Recipes › Shellfish

Shellfish recipes

105 recipes from 13 countries, none of it adapted from anybody else.

By country

• China (9)
• France (3)
• Germany (1)
• India (3)
• Italy (10)
• Japan (14)
• Mexico (8)
• Peru (2)
• Philippines (29)
• South Korea (9)
• Thailand (14)
• Tunisia (1)
• Turkey (2)

Every shellfish recipe

• Aguachile, sourced from Mexico. Raw prawns butterflied and dressed at the table, because the lime goes on working and five minutes is the whole window. Chicken, Shellfish.
• Aligue fried rice, sourced from the Philippines. Fried rice with crab fat folded through off the heat, so it coats rather than cooks. Shellfish.
• Arroz a la Tumbada, sourced from Mexico. A rice dish deliberately left soupy, with twice the liquid of a dry rice and the seafood added at the end. Fish, Shellfish.
• Bicol Express, sourced from the Philippines. Pork in coconut milk reduced until the oil breaks out, with a great deal of chilli. Pork, Shellfish.
• Brodetto, sourced from Italy. Mixed fish stewed with vinegar, each kind added in its own time so none of it overcooks. Fish, Shellfish.
• Cacciucco, sourced from Italy. A red-wine fish stew with its own broth made from the heads, ladled over garlic toast. Fish, Shellfish.
• Cahuamanta, sourced from Mexico. Ray wing simmered until the flesh combs off the cartilage in strands, which no other fish here does. Fish, Shellfish.
• Calamarata, sourced from Italy. Wide pasta rings cooked with squid rings cut to the same size. Shellfish.
• Caldo de Mariscos, sourced from Mexico. The broth built from the prawn heads and shells, fried hard and simmered, so it tastes of shellfish before any is served in it. Fish, Shellfish.
• Caldo de Siete Mares, sourced from Mexico. Seven kinds of seafood, each going in at its own moment — the dish is a running order, not a stock. Fish, Shellfish.
• California roll, sourced from Japan. An inside-out roll built on cling film, with the rice outside and the nori hidden. Shellfish, Egg.
• Camaron rebosado, sourced from the Philippines. Butterflied prawns in a pale puffed batter, straightened so they fry flat. Shellfish, Egg.
• Camarones al Ajillo, sourced from Mexico. The prawns go in shell on and the shells fry in the oil first, which is where the sauce gets everything it has. Shellfish.
• Cantonese Pork Soup, sourced from China. Pork bones boiled three hours and skimmed, for a clear broth the meat has given everything to. Pork, Shellfish.
• Cantonese Seafood Soup, sourced from China. A clear thickened soup where every piece of seafood goes in after the heat is off and cooks in the residual heat alone. Fish, Shellfish, Egg.
• Cappon Magro, sourced from Italy. A Genoese pyramid of fish and vegetables built on soaked biscuit, each layer dressed separately. Fish, Shellfish, Egg.
• Chawanmushi, sourced from Japan. A savoury custard steamed with the lid ajar, set just firm enough to hold a spoon's dent. Chicken, Fish, Shellfish, Egg.
• Chicken Marengo, sourced from France. A tomato and mushroom chicken braise whose fried eggs and crayfish go on top at the end and are never cooked in the sauce. Chicken, Shellfish, Egg.
• Chim chum, sourced from Thailand. A clay pot of herb broth on the table, with raw meat dipped in a few slices at a time. Pork, Shellfish, Egg.
• Chingudi Jhola, sourced from India. The prawns are fried in mustard oil first, and the tomato and garlic are what make it red. Shellfish.
• Chirashizushi, sourced from Japan. Seasoned rice cooled with a fan while it is cut with vinegar, scattered rather than rolled. Fish, Shellfish, Egg.
• Chūkadon, sourced from Japan. A stir-fry thickened in its own wok liquid and tipped straight over rice. Pork, Shellfish.
• Chupe de Camarones, sourced from Peru. A prawn chowder whose broth is made entirely from the heads, fried hard and pressed through a sieve. Shellfish, Egg.
• Cozze allo Zafferano, sourced from Italy. Mussels opened in wine, with saffron steeped in their own liquor rather than added dry. Shellfish.
• Daab Chingri, sourced from India. It is sealed inside a green coconut with dough and slow-cooked in the shell it is served in. Shellfish.
• Dumpling Soup, sourced from China. Thin-skinned dumplings cooked in the broth they are served in. Pork, Shellfish.
• Dwaeji-gukbap, sourced from South Korea. Pork broth over rice, where the broth is ladled on and poured back twice to bring the rice up to temperature. Pork, Shellfish.
• Ebi chili, sourced from Japan. Prawns velveted in egg white and starch, in a sauce built on ketchup as much as chilli bean. Shellfish, Egg.
• Ebi furai, sourced from Japan. Prawns slit and stretched straight, crumbed with the tails left clean, and fried in two minutes. Shellfish, Egg.
• Escargots, sourced from France. Tinned snails returned to shells under a garlic butter that is piped in behind them, so it melts down over the snail rather than under it. Shellfish.
• Fregula, sourced from Italy. Semolina rolled into beads by hand and toasted before it is cooked. Shellfish.
• Fritto Misto, sourced from Italy. Mixed seafood floured in semolina and fried in batches, each thing timed on its own. Fish, Shellfish.
• Gimbap, sourced from South Korea. Seaweed rolls whose rice is seasoned with sesame oil and salt and never with vinegar, with each filling cooked separately. Pork, Shellfish, Egg.
• Ginataang ampalaya, sourced from the Philippines. Bitter gourd salted to take the edge off, then finished in coconut milk with shrimp. Shellfish.
• Ginataang hipon, sourced from the Philippines. Prawns cooked in their shells in coconut milk, added at the very end of a sauce made first. Shellfish.
• Ginataang kalabasa, sourced from the Philippines. The squash itself thickens the sauce, so the coconut milk goes in early and long. Shellfish.
• Ginataang kuhol, sourced from the Philippines. River snails purged for two days, then simmered in coconut milk with taro leaves. Shellfish.
• Ginataang labong, sourced from the Philippines. Bamboo shoots boiled twice in changed water, then simmered in coconut milk with shrimp paste. Shellfish.
• Ginataang ubod, sourced from the Philippines. Heart of palm cut along the grain and barely cooked, so it keeps its snap in the coconut milk. Pork, Shellfish.
• Ginisang Munggo, sourced from the Philippines. Mung beans cooked to collapse before anything else enters the pot. Pork, Shellfish.
• Gising-gising, sourced from the Philippines. Chopped long beans in coconut milk with enough chilli to wake you up, which is the name. Pork, Shellfish.
• Gujeolpan, sourced from South Korea. Eight fillings around a stack of paper-thin pancakes, every filling cut to the same length so the roll closes. Beef, Shellfish, Egg.
• Gul-gukbap, sourced from South Korea. A clear light soup where the oysters go in off the heat and are never boiled. Fish, Shellfish.
• Halabos na hipon, sourced from the Philippines. No water goes in the pan: the prawns cook in what they give up, in about four minutes. Shellfish.
• Jalea, sourced from Peru. A platter of floured fried seafood with the salsa criolla piled on top at the table and never before. Fish, Shellfish, Egg.
• Jjamppong, sourced from South Korea. A red seafood noodle soup whose vegetables are charred in a dry screaming-hot wok before any liquid. Chicken, Pork, Fish, Shellfish.
• Jokbal, sourced from South Korea. Trotters braised for hours and then cooled in their liquid before slicing, which is the only way they cut cleanly. Pork, Shellfish.
• Kaki furai, sourced from Japan. Shucked oysters dried hard, crumbed and fried fast so the inside stays liquid. Shellfish, Egg.
• Kakiage, sourced from Japan. A loose fritter of matchstick vegetables held by barely enough batter, slid in on a flat spoon. Shellfish, Egg.
• Kare-kare, sourced from the Philippines. Oxtail in peanut sauce thickened with toasted ground rice, with the bagoong served separately. Beef, Shellfish.
• Karides Güveç, sourced from Turkey. Cooked and served in the same small earthenware pot, with cheese melted over the top under a fierce heat. Shellfish.
• Khao chae, sourced from Thailand. Cooked rice rinsed until the water runs clear and served in scented iced water, with side dishes. Pork, Shellfish, Egg.
• Khao khluk kapi, sourced from Thailand. Shrimp paste rice served with its garnishes separate, mixed by whoever is eating it. Pork, Shellfish, Egg.
• Kuaitiao khua kai, sourced from Thailand. Noodles fried almost dry over a low flame for a long time, so they catch rather than steam. Chicken, Shellfish, Egg.
• Kung chae nampla, sourced from Thailand. Raw marine prawns butterflied and dressed to order, with the sauce made before they are cut. Shellfish.
• Kushikatsu, sourced from Japan. Small pieces on skewers in a batter rather than egg wash, with one dip of the shared sauce. Pork, Shellfish, Egg.
• Laing, sourced from the Philippines. Dried taro leaves simmered in coconut milk and deliberately not stirred. Pork, Shellfish.
• Leipziger Allerlei, sourced from Germany. The full version has crayfish butter and semolina dumplings, which is what makes it more than mixed vegetables. Veal, Shellfish, Egg.
• Lumpiang Hubad, sourced from the Philippines. The sariwa filling served with no wrapper at all, which the name says. Pork, Shellfish.
• Lumpiang Sariwa, sourced from the Philippines. A fresh unfried roll in a soft crepe, under a thick garlic peanut sauce. Pork, Shellfish, Egg.
• Lumpiang singkamas, sourced from the Philippines. Jicama salted and drained, and it is the one fried lumpia that stays crunchy inside. Shellfish.
• Lumpiang ubod, sourced from the Philippines. The one that is never fried: a soft crepe, with garlic-peanut sauce poured over. Pork, Shellfish, Egg.
• Luosifen, sourced from China. A broth simmered from snails and bones for hours, where the smell everyone mentions comes from the bamboo rather than the snails. Pork, Shellfish, Tofu.
• Mamuang nampla wan, sourced from Thailand. Sour green mango with a thick caramelised fish sauce dip, reduced and cooled before serving. Shellfish.
• Mi krop, sourced from Thailand. Vermicelli fried to a crisp nest and tossed in caramel at the last second, eaten immediately. Pork, Shellfish, Egg.
• Miang kham, sourced from Thailand. Raw bits wrapped in a leaf one at a time, with a thick sauce reduced until it coats. Shellfish.
• Midye Dolma, sourced from Turkey. The rice goes in raw and the shells are packed so tightly against each other that they hold themselves shut. Shellfish.
• Monjayaki, sourced from Japan. A deliberately runny batter cooked inside a ring of its own solids and eaten off the griddle. Fish, Shellfish.
• Moules-frites, sourced from France. Mussels steamed open in two batches so the pan never cools, with the chips fried as on the steak frites page. Shellfish.
• Mu kratha, sourced from Thailand. A domed pan grilling meat in the middle while a moat of broth cooks everything else. Pork, Shellfish, Egg.
• Ngo hiang, sourced from the Philippines. Wrapped in bean curd sheet and steamed before frying, which is why it slices cleanly. Pork, Shellfish, Egg, Tofu.
• Nilasing na hipon, sourced from the Philippines. Prawns steeped in beer and then fried in their shells, with the marinade reduced into a dip. Shellfish.
• Okoy, sourced from the Philippines. A lacy deep-fried fritter of whole small shrimp and shredded sweet potato. Shellfish, Egg.
• Oyster Omelette, sourced from China. Oysters in a starch batter that sets to a chewy translucent sheet, with the egg poured over it rather than beaten into it. Shellfish, Egg.
• Oyster omelette, sourced from Thailand. A starch batter fried to a crisp sheet before the egg goes on, with the oysters added late. Shellfish, Egg.
• Pad thai, sourced from Thailand. Rice noodles soaked rather than boiled, cooked two portions at a time in a sauce made first. Shellfish, Egg, Tofu.
• Paelya, sourced from the Philippines. Plain rice and stock, not the glutinous rice and coconut milk of an arroz a la valenciana. Chicken, Shellfish.
• Pancit Canton, sourced from the Philippines. Wheat noodles stir-fried dry, a different noodle from the bihon version. Chicken, Pork, Shellfish.
• Pancit choca, sourced from the Philippines. Black from squid ink, and dry rather than a soup -- the ink goes in at the end. Fish, Shellfish.
• Pancit Molo, sourced from the Philippines. A dumpling soup with no noodles in it, despite the name. Chicken, Pork, Shellfish, Egg.
• Pancit Palabok, sourced from the Philippines. A thick orange shrimp sauce poured over rice noodles, never tossed with them. Pork, Fish, Shellfish, Egg.
• Pinakbet, sourced from the Philippines. Vegetables layered and shaken rather than stirred, seasoned only with bagoong. Pork, Shellfish.
• Pininyahang hipon, sourced from the Philippines. Prawns with pineapple in coconut milk, where the acid is boiled down before the milk goes in. Shellfish.
• Pizza ai Frutti di Mare, sourced from Italy. Seafood kept out of the oven almost entirely, and no cheese. Shellfish.
• Popiah, sourced from China. Soft wheat skins rolled around a long-braised turnip filling, never fried, and drained hard so the skin does not go through. Pork, Shellfish, Egg, Tofu.
• Pulpo a la Campechana, sourced from Mexico. The octopus simmered long and then chilled in its own liquid, because cooling it in air turns it rubbery. Chicken, Shellfish.
• Pyeonyuk, sourced from South Korea. Boiled pork wrapped tight and pressed under a weight as it cools, so it slices thin without falling apart. Pork, Shellfish.
• Romeritos, sourced from Mexico. The sprigs boiled and then squeezed dry in the hands before they meet the mole, or they water it down. Chicken, Shellfish, Egg.
• Sannakji, sourced from South Korea. Small octopus cut up and dressed in sesame oil, eaten while the pieces still move, and cut small because the suckers still grip. Shellfish.
• Shrimp Lo Mein, sourced from China. Soft noodles tossed through a sauce rather than fried in it. Shellfish.
• Shrimp Toast, sourced from China. Prawn paste spread on stale bread and fried paste side down. Shellfish, Egg.
• Shrimp with Lobster Sauce, sourced from China. Prawns in a savoury sauce set with beaten egg, containing no lobster at all. Pork, Shellfish, Egg.
• Siomai, sourced from the Philippines. Open-topped pork and prawn dumplings, steamed, with calamansi and chilli oil on the side. Pork, Shellfish, Egg.
• Som tam, sourced from Thailand. Green papaya pounded rather than tossed, so the shreds bruise and take up the dressing. Shellfish.
• Spaghetti alle Vongole, sourced from Italy. Clams opened in the pan, their liquor emulsified with oil and pasta water. Shellfish.
• Stuffed Squid, sourced from Tunisia. The tubes are filled only half full and pinned shut, because squid shrinks hard and rice swells. Shellfish.
• Suimono, sourced from Japan. A clear soup where the dashi is the dish and everything else is arranged, not simmered. Fish, Shellfish.
• Sundubu Jjigae, sourced from South Korea. A fierce red stew with tofu so soft it cannot be handled, tipped in whole and broken in the pot with a spoon. Pork, Fish, Shellfish, Egg, Tofu.
• Temaki, sourced from Japan. A cone rolled at the table by each diner, where the nori has to stay crisp until the last second. Fish, Shellfish.
• Tendon, sourced from Japan. Tempura fried separately and brushed with sauce, the one donburi that is never simmered. Fish, Shellfish, Egg.
• Tenshindon, sourced from Japan. A soft crab omelette laid over rice, with a sharp sauce made separately and poured on after. Shellfish, Egg.
• Thai suki, sourced from Thailand. A plain clear hotpot whose entire character is in the sauce, not in the broth. Pork, Beef, Shellfish, Egg, Tofu.
• Tharoi Thongba, sourced from India. It is river snails, and the shells are trimmed so the meat can be sucked out at the table. Fish, Shellfish.
• Tiella, sourced from Italy. Raw layers in an open dish, the rice cooking in the liquor the mussels release. Shellfish.
• Tom yam kung, sourced from Thailand. A clear hot-sour prawn soup built on a stock made from the prawn heads and shells. Shellfish.

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