Seafood Dishes

Baliq levengi is a traditional fish dish originating from Azerbaijan. The dish is usually made with a combination of fish, onions, walnuts, dried fruit such as raisins, butter, salt, and pepper. First, the fish is rubbed with salt and the cavity is stuffed with a mixture of ground walnuts, grated onions, raisins, butter, salt, and pepper. The cavity is sewn shut or skewered to keep it intact, and the fish is then baked in the oven until fully cooked. Once done, baliq levengi is presented on a platter and it&rsquo;s often garnished with pomegranate seeds and onions rings. It&rsquo;s recommended to serve the dish with rice pilaf on the side.

Baliq levengi

Bangus sa tausi is a popular Filipino dish featuring bangus (milkfish) cooked in a savory black soybean sauce known as tausi. This dish blends Filipino and Chinese culinary influences, combining the rich flavors of milkfish with the salty, umami taste of fermented black beans. The preparation begins by frying fish, then saut&eacute;ing garlic, onions, and ginger and adding tomatoes, tausi, and fish sauce, which create the dish's distinctive flavor. The bangus is then simmered in the mixture, absorbing the rich sauce. Typically served with steamed white rice, bangus sa tausi is a hearty and satisfying meal with a balance of tender fish and a savory, slightly salty sauce.

Bangus sa tausi

Bar au beurre blanc is a traditional fish dish prepared with sea bass (also called loup de mer) as the main ingredient. The fish has a delicate flavor, and it's poached in a lightly flavored court-bouillon in this dish, either whole or after it's been cut into sections. The beurre blanc sauce is made with a combination of shallots, wine vinegar, court-bouillon, and butter, while a bit of fresh cream may be stirred in at the end. In order to finish the dish, the sea bass is served with the beurre blanc sauce.

Bar au beurre blanc

Australia

Barramundi cod is a fish specialty of Marshallese cuisine that is considered one of the national dishes of the islands. A whole fresh barramundi cod is seasoned, then tightly wrapped within banana leaves and baked until thoroughly cooked. The leaves allow the fish to retain its moisture and delicate flavor - often described as sweet and buttery - while at the same time imparting a pleasant fragrance of the banana leaf to the dish. The fish can be accompanied by traditional rice balls known as chukuchuk, sweet potatoes, and a fresh salad. Banana-leaf barramundi cod is offered in numerous restaurants on the islands.

Barramundi Cod

Norway

Bergensk fiskesuppe is a traditional fish soup originating from Bergen. Although there's an ongoing debate about what should be in the soup, it often contains pollock or salmon, pickled purslane, vegetables such as onions, carrots, leeks, and celery, sour cream, vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, and traditionally, but rarely in practice - the bones of young saithe. Alternatively, the bones of haddock or cod are also acceptable for making the fish stock. Fish balls are sometimes also added to the soup. Before serving, Bergen fish soup is topped with a dollop of sour cream. If desired, garnish the soup with chives and serve it with crusty bread on the side.

Bergensk fiskesuppe

Bermuda fish chowder is the national dish of Bermuda. Its main ingredients are fish fillets, fish stock, and tomato pur&eacute;e, while the other ingredients may vary and typically include vegetables (potatoes, onions, celery, green peppers, carrots), herbs, and spices such as thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, and cloves. Traditionally, the chowder is seasoned with dark rum and a local sherry peppers hot sauce. Unlike the chowders based on milk or cream, this one is not so thick and has a much lighter, brothy consistency. It is believed that the dish was first made by 17th-century colonizers who prepared it in cauldrons which were placed above bonfires on the beaches of St. George's.

Bermuda Fish Chowder

Spain

Besugo a la madrile&ntilde;a is a traditional fish dish originating from Madrid. It's usually made with a combination of sea bream, garlic, potatoes, scallions, breadcrumbs, parsley, lemon, olive oil, and red or white wine. The sea bream is drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper, then baked in the oven. The garlic, parsley, scallions, and breadcrumbs are saut&eacute;ed and mixed with wine and lemon juice. The fish is covered with the saut&eacute;ed ingredients, and the dish is then served with fried potatoes on the side. This dish is especially popular in winter and around Christmas, and some restaurants prepare it with a base of prawns or other seafood.

Besugo a la madrileña

Bhortas or bhartas are a group of dishes mainly associated with Bangladesh. The group encompasses various combinations of mashed herbs, vegetables, or fish whose base typically combines mustard oil, garlic, onions, and red chili peppers. The most common ingredients used in bhortas include eggplants, potatoes, prawns, ilish and other types of fresh and dry fish, as well as numerous other vegetables and herbs. The ingredients can be steamed, grilled, or roasted before they are combined into a mash. Although they were invented among the Bengali Muslims, bhortas have become an indispensable part of national Bangladesh cuisine. They are served as a side dish or the main course, typically with rice on the side.

Bhorta

Greece

Bourdeto bianco, more commonly known as just bianco, is a type of stew where the main ingredient, usually a white fish, is cooked in a sauce made with garlic, white wine, potatoes, and plenty of lemon juice. It is crucial to use only fresh fish and their heads as a base for rich fish stock used for the stew. The name and preparation are a remnant of the island's Venetian history, but today it is considered one of the most emblematic local dishes. Bianco is typically served with bread on the side to soak up the flavorful sauce and, ideally, paired with local white wine.

Bianco

Italy

Bisato in speo is a traditional dish from Grado, featuring eel (bisato) that is skewered and grilled, a technique known as "in speo" in local dialect. It has been a staple for centuries in the area of Marano Lagoon. The eel is typically marinated in a mix of vinegar, garlic, rosemary, and bay leaves, giving it a fragrant and slightly tangy flavor. After marinating, the eel is skewered and slowly cooked over an open flame or hot coals, which adds a smoky element to its rich, oily flesh. The slow cooking process helps to make the meat tender and flavorful, while the marinade highlights the natural taste of the eel. Traditionally served as a main dish, Bisato in speo captures the essence of lagoon cooking and is often enjoyed with polenta, another staple of Venetian cuisine.

Bisato in speo

Bisato in umido is a traditional Venetian dish made with eel cooked "in umido" (meaning "in a stew" or "braised"). In this preparation, the eel is first cut into pieces, then slowly braised in a rich sauce of carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and white wine, seasoned with bay leaves, parsley, and sometimes rosemary. This slow cooking method allows the eel to become tender while absorbing the flavors of the aromatic sauce. The dish has a distinctive, slightly earthy flavor, as eel has naturally rich and oily meat. Bisato in umido is typically served with polenta, which complements the dish&rsquo;s thick, flavorful sauce. This dish is popular in the Venetian Lagoon, where eel has been a staple ingredient for centuries.

Bisato in umido

This thick, creamy, and rich pur&eacute;ed soup traditionally includes ingredients such as cream, seafood, cognac or wine, and a combination of spices. The origin of its name is still debated &ndash; some claim that the word refers to a soup that is cooked twice (bis cuits), since the traditional way of making the soup involves first roasting the shellfish and then simmering them again in the flavorful broth. Another theory suggests it is related to the Bay of Biscay, whose cuisine typically uses spicy ingredients similar to those used in bisque. Bisque was first mentioned as a shellfish soup in the 17th century, leading food historians to suggest that it was originally a fisherman&rsquo;s dish that was designed to get the most flavor out of whatever ingredients were available. Today, the most popular version of the dish is lobster bisque, which is made using a long cooking process designed to make the dish as flavorful as possible.

Bisque

Black miso cod is a Japanese fish delicacy that is made by marinating black cod (sablefish) fillets in a miso-based mixture for several days before cooking them until their exterior becomes crispy. The marinade typically consists of a combination of white miso paste, sugar, mirin (sweet rice wine), and (sometimes) sake. Traditionally, the fish needs to soak in it for at least 2 or 3 days for the best results. After grilling or broiling, the resulting fish is typically distinguished by an incredibly buttery, silky, and moist texture and an exceptional flavor that pairs well with a variety of accompaniments such as steamed rice, soft tofu, wasabi mashed taters, soba noodle salad, and steamed or pickled vegetables such as baby bok choy, daikon radishes, cucumbers, or ginger shoots. A glass of fine dry white wine would also go well with the sweet, savory, and buttery flavors of this fish specialty. Black miso cod is considered a take on gindara kasukaze, which is a Japanese dish consisting of gindara or silver cod fillets that are cured in sake lees and then grilled.

Black Miso Cod

Black pepper crab is the unofficial national dish of Singapore, made by stir-frying crab pieces with black pepper, garlic, shallots, and oyster sauce over high heat. The dish is seldom prepared at home, but people can easily find it at numerous street stalls and seafood restaurants. Once the crab is cooked, it is often garnished with coriander leaves and paired with rice on the side.

Black Pepper Crab

Blaff is a traditional Caribbean dish that&rsquo;s especially popular in St. Vincent and The Grenadines. This fish dish can be made with many types of fish and seafood, but it&rsquo;s most commonly made with a combination of cod or sea bass, onions, garlic, hot peppers, lime juice, chives, thyme, allspice, cloves, white wine, oil, parsley, and salt. The fish is marinated in a mixture of minced onions, lime juice, chopped hot peppers, and parsley. The marinade is then mixed with white wine, water, oil, thyme, allspice, cloves, and salt, and the fish is then dipped in the sauce. The dish is simmered for about twenty minutes over low heat, it&rsquo;s garnished with parsley, and then served. The fish can be served in the brothy sauce or separately. It&rsquo;s recommended to serve rice pilaf as an accompaniment to blaff.

Blaff

Brazil

A classic dish of the Brazilian Bahia region, bob&oacute; de camar&atilde;o is a stew made with pur&eacute;ed cassava (bob&oacute;), fresh shrimps, coconut milk, and dend&ecirc; palm oil. The word bob&oacute; comes from the Ewe people who were brought to Brazil as slaves, denoting a dish made with beans, although there are no beans in bob&oacute; de camar&atilde;o as we know it today, due to the fact that the Afro-Brazilians enthusiastically took to cassava when they were first introduced to it. The dish is traditionally accompanied by rice on the side, and is a staple of most traditional Brazilian eateries and Bahian self-service restaurants.

Bobó de camarão

Bocartes en cazuela is a traditional dish originating from the Basque Country. The dish is made with a combination of very fresh anchovies, garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil, salt, and red wine vinegar. The anchovies are rinsed, cleaned, sprinkled with salt and red pepper flakes, and then fried in olive oil with minced garlic. The dish is prepared in a cazuela, a round clay pot. Once the anchovies are opaque in the center, red wine vinegar is poured over the fish, and the cazuela is rotated in circular motions so that the vinegar mixed with the olive oil and the fish. Once done, bocartes en cazuela is served immediately, while still hot.

Bocartes en cazuela

Boga a la parilla or boga on the grill is an Argentine fish delicacy consisting of grilled boga, a type of freshwater fish which is highly appreciated in Argentina. A whole fish is opened up and seasoned with spices, herbs, oil, lemon juice, and (sometimes) white wine. It is then placed on the grill and cooked to perfection on both sides. The fish is also commonly rubbed with dry chimichurri mix or flavored with different sauces such as salsa criolla, salsa provenzal, or salsa de maracuy&aacute;. Typical accompaniments to this grilled fish specialty include grilled or roasted vegetables, potatoes tossed with Provencal sauce, and a glass of white wine.

Boga a la parrilla

United States

The season of Lent before Easter means backyard crawfish boils in Louisiana. All that&rsquo;s needed for this feast is a large pot and a heater, water, vegetables, seasoning, and crustaceans. The crawfish are typically placed in big strainers, then hosed down and washed before being placed in the pot with vegetables and fruits such as lemons, garlic, onions, celery, and potatoes, all cut in half, while frozen corn is added later in order to cool down the boil. Sausages and mushrooms might also be added to the pot, depending on personal preferences. It is believed that the secret to a great crawfish boil is not in boiling the crustaceans, but poaching them in hot water, which allows them to soak up all the flavors as they finish cooking.

Boiled Crawfish

Boiling is the most popular and simplest way of preparing a Maine lobster. Live lobsters are plopped into a large pot of boiling water seasoned with sea salt and cooked depending on the size of the lobster &mdash; the bigger the lobster, the longer the cooking time. Once the lobster is in the water, it&rsquo;s important to time the cooking so it doesn&rsquo;t overcook, as the meat will be tough and rubbery. Also, lobsters need to be treated humanely. Hence, placing the lobsters in the freezer for 30-60 minutes before cooking is recommended so they fall asleep. When sleeping lobsters are placed in boiling water, they will not feel any pain. Serve with melted butter, bibs, and a bucket for shells.