Seafood

North Carolina is famous for its shrimp, but no matter where you are, if you find local shrimp, treat them as a delicacy and cook them simply. Here, chef Andrea Reusing enhances their sweet brininess with nothing more than salt, black pepper, and a quick dip in very hot oil; crisp jalapeños and cilantro give them a little kick.

A slightly tart dressing and a perfectly crisp-sweet cucumber salad are wonderful foils for rich, meaty chunks of crab.

Laden with suitcases full of caviar, a thank-you gift from the Shah of Iran for cooking at his palace in 1978, Louis Outhier returned to France in need of a recipe that called for such extravagance. Oeufs au caviar was the result, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Outhier's young protégé at the time, still serves the dish at his namesake New York City restaurant. Layered inside an eggshell, warm scrambled eggs and cold cream are accented with a regal dollop of caviar.

The spirit of Japan comes through in this dish: It is lovely to behold and has a delicate, light quality, yet the extraordinary flavors will seize your attention with the culinary equivalent of surround sound.

A bit of Spanish chorizo goes a long way, lending another dimension to a skillet full of mouthwatering clams and potatoes.

Sole amandine is a classic preparation for the delicate fish, pairing it with toasty almonds and a lemon butter sauce. Lightly cooked Brussels sprouts add texture.

Crêpe Bundles with Caviar and Sour Cream Innovative and self-taught, Barry Wine redefined American haute cuisine at New York City's Quilted Giraffe in the 1980s. His iconic—and most copied—dish was the bite-size beggars’ purse, a chive-tied crêpe bundle filled with caviar and crème fraîche. We've turned it into a first course and added chives and brown butter to the crêpe batter.

Puttanesca is usually a pasta sauce, but here the addition of beans to the spicy blend of tomatoes, basil, and olives turns it into a versatile, satisfying side dish.

This is the Culinary Institute of America's version of the American classic, rich and creamy. Paired with a salad and bread, it becomes a hearty meal.

Other seafood may be used in this dish, including scallops, tuna, swordfish, squid, or monkfish. Fish with a relatively firm texture, like that of snapper, is the best choice. Select fish that is perfectly fresh, since the fish is "cooked" only by the acidity of the lime juice. Serve avocado slices as an accompaniment, and garnish the plates or platter with additional sliced tomatoes and sprigs of cilantro.

This is the recipe I used in the Barbecue Championship Series to get my team to the semifinals. The lime and chili go very well with the lobster for something a little different.

Inner radicchio leaves make the best cups.

This recipe originally accompanied Poached Salmon with Basil Butter and "Succotash" . This is a good, all-purpose stock for fish recipes. Be sure to rinse the bones very well as indicated to ensure a clean-tasting finished product. The best way to obtain five pounds of bones is to call your fishmonger and ask him or her to set them aside for you to collect at the end of the day.

A great way to use beans and corn from your own garden or the farmer's market, this is the perfect dish for a warm summer's evening. Gently poached salmon, its flakes swollen and pillowy, is paired with a lightly glazed combination of fresh shell beans and corn. The poaching liquid is perked up with lemon juice, reduced, enriched with butter, and spooned over the fish to unite the salmon and the vegetables. This dish is especially lovely with green and purple basil, another summer staple.

The idea for this sandwich came to me when my mother and I were about to have bagels and lox for brunch. I wanted a more nutritious spread than cream cheese, and I happened to have on hand a ripe avocado, which is rich in beneficial monosaturated fat and organic minerals. Mashed with a bit of lemon juice, it turned out to be the perfect choice. Its mild, delicate flavor provides the ideal balance for the salty lox, and its smooth creamy texture resembles that of cream cheese. Use whatever bagel you like. A whole-grain one has the best nutrition, but the sandwich will taste better if the bagel is not sweet; often whole-grain bagels also contain honey. The lox-and-avocado combination is also good in a whole wheat pita. Whether you're serving it to break the fast or for brunch, the sandwich is good accompanied by a green salad and a few high-quality olives.

Yes, fish can be autumnal, too. Fresh wild mushrooms and fennel pollen are the key ingredients in this elegant dish.

Serve with crusty bread.

Hazelnuts stand in for almonds in this tasty version of the classic Spanish sauce romesco.