Top 100 European Seafood Dishes

Loimulohi is a traditional method of preparing salmon or rainbow trout. The fish is smoked on a wooden plank that's placed vertically over an open fire. Before the process, the salmon is usually seasoned with sea salt and drizzled or brushed with lemon juice, honey, or juniper berries. The cooking time depends on the distance from the coals. Once done, the smoky fish can be eaten straight off the plank.Expand

Vieiras en su concha is a traditional dish originating from Galicia, consisting of scallops served in their shells. The dish is usually made with a combination of scallops, olive oil, onions, garlic, pimentón, white wine, tomato sauce, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, and parsley. The garlic, onions, and pimentón are sautéed in olive oil, then covered with wine, tomato sauce, and seasonings in order to create a sauce. The scallops are boiled and arranged on a baking sheet in their shells, then topped with the tomato mixture, breadcrumbs, and parsley. They're cooked under the broiler until the top becomes golden, and the scallops are then served immediately.Expand

Lohikeitto is a creamy Finish salmon soup, similar to laxsoppa in Sweden. Apart from chunks of salmon fillet, it traditionally incorporates diced potatoes and carrots cooked in a flavorful, buttery broth infused with fish stock and cream. This comforting winter dish is generously seasoned with dill and served alongside buttered rye bread or lemon wedges.Expand

This classic Greek dish consists of squid rings and tentacles that are seasoned, dredged in flour, and fried until crispy and golden brown. Fried calamari is a restaurant staple, typically enjoyed as an appetizer or a meze dish. It is usually complemented by lemon wedges and garnished with freshly chopped parsley.Expand

Sake nigiri sushi is a Japanese type of nigiri sushi, with origins in Norway. It consists of hand-pressed sushi rice that's topped with slices of salmon. The dish has a soft texture and a clean finish that makes it good for sushi newcomers, although the flavor can be a bit fishier than maguro (tuna) nigiri sushi. Traditionally, this type of sushi is eaten by hand in a single bite. It's usually accompanied by soy sauce, wasabi, or pickled ginger (gari) on the side.Expand

Gambas al ajillo is a popular Spanish appetizer consisting of shrimps that are sautéed in a pan with minced garlic, lemon juice, paprika, and olive oil. The dish is usually consumed as a tapa. It is recommended to garnish gambas al ajillo with chopped parsley and pair it with some crusty bread on the side, which is useful for mopping up the flavorful sauce.Expand

Gravlax is a Scandinavian dish consisting of raw, salt-cured salmon that is traditionally seasoned with dill. Originally, the dish was made by fishermen who used to bury the salt, sugar, and dill-rubbed salmon above the line of high tide and leave it to ferment. At the time, it was characterized by its pungent flavor and odor, but today, gravlax is cured under refrigeration. The name gravlax comes from a combination of two words, grav, meaning buried, and lax, meaning salmon, referring to the original method of production. This delicacy is usually thinly sliced and served as an appetizer. It pairs well with crackers and pickled vegetables, but it can also be used as a stuffing for bagel sandwiches.Expand

Assorted fried seafood known as fritto misto di pesce is hugely popular in Campania, but it is also found all over Italy. However, fritto misto is one of those dishes that differs widely across the country. Along the Italian seaside, it will always include crustaceans and mollusks, typically shrimp and squid, and often paranza, which is a collective name for very small whole fish such as fresh anchovies, sardines, baby mackerel, or mullet. Depending on the region, fritto misto is sometimes batter-fried, but the simplest method of preparing it is lightly coating the food in flour and quickly deep-frying it in hot oil until it forms a nice golden brown crust.Expand

Kalakeitto or fish soup has been a staple of traditional Finnish cuisine for a long time. Although there are numerous ways to prepare this classic Finnish specialty, it typically consists of cleaned and filleted fish chunks and diced vegetables that are simmered in a rich, buttery fish broth. Carrots, potatoes, onions, and leeks are among the most common vegetables used for the soup’s preparation, while the choice of fish includes salmon, rainbow trout, vendace, pike, perch, zander, or burbot. Traditionally, the soup is enhanced with the addition of butter and cooking cream (ruokakermaa), and it is usually flavored with dill, allspice, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. In Finland, a bowl of steaming hot fish soup is typically enjoyed for lunch or dinner, but it can also be served as an appetizer, accompanied by traditional Finnish rye bread and lemon wedges on the side. As of 2018, the country has started celebrating its National Fish Soup Day (Kalakeittopäivä) on the second Tuesday of February, a manifestation that has begun with the aim of boosting people’s consumption of fish.Expand

One of Italy's all-time favorites, linguine allo scoglio, often also dubbed linguine ai frutti di mare is a typical southern Italian seafood dish or piatto di mare. Back in the 1980s in the wider Neapolitan area, as well as along the entire southern Italian coast, there was reportedly not a single restaurant that didn't offer some version of such a timeless classic on its menu. This pasta entrée is made with either linguine or spaghetti, and a combination of seafood and shellfish, preferably coming from fresh local catch of the day. Considering seafood seasonality, what Neapolitan and any other scoglio (lit. reef; rock) has to offer varies from month to month, so there is no precise recipe for this dish, and there are countless variations in existence, but the most traditional ones always include clams, mussels, shrimps, and sometimes even calamaretti or baby squids. Pasta allo scoglio is typically flavored with white wine and garlic, and it can be prepared either in rosso or in bianco, meaning in red or white - with or without tomatoes, respectively.Expand