Seafood Dishes

Poisson aigre doux is a traditional fish dish hailing from Mauritius. The dish consists of fried fish in a sweet and sour sauce. The list of ingredients usually includes fish fillets, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, carrots, pineapple, mushrooms, corn, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, cornflour, eggs, salt, pepper, and scallions. The fish is cut into pieces, dipped in beaten eggs, rolled in cornflour, then fried in hot oil. The vegetables are saut&eacute;ed in oil, then mixed with soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar. The fried fish pieces are added to the pan, and the combination is shortly simmered before it's garnished with scallions and served while still hot. The dish can be served as a standalone meal or an appetizer.

Poisson aigre doux

France

Poisson &agrave; la bordelaise is a traditional fish dish originating from Bordeaux. The dish is usually made with a combination of hake, cod or halibut, breadcrumbs, butter, white wine, lemon juice, garlic, shallots, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. The garlic and shallots are chopped and saut&eacute;ed in butter. White wine, breadcrumbs, lemon juice, salt, and pepper are added to the pan and simmered over low heat. The fish is placed into an ovenproof pan, and the fillets are covered with the mixture from the other pan and drizzled with olive oil. The dish is baked in the oven until everything is fully cooked, and it's then ready to be enjoyed.

Poisson à la bordelaise

Poisson cru is a Tahitian national dish that consists of raw tuna, lime juice, various vegetables, and coconut milk. It is also known as ia ota or e'ia ota, which means raw fish. The dish is prepared by briefly marinating tuna in lime juice, and then coconut milk is added to mellow its acidity. For a more authentic dish, fresh coconut meat is wrapped in cloth, and the milky juice is then squeezed over the fish and vegetables. Poisson cru is sweet, refreshing, and exotic, and can be found almost anywhere in Tahiti.

Poisson cru

Italy

Polpi in purgatorio (lit. octopus in purgatory) is a delicious Molisan dish made with baby octopus that is slowly stewed in a delicious spicy sauce enriched with onion slices. Octopus ink gives this dish a creamy texture and typical color, while peperoncino, the spicy chili pepper, gives it an extra kick. Polpi in purgatorio taste the best when served with toasted bread and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Polpi in purgatorio

Polpo alla luciana is a traditional dish originating from the district of Santa Lucia in Naples. The dish is made with a combination of octopus, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, hot peppers, red chili flakes, olive oil, salt, and pepper. The octopus is washed, cleaned, and placed into a deep earthenware pot with tomatoes, olive oil, chili peppers, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. The pot is covered and the dish is simmered for about two hours over low heat. Once done, the octopus is left in the covered pot to cool down, and it's then served straight out of the pot &ndash; each person gets a piece, and the dish is seasoned with some chili flakes and a few drops of lemon juice.

Polpo alla luciana

Polpo ubriaco, which translates to "drunken octopus" in Italian, is a traditional dish that involves cooking octopus in red wine. This dish is a popular part of Italian coastal cuisine, particularly in Tuscany, where fresh seafood is abundant. The preparation of polpo ubriaco typically involves first cleaning and tenderizing the octopus. The octopus is then simmered in a mixture of red wine, garlic, and various herbs and spices. The red wine not only imparts a rich, deep flavor to the octopus but also helps to tenderize the meat, making it succulent and flavorful. As the octopus cooks, it absorbs the flavors of the wine and other ingredients, resulting in a dish that is both savory and aromatic. The cooking process usually takes about an hour or until the octopus becomes tender. Polpo ubriaco can be served as a main course or as part of a larger seafood feast. It is often accompanied by crusty bread, which can be used to soak up the delicious sauce, and sometimes with a side of potatoes or a simple green salad. The dish pairs well with a glass of the same red wine used in its preparation, enhancing the overall dining experience.

Polpo ubriaco

This classic Portuguese dish is made in the style of Lagareiro, hence the name. Lagareiro refers to a cooking style with numerous varieties, but it usually ends in dressing grilled or roasted fish and seafood with extra virgin olive oil. In this case, octopus is boiled, then cut into pieces, grilled, then brushed with olive oil. The dish is often additionally dressed with a combination of garlic, corainder, lemon juice, and salt. It is traditionally served with small, roasted potatoes with their skin intact.

Polvo à Lagareiro

Polvo a modo ze de lino is a traditional dish originating from Cape Verde. This stew is usually made with a combination of octopus, tomatoes, onions, garlic, hot peppers (usually habanero), oil, and bay leaves. The octopus is washed and cut into pieces and then placed in a pot with oil and bay leaves. The ingredients are cooked for about half an hour before they're mixed with the tomatoes, garlic, diced onions, and hot peppers. The stew is simmered over medium heat with occasional stirring until the sauce thickens and everything is tender. It's recommended to serve the dish with jagacida (rice and beans) and a fresh green salad on the side.

Polvo a modo ze de lino

United States

Pompano en papillote is an American dish hailing from New Orleans, where it was invented by Jules Alciatore at the famous Antoine's restaurant in honor of Brazilian balloonist Alberto Santos-Dumont. The dish is made using a French baking method in parchment paper called en papillote, hence the name of the dish. It's made with a combination of pompano fillets that are baked in parchment paper with a sauce consisting of white wine, shrimp, and crabmeat. Once packed, the dish is baked in a hot oven, and the steam will puff the paper up, so it will look similar to a balloon. Pompano en papillote is served in the same paper, and each patron slices the paper open before eating. Nowadays, there are many versions of the dish with additions such as sherry, mushrooms, tomatoes, flour, parsley, or paprika.

Pompano en papillote

Australia

This delicacy features the world-renowned blue prawns that hail from New Caledonia. New Caledonian prawns have a distinctive blue color, a unique sweet and sour flavor, and succulent flesh. The prawns are typically fried in a bit of hot melted butter or olive oil until nicely colored and slightly undercooked, which helps them to retain their delicate flavor. The cooked prawns are then placed on a serving platter and served hot with coarse salt scattered on top.

Prawn in Coarse Salt

Prawns in coconut shells is a seafood-based New Caledonian dish. Chopped prawns or shrimp are mixed with coconut cream and pawpaw. The mixture is baked under a banana leaf, and is then typically served hot in coconut shells.

Prawns in Coconut Shells

United Kingdom

Priddhas an&rsquo; herrin&rsquo; is the national dish of the Isle of Man &ndash; although probably the most famous of all Manx dishes, it&rsquo;s also one of the simplest to make. It consists of herring, potatoes, and raw onions. The potatoes are cooked with salt herrings which have been soaked in water overnight. When both are fully cooked, the potatoes and the herring are drained and served with slices of raw onions and knobs of butter. In the past, the dish was very popular because it supported the fishermen and subsistence farmers of the island.

Priddhas an' herrin'

Greek psarosoupa (lit. fish soup) is a simple dish consists of fish&mdash;usually the firm-fleshed varieties like red mullet, snapper, cod, or red gurnard&mdash;poached with vegetables; most often a combination of carrots, celery, and onions, or leeks, garlic, and potatoes. Once it is cooked, the fish is set aside while the broth is boiled with rice. Quite often, an egg beaten with lemon juice is stirred into the broth, making psarosoupa a filling, yet surprisingly light dish.

Psarosoupa

Iran

Shark pudding is a traditional dish originating from the province of Hormozgan. The dish is usually made with a combination of shark meat, tomato paste, turmeric, salt, pepper, oil, and vegetables such as onions and garlic. The onions and garlic are saut&eacute;ed in oil with pieces of shark meat that have been rubbed with turmeric. The mixture is seasoned with salt and pepper, and the tomato paste is then added to the mixture. The dish is cooked for a few minutes, and it&rsquo;s often garnished with roasted onion rings on top before serving. It&rsquo;s recommended to serve it with rice.

Puddini koose

Pulpetti tal-makku is a traditional fish dish originating from Malta, and it's especially popular during the summer. The dish consists of whitebait fritters and it's usually made with a combination of whitebait, eggs, lemon juice, parsley, mint, salt, onions, and garlic. The whitebait is seasoned with salt and pepper, then mixed with beaten eggs, mint, parsley, and saut&eacute;ed onions and garlic. The mixture is fried in olive oil on both sides, and the fritters are then served while still hot, often with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Pulpetti tal-makku

Spain

Pulpitos fritos is a traditional seafood dish originating from Andalusia. The dish consists of pan-seared baby octopus. It's usually made with a combination of baby octopus, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. The octopus is sprinkled with salt and marinated in a mixture of olive oil, garlic, parsley, and lemon juice. It is then seared in a skillet, first shortly over high heat, and then over medium heat until it's browned on all sides. Pulpitos fritos are served immediately while still hot.

Pulpitos fritos

Polbo &aacute; feira (a.k.a. pulpo a la gallega) is a traditional Galician dish made by cooking octopus, potatoes, and sweet paprika powder in copper cauldrons. The cauldrons impart a unique flavor to the dish, and it is said that it is impossible to obtain that kind of flavor with any other material. In the Sanabria region, it is traditionally served with garlic, while elsewhere, pulpo a la gallega is presented on a wooden board, drizzled with lots of olive oil and sprinkled with coarse salt. It is recommended to pair the dish with a glass of red wine on the side. The dish is also known as pulpo &aacute; feira (fair-style octopus), since it is very popular during festivities and celebrations, when the owners of pulpeiras (stands specialized for octopus) prepare the dish throughout the day.

Pulpo a la gallega

Mexico

Pulpo almendrado is a traditional dish originating from the Gulf area. The dish consists of cooked octopus that's cut into bite-sized pieces and a sauce made with a combination of almonds (blanched, toasted, and chopped), onions, garlic, tomatoes, white wine, olive oil, fish stock, bay leaves, parsley, raisins, black olives, and black pepper. Once the sauce has been prepared, the octopus pieces are added to the pan and the dish is shortly cooked until the octopus is hot. Pulpo almendrado is traditionally served with fried plantains and white rice on the side.

Pulpo almendrado

In Haiti, pwason boukannen refers to fish that has been grilled using a traditional technique called boukan. It is prepared by taking a large piece of wood and splitting it into two, then tying one end and leaving the other end open so the fish can be inserted in between. Before the fish is inserted, it is sliced, seasoned (usually only with salt, pepper, and chili), and then a small stick is inserted through the fish, from its mouth to the tail. It is recommended to use cinnamon sticks as they impart a unique flavor to the fish. The other end of a boukan stick is tied, and each end of the big stick is then placed on two stones, so the fish can be grilled over the embers of a fire that had been lit between the stones. The fish is regularly turned, ensuring that it is cooked and smoked evenly until it develops a brownish hue, and when it happens, all that is left is to serve and consume this unique Haitian specialty.

Pwason boukannen

Pwason griye or grilled fish is among the most popular fish dishes on the Seychelles Islands. It is prepared with fresh fish, often a red snapper or rabbit fish, flavored with crushed chili, garlic, and ginger. The fish is grilled in its entirety and typically served over rice, with sweet potatoes and an exotic tamarind-tomato chutney on the side. Piquant grilled fish is a staple at festivities and gatherings of family and friends during weekends.