How to Cook the Finest Things in the Sea: Broil, Bake, Poach & Grill Your Way to Exceptional Fish & Shellfish

“The truth is that seafood ingredients are some of the easiest in the world to work with,” asserts chef Kolender in this dynamic debut. A lengthy opening section provides advice for buying, handling, and storing fish and shellfish, advising home chefs that fillets wrapped in paper towels and placed in an airtight container can last up to four days in the fridge and that shrimp with any black spots shouldn’t be purchased. The recipes themselves are organized by cooking method, starting with a “Chilled, Raw, and Marinated” chapter that features scallop tostadas, mussels on the half shell, and spot prawn aguachile. A chapter on fried fish and sandwiches (dubbed “Breaded and ‘Bread’-ed”) includes blackened mahi mahi sandwiches, lobster rolls, and cornmeal-crusted triggerfish. The “Stovetop” chapter showcases clam chowder, shrimp scampi, and other staples, as well as regional fare from Kolender’s native South Carolina, including low-country fish stew, and crab rice. Throughout, helpful step-by-step instructions with illustrative photos demystify intimidating seafood prep techniques, such as how to clean soft-shell crabs and how to shuck oysters. This confidence-boosting volume will excite beginners and veteran home cooks alike. Agent: Alison Fargis, Stonesong. (Apr.)