Seafood Dishes

Lobster a l'americaine is a traditional dish with many variations and optional ingredients. It's usually made with a combination of lobster meat, carrots, celery, shallots, tomato paste, garlic, dry white wine, cognac or dry sherry, chicken or fish stock, bay leaves, olive oil, thyme, heavy cream, butter, and chopped parsley. The lobster is simmered in the sauce, then flamb&eacute;ed with cognac or sherry. If the lobster is cooked with its shell, it will add extra flavor to the dish. It's recommended to serve it with rice on the side. Regarding its origin, the only thing that's known is that this is a French dish, but many sources claim that the origins are in the regions of Languedoc or Brittany, while some say that it was possibly served to first class passengers on ships that were headed for America, hence the name.

Lobster a l'americaine

United States

Lobster fra diavolo is an Italian-American dish, a blend of American ingredients with the Italian-style of cooking, where a lobster in a spicy red tomato sauce is paired with pasta. The origins of the dish are still debated; some claim it&rsquo;s a completely American invention, while others trace it back to southern Italy.

Lobster Fra Diavolo

This American classic consists of lobster tail chunks, clarified butter, cream, egg yolks, Madeira wine, and cayenne pepper. It was invented in 1876 by Charles Ranhofer, a chef at Delmonico's in New York City, although some claim that the dish was invented by Ben Wenberg, Ranhofer's friend, but there is still not any actual proof for those claims. The dish was quite popular in the 1880s, when it was the favorite lobster specialty on Coney Island. Today, lobster Newburg is traditionally served warm on a plate, while the creamy, flavorful sauce is poured on top.

Lobster Newburg

The extravagant lobster Thermidor is a classic French dish. Made with lobster meat which is saut&eacute;ed in wine or cognac, and mixed with a creamy egg-based sauce and cheese, the dish is assembled and baked in whole lobster tails. Numerous stories and legends surround the dish, but the most probable version is that it is named after the play known as Thermidor, set in Paris in January. According to this theory, the dish was invented at Marie&rsquo;s, a famous restaurant at the time, on the night of Thermidor's premiere. Even though the play did not gain success, the dish was a crowd-pleaser. It uses all of the traditional French ingredients such as butter and cream, which produce a lavish dish when combined with lobster. The dish is usually served in restaurants and prepared for special occasions. It was a restaurant favorite during the mid-20th century when it was often found in numerous restaurants around the world. Today, it is regarded as a classic of French cuisine, and can usually be found in traditional French restaurants.

Lobster Thermidor

Lohikeitto is a creamy Finish salmon soup, similar to laxsoppa in Sweden. Apart from chunks of salmon fillet, it traditionally incorporates diced potatoes and carrots cooked in a flavorful, buttery broth infused with fish stock and cream. This comforting winter dish is generously seasoned with dill and served alongside buttered rye bread or lemon wedges.

Lohikeitto

Loimulohi is a traditional method of preparing salmon or rainbow trout. The fish is smoked on a wooden plank that's placed vertically over an open fire. Before the process, the salmon is usually seasoned with sea salt and drizzled or brushed with lemon juice, honey, or juniper berries. The cooking time depends on the distance from the coals. Once done, the smoky fish can be eaten straight off the plank.

Loimulohi

Long Island clam chowder is a traditional chowder originating from Long Island. Just like the geographical positioning of Long Island, between Manhattan and New England, the chowder is a blend between the dairy-based white New England chowder and the tomato-based red Manhattan chowder. The Long Island clam chowder has a pink color as a result. Fresh whole clams are mixed with canned tomatoes, heavy cream or full-fat milk, and often potatoes and other vegetables in order to create this hybrid of a chowder, which has proven to be very popular in Long Island's chowder bars and restaurants.

Long Island Clam Chowder

China

Regarded as a specialty of Hangzhou city, fried shrimps with Longjing tea is one of the best-known dishes of Zheijang cuisine that makes use of the outstanding Longjing tea. Large live shrimps are first soaked in a marinade of egg whites, cornstarch, and rice wine, and then cooked along with steeped Longjing tea. The fragrant and refreshing green shoots of Longjing tea beautifully complement the delicious white shrimps, giving this authentic dish an exquisite flavor. These stir-fried shrimps are served hot or chilled, drizzled with the cooking liquid and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste.

Long jing xia ren

Italy

This simple fish dish combines cooked pike and an aromatic anchovy-based sauce. The dish hails from Verona and is especially popular around the areas surrounding Lake Garda. The fish is first cooked, typically in a broth flavored with onions, carrots, celery, and herbs. After they are thoroughly cleaned, pike fillets are served with a dressing that consists of anchovies, garlic, capers, parsley, and olive oil. This traditional dish is usually served with polenta and pairs well with local white wines.

Luccio alla Gardesana

Portugal

Lulas com ferrado is a traditional seafood dish originating from the region of Algarve. The dish is made with a combination of squid, potatoes, garlic, white wine, parsley, lemon, peppercorns, olive oil, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper. The garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns are browned in olive oil, then mixed with the squid, which should be fried on both sides over low heat. The mixture is drizzled with white wine and maybe a bit of water. Once done, the dish is typically garnished with parsley and served on a large platter, accompanied by boiled potatoes and lemon wedges. It's recommended to enjoy lulas com ferrado with a glass of bold red wine on the side.

Lulas com ferrado

Lutefisk is a Scandinavian dish made from dried whitefish that's been treated with lye, resulting in the fish having a gelatinous consistency and often, depending on the type of whitefish, a very strong, pungent odor. Both the Swedes and the Norwegians claim the dish as their own, but lutefisk is also prepared in Finland and in the United States, namely in the state of Minnesota, where it's predominantly consumed by Scandinavian immigrants. After it's been cooked, the lye-treated fish is served with an array of side dishes. In Norway, it is typically served with boiled potatoes, mashed green peas, melted butter, and pieces of fried bacon, whereas a side of white sauce in combination with previously mentioned boiled potatoes and green peas is the traditional choice of Swedes and Finns.

Lutefisk

Mabok&eacute; is a traditional fish dish originating from the Central African Republic. The dish is usually made with a combination of onions, garlic, tomatoes, hot peppers, parsley, salt, banana leaves, and fish such as Nile perch, tilapia, grouper, or catfish. The fish is filleted and steamed in banana leaves over a bed of garlic, onions, tomatoes, parsley, and hot peppers. Once steamed, the fish should be succulent and light. The dish is traditionally served with fried plantains and steamed rice on the side.

Maboké

Macher jhol is a Bengali and Odia spicy fish stew, similar to curry. It consists of chunks or slices of fish that are slowly simmered in a flavorful broth that is usually enriched with onions, turmeric, chili peppers, ginger-garlic paste, coriander, nigella seeds, cumin, and mustard seeds. The most common fish varieties used in the dish include ilish (hilsa), rohu, and bhakura (catla), and the dish often incorporates potatoes, as well as tomatoes or tomato pur&eacute;e. Macher jhol is usually served with rice, and it is occasionally garnished with coriander leaves.

Macher jhol

Maeutang is a spicy Korean fish stew that is usually made with freshwater or saltwater fish such as red snapper, pollock, cod, monkfish, or sea bass. Traditionally, a whole fish is used in the dish, including the head and the bones. The fish is cut into pieces and is then simmered in an anchovy-based broth together with vegetables and occasionally tofu, while the whole dish is usually spiced with gochujang chili paste and chili pepper flakes. In some restaurants, the guests are often allowed to choose the fish from the aquarium, which will eventually be used in their stew. Although the term maeuntang roughly translates merely as spicy stew, it is usually used to denote this fish-based variety. The perfect accompaniment to this flavorful, spicy stew is soju&mdash;traditional Korean spirit.

Maeuntang

Mahmoos al-samak is a traditional dish from the Arabian Gulf region, particularly popular in Saudi Arabia. The term "mahmoos" refers to a method of cooking where ingredients are saut&eacute;ed or fried until they are well-cooked and slightly browned, imparting a rich, deep flavor. "Al-samak" means fish, indicating that this dish features fish as the main ingredient. In mahmoos al-samak, the fish is typically seasoned with a blend of spices, which may include turmeric, cumin, coriander, garlic, and black lime (loomi). The fish is then fried or saut&eacute;ed until it is fully cooked and develops a golden-brown crust. The dish might also include onions, tomatoes, and green peppers, which are cooked alongside the fish to create a savory, aromatic mixture. This dish is often served with rice, flatbread, or as part of a larger meal with other Gulf specialties.

Mahmoos al-samak

Ecuador

Maito de pescado is a traditional dish originating from the Pastaza region. The dish consists of river fish such as catfish, tambaqui, or bocachico that's wrapped in banana leaves, and it's then cooked in firewood. The leaves are tightly tied with natural fibers. In the past, the flavor would come only from the leaves, but nowadays people use salt, onions, or garlic for extra flavor. Once prepared, the maito (lit. wrap) is served with cassava, plantains, or potatoes on the side, which are products cultivated by the women farmers called Chagramamas. The dish is often paired with a cold glass of guayusa tea, and it can be found in traditional restaurants in the area.

Maito de pescado

Peru

Majarisco is a traditional dish from the northern coast of Peru, specifically from the Tumbes region. Majarisco's name is a blend of two words: "majar" (meaning to mash or grind) and "marisco" (meaning seafood). It consists of a variety of seafood, including shrimp, crab, mussels, squid, and octopus, and plantains. The seafood is precooked, and the plantains are boiled until soft. Once boiled, the plantains are mashed into a puree. The seafood is then mixed into this starchy base along with saut&eacute;ed onions, tomatoes, garlic, and Peruvian aji peppers to give it flavor and a hint of spice. Majarisco is typically served warm. Given its hearty nature, it can be a meal on its own, but it's sometimes accompanied by rice or a fresh salad on the side.

Majarisco

Makshoun deerak is a seafood dish from the Southern Regions of Saudi Arabia, particularly along the shores of the Red Sea, which involves spicying a whole deerak fish (narrow-barred Spanish mackerel) with a rich mixture of herbs, spices, and rice. The stuffing typically includes ingredients like parsley, coriander, onions, and a special blend of Saudi spices such as bahārāt, which is a fragrant spice mix used in many traditional dishes. The stuffed fish is then baked or steamed, a method that preserves the delicate flavors of both the fish and the stuffing, while also ensuring the dish is moist and aromatic. Makshoun deerak is often associated with special occasions and communal gatherings, where food is a means of bringing people together.

Makshoun deerak

India

Malabar fish curry or Kerala fish curry is a traditional dish originating from Malabar, Kerala. The curry is typically made with fish such as seer, sea bass, tilapia, or sardines. Other ingredients include onions, tomatoes, hot chili peppers, chili powder, curry leaves, coriander, turmeric, garlic, fenugreek, tamarind, oil, and coconut milk. The coconut milk gives the curry its rich creaminess, and it's flavored with deep and earthy Indian spices such as fried curry leaves and tamarind. The fish is added to the boiling curry sauce and it's simmered until the fish is fully cooked. Once done, this fish curry is usually served hot with a bowl of basmati rice or naan on the side.

Malabar meen curry

Although New England clam chowder boasts with its salt pork, mollusk, potato, and onion mixture, New Yorkers have their own Manhattan variety of the dish, a light tomato stew similar to minestrone, filled with carrots, onions, potatoes, celery, and lots of large, chopped chowder clams accompanied by aromatic herbs such as thyme, oregano, and pepper. It is said that the flavor significantly improves after a day, so if making it at home, it's best to let it sit and reheat it the next day. As for its origins, some claim that it was invented in Rhode Island regardless of Manhattan in its name and that the original recipe was inspired by immigrants from Italy or Portugal. Since the dish has tomatoes in it, and they were thought to be suspicious, if not poisonous in New England until the mid-1800s, Manhattan clam chowder would have to date back from at least the period after those years. It differs from the New England version as it doesn't have any milk in it, and the New England version doesn't contain tomatoes, so the dish is sometimes called red chowder, while the New England version is called white chowder. The rivalry between the two is so great that in 1939, a bill was introduced in the state of Maine in order to make it illegal to add tomatoes to the dish. Regardless of the dispute, Manhattan clam chowder is a unique and special stew that must be tried, and it's never bad to have two different versions of a universally loved dish.