Customer Reviews

The New Legal Sea Foods Cookbook

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I lived in the Boston area for over 10 years and went to Legal's many times for quick late-night meals (clam chowder or a fish sandwich to go) as well as for more elaborate meals on special occasions. I really liked the place a lot. So when I found out they had a cookbook, I thought it would be great to replicate some of the dishes that I'd really liked at home, esp. now that I'm living on the West Coast. The names of some of the favorites were there: Crab and Artichoke Hushpuppies, Baked Scrod, etc. But when I looked closely at these recipes once I bought the book, I realized that they are NOT the dishes that they served at the restaurants. The Baked Scrod at Legal's has buttery herb breadcrumbs, yet the cookbook describes it as a dish that's scrod, baked in butter and topped with lemon (and that's it - the recipe is really, really short). The Crab and Artichoke hushpuppies recipe doesn't have artichokes in the ingredients list. I'm not sure why artichokes are listed in their name then? And I remember there being artichokes in the version I've eaten at the restaurants. The key lime pie at the restaurants is somewhat like a light, creamy key lime cheesecake with a graham cracker crust, yet the recipe in the book is the standard more jelly-like key lime pie with a standard floury pie crust. I was really confused about how they could claim in the inner flap that this was "the complete guide to buying, cooking, and enjoying seafood - with more than 200 recipes - from the restaurant that knows it best." I guess they meant that the guide was from the restaurant but not the recipes? Overall, there's lots of advice on how to select and cook seafood and I'm sure it's all very useful to people who want to know more about that, but the book didn't serve the purpose I bought it for - to replicate favorite dishes at home.

Berkowitz, owner of Legal Sea Foods and Doerfer, who coauthored the 1988 Legal Sea Foods cookbook, offer a volume packed with detailed information on choosing and cooking seafood, including health, safety and technique advice and an alphabetized guide to fish and shellfish. Clearly written recipes offer serving, presentation and variation tips and run the gamut from classics like Clam Chowder and Boiled Lobster and Baked Haddock to Stir-Fried Monkfish with Beans and Lemongrass, and Arctic Char Burritos.

The book is organized traditionally, from appetizers to dessert and includes chapters for leftovers (fish cakes, crepes, latkes and more), soups and sandwiches and sauces and coatings (Tartar, Sesame Seed Avocado, Mango Salsa, Cracker Crumb topping).

Most of the recipes are simple but innovative, like Steeped Shrimp with Fruit, Broiled Tuna with Tomatillos and Peppers, Citrus Soft-Shell Crabs. Some are luxurious - Crabmeat with Morel Mushrooms or Lobster Edgardo (with scallops, wine and cream), while others are more earthy, like Mackerel Stew, Baked Cod Parmesan, Oyster and Mushroom Casserole, and still others are just sublimely uncomplicated, like Summer Flounder in Butter Sauce or Marinated Grilled Shrimp or Seafood Seviche.

Wonderfully complete, this is a book for everyone. It assumes no knowledge, but never talks down to the reader. The design is attractive, with illustrations by Edward Koren, the advice is crisp and invaluable, and the range of dishes is extensive.

Along with the Italian Food of the North End, this restaurant offered some of my favorite food on a recent vacation to Boston. Unique recipes, with delicious blends of flavors, fancy yet casual, it is a wonderful place to eat. Their slogan is the reassuring "If it isn't fresh, it isn't legal." While I'm no stranger to well made fresh seafood, the regional touches were wonderfully noticeable and appreciated.

The book beings with a brief history of the restaurant that began in Cambridge in 1968, and Legal's hints on selecting and storing fish, a fairly thorough description of fin fill and shellfish, and a briefer description of preferred basic cooking techniques at "Legal." While these section sometimes reads a bit too much like an advertisement for the restaurant, there is some fascinating "inside" consumer-friendly facts and anecdotes about selecting and preparing fish-it does show the complexities of ope4ratingf a restaurant and has a lot of good information on health-related matters (although mercury in some types of fish is not mentioned.

Recipes are easy to follow and vary in their complexity: I saw one shrimp dish with only 5 ingredients (excluding spices) and, on the facing page, one with twelve. Although there is no information on preparation time, these are often misleading without a staff of five to help you) There is a tremendous variety in the types of fish, and the courses in which they are used. In fact, there are over 200 recipes divided into appetizers, main courses, leftovers, salads, pasta and rice dishes with seafood, soups and sandwiches, vegetables and side dishes, sauces and coatings, and even fish desserts!. There are some wonderful whimsical line drawings by "The New Yorker's" Edward Koren, and a useful index. You can buy heftier and more expert-oriented fish cookbooks, but this is one of the more entertaining, creative, and useful ones. Recommended as a great gift for any afishionado.

The food from here is so good and the recipies are pretty easy to follow with lots of background information on types of fish and how to purchase seafood.

Saw this book and HAD to have it. I've eaten at Legal Sea Foods in Boston and truly did not believe that fish could taste this good... They have great tips and easy recipes that will knock your socks off. Great for entertaining a few, or a large bunch. A must have for the foodie.

The background of this family restaurant makes for worthwhile reading. Seafood lovers will appreciate the recipes--clear descriptions and directions--simple or complex, whatever you are looking for. There is good information on buying and using fresh fish and shellfish, too.

I bought this book as a gift at a Legal's Seafood Resaurant and was so pleased I was tempted to keep it myself! The highlights of the book are the professional advice the authors offer about purchasing, preparing, and storing seafood. It answered a lot of questions I had about what to do with a specific variety of fish and how long to keep fish. I haven't tried the recipes yet, but they look delicious. Included are recipes for the restaurant's popular clam chowder, crab cakes, cheesy mashed potato, key lime pies and other desserts, and many other recipes for all varieties of fish/shellfish. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys seafood meals or wants to try eating less fattening meats.

Although I have not used this cookbook yet, the recepies in it serve my purpose for purchasing it.

I traveled to Washington, DC and also to Baltimore, MD and many people said "If you want great seafood-go to Legal Sea Food!" I tried it when I was in Baltimore and LOVED IT! The Cream of Crab soup was utterly divine! I worked for sometime at Red Lobster in my younger days-so I know good seafood! Buy the book-it will give you insight into making excellent dishes at home!