‘America’s Test Kitchen’ shares favorite seasonal recipes

Easter is a month away and Wednesday marks the start of the Lent season where many Catholics will spend the next few weeks eating less meat and focusing on a fish based diet.

Dan Zuccarello with America’s Test Kitchen said this is the time when people start to pull away from the heavy comfort foods of winter and turn to a lighter, healthier option as we head into the spring and summer seasons.

Zuccarello shares some recipes with Boston 25 News from their cookbook “Foolproof Fish,” which won a recent award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

Shrimp Risotto

Why This Recipe Works: For a simplified shrimp risotto, we started by making a quick stock: We seared shrimp shells to extract their flavorful compounds, added water and seasonings, and simmered for just 5 minutes. Next, we sautéed onion and fennel and then added the rice to the pot, followed by white wine and almost all the stock. We simmered the risotto covered to help it cook evenly and stirred it only occasionally. Adding the chopped, salted shrimp off the heat ensured that they would cook very gently and retain their delicate texture. Final additions of butter, lemon, chives, and Parmesan contributed complexity while keeping things light. Accompanied by a salad, this risotto makes a great dinner, but it can also be served in eight smaller portions as a first course.

-1 pound extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled, deveined, and tails removed, shells reserved

-1¾ teaspoons table salt, divided

-1 tablespoon vegetable oil

-7 cups water

-15 black peppercorns

-2 bay leaves

-4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

-1 onion, chopped fine

-1 fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and chopped fine

-⅛ teaspoon baking soda

-2 garlic cloves, minced

-1½ cups Arborio rice

-¾ cup dry white wine

-1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup), plus extra for serving

-¼ cup minced fresh chives

-½ teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving

Salmon Tacos

Why This Recipe Works: While we love California-style fish tacos, we’re not always up for deep frying on taco Tuesday. This gave us the opportunity to branch out and make tacos with rich salmon rather than more common white fish. A flavorful spice rub gave the fillets a nice crust without the need for batter. And why not change direction on the slaw, too? Thinly sliced collard greens, radishes, cooling jícama, red onion, cilantro, and lime perfectly complemented the robust salmon. For added richness and a creamy element, we served the tacos with avocado crema. You can substitute 2 cups thinly sliced purple cabbage for the collards if desired. If using Arctic char or wild salmon, cook the fillets until they reach 120 degrees (for medium-rare)and start checking for doneness after 2 minutes.

Avocado Crema

-½ avocado, chopped

-¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

-3 tablespoons water

-1 tablespoon lime juice

-1 tablespoon plain yogurt

Tacos

-¼ teaspoon grated lime zest plus 2 tablespoons juice

-1 teaspoon table salt, divided

-4 ounces collard greens, stemmed and sliced thin (2 cups)

-4 ounces jícama, peeled and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks

-4 radishes, trimmed and cut into 1-inch-long matchsticks

-½ small red onion, halved and sliced thin

-¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves

-1½ teaspoons chili powder

-¼ teaspoon pepper

-4 (6- to 8-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets, 1 inch thick

-1 tablespoon vegetable oil

-12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed

-Hot sauce

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