Seafood Dishes

France

Encornets farcis is a French seafood dish consisting of squid stuffed with a variety of flavorful ingredients. The filling is a combination of breadcrumbs, milk, butter, carrots, celery, onions, and flavorings such as thyme and parsley. When served, stuffed squid are sometimes accompanied by a delicious sauce consisting of stock, shallots, and butter, flavored with bay leaves. It is recommended to garnish the dish with remaining parsley to make it even more visually appealing than it already is.

Encornets farcis

Escovitch fish is a classic Jamaican dish made by seasoning, marinating, and frying fish with a peppery, vinegar-based dressing consisting of bell peppers, carrots, and onions. Fish such as red snapper, mullet, king fish, or any other firm-bodied fish can be used in the preparation of this dish. It is traditionally prepared during the Easter festivities, and many believe that the dish tastes even better the next day.

Escovitch Fish

Portugal

Espada com banana is a traditional fish dish originating from Madeira. The dish is usually made with a combination of espada (black scabbardfish), bananas, olive oil, flour, eggs, garlic, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and oregano. The fish is filleted and seasoned with salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic. The fillets are dredged in flour, dipped in beaten eggs, rolled in breadcrumbs, and fried in olive oil until golden brown. The bananas are peeled, cut lengthwise into two halves, dredged in flour, dipped in egg wash, rolled in breadcrumbs, and fried in olive oil. The fried fish is served with fried bananas, and the dish is usually accompanied by rice or boiled potatoes on the side.

Espada com banana

Spain

Espetos is a Spanish tradition of grilling sardines, dating back to the late 19th century, when fishermen skewered and grilled surplus fish in small boats on the sand. The modern method usually involves placing 6 sardines on a skewer, seasoning them with sea salt, then grilling them over the open flames of an olive wood fire. Once the sardines are fully cooked and become golden on the outside, they are drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice. It's said that the sardines are best from May to August, when they are a bit fattier, which increases their great flavor. In many beach bars of Malaga, espetos are paired with soft drinks, beer, sangria, or Tinto de verano red wine.

Espetos

United States

&Eacute;touff&eacute;e refers to a group of dishes with Cajun origins which are typically served as a main course (unlike gumbo, which is considered a soup) and are made with one type of shellfish such as shrimp or crawfish that are smothered in a thick sauce. The sauce is made with either a blond or brown roux, and the dish is almost always served over rice. The name &eacute;touff&eacute;e is derived from the French word &eacute;touffer, meaning smothered, referring to the method of cooking.

Étouffée

Fafaru is a traditional and unusual Polynesian dish. It is distinctive because of its intense aroma of rotten fish. Crushed shrimps are marinated in a glass jar filled with seawater, preferably under the sun, for two or three days. The mixture is filtered, and tuna slices are left in the liquid to ferment for three to eight hours, depending on the desired flavor. Contrary to its strong smell, fafaru has a slightly sweetish, soft taste. It is best served with bottled mitihue, which is a fermented coconut milk product.

Fafaru

Feijoada de b&uacute;zios is a traditional dish made with whelks (a type of sea snail), cooked in a hearty bean stew. It typically includes ingredients like white beans, carrots, onions, garlic, tomatoes, bacon or chouri&ccedil;o sausage, and a variety of herbs and spices. The whelks add a unique seafood flavor to the dish, which is slow-cooked to meld the flavors together. This dish is a variation of the classic Portuguese feijoada, showcasing the rich coastal influences in Portuguese cuisine.

Feijoada de búzios

The star ingredients in this hearty Portuguese stew are sliced squids, white beans, and sliced chouri&ccedil;o sausage. These ingredients are simmered in a flavorful broth with tomatoes, carrots, white wine, and different spices such as bay leaves or chili peppers. Feijoada de lulas is a Portuguese classic that is eaten throughout the country. It is typically served garnished with fresh cilantro and accompanied by rice.

Feijoada de lulas

Filetes de polvo is a traditional dish consisting of fried octopus tentacles. The octopus is boiled until tender, and it is then often seasoned with lemon juice and pepper. The tentacles are dipped in eggwash and breadcrumbs, then fried in oil until golden-brown in color. This delicious dish is sometimes served with rice on the side, and it is then called filetes de polvo com arroz do mesmo.

Filetes de polvo

Croatia

Fileti oslića u umaku od vina is a traditional dish originating from Istria. The dish is usually made with a combination of hake, flour, butter, oil, white wine, heavy cream, parsley, salt, and black pepper. The hake fillets are seasoned with salt and pepper, and dredged in flour. The fillets are fried in a mixture of hot butter and oil until golden. The pan juices are mixed with white wine, heavy cream, and parsley in order to make a sauce. The sauce is poured over the fish fillets, and the dish is then typically served with mashed potatoes on the side.

Fileti oslića u umaku od vina

Canada

Fish and brewis is a traditional Newfoundlander meal consisting of cod and hard, dry biscuits known as hardtacks. This rural dish was originally developed by fishermen on their long fishing trips, when the dish was made with salt fish, salt pork, and hardtack biscuits. Nowadays, the dish is typically served with scrunchions &ndash; fried chunks of salted pork rind. It can also be additionally flavored with pepper or a spoonful of molasses. Apart from scrunchions, fish and brewis pairs well with boiled peas or steamed vegetables.

Fish and brewis

Dating back to the times of slavery, when the law allowed each slave to have six quarts of cornmeal and six salted herrings weekly, fish and fungi remained a staple food of the British Virgin Islands and is the islands' national dish. Fungi, also spelled fungee and pronounced "foon-gee", are not mushrooms, but okra cooked into a thick mash with the addition of cornmeal and water. The fresh, whole fish is seasoned with a Creole-style seasoning and fried until it develops a typical crispiness. After it's fried, the fish is topped with a sweet onion gravy. Fungi and fried fish are served on the same plate, piping hot and ready to be consumed. Although it is not a fancy dish, it is a must-try should you find yourself in the British Virgin Islands.

Fish and Fungi

Fish broth is a flavorful Trini soup made with vegetables, fresh herbs, fish, and either pasta or dumplings. It is believed that the broth tastes even better the next day when it gets reheated. The dish varies from one household or restaurant to the next one, since the flavor of the broth depends on how the fish is marinated and seasoned. Fish broth is traditionally served as a main dish, unlike other countries where soups are typically served as a starter.

Fish Broth

Fish head curry is a Singaporean specialty dish consisting of fish heads, coconut cream, tomatoes, and an array of seasonings such as curry leaves, garlic, chili, coriander, cumin, turmeric, pepper, and tamarind. The dish was invented during the 1970s as a way to use up unwanted fish heads. Today, it is served with bread or rice on the side, and one simmering pot of fish head curry can easily feed a few people.

Fish Head Curry

A fish plate typically consists of assorted types of fish, either grilled, fried, or baked, often accompanied by sides such as rice, potatoes, salads, or vegetables. Common fish used include salmon, sea bass, cod, or sardines. Popular in coastal regions worldwide, fish plates highlight fresh seafood and are an integral part of Mediterranean, Scandinavian, and Asian cuisines. They often celebrate local fishing traditions and seasonal catches.

Fish Plate

The main elements of this Singaporean soup include a flavorful fish-based broth that is enriched with milk and spices, bee hoon noodles (rice vermicelli), fried or boiled fish heads or fish slices, and mustard greens. Garoupa, snakehead, pomfret, and batang are the most common types of fish used in this dish, and the fish stock is occasionally flavored with brandy or rice wine. This hearty soup is a classic hawker-style dish that is usually served garnished with fresh scallions. In 2010, CNN mentioned this soup as one of the forty must-try dishes in Singapore.

Fish soup bee hoon

Australia

Fish suruwa is a delicious Fijian curry made with firm white fish, onions, tomatoes, coconut milk, chilis, and various spices such as cumin, garam masala, and turmeric. This creamy curry can be paired with white steamed rice on the side, and it is recommended to garnish it with some freshly chopped coriander on top. It is said that this incredibly easy and flavorful dish takes only about 30 minutes to prepare.

Fish suruwa

Jamaican fish tea is a light soup or a fish broth seasoned with salt, pepper, and thyme, unlike other Jamaican soups that are usually hearty and thick. It features small, inexpensive fish such as herrings, and vegetables such as bell peppers, carrots, onions, and green bananas. Some believe that the soup is a strong aphrodisiac, and it can be found throughout Jamaica, where it is usually sold at beach shacks.

Fish Tea

Fish yassa or poisson yassa or caldo is a traditional African dish with origins in The Gambia and Senegal. The dish, a variation on poulet yassa or chicken yassa, is made with a combination of white fish, rice, onions, garlic, mustard, spicy peppers, and lemons. The fish used for yassa is usually sompat or jorto, although it can be replaced with any white flaky fish. It's marinated in a sauce consisting of mustard, garlic, lemon juice, and hot peppers. It is then grilled or fried whole, removed while the onions are saut&eacute;ed in the pan, and then placed back into the pan and cooked one more time until the onions become tender and the fish is fully cooked. The dish is traditionally served over white rice and it's topped with the spicy mustard marinade. Garnish it with a few lemon wedges on the side.

Fish Yassa

Fiskeboller, literally meaning fish balls, is a classic Norwegian dish made from minced white fish, flour, eggs, and milk. A hearty dinner staple for most Norwegians, fiskeboller are typically served in thick white sauce along with steamed vegetables, usually carrots, and boiled potatoes. Since they resemble dumplings, they are also commonly referred to as fish dumplings and are typically made from cod, haddock, or pollock. Eaten on their own, the fish balls have a very mild, almost bland taste, which is why a favored version calls for the addition of curry powder and shrimp to the plain b&eacute;chamel sauce for an exotic twist to the dish and a more pleasing flavor. Fiskeboller can also be added to fish soups and stews. They can either be made from scratch or bought fresh or ready to eat in canned and tinned versions available in supermarkets throughout Norway. In fact, the Norwegian fiskeboller brand Vesteraalens has been producing more than a million cans of this national culinary delight annually, for over 100 years now.