13 Of The Best Seafood Cookbooks

Seafood’s got a reputation for being intimidating to cook and difficult to prepare.

And although there are millions of free recipes online and the internet can be a great resource (hello, YouTube!) you can never really beat a good book. They provide a definitive source of tips and information and a collection of tried, trusted, and mouthwatering recipes, usually written by someone who actually knows what they’re talking about.

Why Is a Seafood Cookbook Important?

There are so many types of seafood to enjoy: shellfish, freshwater, saltwater, crustaceans, the list goes on. There are also many ways to prepare seafood: frying, grilling, smoking, baking, in soups, and even enjoying it raw. Add on to this each country, state, and culture has multiple ways to eat seafood.

Cooking seafood can seem like an impossible task. But, thankfully, there are some great cookbooks out there to help even the novice home cook. Whether you are needing the basics or looking for how to prepare a certain type of fish, there is a seafood cookbook out there to help you.

Make Waves in the Kitchen with the Best Seafood Cookbooks

Are you looking to make a splash in the kitchen with some delicious seafood dishes? Whether you’re a novice cook or a seasoned chef, having the right cookbook can make all the difference. With the right cookbook you can learn how to make the most of your seafood ingredients and create tasty meals that will impress your family and friends. Here are some of the best seafood cookbooks to help you make waves in the kitchen.

The Whole Fish Cookbook: New Ways to Cook, Eat and Think by Josh Niland (2017)

This great cookbook by Josh Niland is an excellent one for both new and advanced cooks. This James Beard-winning chef from Australia grew up in the kitchen and has a successful seafood restaurant and a fish market retail store.

Niland’s approach to cooking seafood is unique and innovative. He encourages readers to use every part of the fish (from the scales to the bones) to create delicious, sustainable and economical recipes.

This is a beautifully photographed and well written seafood cookbook with recipes that cover dozens of different species. This seafood cookbook does a great job explaining the whole fish: how to source it, butcher it, prepare it, and cook it.

With just over 60 recipes, there is a good mix of new and exciting techniques and dishes along with classics like Fish and Chips. The way the chef explains about each fish is easy to follow and is very relatable.

American Seafood: Heritage, Culture & Cookery From Sea to Shining Sea by Barton Seaver (2017)

In alphabetical order, starting with abalone and ending with wreckfish, American Seafood by Barton Seaver covers every species of fish and shellfish in American waters, with comments on their social, historical, and culinary qualities. This includes all the lesser known species, many of which Seaver advocates for consumption to help diversify our national fisheries.

Beautifully photographed, encyclopedic in scope, ecologically conscious, rich in the history and culture of seafaring communities, and chock-full of great recipes (900+) and cooking tips, this is one of the most thorough seafood books ever written. A must have.

Passion for Seafood by Gordon Ramsey (1999)

Gordon Ramsay is, of course, a chef who needs no introduction. And although this book was published well over 20 years ago, the recipes still seem as fresh as ever.

While we’ve lost count of the number of Michelin stars Gordon Ramsay has won, this book is aimed at the home cook and is designed to teach the basics.

It starts out with a quick guide to buying and choosing the freshest fish before moving on how to prep, skin, and filet it.

There’s then a chapter on basic recipes, which is an absolute gold mine of information. Here he gives us the lowdown on how to make sauces, stocks, vinaigrettes, and flavored butters to complement your seafood.

The remainder of the book contains more involved recipes and is divided up into soups, salads, starters, risottos, pasta, dinner parties, and homestyle fish.

This is a classic seafood cookbook with great recipes that work and beautiful photos that actually make you want to give the dishes a try. Recipes vary from a ridiculously easy fennel and cod soup to a more difficult red mullet and pepper terrine. There’s something for everybody no matter your skill set in the kitchen.

Fish & Shellfish: The Cook’s Indispensible Companion by James Peterson (1996)

Want to know how to prepare and cook any type of fish? Fish & Shellfish is a classic by James Peterson that has stood the test of time. There are chapters on baking, braising, deep frying, grilling, poaching, pan frying, marinating, curing, smoking, steaming, microwaving, and even preparing raw fish, all with tons of awesome recipes included.

Want to know how to prepare and cook shellfish a certain way? Again, it’s all covered here. There are chapters on mussels, clams, oysters, scallops, lobster, shrimp, crab, crayfish, squid, and octopus, each one loaded with both common and creative recipes.

50 Chowders by Jasper White (2000)

Author and renowned chef Jasper White shows that there’s a LOT more to chowder than just New England clam chowder. 50 chowders includes recipes for different types of fish chowders, shellfish chowders such as mussel, scallop, shrimp and lobster, and farmhouse chowders made from a variety of vegetables.

All recipes are accompanied by insightful “Cook’s notes” that offer helpful tips and variations.

Fish: The Complete Guide to Buying and Cooking by Mark Bittman (1999)

With quick-cook recipes you can rustle up in about 30 minutes made with easy to find ingredients you can get at your local supermarket, Fish, by well-known chef and author Mark Bittman, is a cookbook aimed squarely at the time-poor home cook.

Organized in a handy reference format from A to Z, there are 500 recipes from over 70 species of fish and shellfish.

The maximum aim of the book is to educate readers on how to buy quality fish and cook it simply and swiftly in any number of diverse and delicious ways.

But it’s a lot more than just a recipe book; there are chapters on basics and staples, preparing and cooking, and selecting fresh fish. The author has also included a great section on health and nutritional info (something that’s often overlooked by other books).

This is an ideal book for anyone looking for some great information and some tasty but uncomplicated recipes to try. It’s not a book of recipes by celebrity chefs that have been adapted for the home cook, and, as a result, more advanced chefs might find some of the recipes a bit too elementary, however I believe there is something for every fish lover inside this easy to use book.

Two If By Sea: Delicious Sustainable Seafood by Barton Seaver (2016)

Barton Seaver’s seafood books are so great that we had to include one more by him. The first one, American Seafood, is more of a compendium on all things seafood. Two If By Sea, however, is a pure cookbook with tons of amazing recipes and tips from an acclaimed chef and sustainable seafood advocate.

Our favorite chapter is “Fish Stocks, Soups and Stews” which includes dozens of recipes such as Spiced Coconut Broth with Shellfish, Portuguese style Clam Chowder, Fish Pho, as well as creative takes on favorites such as cioppino, bouillabaisse, oyster stew, and lobster bisque.

You’ll also find great chapters on appetizers, seafood salads and sandwiches, and seafood pasta and rice.

The Magic of Tinned Fish: Elevate Your Cooking with Canned Anchovies, Sardines, Mackerel, and Other Amazing Seafood by Chris McDade (2021)

With The Magic of Tinned Fish, Chris McDade offers a fresh take on the tradition of cooking with canned seafood. Focusing on sustainable and easy-to-find anchovies, sardines, mackerel, shellfish, and more, here are 75 recipes that will change the way you think about and cook with canned fish.

As a chef and owner of several acclaimed restaurants, McDade knows his seafood and provides helpful tips and techniques to make the most of canned fish. It’s a must-read for anyone looking to add more seafood to their diet in an easy and delicious way.

Seafood Simple by Eric Ripert (2023)

Ripert has honed his expertise of seafood through decades spent as the executive chef of Le Bernardin, a position he’s held since 1994. Now his knowledge is distilled into a detailed book that you’ll be reaching for often.

Under Ripert’s stewardship, Le Bernardin has been awarded three Michelin stars each year since 2005, maintained four stars from the New York Times since 1995, and has been among the World’s 50 Best Restaurants each year since 2005.

The book divides recipes into nine classic cooking methods including raw, cured, broiled, and preserved. This structure allows the reader to decide first how they want to cook, then provides options to satisfy their needs, cravings, or skill level. And while there are some similarities between Le Beranardin and Seafood Simple, on the whole, the recipes are far simpler in execution than the dishes you’d be served while dining at his restaurant. This book will meet you where you are, whatever your cooking skill level is.

“Demanding” and “complicated” (his words) may describe his day-to-day at work, but with this cookbook, Ripert has stripped away unnecessary complexities to expose the underlying beauty of a simply prepared piece of fish.

Fish and Shellfish by Rick Stein (2015)

No list of the best seafood cookbooks would be complete without a title from Rick Stein. The well-known chef, restauranter, food writer, and TV presenter from Great Britain needs no introduction. He is a man who subscribes to the k.i.s.s. (keep it simple stupid) method of seafood cooking and, as he says himself, “nothing is more exhilarating than fresh fish simply cooked.”

Originally written to help students at his cooking school, the book has been updated to include alternative fish for each recipe with the aim of taking the pressure off the more popular species to help conserve stocks. And, like most fish cookbooks, there are also chapters on buying, preparing, and cooking techniques.

A great read with scrumptious recipes, this is one fish cookbook that you’ll actually use and find yourself returning to again and again.

Essential Seafood Cookbook: Classic Recipes Made Simple by Terri Dien (2020)

The ocean is vast, and so is the seafood world. It can be intimidating to prepare seafood if you are not sure where to start. This seafood cookbook is perfect for a beginner because it breaks down seafood preparation step by step. From your first try you can make restaurant-quality seafood meals at home.

The Complete Fish Cookbook: A Celebration of Seafood with Recipes for Everyday Meals, Special Occasions, and More by Dani Colombatto (2022)

This easy-to-follow cookbook will help you prepare delicious grilled snapper, classic clam chowder, and pan-fried crab, but that’s not all. With over 100 recipes for every occasion and a guide that takes all the guesswork out of preparation, you can take your seafood experience to the next level.

Foolproof Fish: Modern Recipes for Everyone, Everywhere by America’s Test Kitchen (2020)

From the editors of the American Test Kitchen, this book features 198 tasty recipes that have been kitchen tested and work with different kinds of fish. There is enough information to educate the reader on the basics of selecting quality fish in stores and how to handle and prepare them. This is an excellent option if you’re looking for a straightforward way to learn about fish.

Final Thoughts

With these wonderful seafood cookbooks you can enjoy creating seafood meals packed with flavor and nutrients. So what are you waiting for? Grab one of these seafood cookbooks today and start preparing tasty seafood dinners now. Your taste buds won’t be disappointed. Some delightful seafood adventures in your kitchen await.

Don’t feel like cooking? Visit Skull Creek Dockside. Even with all the great tips and recipes in our list of seafood cookbooks there probably will be days you just don’t feel up to the task. If that’s the case, don’t worry. Visit Skull Creek Dockside to indulge in our delectable seafood offerings.