On this episode of Recipe Drop, where one of our Test Kitchen experts guides you through a brand-new recipe, Nea introduces us to Räkmacka, or Swedish Shrimp Toast. This simple, yet elegant dish comes together in no time, the perfect lunchtime indulgence. 

Swedish Shrimp Toast (Räkmacka)

Sure, you could make pasta tonight. But why not stack seafood on ice like you’re sitting at a corner table with a martini and something to celebrate? In an episode of our series, "It’s Fine," Tess attempts her all-time favorite splurgey order—the seafood tower—at home. The result? Surprisingly doable, extremely impressive, and kind of iconic. Grab some ice, a big pot, and go full tower mode.

Ultimate Seafood Tower

—in this case salmon—simply means to cook it wrapped in parchment paper. It’s an extra step, but the result is consistently moist, delicate, and astonishingly pure in flavor. The lightly seasoned fish steams in the parchment alongside par-cooked vegetables. For this recipe, I’m using turnips and seared fennel, but I often make it with parboiled potatoes and a blanched green vegetable(asparagus or green beans work well, for instance). This dish benefits greatly from a sauce, and below are two recipes that make a delightful duo and pair beautifully with the fish. It’s what I would consider a go-to healthy dinner, and even better, it’s delicious.

Salmon en Papillote with Mustard Mayonnaisse & Dill Gremolata

This classic Finnish seafood soup somehow straddles the line of being hearty and comforting while also being light, bright, and refreshing. Do not skip the flurry of dill that comes at the end. These are flavors that know each other well, but the final hit of fresh herbs, along with that hint of allspice, ties everything together to make this soup truly greater than the sum of its parts. For a thinner, lighter broth, some recipes skip the cornstarch slurry. I’ve included it in the recipe below, as I like a thick chowder, but feel free to leave it out to your preference. 

Lohikeitto (Finnish Salmon Soup)

You really don't need a weekend in New England (unless you already live there) to enjoy a proper seafood boil. These surprisingly simple feasts are usually reserved for special occasions or large crowds, but they come together so easily that you can definitely enjoy one on a Tuesday night, just because. Feel free to swap out clams for mussels (or add both!), crab legs for lobster tails, and absolutely play with your seasonings and other additions. The most challenging part is the timing, ensuring everything is finished at the same time and all of your seafood is tender and perfectly cooked. But don't worry—I’ve pretty much made this foolproof. Keep lots of extra Old Bay on hand for sprinkling and maybe wear a bib to avoid garlic butter stains on your shirt.

Weeknight Seafood Boil

My friend Guillermo is originally from Mexico City and is a great cook. Over the years, I’ve learned a number of authentic Mexican dishes by watching over his shoulder – including pico de gallo, savory sopes and killer huevos rancheros. But there's one recipe in particular that Guillermo taught me early on which I return to regularly for its freshness and simplicity: fish tacos.

I remember the first time someone told me about fish tacos, rhapsodizing about how great they were -- all I could picture was a hard taco shell, stuffed with ground seafood that had been flavored with taco seasoning. Needless to say, I was in no hurry to try them. 

Years later, I showed up at a barbecue to find Guillermo manning the grill and making fish tacos. Of course, the reality was much different than what I'd originally imagined: tender chunks of grilled white fish nestled in a soft, warm flour tortilla among strips of sweet onion and green pepper, creamy slices of avocado and tufts of fresh cilantro. There were lime wedges for spritzing, and plenty of homemade salsa. 

These particular fish tacos were a wake-up call of sorts for me, and now I seek them out wherever I go. I like versions where the fish is encrusted in cornmeal and then fried, and I like those that include some sort of zippy homemade slaw. But when I make them at home, I always return to the simplicity of Guillermo’s tacos. These take all of 20 minutes to throw together, and if you don’t have a grill, by all means use a pan.

Fish Tacos on the Grill

This dish highlights a standard procedure for preparing shrimp to enhance its bouncy texture and coax out its natural salinity and sweetness. First, the shrimp is washed thoroughly in salt and baking soda, to tighten its texture. Second, the shrimp is velveted in egg whites and starch to provide a coating that’s slippery and protective. Finally, the shrimp is poached at a relatively low temperature to gently cook the shrimp without overcooking and shocking its flesh.

This procedure can be used for a variety of dishes, but one dish that best highlights the nuance of its taste and texture is Crystal Shrimp with Dragon Well Tea. Derived from Zhejiang cuisine, this dish is an emblem of the culinary ethos that defines the region: a devotion to freshness, balance, and subtlety of flavor. When done properly with small river shrimp, the cooked shrimp is almost translucent, hence the name. Paired with Dragon Well Tea, or longjing 龍井, from the verdant hills surrounding Hangzhou, the shrimp picks up the tea’s gently sweet, slightly grassy flavor profile. The result is a harmonious balance of umami, sweet, and slightly bitter notes. 

Crystal Shrimp With Dragon Well Tea

Like all good recipes passed down in an Italian family, this calamari was dictated to me by my mother, over the phone, in the span of ten minutes. Much to her credit, she nailed it on the first pass, with just the timings and amounts left to me to tweak.

This is the calamari of my childhood, The Feast of the Seven Fishes Dinner. Christmas growing up, as you could imagine, was always a party. And, most of this calamari (truth be told) never even made it to the dinner table. It was devoured as fast as it was being fried by my sister and I—sneaking fresh hot pieces into our mouths next to the stove. The rest felled by the crowd of adults circling the counter while my mother opened another bottle of prosecco.  

Christmas in our house was, and is, a reason to celebrate, not just for the well worn reasons, but as my mother says: we’ve all made it another year. So break out the nice wine, use the nice glasses, and make some calamari, because nothing quite says “it’s a party” like something deep fried. 

My Mom's Best Fried Calamari

Properly cooked vegetables can truly elevate a barbecue. Though often overlooked, this technique opens up a world of textures, colors, and flavors. We don’t need to resort to the same clichés every time we grill like corn on the cob and we can cook with the seasons: Spring offers vibrant green peas, early summer brings fennel and cauliflower—followed by bright sweet peppers—and fall brings forth squash and pumpkins. As winter sets in, we find robust kale and Brussels sprouts. If you share a love for grilling or cooking over live fire, neglecting vegetables would be a missed opportunity, whatever month of the year.

However, the diverse range of vegetables and their varying textures present challenges on grilling day. Each vegetable requires different cooking times, making it difficult to achieve consistent results when cooking them from raw. Some tougher vegetables struggle to cook through the center without losing vibrant color or becoming overly charred on the outside. Additionally, if a significant effort has already been dedicated to cooking the meat, vegetables might become a burden relegated to the end of the barbecue.

An elegant solution is to pre-cook the vegetables before heating up the grill. And the best way to do so is to blanch them. Blanching is the best way to preserve their flavor, texture, and color. Heat coaxes them out and ice locks them in. Much like the Chinese practice of blanching vegetables prior to stir-frying in a wok, this method ensures the vegetables only need a brief encounter with high heat on the grill to achieve the desired blistering and smoky flavor we crave in barbecue. With this approach, the vegetables will cook for a similar length of time on the grill, just a couple of minutes to achieve a delightful char. Personally, I prefer to cook my vegetables early on in the grilling session when the barbecue is at its hottest, typically at the beginning once the coals are white hot.

The following recipe focuses on grilling cabbage, a notoriously challenging vegetable to grill from raw. However, the technique can be applied to any hearty vegetables you have available. This dish also features an all-purpose sauce inspired by the beloved halal cart white sauce, enhanced with the addition of savory smoked oysters. The sauce is creamy and substantial, while the optional garnishes provide additional texture, herbaceousness, spice, and zing.

Grilled Cabbage With Smoked Oyster White Sauce

When the growing season reaches full throttle I sometimes feel overwhelmed by the volume of tomatoes coming from the gardens at Catbird Cottage (a good problem to have, I know). And every year, confit comes to the rescue. Slow-cooking foods in fat—often with a simple mix of aromatics—makes a meal that preserves the bounty with dynamite results. Buttery halibut is a favorite, but this dish would be just as tasty with cod, or even shrimp. Nestle all the elements around the fish and just barely cover in oil, then let the soft bubbling bring everything into jammy, aromatic harmony. Use any leftover infused oil to cook rice, beans, or toss in pasta.

Confit Halibut With Tomatoes & Preserved Lemon

My brother-in-law is Greek and he is a major food lover and fantastic cook. Inspired by his Greek heritage, he loves all things lemony and bright, especially his "Greek Fish Sauce": A lemony, garlicky fresh sauce that we pour over grilled fish (see my note in the instructions on how much lemon you should use depending on your personal tastes for lemon). This recipe is something that we have as a default now in our family for alfresco dining as we can regularly get fresh whole branzino here now—it is farmed and gains a sweet flavor from the shrimp it eats. The branzino cooks so easily on the grill and I recommend a fish grilling basket for easy flipping. 

A note on the lemon—I ask for "one juicy lemon," but I have learned with a Greek brother-in-law (and my husband who doesn't like sour things) that the ratio of lemon to oil in this recipe can be highly variable and depends on your taste. I like mine in approximately the classic vinaigrette ratio of 1 part lemon to 3 parts olive oil.

Grilled Branzino with "Greek-Style Fish Sauce"

This recipe is very close to my heart, and as with many of my favorite recipes, I’ve tweaked it more times than I could count on two hands. In its first incarnation, I started with shell-on prawns, making a stock from the shells and an oil laced with habanero with the fried prawn heads. Rather than a béchamel, I made a homemade version of catupiry, a Brazilian cheese spread which is hard to describe and really needs to be tasted to be understood, because it tastes nothing like regular cheese spread. This lasagna is the purest representation of me; a homage to the countries that have shaped me as a person and a cook. In its original form it was one part Italian (the pasta), one part Mexican (the habanero) and one part Brazilian (the catupiry). This particular version is simplified, no catupiry and no prawn head oil, but I hope you’ll agree that it’s still magical. 

Prawn Lasagna With Habanero Oil From Ixta Belfrage

This recipe is a public service announcement to bring sun-dried tomatoes back into your life. Sure, they got a bad rap in the '90s and haven’t had their moment in decades, but these intensely concentrated tomatoes are versatile pops of flavor. This Sicilian spin on the classic Pesto alla Genovese is called Pesto Rosso, dating back centuries. It's spiked with rosemary, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper flakes, which makes for a dynamic sauce. Cod acts as a blank slate to absorb all the intensity of Pesto Rosso without overpowering it (a more fishy-fish, like salmon, would probably be too much). 

I call for sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil for this recipe. Pro tip: Reserve the olive oil from the jar and use it for the olive oil that gets slowly drizzled into the pesto. Most likely you’ll need to supplement it with more olive oil from your pantry, but it’s a great way to cut down on food waste. The real joy of this recipe is that you can make the pesto up to one week in advance, making this a true weeknight winner. I like using a whole piece of cod, but individual filets work too. If you use a smaller cut, save the remaining pesto for mixing into pasta or smearing on sandwiches.

Baked Cod With Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

This amazing and distinctive seafood satay is one of Bali’s many contributions to our national culture. The flavors of the sea, the aroma of lemongrass, and the vibrancy of fresh chiles and lime make sate lilit a firm favorite among my Balinese friends. The finely chopped seafood is seasoned and wrapped around lemongrass skewers, then grilled to perfection and served with a bright sambal. You’ll need lots of lemongrass—since we only require the white parts, you can reserve the green sections for curries. Best of all, they are completely unique when traditionally skewered with stalks of lemongrass. 

Seafood Satay (Sate Lilit) From ‘The Indonesian Table’

Jamaican Brown Stew Fish is a dish in which the fish is seasoned, fried, and simmered down in a rich, savory gravy that’s filled with aromatics like onions, garlic, bell peppers, tomatoes, thyme, and Scotch bonnet pepper. Blooming the thyme and garlic in the oil first helps create a base layer of flavor, which adds complexity to the finished dish (they also perfume the air with an intoxicating aroma as they cook). The pierced Scotch bonnet pepper brings a punch of heat that is traditional to this Caribbean dish, but if you prefer it mild, simply leave it out. For this version, I used a whole snapper, but filets of almost any type of fish can be used as long as they’re sturdy enough to hold up to the two-step cooking process. The fish is wonderful on its own, though it’s even better served with rice or roti (a type of flatbread) to sop up all that saucy goodness.

Jamaican Brown Stew Fish

Big Little Recipes has always embodied what I consider to be a well-rounded dish—simple and quick, yet highly-impactful. In light of Emma Laperruque’s departure, I wanted to keep the spirit of her small ingredient list/big flavor ethos alive while staying true to the community-driven aspect of Food52, which fueled my decision to transform BLR into a collaborative column. From now on, you’ll be hearing from an array of new and rising voices in the food and recipe development world. At Food52, we believe in building community through food, and I can’t think of a better way to do that than with this column. So, with that, I’d like to re-welcome you to Big Little Recipes. First up: Hali Bey Ramdene, a writer, editor, and producer who focuses on building revolutionary projects in the food and wellness space. I’ll let her take it from here. —

 The trio responsible for all the flavor in this elegant meal of couscous and shrimp are tomato paste: bright yet savory—and better when caramelized within an inch of its existence—rosemary: piney, cozy—an herb that’s comfortable next to other proud flavors—and Marcona almonds: decadent, nutty, and buttery sweet. Together, they take the 10-minute wonder of steamed couscous to a whole new plane of flavor. As for the saucy shrimp, tossing them in grated garlic—five cloves worth—at the end of cooking rather than sautéing it in the beginning, ensures the buttery, fresh tomato sauce is just as bold as the couscous. We’re seeking partnership in this meal of couscous and shrimp and that means everyone has to come to the table as equals in flavor. Right on.

Rosemary Couscous With Garlicky Shrimp & Tomatoes

Salmon ranks as one of the most popular types of seafood in the United States—and for good reason. The versatile fish doesn't take long to prepare, can be located easily for a reasonable price, and most importantly, it holds its flavor very well. From baking it in the oven or on the stovetop to popping it in the air fryer, no matter how you decide to serve it, the one main ingredient that can take it to the next level is the seasoning you choose. Enter: blackened salmon.

For me, my undeniable love for fish—specifically salmon—has caused me to cook it a number of ways. Blackened salmon just so happens to fall in the ranks of my top choices. Most salmon recipes are already simple, so I wanted to develop something that was just as easy, but featured a unique twist of the blackened seasoning. While there are plenty of packaged options for blackened seasoning, it’s so much better to make your own version of the popular Cajun-inspired seasoning. 

Though the blackened seasoning is the star of this recipe, freshly chopped herbs take it to the next level, creating an unforgettable and flavorful flair to a quick and simple weeknight dinner. In fact, it’s so simple, you can even use this as an option for a light lunch or a topping to your favorite afternoon salad. Whatever you choose to pair it with, the results will be delicious.


Blackened Salmon

I love any sandwich on a croissant, be it chicken salad, roast beef, or egg salad, but I especially love shrimp salad. I like to put it on mini croissants and serve it as an appetizer or just on a large one for a great summer lunch. I always fear the mayo-combined-with-protein thing, and I'm not sure this solves it, but this white bean "mayonnaise" is sure a great substitute for regular. I'm envisioning mixing it with horseradish for roast beef or with garlic for an aioli.

Shrimp Salad on a Croissant with White Bean "Mayo"

Looking for some inspiration for manageable dinners this fall, ones that are practically impossible to mess up, and versatile in their ingredients? Yeah, me too (always). This is exactly the kind of recipe that’s good to have in your back pocket for crazy weeknights or relaxed entertaining. Cooking tilapia and other fish in foil packets is one of the gentlest, most forgiving ways to go—and by smearing it with a boldly-flavored butter, and tucking in some thinly sliced broccoli, you’re left with a darn good square meal. 

The ingredients in the foil packets can be easily changed up—for example, slip in shaved fennel or strips of roasted red pepper with the broccoli, or swap out the broccoli for thinly sliced Brussels sprouts or spinach. Whichever way you go, the foil packets can be assembled in advance, and then baked or grilled to serve. Feel free to serve the fish and vegetables straight out of the foil packet, or tuck them into a crusty roll for a surprisingly good sandwich. I've included some sandwich ideas below.

 

Tilapia with Smoked Paprika Butter and Broccoli in Foil Packets

This flavorful salmon patty is a light alternative to a beef burger. The avocado aioli is based off of a recipe from Marcella Valladolid, and adds a bit of heat to the burger, along with extra richness. I prepare my salmon in a meat grinder on the coarse setting, so it has a texture similar to ground beef. If you don't have a meat grinder at home, you can finely chop the salmon by hand, or pulse it very lightly in a food processor. Make sure you don't grind it into a paste!

Salmon Burgers with Avocado Aioli

Peekytoe Crab Dip

Hot-smoked salmon is what you want for this recipe. While the others -- lox and cured smoked salmon -- would be perfectly acceptable, they don't have the same texture. If you have all the ingredients on hand, you can slap this together in 5 minutes but you will hear about how good it is for years. Make sure to make the plate look pretty because the sauce and salmon can be a little homely, but that doesn't make them any less lovable.

Smoked Salmon with Horseradish Caper Sauce

I guess the first thing I should say is that this recipe is off my blog which I started as a result of my husband getting laid off. I call it Cheap Beets, a mostly vegetarian guide to eating well in the recession, and not completely vegetarian, as I have a major crush on anchovies. Well, fish of any sort, really. These fish cakes were a go-to recipe during the layoff. I'm a big believer in the well-stocked pantry, and this recipe is one of my favorites. The entire recipe costs about $3, with the canned salmon being the most expensive part. 

Sweet Potato Salmon Cakes with Chipotle Mayo

We happened upon some tuna from a trusted seller that was fresh enough to be served as tartare. I experimented with three different methods: ceviche, crudo, and this one. This was my favorite. The touch of sesame oil really makes the sauce.

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