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Add chopped gravlax to a green salad, preferably one with a creamy vinaigrette

Fold chopped gravlax into scrambled eggs just before you remove them from the pan.

Place thinly sliced gravlax on purchased blinis, crumpets, or toasted English muffins, then top with crème fraîche and caviar.

Make appetizer sandwiches by placing thinly sliced gravlax in between pumpernickel slices that have been spread with unsalted butter; cut into quarters.

Wrap thinly sliced gravlax around pickled okra spears, pickled green beans, or cornichons.

Spread mayonnaise on toast, top with thinly sliced gravlax and shredded Cheddar—broil until the cheese melts.

Lay thin slices of gravlax over deviled eggs.

Thinly slice the gravlax, roll the slices into balls, and pierce with bamboo skewers; serve with your favorite mayonnaise salad dressing as a dip.

Serve thinly sliced gravlax on top of Lentil-Nut Patties, then top with sour cream or crème fraîche.

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Squid Salad with Saffron, Chickpeas, and Sherry Vinegar

This light salad is refreshing and tart, a good match for sweet cocktails or beer. Makes 4 to 6 servings

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

¼ teaspoon saffron, crumbled

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound cleaned squid, cut into thin rings and the tentacles quartered

¾ cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 jarred whole roasted red bell pepper or pimiento, sliced into thin strips

1 teaspoon chopped oregano leaves or ½ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Mix the vinegar and saffron in a small bowl or teacup; set aside for 10 minutes.

Place the olive oil and garlic in a large skillet, then set it over low heat. Cook, stirring often, until the garlic frizzles at the edges, about 2 minutes.

Raise the heat to medium and stir in the squid. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.

Add the vinegar and saffron; cook, tossing all the while, until the squid is opaque and a little firm but not hard, about 1 minute.

Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the chickpeas, red bell pepper or pimiento, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix well; then pour into a large, nonreactive bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.

Variations: Substitute thyme, rosemary, or marjoram for the oregano. Also add up to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes with the chickpeas.

Tuna Tartare on Gaufrettes

Tartare is usually a raw-beef preparation, but tuna has a similar texture and a milder flavor. Gaufrettes are waffle-cut potato chips. You’ll need a mandoline—or you can simplify the whole process, forgo making your own Gaufrettes, and use purchased, wavy- or waffle-cut potato chips. Makes 8 appetizer servings or 4 lunch servings

¼ cup canola oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon ginger juice

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

1 teaspoon finely diced seeded fresh jalapeño chile

1 small scallion, minced

1½ pounds sushi-quality tuna

¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Gaufrettes (recipe follows)

Mix the canola oil, lemon juice, ginger juice, sesame seeds, jalapeño, and scallion in a small bowl; set aside for 10 minutes.

Trim off any tough white nerve fibers in the tuna, then slice it into ¼-inch strips. Cut each of these strips into ¼-inch dice. Draw the knife through the fish, rather than sawing.

Gather the tuna pieces together—be careful, they are fragile and can turn to mush quickly—and place in a large bowl. Stir in the oil mixture and the cilantro, salt, and pepper. To serve, mound the Tuna Tartare on a serving platter or onto individual plates, and serve with the Gaufrettes on the side as a scoop to pick up the tuna.

Variations: Add 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest to the oil dressing.

Add 1 teaspoon wasabi powder to the oil dressing.

Add 1 garlic clove, pressed through a garlic press, to the oil dressing.

Substitute lime juice for the lemon juice.

Gaufrettes

Makes about