a rich crust that keeps the fish succulent while picking up delicious smoky flavor from the grill. For a perfect wine pairing, Master Sommelier Andy Myers says to reach for a bottle of Roero. "Roero manages a great balancing act next to the mélange of flavors in a good salmon Caesar. The crunchy apple and pear flavors make the cheese sing; the fresh acidity cleanses the palate of the anchovy."

Chef Eric Adjepong uses salmon two ways in his pesto-infused frittata, topping the eggs with cooked fresh salmon before baking it, then garnishing the frittata with thinly-smoked salmon just before serving. Adjepong likes to serve the frittata with crisp greens drizzled with fresh lemon juice.