Good old fish and chips may just well be the ultimate in seafood comfort food, but the fishy fried possibilities don't end there. We cast our net wide to haul in a wide catch of fried seafood recipes that run the gamut from mellow Japanese tempura to fish tacos that pack plenty of heat. Whatever your coating of your choice -- breadcrumbs, cornmeal, sesame seeds, shredded coconut, or batter -- these 18 fried-fish recipes will have you covered.

Summoning memories of childhood trips to the shore, digging into fish and chips is like a mini vacation. In this version of the classic, beer batter coats these pieces of cod. Serve with oven fries and tartar sauce.

There's something for everyone to love about this crispy coconut-shrimp recipe: Kids adore the sweet-and-sour dipping sauce, while adults go for the spicier curry sauce.

Cornmeal gives these fried tilapia fish sticks great texture and crunch. Any firm white-fleshed fish can be substituted for the tilapia; we also like cod, catfish, or haddock.

This recipe from Emeril Lagasse adds crispy fried oysters to a simple salad of assorted greens. Toss with a flavorful buttermilk dressing, which includes the anise-flavored liqueur Pernod and Parmesan cheese.

Ryan Hardy, executive chef at the Little Nell hotel in Aspen, Colorado, dredges trout in buttermilk and then in cornmeal to create a tender and crispy coating upon frying. A bread salad with tomatoes, sorrel, and basil leaves makes a colorful, flavorful accompaniment.

This recipe embodies the yin and yang of sesame: The shrimp are fried in a crunchy sesame coating, while the noodles are drizzled in a silken sesame sauce.

This recipe from chef and restaurateur Tom Douglas demonstrates that flash-frying -- cooking food quickly in oil at a high temperature -- is key to keeping squid tender and flavorful.

Make catfish fillets Southern-style: Coat in cornmeal and pecans, then pan fry in a little oil before serving with coleslaw.

Chef Susan Spicer pairs cornmeal-crusted fried oysters with black-eyed pea salad, tossed in a pickled jalapeno dressing. To make the salad, soak the dried beans overnight before cooking, or used the canned variety.

Turn dinner into a festive fish-taco party: Quickly marinate snapper fillets in garlic paste and Worcestershire sauce, then coat in flour and fry. Serve the fish rolled up in flour tortillas spread with spicy chipotle tartar sauce.

Fried cornmeal-coated flounder finds a comfy home in these Louisiana po'boys. Make the sandwich in one long baguette, spread with tartar sauce, and top with sliced tomato and lettuce.

Breaded sole fillets stay tender, flaky, and moist with quick frying. Panko, or Japanese breadcrumbs, give the fish sticks a lot of crunch.

Fried calamari goes South of the Border in this dish, thanks to Mexican beer, paprika, and cayenne in the batter. Serve as an appetizer with salsa and lime wedges.

Paprika-seasoned cornmeal creates a crisp coating for pan-fried tilapia fillets. Serve with your favorite salsa, and, if you like, spicy black beans on the side.

Combine lump crabmeat with a creamy white sauce, parsley, and Parmesan, and form small balls to bread and fry. Serve with fried capers and parsley, which cut through the richness of the mini crab puffs.

Preparing this New Orleans-style classic doesn't have to be labor-intensive. Since scallops are naturally moist, you can skip the usual egg in the breading. And don't bother making your own sauce from scratch: Just doctor store-bought mayonnaise with a bit of paprika and hot sauce.

This classic Japanese tempura recipe from chef Nobu Matsuhisa features seafood (shrimp, Alaskan king crab legs, and sea urchin) and vegetables (Japanese eggplant, hearts of palm, sweet potatoes, enoki and shiitake mushrooms, and Japanese sweet peppers), all fried in a thin batter to create a very crispy coating.

Serve cod the traditional British way -- battered and fried, alongside fries. This fish-and-chips recipe from chef Cathal Armstrong also includes three mayonnaise-based sauces: a traditional tartar sauce, a mayo-and-ketchup combo, and saltier one with chopped capers, olives, and oven-dried tomatoes.