Fish and Seafood Dishes

Fish intimidates a lot of home cooks, and I get it — overcook it by two minutes and you've got expensive cardboard. But once you learn to trust your instincts (and a timer), seafood becomes the fastest path to an impressive dinner. The recipes here range from Mediterranean baked fish with herbs to Southeast Asian curries swimming in coconut milk. I've included a few shrimp dishes because they're forgiving for beginners — shrimp tell you when they're done by turning pink, no thermometer needed. For white fish fillets, the single best trick is a hot pan with a bit of oil and not touching it for three minutes. Let the crust form. The more exotic recipes — like whole baked fish or shellfish stews — aren't as hard as they look. Most of the work is in the prep, and the cooking itself is surprisingly quick. Fresh fish is ideal, but frozen fillets work perfectly well for most of these recipes. Just thaw them properly — overnight in the fridge, not under hot water.