Saltbox Seafood Joint Cookbook

Born and reared in coastal New Bern, celebrated chef Ricky Moore tells the story of how he started his popular Saltbox Seafood Joint restaurants in Durham.

Moore, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and a former military cook, was galvanized by Singapore’s wet markets to start a restaurant focused purely on food inspired by the Carolina coast and its traditional fish shacks and camps.

His cookbook, co-written with editor and scholar K.C. Hysmith, offers 60 recipes, and explains how to pan-fry and deep-fry, grill and smoke, and cook up soups, chowders, stews, and seafood. Its easy charts and illustrations explain the featured types, availability, and cuts of fish and shellfish used in the recipes.

Recipes include Shellfish Stock, Cold Mustard Herb Sauce, Scallop Fritters, Hickory Charcoal Mullet with BBQ Butter, Sweet Potato Grits, Skillet Succotash, Lemon Rice, and Ritz Cracker-Crusted Bluefish Cakes.

Hardcover, 160 pages, $25; e-book $19.99.