Seafood is one of the most varied categories of food that humans eat, but it’s also one of the healthiest and most rewarding. Try our favorite seafood recipes.
Seafood is a large category of food, but also one of the favorites. Almost half of humanity derives a large proportion of its calories from seafood alone, a really impressive statistic and also one that’s a bit alarming given the condition of our oceans.
When you think about it, seafood is one of the most diverse categories of food we have. It’s so diverse, it really makes you wonder why we group it together at all. Think about it: everything that lives in the sea. Indeed, by some definitions, plants that grow in the sea like seaweed and algae are also considered to be seafood! Imagine if we had “landfood,” that is, everything that lives on land, a category that would include cows, potatoes, and grapefruits. Maybe we’d also have airfood or skyfood, though that might just be synonymous with poultry.
That being said, seafood is fantastic and just about everyone loves it. We certainly do. From clams to lobsters to crabs to swordfish, we’re crazy about seafood. Check out some of our most favorite seafood recipes!
Japanese seafood stew recipe
The Japanese are famous for their seafood. Indeed, they’re known around the world for their sushi and sashimi dishes, but those international favorites are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Japanese seafood. In a way, it makes sense, considering that Japan is an archipelago, but many other archipelagoes (England, we’re looking at you) don’t emphasize seafood nearly as much as Japanese cuisine tends to. It’s really ingrained in just about everything that goes into Japanese food—even if you don’t notice visible pieces of seafood in your dish, many Japanese sauces and seasonings, such as dashi broth, actually make use of seafood as well.
This Japanese seafood stew relies on tuna, squid, prawns, and scallops for its fishy flavor, and is boosted with the addition of soy sauce, ginger, and lime. It’s a delicious and flavorful dish for to be served in the winter time. Warm and nourishing, it’s sure to take the chill out of your bones and make even the most reluctant seafood eater come back for seconds! Try this Japanese seafood stew next time you need a warm and tasty meal!
Baked mussels on the half shell recipe
This seafood appetizer recipe makes a perfect and impressive first course for a dinner party. These slightly browned, juicy, and flavorful appetizers look amazing plated in their own shells, and they’re delicious to boot!
With this recipe, it’s easy to save time by prepping the rest of the ingredients while you precook your mussels. Then it’s a matter of dicing it all together and putting a fat dollop of the mussel mixture on each open half-shell. Sprinkle with some more bread crumbs and maybe some extra virgin olive oil, and these things are ready to be baked! Or better yet, they’re all set to be popped into the refrigerator and baked when you’re good and ready to eat them—these baked mussels on the half shell taste best fresh out of the oven! These are great for preparing ahead of time and just throwing in the oven when you’re ready for them.
Fresh scallop carpaccio recipe
Is there a fancier sounding appetizer recipe than “scallop carpaccio?” If there is, we’re sure it includes black truffles and gold leaf. But seriously, this delicate sliced scallop carpaccio braced with sweet, subtle pomelo slices is a little bit of a slice of heaven in and of itself. This recipe works best if you have a mandoline, a French cooking tool used to slice vegetables into extremely thin slices. If you’ve never used one, be careful and use the handguard! It’s a dangerous tool.
After you’ve sliced your scallops, marinate them in your sauce until it’s time to serve. Like a ceviche, the acidity of the sauce will slightly cook the scallops, enhancing their texture and flavor even further.
Miso soup with seaweed recipe
Did you know that miso soup is not vegetarian? Many people do not know this. But it turns out that miso is also one of the main dishes prepared with the popular Japanese seasoning, dashi. Dashi is the name of a special japanese soup or broth, and it’s used just about everywhere in their cuisine. Essentially, it’s a broth made by heating water containing kombu seaweed and a type of fermented dried tuna called kezurikatsuo (don’t worry, you won’t be tested on this). The dashi-miso mixture is what gives miso coup its characteristic flavor.
This miso soup recipe comes together in a flash, basically just needing the ingredients to be prepared and heated. Use it as a light and elegant appetizer before a larger meal—the miso is also great for digestion!
