Shellfish

This shrimp's gentle preparation yields an utterly soothing broth that tastes just right first thing in the morning. Grab some grits or a warm biscuit to help sop up the juices.

You can also roast asparagus alongside. Toss the trimmed spears with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and place on a separate rimmed baking sheet.

Be sure to use white corn—it's sweeter.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Rick Tramonto's book Fantastico! Don't look any further for a succulent crab salad open-face sandwich. The little garlic toasts piled high with rich, moist crab can be polished off in one or two bites. I can't think of a better way to start a meal! Don't skimp on the crabmeat. You need only a pound, so buy the best you can find. Bon appétit!

Espagueti Frutos del Mar Hearty with shrimp, mussels, squid, and octopus, this flavor-packed pasta dish gets an extra boost from a bright basil purée drizzled on before serving. True, there's some effort involved in making it, but you can prepare the various elements in stages, and the drama and deliciousness of the result will more than compensate your efforts.

When was the last time you had a traditional, everything-from-scratch bisque? The rarity of an execution this loving, along with those succulent lumps of meat, guarantees groans of pleasure at the Christmas table. The intensely crabby finishing touch, with its base akin to drawn butter, will delight veteran crustacean eaters.

Golden-brown scallops are gorgeous when framed by a bright pea purée. An infusion of curry and lime juice invigorates this dish.

Shrimp cocktail meets everyone's favorite Sunday-morning drink. In other words, this is a vodka-infused shrimp cocktail in a spoon.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Jean Anderson's book A Love Affair with Southern Cooking. Pickled oysters are a cocktail favorite wherever oysters are fresh, plump, and flavorful, meaning most of the South. The hostesses I know like to mound them in small crystal bowls, top them off with a little of the pickling liquid, and pass with toothpicks so that guests can "go spearfishing." Though the red serranos add color, I suggest sprigging the bowl with fresh dill umbels or sprigs of Italian parsley. Come to think of it, small fennel umbels would also be attractive and appropriate. Note: Because cooking clouds the oyster liquid, I pour it through a coffee filter–-lined sieve directly onto the oysters and spices. Makes for a prettier presentation at serving time.

Because curry powder is a blend of many spices, it's a tremendous way to get both depth and complexity in one fell swoop. Adding cayenne compounds the intensity. Take a taste of this fragrant, pleasantly spicy dish, and you'll agree.

Sautéing the squid in the bacon fat adds tons of flavor to the seafood itself. Fried calamari with marinara sauce will be but a distant memory once you try this.

Beware—once you've had a few bites of this rice, you'll surely be back for seconds and thirds. Loaded with bits of treasure—smoked oysters, meaty mushrooms, Chinese sausage that tastes almost candied—the rice itself has an amazing chew that exemplifies the Chinese genius for varying textures in a meal. Though the lotus-leaf wrapping is optional, the rice gains a beguiling aroma, suggestive of tea, if you do use it—and the drama of unwrapping the stuffing at the table, like a lovely present, shouldn't be underestimated.

The secret ingredient in Kristen's version of this southern classic? Evaporated milk.

In this recipe, butter lettuce is cooked in pan drippings for a quick side.

Rouille is a Provençal sauce that's traditionally made with peppers and served with fish. Here, it's the spread for an easy, flavorful appetizer.

The legacy of San Francisco's Italian and Portuguese immigrants—many of them fishermen—lives on in this fuss-free take on the North Beach favorite, with fresh fennel adding a subtle touch of anise to the tomato-based seafood stew.

This impressive dish requires very little prep work, and the whole thing is cooked in just one pan. Serve with toasted slices of crusty bread.