Although I love all the holiday food that includes baked turkeys, roasted wild ducks and geese, turduckens and all the popular sides like rice dressing, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole and a whole lot more, I often host an all-seafood holiday meal. You might want to entertain the idea of doing this for your family and friends.

If you can, get a sack of oysters to shuck for oysters on the half-shell – some to serve with cocktail sauce (a combination of ketchup, horseradish, hot sauce and fresh lemon juice) and others to prepare for oysters Bienville. Then again, you can fry some up to make oyster po-boys (don’t forget the French bread) and dress the sandwiches with tartar or remoulade sauce. If oysters aren’t an option, by all means, begin the meal with crawfish or shrimp boudin (yes, we have both on our website). Offer remoulade sauce in which to dip the boudin! Wonderful.

Move on to lobster tails (we have that too), which can be slow-poached in butter to prevent the tail meat from becoming dry and tough. I pinched the recipe for this from Thomas Keller at the French Laundry, and I think you’ll love this technique.

Maybe shrimp is more to your liking? Shrimp is so versatile – they can be boiled and served with cocktail and/or remoulade sauce. Try them tossed with salad greens and dressed with vinaigrette dressing for a light supper. Hey, get some eggplant and make eggplant Bechamel.

You can also opt to try our yellow fin tuna (sashimi grade). I’ll tell you how to prepare it for an appetizer or main course.

• 1 turkey carcass
• 3 ribs celery, cut into 4-inch pieces
• 2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
• 1 gallon of water, or enough water to cover the carcass
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 4 bay leaves