Raw seafood does tend to be smelly, but there's an easy way to neutralize the scent: rub a lemon on your fingers before handling the items, and the scent won't linger. You can also rub juice on afterward to make absolutely sure you're not smelling of fish.

Many cooks won't boil or poach seafood because it causes the meat to fall apart. You can get around this by adding a slice of lemon to the water. The acid in the lemon causes protein to harden slightly, holding the seafood together, plus the lemon enhances the flavor.

Baking and broiling are both excellent ways to prepare fish, but both methods can cause a big mess. To avoid this, line your cookware with aluminum foil. This makes the cleanup very easy, since you have to do little more than remove the aluminum and discard it.