Hi Reader,

Whenever the calendar flips to mid-January, my body stages a quiet protest. Too much cream. Too much butter. Too much “just one more slice.” I can practically hear my arteries sighing.
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That’s when I go coastal.
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Growing up, the ocean wasn’t just a backdrop—it was therapy. My family’s version of a cleanse didn’t involve green juice or kale; it was grilled sardines, lemony cod, or a bowl of seafood rice that smelled like sunlight on saltwater. Simple food that didn’t weigh you down or make you repent afterward.
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Even now, when the holidays finally release their buttery grip, I crave that same reset: clean flavors, olive oil instead of cream, fish that flakes under your fork with the faintest touch. It’s the kind of cooking that wakes you up again, like stepping into the Atlantic in May—shock first, then bliss.
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So when rich food fatigue hits? Go coastal. Let the sea do the healing.

Your Post-Holiday Seafood Reset

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• Lean into lemon. It’s the culinary reset button. A squeeze before serving can make any seafood taste like it just caught a breeze off the coast.
• Use olive oil like perfume. Don’t drown your fish—dress it lightly. You want sheen, not slick.
• Honor the herbs. Cilantro, parsley, dill—whichever speaks to you. Fresh herbs turn “simple” into “sublime.”
• Don’t overcomplicate. Salt, heat, and time are all you really need. Let the fish be the show, not the sauce.
• Channel your inner Portuguese fisherman. A glass of vinho verde, a drizzle of oil, and no guilt in sight. That’s the spirit.

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WHAT'S INSIDE...

• ​Mussels In A Creamy White Wine Garlic Sauce​
• ​Flounder With Lemon Butter Sauce​
• ​Classic Shrimp Scampi​
• ​Calamari à la Plancha​
• ​Pan Seared Scallops​
• ​Lemon Sole Oreganata​
• ​Butter Basted Fish With Garlic & Thyme​
• ​Steamed Halibut With Ginger​
• ​Shrimp With Chorizo​
• ​Maple Glazed Salmon​

​Mussels In A Creamy White Wine Garlic Sauce​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.78 from 85 votes

Mussels in a creamy white wine garlic sauce is such a quick dish, you almost won't believe that something so devastatingly delish is faster than takeout. Mussels, white wine, cream, lemon, and garlic are just about all it takes.

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​Flounder With Lemon Butter Sauce​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.74 from 46 votes

This flounder with lemon butter sauce is easy, healthy, quick, elegant, family-friendly, and requires that you clean up only a single skillet. That's to say nothing of its crisp brown crust and flaky perfection.

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​Classic Shrimp Scampi​

This version of shrimp scampi keeps the shells on for maximum flavor and moisture, slowly infuses the garlic into the butter and oil for a gentler, deeper flavor, and doubles the sauce—because, let’s be honest, you come for the shrimp, but stay for the sauce.

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​Calamari à la Plancha​

Calamari à la plancha is a delightfully crisp and spiced dish, popular in Spain and Portugal. Seared over high heat in cast iron until caramelized, then given a hearty spicing, it's a quick yet impressive meal.

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​Pan Seared Scallops​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.88 from 24 votes

The secret to these pan-seared scallops in butter is to cook them in a hot skillet with ripplingly-hot oil and occasionally baste them with butter. That's it. Simple, quick, and impressive. Twenty minutes from fridge to table.

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​Lemon Sole Oreganata​

Lemon sole oreganata is an elegant dish of baked fish with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese that's drizzled with a white wine pan sauce. Easy, healthy, and on the table in just 30 minutes.

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​Butter Basted Fish With Garlic & Thyme​

Butter basted fish with garlic and thyme from America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Illustrated is a crazy quick and indulgent way to put a healthful dinner on the table pronto. Here's how.

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​Steamed Halibut With Ginger​

If you're looking for quick, easy, and healthy weeknight inspiration, give this steamed halibut with ginger a whirl.

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​Shrimp With Chorizo​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.89 from 17 votes

Shrimp with chorizo is startlingly simple, considering how impressive it is. Shrimp, smoky sausage, garlic, chile, and lemon come together in just about half an hour. Serve it as a main for two—or share it tapas-style with friends.

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​Maple Glazed Salmon​

These maple glazed salmon fillets are simplicity itself. Nothing more than salmon soaked in maple syrup, soy sauce, and paprika. Sure, they marinate all day, but they take all of 10 minutes to cook. And the flavor? Well, look at how many testers loved it.

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