Favorite pescatarian mains?

We've become good friends with a pescatarian family and I realize I don't have a long list of favorite fish and shellfish mains - this will be great fun to solve! Can you recommend your favorite mains so we can have tons of dinner parties all summer? Looking forward to this :)

JadeTree
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20 Comments

ChefJune May 12, 2015
Trying new-to-you recipes that are already tried-and-true is some of the best fun. Especially because your percentage of failures is greatly reduced. After more than 30 years of teaching people to not be afraid to buy and cook fish, I have a huge list of favorites. I'm listing here the ones I've posted on food52. None of them are complicated, some are easy enough for kids to do successfully, but all of them receive rave reviews. I hope you like them. Bourride: https://food52.com/recipes/4071-bourride; Shrimp de Jonghe: https://food52.com/recipes/19166-shrimp-de-jonghe; Mussels Dijonnaise: https://food52.com/recipes/19170-mussels-dijonnaise-steamed-mussels-with-mustard-sauce; Falafel-Crusted Salmon: https://food52.com/recipes/4532-falafel-crusted-salmon-on-a-bed-of-spinach; and perhaps my all-time favorite, Scallops Tommy: https://food52.com/recipes/4069-scallops-tommy.
 
JadeTree May 13, 2015
Yes! I knew folk here would have done the leg work for me. These suggestions are amazing - thanks!
 
cookbookchick May 12, 2015
Great suggestions! And when you want delicious but simple, here's a Genius Recipe that I suggested: https://food52.com/recipes/27575-james-peterson-s-baked-fish-fillets-with-butter-and-sherry
 
Greenstuff May 12, 2015
I hope you're keeping a watch on the current contest, Your Best Recipe for the Shore, https://food52.com/contests/391-your-best-recipe-for-the-shore There's sure to be a lot of fish, shellfish, and things that go well with them.
 
Pegeen May 12, 2015
In addition to all the other great ideas here... this is a delicious recipe:
Dad's Favorite Seafood Soup by inpatskitchen
https://food52.com/recipes/14754-dad-s-favorite-seafood-stew
 
JadeTree May 13, 2015
Ha - yes, I've made and loved this and it's what I'm doing for the next weekend!
 
JadeTree May 13, 2015
Ha - yes, I've made and loved this and it's what I'm doing for the next weekend!
 
Garlic F. May 11, 2015
I love all the above ideas, especially fish tacos and lobster. I have also been hooked on smoked salmon sushi rolls for the last couple of years now. I love sushi but don't trust myself working with raw fish, so I use cold smoked salmon or lox instead to make my sushi rolls.

Last night I also had a fantastic flounder that was lightly floured and cooked in olive oil and artichoke hearts served with pico de gallo and sauteed spinach.

I also love any fresh seafood just grilled/baked/steamed plain and finished with a squeeze of lemon right after it comes out of cooking vessel.

Vietnamese summer rolls, either vegetarian or with shrimp, are refreshing and delicious in the summer.

Have I mentioned I love steamed fish? Steamed in a soy, rice wine, ginger, chili pepper, green onions sauce
 
scruz May 11, 2015
for about 6 weeks in june/july (not sure of weeks) costco has the most delicious copper river salmon. i was pretty leery of getting it as it was fresh, and wild, but i am so glad i did. at the beginning of the season, the fish is so fatty that it looks like wood grain. i marinated it for a little while out of fridge and put the fish in the marinade in heavy duty aluminum foil onto my weber and grilled it. the fat almost oozes out of it as it bakes. the marinade i use was soy sauce (maybe a couple or three tablespoons of soy/tamari) and maybe a third of a cup of maple syrup plus a splash of roasted sesame oil. you need to buy quite a bit but the leftovers are great on a salad.
 
Susan W. May 11, 2015
I agree!! It's my favorite fish. The season is mid May to about mid June, so an minute. :) Don't miss it.
 
PieceOfLayerCake May 11, 2015
I have to echo a few other entries and say fish tacos. The possibilities are endless with the various fishes, shellfish, toppings, etc. A personal favorite of mine is snapper with shredded radicchio, a spicy pineapple pico, and avocado on a charred corn tortilla with a splash of lime.

I also love to serve an "elevated" shrimp and grits with jumbo shrimp, Parmigiano polenta, crisp bacon, chives, cracked pepper and poached eggs. Sounds odd, but its incredible.
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx May 11, 2015
Paella is fun and can be made on the grill. Also, a seafood boil. Agree with the taco theme and simply marinated pieces of seafood on skewers are fun & easy.
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx May 11, 2015
Then there's lobster - expensive but so delicious.
 
Susan W. May 11, 2015
I love how lobster has a separate post by you...as it should. :)
 
Nancy May 11, 2015
A beautiful whole fish baked in salt, which keeps the fish moist and then provides great drama - Luke foods en paoillote - when crust is cracked open.
Less dramatic but just as tasty, a good multi-fish chowder, especially late in summer, when the corn is ripe.
Last, for a more refined dinner party, quennelles (delicate patties of gruound poached fish), with smooth delicious sauce. The fish and sauce can vary.
 
Nancy May 11, 2015
Typos. Sorry. should be "Like food en papillote." that is, those lovely parchment paper envelopes for steaming. Which, come to think of it, is another lovely fish main course.
 
mrslarkin May 11, 2015
I had the best shrimp tacos last week at a local Mexican joint. They were awesome - super simple, just grilled shrimp with some amazing mole sauce, lettuce, onion, tomato, cilantro, crema, etc. I can totally see doing this for a summer get together.
 
JadeTree May 13, 2015
I love it that something with mole on it still reads as simple to us! Grilled shrimp tacos with awesome sauces will be happening - thanks!
 
Stephanie May 11, 2015
I find that shrimp and pesto are a surprisingly delicious combination of flavors. For summer: ceviche (which I recently had with scallops and capers, yum!), mussels (make sure to have some crusty bread to sop up that luscious broth), or cedar plank grilled salmon (try a sweet bbq rub for a pleasant flavor surprise).

Ok, those were the first things that came to mind but I immediately had to satiate my curiosity about other possible dishes. I searched "recipes" and limited my results to match dish type "entree", main ingredient "fish & seafood", and season "summer." Now I'm adding a few to my "must make" list.
Salmon Burgers with Avocado Aioli: https://food52.com/recipes/29181-salmon-burgers-with-avocado-aioli
Grilled Scallops Skewers with Ruby Red Grapefruit and Chile Glaze: https://food52.com/recipes/29064-grilled-scallops-skewers-with-ruby-red-grapefruit-and-chile-glaze
Pan Seared Halibut with Mango-Avocado Salsa: https://food52.com/recipes/17312-pan-seared-halibut-with-mango-avocado-salsa
Sweet Citrus Spiced Salmon: https://food52.com/recipes/31274-sweet-citrus-spiced-salmon
Tuna-fish Stuffed Tomato Melt: https://food52.com/recipes/18505-tuna-fish-stuffed-tomato-melt (I'm picturing this with an herby, green salad)
 
Susan W. May 11, 2015
How fun!! I love miso glazed salmon, halibut or sea bass, bouillabaise, cioppino, fish tacos, tostadas or salad, huge amounts of steamed clams or mussels, roasted shrimp...help, I can't stop. :)
 
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