The complete guide to buying, cooking, and enjoying seafood—with more than 200 recipes—from the restaurant that knows it best.
Legal Sea Foods’s motto is, “If it isn’t fresh, it isn’t Legal,” and the company has built its stellar reputation on serving only the freshest and safest fish. The Legal Sea Foods restaurant opened in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1968, and the business has since expanded to include twenty-six restaurants in seven states along the Eastern Seaboard as well as a mail-order company. In 1998, Bon Appétit named it one of ten classic American restaurants.
Featuring the innovative recipes that have been added to Legal’s menu during the past fifteen years (since the first Legal Sea Foods Cookbook was published), this new cookbook covers not only the traditional gold standards (Smoked Bluefish Paté, Clam Chowder) but also contemporary dishes such as Crabmeat with Morel Mushrooms, Spicy Fried Grouper with Jalapeño Mayonnaise, and Bluefish in Kale and Tomato Sauce. Regional specialties, such as Hog Snapper Pepe (from the Boca Raton branch) and Baltimore Crab Cakes, are also included.
In addition to the vast selection of main dishes, there are appetizers (Spicy Crab Cakes, Smoky Mackerel Spread, Mussels au Gratin), salads (Shrimp Tabbouleh, Crabmeat and Mango Salad, Lobster and Israeli Couscous Salad), pasta and rice dishes (Linguine with Littlenecks; Salmon with Asparagus and Ravioli; Risotto with Shrimp, Celery, and Peppers), soups and sandwiches (Shellfish Gumbo, Fish Chowder, Grilled Swordfish Tacos), vegetables and side dishes (Speckled Butter Bean Casserole, Onion Strings, Chipotle Sweet Potato Mash), and desserts (Key Lime Pie, Blueberry and Peach Crumble, Mango and Strawberry Shortcake).
The New Legal Sea Foods Cookbook also provides an overview of the full range of fin fish and shellfish (from bass to wolffish, clams to squid) available today and the best cooking techniques for each type—whether it is baking, broiling, frying, poaching, sauteing, grilling, oven-steaming, or microwaving—as well as how to distinguish wild from farm-raised fish. There is complete advice on how to tell if fish is fresh, how to store it once you bring it home, how to prepare it, and how to make safe and delicious use of the leftovers. Much more than a cookbook, this is the ultimate sourcebook from America’s seafood specialists. “Dreaming about the most joyous days of my life always brings me straight back to Boston. The two things that first come to mind are the wonderful championship days on the basketball court with the Celtics and the time spent enjoying the finest aspects of life at Legal Sea Foods. Now that I no longer live in Boston, I’m glad I can re-create some of my favorite Legal Sea Food dishes with The New Legal Sea Foods Cookbook.”
--Bill Walton, Boston Celtics 1986, Basketball Hall of Fame


“This cookbook, like Legal Sea Foods itself, is reliable, straightforward, and then full of surprises that delight around every turn.”
--Mark Kurlansky, author of Salt and Cod

“Legal Sea Foods has long set the gold standard of restaurant dining with their superbly prepared, top-quality seafood. With the publication of their newly revised cookbook, they bring many of their delicious restaurant classics to the home cook. A must for seafood lovers!”
--Nina Simonds, Asian food authority and author of A Spoonful of Ginger

“Even a fish wouldn’t get caught if he kept his mouth shut! That's an old weatherman’s expression--but I’ll never keep my mouth shut about Legal Sea Foods. Roger and his fish caught my fancy over twenty years ago. The BEST lobster rolls in the world! The cookbook is a great idea and the next best thing to dinner at a Legal Sea Foods restaurant.”
--Willard Scott, Today Show