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½ cup dry white wine

1 Combine the rice, water, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce and boil gently, covered, until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and set aside.

2 Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly oil a 9- by 13-inch baking dish or large casserole dish.

3 Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and sauté until slightly tender, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer. Set aside.

4 Wash and pat dry the fish. Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper. Slice 1 lemon very thinly. Juice the other lemon.

5 Transfer the rice to the baking dish. Top with the leek mixture. Arrange the fish in a single layer on top. (If the fish pieces overlap, you may have to add a few minutes to the baking time.) Arrange the lemon slices on top of the fish. Sprinkle with the olives and caperberries. Pour in the lemon juice, wine, and remaining oil.

6 Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve hot.

Kitchen Note: The wine in the dish should be the same as the one you drink with this luxurious one-pot dish. A crisp Sauvignon Blanc is lovely here.

Shrimp and Kale Sauté

Serves 4–6

Lacinato kale is especially nice in this dish because it is more tender than the curly or Scotch kale. Whichever kale you use, be sure to slice it into very fine ribbons—not more than ¼ inch thick—because you want the kale to cook in the same amount of time as the shrimp. This is a fast dish to pull together and just fine as a special-occasion meal.

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large shallot, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1½ pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined

10 cups thinly sliced kale (preferably Lacinato; remove and discard tough stems)

¾ cup chicken broth or vegetable broth (pages 126–27)

¼ cup dry white wine Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1–2 tablespoons high-quality balsamic vinegar

Hot cooked rice, for serving

1 Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic, and red pepper flakes, and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and kale and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring to evenly mix. Cover and let steam until the shrimp are firm and the kale is tender, about 4 minutes.

2 Stir in the broth and wine and cook for 2 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the vinegar. Serve immediately over rice.

Kitchen Note: If you prefer, you can skip the rice and serve with a good crusty loaf of French or Italian bread.

Seafood Boil

Serves 6

I took a very traditional recipe, swapped celery root for celery, added carrots, and voilà! A recipe with winter vegetables. The onions and celery root taste delicious here, and once when I admonished my kids to be sure to eat some of the vegetables, my son Sam replied, “Who could object to vegetables that taste like seafood?” You will need a stockpot that holds at least 3 gallons.

4 quarts water

¼ cup coarse sea salt or kosher salt

¼ cup old Bay or Zatarain seafood seasoning

1½ pounds thin-skinned potatoes, cut into chunks

3 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch lengths

1 large celery root, peeled and cut into chunks

2 onions, quartered

8 ounces smoked sausage (andouille is recommended), cut into 2-inch lengths

4–5 pounds shell-on fresh or frozen shrimp, fresh clams or mussels, and/or any other fresh shellfish (crabs, crawfish, et cetera)

Melted butter, for serving

1–2 lemons, cut into wedges, for serving

Cocktail sauce, for serving

1 Combine the water, salt, and seafood seasoning in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes, carrots, and celery root. Cover, bring back to a boil, and boil for 10 minutes.

2 Add the onions and sausage and boil for 5 minutes.

3 Add the seafood. Boil until all the mollusk shells open, about 5 minutes longer. Discard any clams and mussels that have not opened. Ladle into bowls, capturing some of the broth, and serve hot,