Shellfish

I first sampled a version of this light and lively salad as a meal at chef Yves Camdeborde's Le Comptoir in Paris's 6th arrondissement. Yves and I participated in the New York marathon in 2006, and I am sure that the strength gained from this protein-rich salad helped me make it to the finish line! This dish has it all: color (the red bits are lobster roe), crunch, and a light touch imparted by a dressing of yogurt and mustard.

Editor's note: Chef, nutritionist, and cooking teacher Lourdes Castro shared this recipe from her cookbook, Latin Grilling. It's the first course in a festive Cuban party menu she created for Epicurious. Here I have taken a Cuban classic, camarones al ajillo (shrimp in garlic sauce), and adapted it for backyard entertaining. I was also inspired by the crowd-pleasing mounds of cold poached shrimp with sides of cocktail sauce you see at buffets. So I grilled jumbo shrimp, piled them on a platter, and served them with mojo, the addictively delicious citrus-garlic sauce that has become synonymous with Cuban cooking.

The dish was the Queen Mother's favorite and one we always put on the menu when she came to stay. It was also served at the wedding breakfast of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips in 1973.

Before making this dish, call your fish market. Octopus is available at some markets, but it may need to be ordered several days ahead.

Thai red curry paste, unsweetened coconut milk, and fish sauce are available in the Asian foods section of most supermarkets. Serve this curry over steamed jasmine rice.

This recipe presents a fun variation on the traditional dish of shrimp and grits associated with the southeastern coastal regions of the United States. Polenta, thyme, capers, feta cheese, and currants update the classic with Mediterranean flavors. The inclusion of honey injects just the right amount of sweetness to complement the dish's many savory flavors. I encourage the use of sustainably raised and harvested prawns here, as they exact a considerably smaller toll on our global aquatic ecosystems.

Paella is arguably the most famous dish of Spain. It can be made with fish, chicken, or sausage, and sometimes is made with all three.

If you want to get that restaurant- quality caramelized crust on a scallop, you need to do three things: "rinse it, pat it dry with a paper towel—and then get your pan really hot. Don't be afraid,"says Vitaly paley, chef at Paley's Place. We've found that one to two minutes per side browns the scallops without overcooking them. And gastrique? that's a sweet-sour sauce made from caramelized sugar and vinegar. To get the full Paley's Place experience, serve with parsnip mash, a subtly sweet side that echoes the sweetness of the scallops.

Any shrimp will work in this recipe, but for the best-tasting, most sustainable choice, go for American farmed or wild shrimp.

You are, no doubt, familiar with the so-called trinity of Louisiana cookery: onions, celery, and bell pepper. Susan Spicer of New Orleans, a self-described eggplant freak who cooks in an internationally inflected Creole style, has honed a new sort of trinity: eggplant, oysters, and tasso.
Here, tasso, an intensely flavored smoked pork of Cajun origin, serves as a seasoning, in the same way that a smoked pig trotter flavors a pot of greens. Although Spicer recommends that you serve scoops of this gratin as an appetizer, consider yourself warned: We have done the same. And no matter what we served to follow, it paled in comparison. Your guests might be happier with a large helping of this Creolized casserole and a salad.

This is a Web-exclusive recipe for Epicurious from Chef Robert Harrison of Mills Tavern in Providence, Rhode Island. It's a great dish to make any day of the year, and perfect for a Super Bowl gathering or any party. If you don't have time to make quince jam, or can't find quince, you can substitute any fruit chutney.

This is a delicious Web-exclusive recipe for Epicurious by Chef Kerry Simon at Las Vegas' Simon at Palms Place Hotel and Spa. It's an interesting take on the classic creamy rock-shrimp dish and a great appetizer for a Super Bowl gathering or any party.

I thrive on discovering new flavor combinations, and Sea is a great example of a totally thrown together idea that worked out beautifully. That day I was really in the mood for some crab salad, but I wanted to do something untraditional. One of my purveyors had sent me some Tuscan cantaloupe to try, so I first made a melon emulsion. Then I tossed the crabmeat with my Colvin Vinaigrette (which is basically good on anything). I thought that avocado would be great with the melon, so I started with a little melon on the plate, then I layered sliced ripe avocado and the crab mixture with a huge quenelle of caviar I had on hand to top it all off. Honestly, it was like heaven. I had so much crab that I made two mini ones for my two friends downstairs, and they were like, "What the hell is this flavor combination? This is amazing!" Give it a try—it's elegant and just incredibly good.

This clam chowder has been an American classic since the early 1800s, and it’s easy to see why. Cream—strike one! White potatoes—strike two! Bacon—should be strike three, you’re out! Here’s the good news: By replacing whole milk and cream with skim milk and yogurt, I had a calorie deficit—which I used to include some bacon.

This Vietnamese-style dish infuses fresh mussels with intense flavors of garlic, pepper, and fish sauce. A cast-iron pot, the ideal cooking vessel, gets very hot, cooking the mussels quickly and heightening the flavors of the seasonings. You can also use a wok or Dutch oven.

To make this dish vegan, skip the crab.

This tomato-Worcestershire-vodka soup gets served in shot glasses for fun. Look for the pickled veggies near the jarred vegetables in the supermarket.