Halibut

A simple recipe for flaky grilled halibut with an herby sauce.

A super-quick take on aioli, this garlicky sauce keeps the fish incredibly moist.

The legacy of San Francisco's Italian and Portuguese immigrants—many of them fishermen—lives on in this fuss-free take on the North Beach favorite, with fresh fennel adding a subtle touch of anise to the tomato-based seafood stew.

In this elegant twist on the traditional French method of cooking en papillote, fish fillets become incredibly moist as they steam inside a sheath of zucchini slices.

This recipe was created by chef Mark Franz of Farallon restaurant in San Francisco. It's part of a special menu he created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

After he went on the Blue Voyage, Boston chef Chris Schlesinger came up with the idea for this recipe, which brings together many of the characteristic flavors of Turkey's Mediterranean coast. Halibut works best, but you can use any mild, firm-fleshed white fish.

Mild fillets get zing from a coating of wasabi mayonnaise.

Fish stews abound throughout the Mediterranean and most evolved from the fishing boats themselves, as fishermen reserved the worst of their catch for themselves and cooked it on-board.

With the mercury rising, who wants to feast on a winter stew? Lighten up with this dish from Sondra Bernstein, author of The Girl & the Fig Cookbook (Simon &Schuster). It features fresh herbs and veggies and a protein-packed halibut fillet. Then, instead of hitting the couch to digest, you can hit the pavement for an after-dinner stroll.

If your child is a truly adventurous eater, the Thai chile in the pineapple sauce won't faze her and will help sneak the fish in. If she balks at spiciness, on the other hand, replace the chile with a milder pepper, such as jalapeño, and remove the seeds and membranes. Or skip the hot stuff altogether—the sweetness and saltiness of the sauce will still be delicious.

Since lima and fava beans have a shorter growing season than most local tomatoes, we've given frozen edamame, available year-round, as an alternative to make this recipe more versatile.

The first time my Nantucket Island friends Nigel Dyche and Sarah Chase made this for me, I was incredulous at how fabulous it was, yet so simple. The fish tastes of the sea and the smoke from the grill with no extraneous flavors to mask the ocean-fresh steaks. The mayonnaise coats the thick pieces of fish, keeping them moist inside and promoting a golden caramelized color on the outside. Nantucket Islanders use this recipe mostly for swordfish, and it is one of their favorite summer meals, especially when paired with thick slices of ruby-red garden tomatoes.

The fig leaves are not really for eating. They keep the fish juicy while it cooks and make it smell like coconut. You can cook these in the oven or on a grill.

Rajas is the Spanish word for "strips," and in the Mexican kitchen it generally refers to strips of chile. Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

If you prefer to present these halibut steaks with additional grill marks (as in the photo), you can grill the skin sides for about 1 minute each before grilling flesh.

"At Highland's Garden Cafe in Denver, Colorado, I had an unusual and delicious lunch entrée of fish with sambal vinaigrette and wasabi cream," says William Starret, Jr. of Washington, D.C. "I would greatly appreciate it if you could get the recipe for me."

Active time: 1 3/4 hr Start to finish: 4 1/4 hr (includes making stock and rouille)

The two-step method of searing and then roasting this thick fillet is what keeps the fish succulent.