Fish

This dish calls for a fish with a fairly firm structure: Line-caught albacore, lingcod, and mahi-mahi are all good options. Or paint a wild salmon fillet with the marinade and proceed. If you have not made The Greenest Tahini Sauce, you could use a spoonful of straight tahini mixed with olive oil as a marinade; try incorporating a bit of lemon zest as well.

Mackerel, a lovely oily fish, is delightfully hard to overcook. It’s often sold frozen, especially in Japanese markets, so allow a day for defrosting if you’ve purchased it in that form. If you can’t find mackerel, choose another oily fish: Black cod and wild sockeye salmon will both work, though they require a longer cooking time. You may want to try cooking them in steaks with this broiling method; the bones lend extra flavor and keep the fish from falling apart, too.

Fishmongers and chefs provide tips on buying, storing, and preparing fish for La Vigilia, the Italian-American Feast of Seven Fishes

The Foodist shares his Feast of the Seven Fishes menu, which includes oysters, crab, sardines, clams, and whole-roasted fish.

Get the pan smoking hot so the halibut won’t stick. Let it get a good sear on the first side, which will also help it release.

For this cod recipe, you want to cook it at a lazy simmer; it will make all the difference between buttery, flaky fish and rubbery, tough fillets.

If the idea of cooking skin-on fish makes you nervous, do this in an ovenproof nonstick pan. The skin won’t get quite as crisp, but you won’t have to worry about it sticking.

The salmon absorbs more teriyaki flavor as it sits, making it even better (and breakfast that much quicker) if done in advance.

Don’t bother trying to divide this fillet into tidy portions. Instead, use a spoon to break it into perfectly imperfect pieces.

If you think mackerel is too fishy, this is the recipe that will change your mind. And if nothing else, you'll love the crispy potatoes.

Hot-smoked salmon would also work well in this crunchy, surprisingly light fall salad.

“If you don’t like sardines,” says Gjelina chef Travis Lett, “you’re going to today.” Make sure to ask your fishmonger to remove the center bones for these baked sardines but leave the head and tail intact and serve over pepperonata.

Yes, there is butter in the sauce of this roast trout with lentils, but the key ingredient is verjus. If you can’t find it, use half white wine and half unseasoned rice vinegar.

Gjelina chef Travis Lett says that getting a good, dark sear on the Romanesco cauliflower is critical to the flavor of the dish: “There’s a nuttiness when you get that color on it.”

This easy Snapper Crudo with Chiles and Sesame frees you up to prepare the side dishes.

This Mustard-Crusted Branzino is great butterflied—a quick and easy method for cooking a whole fish. Ask your fishmonger to do it for you.

This spinach is great on its own, but paired with a quick-cooking protein like flounder, you have dinner in about 20 minutes.

If you don’t have a steamer basket, improvise: Place a ramekin in the bottom of the pot and prop a dinner plate on top so steam can circulate around it.

This recipe can easily be doubled to serve eight, instead.

Six quick meals that are as flavorful as they are easy to make, whether for your family or for dinner guests