Summer and early autumn is the premier time of year to go fishing, which means it is also a great time to eat fresh fish.

The difference between fresh-caught fish that were swimming a few hours ago, and store-bought fish that has been dead a week, is appetizing and amazing.

To me, “fresh” means caught the same day. Stores use the term for marketing purposes, and it has little to do with the freshness of their fish. The flavor and texture of truly fresh fish are wonderful.

Having cooked many thousands of fish, I’ve developed a few favorite recipes. I’ll share a few here.

Recipe 1 (good for fish that isn’t quite fresh):

I must issue a warning about this first recipe: it produces a bold taste. It is not a spicy-hot taste that will chemically burn your lips, but it is bold.

I like my fish bold when I fight them, and sometimes I like my fish bold on the plate.

The recipe: Chop serrano chiles (they are green and about the size of your little finger), bell peppers and onions. Brown those ingredients in butter or your favorite cooking oil (grape seed oil works great), or sesame seed oil. When the oil or butter is browned, add cubed fish filets.

At this point, you are six-eight minutes from being done (fish cooks quickly, and you don’t want to overcook it).

With about one minute of cooking time left, stir in some teriyaki sauce. Not just any ol’ teriyaki sauce — try Yeri-Yeri teriyaki sauce.

Recipe 2 (best for salmon, white seabass, halibut and lingcod):

Cut garlics, chop onions, melt butter and brown slightly. Add fish fillets, turning over before overcooking. Add rosemary on top, and finish cooking.

This recipe produced a delicate flavor for high-quality fillets. Serve with lemon wedges if desired, but you won’t need to mask the flavor of the fish.

Recipe 3 (good for most fish):

Start with whole fish, gutted and gilled. Fill the cavity with butter and slices of your favorite citrus (my favorite is tangelo).

Wrap up tightly with aluminum foil so it won’t leak. Cook on a barbecue grill or in the oven. Some folks prefer using a salad dressing instead of butter.

Recipe 4 (good for most fish):

This is my recipe of choice when I’m hoping kids will eat the fish.

Cut fish fillets into cubes about the size of dice. Mix them into a casserole pot with your favorite Stove Top Stuffing, and cook it in the oven according to the stuffing directions. Kids tend to gobble it up.

A variation of this recipe is to take a whole large fish that has been gutted and gilled. Fill the cavity with the mixings of Stove Top Stuffing, and cook with the fish belly upward so the stuffing doesn’t run out.

Cook until the fish is done, and it will have absorbed some of the flavor of the stuffing.