Go Fish:
Fresh Ideas for American Seafood
By Laurent Tourondel and Andrew Friedman

Reviewed by Sylvie Greil

By now carnivores in New York have gotten over the conundrum of why someone so very French (chef Laurent Tourondel) would run an all-American steakhouse like BLT Steak. Well, the accomplished Gallic chef was inspired by some juicy cuts in Argentina and decided to wow folks in New York with his renditions of steaks, ribs and rack of lamb. His BLT Fish has been no less of a success and, in fact, garnered an even higher rating. This big fish in the New York culinary pond has certainly honed his skills as former chef of seafood spot Cello.

The busy chef, when cooking at home, likes to keep things stress-free and simple, so he prepares American-caught seafood without much prep time or long recipes. This pragmatic approach of Go Fish is summarized by Daniel Boulud in the foreword: "Laurent has been able to translate his dishes onto paper and make them accessible to nonprofessional cooks." It is food that isn’t “oversophisticated in preparation” but tastes sophisticated. And that’s what eating basically should come down to: taste.

Home cooks will find more than 100 recipes such as Slivered Fluke with Saké Reduction; Spice-Crusted Scallops with Curry-Lemon Relish; Ricotta Tortellini with Grilled Sardines; Foil-Baked Cod; Red Snapper with Tomato-Ginger Chutney; Lemon-Crab Risotto with Grilled Asparagus; and Grilled Baby Octopus with Cumin and White Bean Salad. You’ll also find some side dishes, desserts and wine recommendations.

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(Updated: 09/20/06)