Paella, one of Spain’s signature dishes can be made solely with seafood and in fact, there’s a name for it “paella de marisco” which can be more expensive that other versions containing meat.  Aside from fish which may even be excluded, other components are squid (take out the inksacs found in the head otherwise it will color the dish black), mussels, clams and shrimp.  Fancier versions include langoustines (succulent, white shellfishalso known as scampi) or even halved lobsters.  Pasta and pizza frutti di mare (fruits of the sea) are popular favorites in Italian restaurants and feature the similar ingredients with the addition of anchovy fillets adding a distinct salty flavor to the dish. Do not go overboard on the anchovy as a little goes a long way.

Mixed seafood recipes from Mirriam Venes

Other impressive dishes include fantastic seafood platters composed of three, four or a lot more varieties of fish and other ingredients.  These can be cooked in the same manner like a mixed tempura with battered prawns, crabstick and small fish served with a sweet dip with grated raddish and ginger.  A platter can also feature each ingredient can also be prepared in different ways: marinated raw fish (ceviche), deep fried squid rings (calamari), grilled scallops and baked mussels.  That certainly should be enough to satisfy anyone’s seafood cravings!

When preparing any dish with seafood, try to buy the freshest ingredients especially if you are serving it raw or cooking it very simply like on a grill.  If you are going to combine it with a lot of other ingredients like in a tomato-based soup, then by all means but less expensive ingredients but make sure they’re fresh as well.  This is not a challenge and a big expense if you happen to live in a coastal area but if you live in the heart of the city, then prepare to spend quite a bit.