We traveled from Charleston to Seattle to sit down with James Beard Award–winning chef and renowned restaurateur Renee Erickson in her home kitchen. Out back, beside a woodfired oven and rows of rosebushes, Renee got to work. She seared squid, salmon, and Alaskan spot prawns, showing us how simple seafood can shine when treated with heat and precision.

Renee has spent her career focusing on the freshest ingredients and tools of equal quality, and she understands seafood in a way few do. As we set the table, opened a bottle of wine, and watched her cook, we were reminded that the right skillet isn’t just another tool—it’s what makes good food Perfectly Done.