The cooling weather has us reaching for comfort and warmth, and that holds true for the food we crave. From cozy casseroles to slow-simmered stews, fall flavors evoke nostalgia and the comfort of time-honored traditions.
But this season, why not try something new? By anchoring fresh ideas in the familiar ingredients, you can add exciting new flavors to fall. Bringing the ocean to your table can award you with new flavors, experiences―and maybe even new traditions.
Surrounded by ocean and blessed with abundant freshwater lakes and rivers, the US boasts a wide variety of sustainably harvested seafood. From wild-caught salmon to briny mussels, there’s no shortage of flavor to draw on when planning a seasonal menu.
Cranberry Poached Halibut
Meaty halibut is gently cooked in a port-cranberry poaching sauce, with hazelnuts bringing a slight bitterness to the dish. Cod or haddock can serve as stand-ins for halibut.
Salmon en Papillote with Horseradish Butter and Harvest Slaw
En papillote is the French term for cooking food in a parchment packet. Oven steaming a delightful piece of wild-caught salmon en papillote takes the worry out of serving a dry, overcooked fish dinner. Plus, it’s a simple process that leaves you more time away from the kitchen to mingle with family and friends. Adding a colorful root vegetable slaw and horseradish-infused butter sauce makes the meal worthy of a special occasion and fit for the season.
Pan-Fried Lake Perch with Parsley Sauce and Oven-Crisped Potatoes
Lightly battered, pan-fried perch from the cool Great Lakes is a simple, yet elegant, recipe that showcases the delicate flavor and texture of the fish. It’s made extra special when topped with a vibrant and refreshing herb sauce. You could think of this as a healthier―and more sophisticated―take on fish and chips. You could also make this recipe with tilapia, pickerel, rockfish, or red snapper.
Crabby Cakes with Seaweed Pesto
Flaky, tender, and creamy, these plant-based crab cakes are the answer to a no-fish main on your holiday table. The seaweed pesto adds an unmistakable taste of the sea. Heart of palm, a vegetable harvested from palm trees, serves as a plant-based stand-in for crab meat with its texture and appearance. You can find it in the canned vegetable aisle of most grocery stores. Wakame can replace dulse for use in the pesto.
Mussel, Bean, and Pumpkin Stew
It’s time to mussel up your holiday meals. The quick-cooking shellfish adds a meaty element to this elegant, yet uncomplicated, stew. Shelling the mussels saves your dinner company from some potentially embarrassing table splatter. The stew really should be served with a good crusty bread.
This collection originally appeared on alive.com as “Fresh Catch.”
