Green Salad with Foolproof Vinaigrette
Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic and Herbs
with Roasted Red Peppers and Basil
Roasted Carrots and Red Onion with Balsamic Vinegar
Roasted Turnips, Shallots, and Garlic with Rosemary
Broiled Eggplant with Basil and Tahini Sauce
White Beans with Tomatoes, Garlic, and Sage
Crispy Tofu Fingers with Sweet Chili Sauce
Crispy Tofu and Warm Cabbage Salad
Perfect Scrambled Eggs for Two
Perfect Scrambled Eggs for One
Smoked Salmon Scrambled Eggs with Chive Butter
Quinoa Pilaf with Herbs and Lemon
with Olives, Raisins, and Cilantro
with Apricots, Aged Gouda, and Pistachios
Pasta with Garlic and Oil (Aglio e Olio)
Pasta with Garlic, Oil, and Artichokes
Pan-Seared Thick-Cut Pork Chops
Oven-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Shallot-Balsamic Pan Sauce
Roasted Chicken Parts with Lemon and Herbs
with Five-Spice Powder and Ginger
Weeknight Whole Roast Chicken with Tarragon-Lemon Pan Sauce
with Thyme–Sherry Vinegar Pan Sauce
with Grapefruit and Basil Relish
Green Salad with Foolproof Vinaigrette
Serves 4; Total Time 10 minutes
why this recipe works
Most cooks, even good ones, don’t do a very good job when it comes to making a simple green salad. The key is coating the greens evenly but lightly with a properly mixed dressing. Because oil and vinegar naturally repel each other, vinaigrettes tend to separate, leading to a dressing that is harsh and acidic in one bite, then dull and oily in the next. Whisking slowly and steadily helps break the vinegar into tiny droplets that become dispersed in the oil, creating a smooth mixture called an emulsion. To make a more stable emulsion, we added mustard and mayonnaise, which help to bond the vinegar and oil together. Rubbing the salad bowl with half a peeled garlic clove provides just a hint of garlic flavor. This is a basic formula for vinaigrette; red wine, white wine, sherry, or champagne vinegar will all work here, so use whichever you like best.
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
1½ teaspoons minced shallot
½ teaspoon mayonnaise
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
⅛ teaspoon salt
Pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces (8 cups) lettuce
½ garlic clove, peeled
1. Combine vinegar, shallot, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper to taste in small bowl. Whisk until mixture is milky in appearance and no lumps of mayonnaise remain.
2. Place oil in small measuring cup so that it is easy to pour. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle oil into vinegar mixture. If pools of oil gather on surface as you whisk, stop addition of oil and whisk mixture well to combine, then resume whisking and drizzling in oil in slow stream. Vinaigrette should be glossy and lightly thickened, with no pools of oil on its surface. (Vinaigrette can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.)
3. Fill salad spinner bowl with cool water, add lettuce, and gently swish leaves around. Let grit settle to bottom of bowl, then lift lettuce out and drain water. Repeat until lettuce no longer releases any dirt.
4. Dry greens using salad spinner, stopping several times to dump out excess water. Blot with paper towels to remove any remaining moisture. Tear dried greens into bite-size pieces. Rub inside of salad bowl with garlic. Add lettuce.
5. Rewhisk dressing and drizzle small amount over greens. Toss greens with tongs, taste, and add more dressing if desired. Serve.
variation
Substitute lemon juice for vinegar and omit shallot. Add ¼ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest and pinch sugar with salt and pepper.
A leafy green salad is a vital recipe to have in your arsenal. It might not seem like the most exciting dish in the world, but it’s a perfect pairing with almost any meal. Keeping your salads varied is as easy as changing the greens, the dressing, or both. Most salad greens fall into one of two categories: mellow or assertive. Choose your dressing to complement the greens you are using.
Mellow Greens
Boston, Bibb, mâche, mesclun, red and green leaf, red oak, and flat-leaf spinach are relatively mellow. Their easily overpowered flavors are best complemented by a simple dressing such as a classic vinaigrette. Sturdy lettuces such as romaine and iceberg are also mellow but have a crisp texture that pairs well with creamy dressings such as blue cheese (see this page).
Assertive or Spicy Greens
For greens with a bit more personality, try arugula, escarole, chicory, Belgian endive, radicchio, frisée, or watercress. These greens can easily stand up to strong flavors like balsamic vinegar.
Vinaigrette can also be used to dress cooked vegetables: asparagus, green beans, and cauliflower are excellent this way. Stir with grains and vegetables to make grain salads or bowls. Or serve it over simple cooked chicken or fish. Mix up the flavorings of the vinaigrette to match your recipe by changing the acid, oil, or seasonings.
Serves 4; Total Time 1 hour
why this recipe works
Braised hearty greens, such as kale or collards, are excellent as a side dish or stirred into pasta or grains. Don’t be afraid of braising; it’s a very approachable and forgiving cooking method. The challenge is getting the sturdy greens tender but not washed out and dull. Cooking the greens in just a cup each of broth and water—which we simply seasoned with garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes—allowed the greens to absorb all the flavorful liquid. Most of the liquid was absorbed or evaporated by the time the greens became tender. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end brightened and balanced the dish. Don’t be alarmed by the volume of raw greens: They cook down a lot, and wilting half of them in the pan first makes room for the rest. For best results, be sure the greens are fully cooked and tender in step 2 before moving on to step 3.
2 pounds kale or collard greens
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
5 garlic cloves, minced
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup water
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1. Cut leafy portions of greens from either side of stems. Discard stems. Stack several leaves and chop them into 3-inch pieces. Rinse chopped greens until they no longer release any dirt and dry thoroughly in salad spinner.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in half of greens and cook until beginning to wilt, 1 minute. Stir in remaining greens, broth, water, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Quickly cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender, 25 to 35 minutes for kale and 35 to 45 minutes for collards.
3. Remove lid and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid has evaporated (bottom of pot will be almost dry and greens will begin to sizzle), 8 to 12 minutes. Off heat, stir in lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.
variations
Braised Winter Greens with Chorizo
Cut 8 ounces chorizo sausage into ¼-inch-thick half-moons. Add chorizo to shimmering oil in step 2 and cook until lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer chorizo to paper towel–lined plate. Proceed with recipe, cooking onion and garlic in remaining oil and substituting 1½ teaspoons ground cumin for red pepper flakes. Stir reserved chorizo into greens before serving.
Braised Winter Greens with Coconut and Curry
Substitute 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger and 1 teaspoon curry powder for red pepper flakes and 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk for water. Substitute 1 tablespoon lime juice for lemon juice and sprinkle greens with ⅓ cup toasted cashews before serving.
think like a cook
Hearty greens have moved from fancy farmers’ markets into major grocery stores across the country. They offer earthy flavor and texture plus nutrients, but they do require a little extra work to make them palatable. If you’re using kale or collard greens, you’ll want to remove the tough, woody stems. Baby kale is tender enough to eat raw, but mature kale requires cooking or at least a soak in warm water to tenderize the leaves (see this page). Swiss chard stems, by contrast, are tender and delicious when cooked; just make sure you separate them from the quicker-cooking leaves, as they need a head start. Don’t skip prep steps like rinsing or stemming or you’ll end up with tough, gritty results. The greens will reduce dramatically when cooked, so don’t be intimidated by the giant bunches you find at the store. To preserve freshness, store greens in a dry plastic bag in the refrigerator. Kept this way, they can last five to seven days.
Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic and Herbs
Serves 4; Total Time 20 minutes
why this recipe works
Sautéing is not as simple as it seems, especially when it comes to fresh vegetables. When we just cooked fresh green beans in hot oil, it resulted in blackened exteriors and undercooked interiors. For more even cooking, once the beans were spotty brown, we added water and covered the pan to let them steam. When the beans were cooked through, we lifted the lid to evaporate any remaining water and continue browning. Garlic-thyme butter added flavor and promoted further browning and fresh lemon juice brightened things up. This recipe yields crisp-tender beans. If you prefer a more tender texture (or are using large, tough beans), increase the water by a tablespoon and increase the covered cooking time by 1 minute. You will need a 12-inch nonstick skillet with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
Salt and pepper
¼ cup water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1. Combine butter, garlic, and thyme in small bowl; set aside. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until just smoking. Add green beans, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until spotty brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Add water, cover, and cook until green beans are bright green but still crisp, about 2 minutes.
2. Remove cover, increase heat to high, and cook until water evaporates, 30 to 60 seconds. Add butter mixture and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until green beans are crisp-tender, lightly browned, and beginning to wrinkle, 1 to 3 minutes longer. Off heat, toss with lemon juice and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
variations
Sautéed Green Beans with Paprika and Almonds
Substitute ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika for thyme. Omit parsley garnish, but sprinkle cooked green beans with ¼ cup toasted slivered almonds before serving.
Sautéed Green Beans with Ginger and Sesame
Combine 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, and 1 tablespoon Asian chili-garlic sauce in small bowl and substitute for butter mixture. Substitute 2 teaspoons vegetable oil for olive oil. Omit lemon juice and parsley. Sprinkle cooked green beans with 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds before serving.
Sautéed Green Beans with Roasted Red Peppers and Basil
Combine 2 teaspoons olive oil, ⅓ cup jarred roasted red peppers, cut into ½-inch pieces, 1 minced shallot, and ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes in small bowl and substitute for butter mixture. Substitute 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar for lemon juice and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil for parsley.
Sautéed Green Beans with Tarragon and Lime
Substitute 2 thinly sliced scallions and ½ teaspoon grated lime zest for the garlic and thyme. Substitute 1½ teaspoons lime juice for lemon juice and 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon for parsley.
think like a cook
DRESSING UP VEGETABLES
A few flavorings can go a long way to prevent simply prepared vegetables from getting too boring. We typically season vegetables with salt and pepper at two points in the process (during cooking, when the salt has a chance to be absorbed, and at the end, when we can taste to be sure we’ve got it right). Aromatics such as garlic commonly get cooked with the vegetables so they have time to soften and add complexity. But it’s the end point that offers the most room to be creative—a spoonful of this or that can totally change the flavor of your dish. Start with a simple squeeze of citrus. More easy ideas follow. Use these flavor boosters with simple roasted, boiled, steamed, or microwaved vegetables or any other vegetable dish.
» Cook butter in a small skillet over medium heat until it browns, then drizzle over the vegetables and sprinkle with toasted nuts.
» Dot with a flavored butter (see this page).
» Sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs.
» Sprinkle with fruity extra-virgin olive oil, grated Parmesan cheese, and a few red pepper flakes.
» Sprinkle with soy sauce or toasted sesame oil.
» Toss with a vinaigrette (see this page), pesto (see this page) or green sauce (see this page).
» Drizzle with a creamy tahini- (see this page) or yogurt-based sauce (see this page).
» Sprinkle with a flavorful spice mixture such as za’atar or dukkah (see this page).
Serves 4; Total Time 35 minutes
why this recipe works
The key to roasting potatoes is achieving a crisp exterior and perfectly done interior at the same time. The process typically takes a while, especially with sturdy potatoes. To speed things up, some recipes call for partially boiling the potatoes before roasting, but we found that zapping them in the microwave proved even faster and more convenient. Once partially cooked, they needed only 10 minutes in a hot skillet to crisp up and become tender. We found that low-starch, high-moisture red potatoes yielded crisp yet delicate crusts and moist, dense interiors. These potatoes are great served either plain or with one of the simple herb, spice, or aromatic variations listed. We prefer to use small or medium potatoes (1½ to 3 inches in diameter) here because they are easier to cut into uniform pieces, either halved or quartered depending on their size.
2 pounds small or medium red potatoes, unpeeled
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
1. Halve or quarter potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil and ¼ teaspoon salt in bowl. Microwave until potatoes soften but still hold their shape, about 10 minutes, gently stirring twice during microwaving. Drain potatoes thoroughly in colander.
2. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add potatoes cut side down in single layer; cook, without stirring, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Using tongs, turn potatoes skin side down if using halved small potatoes or second cut side down if using quartered medium potatoes; cook, without stirring, until deep golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
variations
Pan-Roasted Potatoes with Lemon and Chives
Toss potatoes with 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives and 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest before serving.
Pan-Roasted Potatoes with Southwestern Spices
Combine ½ teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, and ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper in bowl. Toss pinch of spice mixture with potatoes before microwaving. Stir remaining spice mixture into potatoes before browning on second side.
Pan-Roasted Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary
Combine 1 teaspoon olive oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, and 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary in bowl. After browning potatoes, push potatoes to sides of skillet, add garlic mixture, and cook, mashing garlic into skillet, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir garlic mixture into potatoes.
think like a cook
MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE MICROWAVE
Microwaving is easily dismissed as a nonserious way to cook food, but there’s more to this appliance than reheating leftovers. We frequently use it as a shortcut to jump-start ingredients that will finish cooking on the stove or in the oven. For our quick Pan-Roasted Potatoes, starting in the microwave helped ensure the potatoes fully cooked through and that they browned quickly in the pan. It also helped us get perfectly crisp potatoes: Before the exterior of the potatoes can brown, excess moisture has to be driven off. Thanks to the microwave, the potatoes cooked through and crisped up in less than 15 minutes in the pan.
After many years of working with the microwave, we’ve also come up with a couple best practices to help ensure even cooking. First, be sure to stir or flip the food often during microwaving. We also recommend resting foods for a few minutes after microwaving to allow hot and cold spots to even out.
Serves 4; Total Time 1 hour
why this recipe works
Few techniques transform humble root vegetables into something rich and complex more effectively than roasting, and this recipe provides an easy way to roast several kinds at once. Roasting vegetables is a lot like roasting meat: You need high, dry heat and a low-sided pan large enough to accommodate the food without crowding, which would inhibit browning. You also need some fat. We liked butter for its great flavor, but you can also use vegetable oil or a combination of butter and oil. (Chicken or duck fat, if you have any, is also wonderful.) We also added whole garlic cloves and halved shallots, which added deep flavor to the finished dish. We liked a mix of hearty potatoes, sweet carrots, and peppery turnips in this recipe, but you can substitute other root vegetables such as parsnips, sweet potatoes, or rutabagas; just make sure you cut them into even pieces (see “Shape Matters” for more information).
12 ounces carrots, peeled and cut into 1¼-inch pieces
12 ounces red potatoes, unpeeled and cut into 1¼-inch pieces
12 ounces turnips, peeled and cut into 1¼-inch pieces
4 shallots, halved and peeled
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Salt and pepper
1 garlic head, cloves separated and peeled
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss carrots, potatoes, turnips, shallots, butter, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in bowl.
2. Spread vegetables into single layer on rimmed baking sheet and roast until vegetables are tender and well browned, about 45 minutes, adding garlic cloves during final 20 minutes.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve warm or at room temperature.
variations
Roasted Carrots and Red Onion with Balsamic Vinegar
Omit red potatoes and turnips. Increase carrots to 2 pounds. Substitute 1 medium red onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges through root end, for shallots. Add 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar to carrots with butter.
Roasted Turnips, Shallots, and Garlic with Rosemary
Omit red potatoes and carrots. Increase turnips to 1½ pounds. Add 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary to turnips with butter.
think like a cook
SHAPE MATTERS
Ingredients cut into even pieces produce more attractive dishes, but it’s not all about looks; this also helps the food cook evenly so you don’t end up with both charred and raw bits. For our Roasted Root Vegetables, we cut the roots into 1¼-inch pieces—bite-size but still big enough to get good browning.
What’s the best way to cut a vegetable? That depends on its shape and size. With oblong carrots and parsnips, crosswise cuts are often sufficient, but the fatter ends may need to be cut in half lengthwise to match the skinnier bottoms. With round vegetables such as turnips and potatoes, we typically cut them in half to create a stable base, cut the halves lengthwise into planks, then cut the planks into pieces. If they are small enough, however, as with some shallots or potatoes, you can simply halve or quarter them, or even leave them whole, depending on their size. For more information on prepping specific vegetables, see this page.
Broiled Eggplant with Basil and Tahini Sauce
Serves 4; Total Time 1 hour
why this recipe works
Many people complain that eggplant is either tough, bitter, or oily. This is not inevitable. The challenge is dealing with eggplant’s texture; it contains a lot of water but is also porous and drinks up oil, causing the exterior to become greasy and charred while the interior remains tough and bitter. A simple fix was salting: The salt drew water to the eggplant’s surface, where it could be wiped away so the eggplant only needed a few minutes per side under a blazing hot broiler. Broiling rather than frying meant we could use just a light brushing of oil for less greasy results. While it’s good simply seasoned with basil, broiled eggplant really shines with our Tahini Sauce, which perfectly complements the eggplant’s concentrated roasted flavor. Make sure to slice the eggplant thin so that the slices will cook through by the time the exterior is browned.
TAHINI SAUCE
¼ cup tahini
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
EGGPLANT
1½ pounds eggplant, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1. FOR THE TAHINI SAUCE Whisk tahini, water, lemon juice, and garlic in bowl until smooth (mixture will appear broken at first). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 4 days; bring to room temperature before serving.)
2. FOR THE EGGPLANT Arrange eggplant on baking sheet lined with paper towels, sprinkle both sides with kosher salt, and let stand for 30 minutes.
3. Adjust oven rack 4 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Thoroughly pat eggplant dry, arrange on aluminum foil–lined baking sheet, and brush both sides with oil. Broil eggplant until tops are mahogany brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip slices over and broil until second sides are brown, 4 to 6 minutes.
4. Transfer eggplant to platter and season with pepper to taste. Sprinkle with basil, drizzle with sauce, and serve.
think like a cook
To use a broiler effectively, it’s important to understand how it differs from regular oven cooking. While roasting relies on convective heat (air molecules surround the food), a broiler cooks food primarily with radiant heat, a form of invisible infrared light waves. The broiler element can reach 2,000 degrees, making it a powerful but challenging cooking tool to use with precision. The way most broilers operate doesn’t make it any easier.
Waves Must Hit the Food
The waves should directly hit the food. The food should be just far enough away from the element that the heat is intense but also evenly hitting the food. Pay close attention to recipe instructions about how to position your oven rack in relation to the broiler.
Preheating Is Unreliable
Most broilers have no ready signal, so you’re left guessing when the broiler is preheated. Those that heat quickly may cycle off during cooking, while slow-to-heat broilers will be too cool and won’t cook the food in the given time. Getting to know your broiler takes time and experience.
If a Broiler Cycles Off, Browning Suffers
If the broiler is on for too long, most ovens will exceed a maximum air temperature and the broiler will temporarily switch off. The food will continue to cook by convection, but without radiant heat, browning will slow dramatically. Take that into account and keep an eye on your food when cooking with the broiler.
White Beans with Tomatoes, Garlic, and Sage
Serves 6; Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
why this recipe works
Dried beans come in a range of color, shapes, and sizes, with flavors from earthy to nutty. They have a far superior texture and better flavor than canned beans, but while it’s not difficult to cook dried beans, it does take some time. For a simple but hearty bean recipe, we started by giving dried white beans a gentle simmer on the stove and then letting them sit off heat to finish cooking for a perfectly creamy texture. Onion, carrot, and bay leaves simmered with the beans to help impart a subtle flavor. Simmering a whole head of garlic also gave us softened cloves with a mild, sweet garlic flavor that we then stirred into the beans. Sautéing more garlic and sage in olive oil before adding tomatoes gave us a potently flavored base. Adding the cooked beans and simmering let the traditional Italian flavors meld into a simple and satisfying dish.
1 pound (2½ cups) dried cannellini, great Northern, or navy beans, rinsed and picked over to remove any small stones and beans that are broken or shriveled
1 onion, unpeeled and halved through root end
1 carrot, cut into 2-inch lengths
1 garlic head, outer papery skins removed and top third of head cut off and discarded, plus 4 cloves, sliced thin
Salt and pepper
2 bay leaves
6 cups water
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
¼ cup chopped fresh sage
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1. Bring beans, onion, carrot, garlic head, 1 teaspoon salt, bay leaves, and water to boil in large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are almost tender, 1 to 1¼ hours, adding more liquid if necessary. Remove pot from heat, completely cover, and let stand until beans are fully tender, 30 to 60 minutes. Drain beans in colander, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Discard onion, carrot, and bay leaves. With a slotted spoon, transfer head of garlic to cutting board. Using tongs, squeeze cloves out of skins and return softened cloves to pot with beans; discard skins.
2. Heat oil, thinly sliced garlic, and sage in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. As oil begins to sizzle, shake pan back and forth so that garlic does not stick (stirring with wooden spoon will cause garlic to clump). Cook until garlic turns very pale gold and sage darkens, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes and ½ teaspoon salt and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tomato juices have evaporated and tomatoes look shiny, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in beans and reserved cooking liquid. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated, 18 to 20 minutes. Off heat, stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, accompanied by extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling at table.
think like a cook
WHEN DRIED BEANS ARE WORTH IT
The biggest considerations when choosing whether to use dried or canned beans for a recipe are how much time you have and how central the beans are to the dish. Canned beans are undeniably convenient, but when the beans are the star of a dish, we prefer the firmer texture and cleaner flavor of dried beans. In long-cooked, slow-simmered applications, dried beans also help create their own broth, as they do in our White Beans with Tomatoes, Garlic, and Sage. Canned beans are a great option for quicker recipes and dishes where texture is less important, such as when the beans will be pureed.
When shopping for beans, it’s essential to select the freshest dried beans available. Buy those that are uniform in size and have a smooth exterior. When dried beans are fully hydrated and cooked, they should be plump, with taut skins, and have creamy insides; spent beans will have wrinkled skin and a dry, almost gritty texture.
Make Dried Beans a Pantry Staple
Uncooked beans should be stored in a cool, dry place in a sealed plastic or glass container. Beans are less susceptible than rice and grains to pests and spoilage, but it is still best to use them within a month or two. Always pick over dried beans to remove stones and debris, and rinse them before cooking to wash away any dust or impurities.
Substitute Canned Beans with Caution
Most recipes that call for dried beans require the beans to cook slowly with the other ingredients so that they release their starches and thicken the dish. When you replace dried beans with canned beans and shorten the cooking time (canned beans are fully cooked and need to cook only long enough to warm through and soak up flavor), you sacrifice both the flavor and the texture of the finished dish. But if you’re short on time and need to swap in canned beans, a general rule of thumb is that 1 cup of dried beans equals 3 cups of canned beans.
Crispy Tofu Fingers with Sweet Chili Sauce
Serves 4; Total Time 45 minutes
why this recipe works
Pan frying is one of our favorite ways to prepare tofu. It becomes crispy on the outside and creamy within, perfect for dipping into a sauce, as we do here, or adding to salads (see the variation). To ensure the tofu got nice and crisp, we first drained it thoroughly. A coating of cornstarch and cornmeal gave us a crunchy, golden-brown crust that paired perfectly with a quick spicy-sweet chili sauce. We prefer the softer, creamier texture of soft tofu here for the perfect contrast between creamy interior and crispy exterior. Medium-firm, firm, or extra-firm tofu will also work, but will taste drier. You can find Asian chili-garlic sauce in Asian markets or the international aisle of most supermarkets. Be sure to handle the tofu gently and pat it dry thoroughly before seasoning and coating.
28 ounces soft tofu
4 teaspoons plus ¾ cup cornstarch
½ cup water
½ cup rice vinegar
6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons Asian chili-garlic sauce
¼ cup cornmeal
Salt and pepper
¾ cup vegetable oil
1. Slice tofu crosswise into ¾-inch-thick slabs, then slice each slab into 3 fingers. Arrange tofu on paper towel–lined baking sheet and let sit for 20 minutes to drain, then gently pat tofu dry with paper towels.
2. Meanwhile, whisk 4 teaspoons cornstarch, water, vinegar, sugar, and chili-garlic sauce together in small saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and cover to keep warm.
3. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Combine remaining ¾ cup cornstarch and cornmeal in shallow dish. Season tofu with salt and pepper. Coat tofu thoroughly with cornstarch mixture a few pieces at a time, pressing gently to adhere. Transfer to prepared rack.
4. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in 2 batches, fry tofu, turning as needed, until crisp and golden on all sides, about 4 minutes. Gently lift tofu from oil, letting excess oil drip back into skillet, and transfer to paper towel–lined plate to drain. Serve with sauce.
variation
Crispy Tofu and Warm Cabbage Salad
Skip step 2, omitting dipping sauce. Instead, whisk 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 5 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1–2 teaspoons Asian chili-garlic sauce in bowl, cover, and microwave until simmering, 1 to 2 minutes. Reserve 2 tablespoons dressing and toss remainder with 1 (14-ounce) bag green coleslaw mix, ¾ cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts, 4 thinly sliced scallions, ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, and ½ cup chopped fresh mint. Drizzle tofu with reserved dressing; serve with salad.
think like a cook
SECRETS OF TERRIFIC TOFU
Most tofu comes stored in water, and since it’s quite porous, it needs to be drained before cooking. You could just pat tofu dry, but taking time to drain it for 20 minutes removes excess moisture that can make dishes bland and watery. Plus, the more water you remove, the more flavor the tofu can soak up from sauces or other ingredients added during cooking. Coating the tofu in cornstarch helps absorb exuded moisture and ensures a crispy exterior and better browning.
As an ingredient, tofu takes to a wide variety of preparations. Crispy tofu stars in our Farro Bowls with Tofu, Mushrooms, and Spinach, and Tofu Banh Mi. We scramble it like eggs in Tofu Scramble with Herbs, and stir-fry it to make Stir-Fried Tofu and Bok Choy and Spicy Tofu and Basil Lettuce Cups. It even tastes great raw if marinated first in a flavorful dressing, as in our Marinated Tofu and Vegetable Salad.
Serves 4; Total Time 45 minutes
why this recipe works
You don’t need sous chef–level skills or a fancy wok to make a great tofu and vegetable stir-fry at home. To create an easy stir-fry where all the components are properly cooked, we were careful about preparing the ingredients and adding each one at the right time. For perfectly crispy tofu with a creamy interior, we cooked the tofu first, giving it plenty of room to brown in the hot pan, and then set it aside until we were ready to finish the dish. Coating the tofu with a thin layer of cornstarch helped it to develop a browned crust with a minimum of oil; the coating also helped the stir-fry sauce cling to the tofu cubes for lots of flavor in every bite. Tougher bok choy stems and carrots were added before the quicker-cooking bok choy greens. The delicate aromatics, ginger and garlic, were only added near the end of cooking, followed by the flavorful sauce. Serve with white or brown rice (see this page).
SAUCE
½ cup chicken broth
¼ cup Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce or oyster-flavored sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
STIR-FRY
14 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 small head bok choy (about 1 pound)
3 scallions, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
⅓ cup cornstarch
2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks (see this page)
1. FOR THE SAUCE Whisk all ingredients together in bowl.
2. FOR THE STIR-FRY Arrange tofu on rimmed baking sheet lined with several layers of paper towels and let sit for 20 minutes to drain.
3. While tofu drains, remove greens from stems of bok choy by cutting along either side of stems. Slice stalks thin on bias and slice greens thin. Combine scallions, garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon oil in bowl.
4. Gently pat tofu dry with paper towels. Place cornstarch in medium bowl. Working with a few pieces at a time, toss tofu gently in cornstarch to coat, then transfer to plate.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add tofu and cook, turning occasionally, until crisp and browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to bowl (do not cover) and set aside.
6. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to skillet and return to high heat until shimmering. Add bok choy stalks and carrots and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.
7. Clear center of skillet, add scallion mixture, and cook, mashing mixture into pan, until fragrant, 15 to 30 seconds. Stir into vegetables.
8. Return tofu to skillet and stir in bok choy greens. Whisk sauce to recombine, then add to skillet. Simmer, tossing constantly, until tofu is heated through and sauce is thickened, 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Serve.
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STIR-FRY LIKE A PRO
No matter which ingredients you’re stir-frying, follow these guidelines to ensure success.
Prep Everything Before Cooking
A stir-fry cooks within a matter of minutes, so have everything fully prepped (including the sauce) before you begin.
Use a 12-Inch Skillet and Get It Smoking Hot
A broad, searing hot surface is crucial for ingredients to brown rather than steam. (Don’t bother with a wok; its curved sides won’t get hot enough on a home stove.)
Don’t Overstir
Despite the technique’s name, food browns when in undisturbed contact with a hot surface; with too much actual stirring, you won’t get good browning.
Stagger the Vegetables
Add longer-cooking vegetables first, then more delicate ones, to ensure everything ends up crisp-tender.
Clear the Center of the Pan for Your Aromatics
Ingredients like minced garlic and ginger quickly scorch over high heat. To avoid this, add them in a centralized space with a little oil and quickly mash them using a wooden spoon until they are fragrant.
Finish with Sauce
Whisk the sauce to recombine, add it, and simmer until it has thickened and coated the food.
Serves 4; Total Time 10 minutes
why this recipe works
Turning out rich and creamy—not dry and rubbery—scrambled eggs makes the simplest of all meals something special. Adding a couple extra yolks and ¼ cup half-and-half ensures rich flavor, and the added fat prevents overcooking, as does seasoning the raw eggs with salt, which tenderizes them. To create large, even curds, we used a smaller (10-inch) skillet so we’d have a thicker layer of eggs. Stirring constantly (scraping along both the sides and bottom) helped the eggs coagulate evenly, and dropping the heat partway through gave us more control over doneness. Follow the visual cues, as pan thickness will affect cooking times. (If using an electric stove, heat one burner on low and a second on medium-high; move the skillet between burners for temperature adjustment.) To dress up the eggs, add 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, chives, basil, or cilantro, or 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill or tarragon after reducing the heat to low.
8 large eggs plus 2 large yolks
¼ cup half-and-half
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, chilled
1. Beat eggs, yolks, half-and-half, ⅜ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper with fork until eggs are thoroughly combined and color is pure yellow; do not overbeat.
2. Heat butter in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until foaming just subsides (butter should not brown), swirling to coat pan. Add egg mixture and, using rubber spatula, constantly and firmly scrape along bottom and sides of skillet until eggs begin to clump and spatula just leaves trail on bottom of pan, 1½ to 2½ minutes. Reduce heat to low and gently but constantly fold eggs until clumped and just slightly wet, 30 to 60 seconds. Immediately transfer eggs to warmed plates and season with salt to taste. Serve immediately.
variations
Perfect Scrambled Eggs for Two
Use 4 large eggs plus 1 large yolk, 2 tablespoons half-and-half, ⅛ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, and 1½ teaspoons butter. Cook eggs in 8-inch skillet for 45 to 75 seconds over medium-high heat and then 30 to 60 seconds over low heat.
Perfect Scrambled Eggs for One
Use 2 large eggs plus 1 large yolk, 1 tablespoon half-and-half, pinch salt, pinch pepper, and ¾ teaspoon butter. Cook eggs in 8-inch skillet for 30 to 60 seconds over medium-high heat and then 30 to 60 seconds over low heat.
Smoked Salmon Scrambled Eggs with Chive Butter
Mash 3 tablespoons softened unsalted butter with 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives. Toast 4 (1-inch-thick) slices rustic white bread, then spread with 2 tablespoons chive butter. Cook eggs as directed, using remaining chive butter. Immediately spoon eggs on top of buttered toasts, top with 3 ounces smoked salmon, and serve. Garnish with extra chives if desired.
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THE CLEANEST BREAK
There are best practices for even the simplest kitchen tasks. For example: cracking an egg. Do it thoughtlessly and you’ll end up with annoying bits of shell in the bowl. For the cleanest break, crack eggs against a flat surface, rather than the edge of the counter or a mixing bowl.
Once you can crack an egg correctly, separating them is easy. We separate eggs if we need just the yolk or white (as in our scrambled eggs, which uses additional yolks) or if the two will be used in different ways. Separate eggs when they’re cold: Cold yolks are less apt to break into the whites. To separate an egg, hold the halves of the cracked shell over a bowl and gently transfer the yolk back and forth between them, letting the white fall into the bowl; drop the yolk into a second bowl. (Alternatively, open the cracked egg into your cupped palm and slowly separate your fingers to allow the white to slide into the bowl, leaving the yolk intact in your palm.) If you plan on whipping the egg whites, use three bowls: Separate each egg over the first bowl and let the white fall in. Slide the yolk into the second bowl and then move the white to the third bowl before starting over with the next egg. That way, if one yolk breaks into the white, it doesn’t contaminate the whole batch of whites. Even the tiniest amount of fat from the egg yolks can undermine the stability of the beaten whites.
Serves 2; Total Time 15 minutes
why this recipe works
This method produces diner-style fried eggs with crisp edges and a runny yolk. If, like us, you have struggled with whites that never fully set up or yolks that overcook, it’s a game changer. The first thing to do is to reach for a nonstick skillet; there’s no point in frying eggs in anything else. Next, don’t skip preheating: It ensures the pan’s surface will be evenly hot, which is extra important for quick-cooking foods like eggs. Once you raise the heat, don’t dawdle: Each step from here takes under a minute. When checking the eggs for doneness, lift the lid just a crack to prevent loss of steam should they need further cooking. To fry just two eggs, use an 8-inch nonstick skillet and halve the amounts of oil and butter. You can use this method with extra-large or jumbo eggs without altering the timing.
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 large eggs
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and chilled
1. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over low heat for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, crack 2 eggs into small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining 2 eggs and second small bowl.
2. Increase heat to medium-high and heat until oil is shimmering. Add butter to skillet and quickly swirl to coat pan. Working quickly, pour 1 bowl of eggs in 1 side of pan and second bowl of eggs in other side. Cover and cook for 1 minute. Remove skillet from burner and let stand, covered, 15 to 45 seconds for runny yolks (white around edge of yolk will be barely opaque), 45 to 60 seconds for soft but set yolks, and about 2 minutes for medium-set yolks. Slide eggs onto plates and serve.
variation
Use 6 eggs. Adjust oven racks to lowest and top positions, place rimmed baking sheet on lower rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Spread 2½ tablespoons softened unsalted butter evenly over 1 side of 6 slices hearty white sandwich bread. Using 2½-inch biscuit cutter, cut out and remove circle from center of each piece of buttered bread. Remove hot sheet from oven, add 2½ tablespoons softened unsalted butter, and let melt, tilting sheet to let butter cover sheet evenly. Place bread circles down center of sheet and bread slices on either side of circles, buttered side up. Return sheet to lower rack and bake until bread is golden, 3 to 5 minutes, flipping bread and rotating sheet halfway through baking. Remove sheet from oven and set inside second (room temperature) rimmed baking sheet. Crack 1 egg into each bread hole. Season eggs with salt and pepper. Bake on upper rack until whites are barely set, 4 to 6 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer sheets to wire rack and let eggs sit until whites are completely set, about 2 minutes. Serve. Makes 6 toasts.
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PUT AN EGG ON IT
Adding a fried egg on top of pretty much any dish makes it richer, heartier, and more luxurious. In addition to bulking up the protein content of your meal, a fried egg also comes with its own built-in sauce from the silky, runny yolk. This makes it a great topping for simple pasta dishes (try it on top of our Pasta with Garlic and Oil) or for salad greens to turn them into a light meal (spinach is especially nice).
Other recipes in this book that feature fried eggs as their finishing touch are our Bacon and Cheddar Breakfast Sandwiches, Brown Rice Bowls with Roasted Carrots, Kale, and Fried Eggs, and Vegetable Bibimbap. We also recommend trying one on top of Hash Browns, mixed into Faster Steel-Cut Oatmeal for a savory take on breakfast porridge, or as the ultimate decadent topping for The Burger Lover’s Burger.
Makes 6 eggs; Total Time 35 minutes
why this recipe works
A hard-cooked egg that’s just cooked through, with no chalkiness (or greenish tinge) to the yolk, is plenty good on its own sprinkled with salt, and it can also be used in myriad other ways. Cooking methods abound, but we found that steaming, followed by an ice bath to halt the cooking, not only guarantees perfect eggs but also results in shells that slip off easily. Why? Hot steam hitting cold eggs rapidly cooks the outermost egg white proteins, which shrink away from the membrane. Be sure to use large, cold eggs that have no cracks. You can cook fewer than six eggs without altering the timing, or more eggs as long as your pot and steamer basket can hold them in a single layer. If you don’t have a steamer basket, use a spoon or tongs to gently place the eggs in the water. It does not matter if the eggs are above the water or partially submerged. Unpeeled cooked eggs can be stored in their shells in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
6 large eggs
1. Bring 1 inch water to rolling boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Place eggs in steamer basket. Transfer basket to saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook eggs for 13 minutes.
2. When eggs are almost finished cooking, combine 2 cups ice cubes and 2 cups cold water in medium bowl. Using tongs or spoon, transfer eggs to ice bath; let sit for 15 minutes.
3. Crack wide end of each egg against a hard, flat surface. Starting at wide end of each egg, peel away shell. When done, dunk peeled egg back into ice bath to remove any stray bits of shell (if necessary).
variation
With a set white and fluid yolk, these have the appeal of poached eggs but are less fussy and can be eaten out of the shell. Precise timing is critical, so use a digital timer. You can use this method for one to six large, extra-large, or jumbo eggs without altering the timing. We recommend serving these eggs in egg cups and with buttered toast sticks, or soldiers, for dipping, or simply use the dull side of a butter knife to crack the egg along the equator, break the egg in half, and scoop out the insides with a teaspoon and serve as you would a poached egg—over toast, salad, or cooked vegetables.
After adding steamer basket with eggs to saucepan of boiling water, reduce heat to medium-high and cook for 6½ minutes. Remove cover, transfer saucepan to sink, and place under cold running water for 30 seconds. Remove eggs from saucepan and serve, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
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THE EGG-DONENESS CONTINUUM
The fundamental challenge in egg cookery is that an egg is not really one ingredient but two: the white and the yolk. And each solidifies at different temperatures: Whites start to thicken at 145 degrees and are fully set at 180. Yolks begin to thicken at 150 degrees and are fully set at 158; this narrow range means that just a minute or two of timing can completely change the consistency of your eggs, from creamy to fully set to overdone, as the photos below show. Our steaming method ensures a consistent temperature, allowing us to nail down more precise timing than boiling would, since adding eggs to a pot of boiling water lowers the temperature of the water. Just make sure to set a timer!
Soft-Cooked Egg
Perfect Hard-Cooked Egg
Overcooked Egg
Serves 4 to 6; Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
why this recipe works
Brown rice is ultimately satisfying, with nutty flavor and serious textural personality. While it’s often steamed, baking it in an aluminum foil–covered dish ensures more even cooking and makes it a simple, hands-off endeavor. We found that we needed less liquid than the 2:1 water-to-rice ratio usually advised by rice producers and recipes. Adding boiling water jump-started the cooking process. A small amount of oil complemented the flavor while keeping the rice fluffy. For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle to a boil, then measure out the desired amount. If your baking dish has a lid, it may be used instead of the aluminum foil. To double the recipe, use a 13 by 9-inch baking dish; the baking time does not need to be increased. You can use long-, medium-, or short-grain brown rice. This method also works for long-grain white rice with a few modifications; see the variation.
2⅓ cups boiling water
1½ cups long-grain, medium-grain, or short-grain brown rice, rinsed
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine boiling water, rice, oil, and ½ teaspoon salt in 8-inch square baking dish.
2. Cover dish tightly with double layer of aluminum foil. Transfer dish to oven and bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 1 hour.
3. Remove dish from oven, uncover, and fluff rice with fork, scraping up any rice that has stuck to bottom. Cover dish with clean dish towel and let rice sit for 5 minutes. Uncover and let rice sit 5 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
variation
Basmati, jasmine, or Texmati rice can also be used in this recipe.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine 2¾ cups boiling water, 1⅓ cups rinsed long-grain white rice, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, and ½ teaspoon salt in 8-inch square baking dish. Cover dish tightly with double layer of aluminum foil. Transfer dish to oven and bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove dish from oven, uncover, and fluff rice with fork, scraping up any rice that has stuck to bottom. Cover dish with clean dish towel and let rice sit for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
think like a cook
To add some oomph to plain rice, try one of these ideas to turn it into a flavorful side dish in no time.
» Add butter, minced fresh herbs, and/or citrus zest.
» Stir in a compound butter (see this page).
» Mix in heartier ingredients for a more substantial side dish to match the flavors of your meal. Some combinations we like are chopped dried fruit, toasted nuts, and goat cheese, or sliced olives, feta, and pine nuts. Or use black beans, cilantro, and lime juice for a Latin-inspired dish.
» Let the rice cool, then toss with a vinaigrette (see this page) to make rice salad.
Quinoa Pilaf with Herbs and Lemon
Serves 4 to 6; Total Time 50 minutes
why this recipe works
While in theory this “supergrain” should be appealingly nutty and crunchy, cooked quinoa often ends up a mushy mess with washed-out flavor and an underlying bitterness. For a simple quinoa pilaf with light, distinct grains and great flavor, we used less water than most quinoa recipes to avoid any mushiness. We also toasted the quinoa to develop its natural nuttiness before simmering. We flavored our pilaf with onion sautéed in fat and finished it with herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice. Quinoa is also easily adapted to a variety of other flavor profiles as in the variations. We like the convenience of prewashed quinoa; rinsing removes the quinoa’s bitter protective coating (called saponin). If you buy unwashed quinoa (or if you are unsure whether it’s washed), rinse it and then spread it out over a clean dish towel to dry for 15 minutes before cooking.
1½ cups prewashed white quinoa
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped fine
¾ teaspoon salt
1¾ cups water
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, parsley, chives, mint, or tarragon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1. Toast quinoa in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until quinoa is very fragrant and makes continuous popping sound, 5 to 7 minutes; transfer to bowl.
2. Melt butter in now-empty saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and salt and cook until onion is softened and light golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in water and toasted quinoa, increase heat to medium-high, and bring to simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until grains are just tender and liquid is absorbed, 18 to 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking.
3. Remove saucepan from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff quinoa with fork, stir in herbs and lemon juice, and serve.
variations
Quinoa Pilaf with Goat Cheese and Chives
Substitute 4 minced garlic cloves for onion; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, before adding toasted quinoa. Use chives for chopped herbs. Sprinkle with ½ cup crumbled goat cheese before serving.
Quinoa Pilaf with Olives, Raisins, and Cilantro
Add ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, and ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon to saucepan with onion. Stir in ¼ cup golden raisins halfway through cooking quinoa. Substitute ⅓ cup coarsely chopped pimento-stuffed green olives and 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro for chopped fresh herbs, and 4 teaspoons red wine vinegar for lemon juice.
Quinoa Pilaf with Apricots, Aged Gouda, and Pistachios
Add ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper to saucepan with onion. Stir in ½ cup coarsely chopped dried apricots before letting quinoa sit for 10 minutes in step 3. Substitute ½ cup shredded aged gouda; ½ cup shelled pistachios, toasted and chopped coarse; and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint for herbs.
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WHAT IS A PILAF?
You may associate pilaf with rice, but the pilaf method can be used to cook any grain. It is a simple but elegant approach where the grain is toasted before being simmered slowly in liquid until it’s tender and superflavorful. We use the pilaf method for many grains, including rice, bulgur, quinoa, barley, and millet, as well as pasta and couscous. It produces grains with a light, fluffy texture and an extra layer of nutty, toasted flavor that you don’t get from just boiling the grains.
Many pilaf recipes also add sautéed aromatics like onion, garlic, or shallot to the grain for an extra-flavorful dish. Other ways to build complex flavor in this simple preparation include swapping in chicken broth for water and stirring in chopped fresh herbs, dried fruit, cheese, or other additions before serving, as in the variations here.
Make sure you use a sturdy, heavy-bottomed saucepan with a tight-fitting lid for any pilaf recipe so the rice or grain will cook evenly and not scorch or stick to the pan.
Pasta with Garlic and Oil (Aglio e Olio)
Serves 4 to 6; Total Time 30 minutes
why this recipe works
Call it the simplest spaghetti dish, a pantry dinner mainstay, or a favorite midnight meal among Italians, but don’t call it plain. Our take on aglio e olio is packed with flavor, thanks to a whopping 12 cloves of garlic. Cooking most of the garlic slowly over low heat softened its edge, turning it golden, nutty-tasting, and subtly sweet. Stirring in raw garlic off the heat delivered some bite to the sauce, while lemon juice balanced the oil’s richness. With such a minimal sauce, getting perfectly al dente pasta is critical, as its texture can make or break the dish. So taste often to avoid overcooking. And reserve some of the cooking water before draining the pasta; the water is used to loosen the texture of the sauce. For a twist on this dish, try sprinkling toasted bread crumbs over the individual serving bowls. For a quick way to peel the garlic, see this page.
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 garlic cloves, minced (4 tablespoons)
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 teaspoons lemon juice
¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound spaghetti
Grated Parmesan cheese
1. Cook 3 tablespoons oil, 3 tablespoons garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt in 10-inch nonstick skillet over low heat, stirring often, until garlic foams and is sticky and straw-colored, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in parsley, lemon juice, pepper flakes, remaining 3 tablespoons oil, and remaining 1 tablespoon garlic.
2. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until almost al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, then drain pasta in colander and return it to pot.
3. Stir 2 tablespoons reserved cooking water into garlic sauce to loosen, then add sauce to pasta and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add remaining reserved cooking water as needed to adjust consistency. Serve with Parmesan.
variation
Pasta with Garlic, Oil, and Artichokes
Transfer cooked garlic mixture to bowl before combining with other ingredients at end of step 1. Heat 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 9 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and patted dry, and ⅛ teaspoon salt and cook until artichokes are lightly browned and tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add cooked artichokes to pasta with garlic sauce.
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PASTA PERFECT
Pasta is one of those things that is easy to cook, but hard to cook just right. We prefer pasta cooked al dente, with a little bite left in the center (al dente is Italian for “to the tooth”). Follow these simple steps for perfect pasta every time.
Use Plenty of Water
Pasta leaches starch as it cooks; without plenty of water to dilute the starch, it will coat the noodles and they will stick together. We recommend 4 quarts of water for 1 pound of pasta. Use a pot with at least a 6-quart capacity, and fill it with cold tap water; warm water can pick up off-flavors from your water heater. Make sure to bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat; pasta cooks best (and fastest) in boiling, not simmering, water.
Salt the Water, Don’t Oil It
Once the water is boiling, add 1 tablespoon of salt to flavor the pasta. Don’t add oil: It does nothing for the pasta and also prevents the sauce from adhering.
When You Add the Pasta, Give It a Stir
Stirring the pasta when you first add it to the water, and occasionally as it cooks, will prevent it from sticking.
Check Often for Doneness
Several minutes before the pasta should be done, begin tasting it—that’s really the only way to know when it’s ready. When the pasta is almost al dente, remove the pot from heat. Because the pasta continues to cook after it is drained, you need to compensate by draining when it is just a little underdone.
Reserve Some Cooking Water Before Draining
Get in the habit of saving about ½ cup of the cooking water before you drain the cooked pasta. Then, when you add your sauce to the pasta, add some (or all) of the starchy reserved water. This helps spread the sauce and gets it to the proper consistency.
Sauce in the Pot
Returning the drained pasta to the pot and then saucing it ensures evenly coated, hot pasta.
Serves 2 to 3; Total Time 30 minutes (plus 45 minutes for salting)
why this recipe works
Steaks can be cooked every which way, but one of the most satisfying methods we’ve found is pan-searing and butter-basting a thick-cut rib eye. This cut is tender and juicy—it’s essentially a boneless piece of prime rib—so it works best with a simple preparation that lets its beefy flavor shine through. Butter basting involves continuously spooning hot fat over an item as it cooks. Adding aromatics to the butter infused the whole dish with subtle savory flavor. In addition to butter-basting, we also flipped the steak throughout the entire cooking process. This technique gave us a great crust on both sides of the steak and evenly cooked the meat all the way through. Salting the steak at least 45 minutes before cooking increases its tenderness and juiciness (see “Salt + Time = Better Meat”) though you can skip the wait if you don’t have time. While not very complicated, this recipe calls for your full attention in order to be successful, so don’t be distracted while cooking this one.
1 (1-pound) rib-eye steak, about 1½ inches thick, trimmed
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large shallot, peeled and quartered lengthwise (root end attached)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1. Sprinkle steak evenly on both sides with salt and place on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Let sit for at least 45 minutes or up to 3 hours (if waiting more than 1 hour, transfer steak to refrigerator, uncovered, until you are ready to cook).
2. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over high heat until just smoking. Pat steak dry with paper towels and season liberally on both sides with pepper. Place steak in skillet and cook for 30 seconds. Flip steak using tongs and continue to cook for 30 seconds longer. Continue flipping steak every 30 seconds for 3 more minutes.
3. Slide steak to back of skillet, opposite handle, and add butter to front of skillet. Once butter has melted and begun to foam, add shallot, garlic, and thyme sprigs. Holding skillet handle, tilt skillet so butter pools near base of handle. Use metal spoon to continuously spoon butter and aromatics over steak, concentrating on areas where crust is less browned. Baste steak, flipping it every 30 seconds, until thermometer inserted into center registers 120 to 125 degrees (for medium-rare), 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Remove skillet from heat and transfer steak to cutting board; let steak rest for 10 minutes. Discard aromatics from pan and transfer butter mixture to small bowl. Slice steak crosswise ½ inch thick. Serve immediately with butter mixture.
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No matter how well cooked the meat is, it won’t taste very good if it’s not properly seasoned.
Season Early
For the most well-rounded flavor, we encourage seasoning meat before cooking. This gives the salt time to migrate into the food and allows heat to tame the punch of pepper. Seasoning properly at the start is especially important with steaks, chops, and roasts since you won’t be able to season them to taste after cooking without cutting off a piece!
Salt + Time = Better Meat
You can certainly season with salt right before cooking for flavor, but you can also use salt (and time) in advance of cooking to improve the texture of many cuts of meat. When salt is applied to raw meat, juices inside the meat are drawn to the surface. The salt then dissolves in the exuded liquid, forming a brine that is eventually reabsorbed by the meat, creating juicier and more flavorful results. But you do have to wait until the brine is reabsorbed; if you try to pan-sear the meat too soon, the liquid will inhibit browning in the skillet. We prefer to use kosher salt for salting meat because it’s easier to distribute the salt evenly. See this page for information about converting measurements if you want to use sea salt or table salt instead.
Seasoning with Flair (and a Purpose)
In recipes that call for seasoning meat with a specified amount of salt, it can be tempting to sprinkle very close to the meat so that none of the salt is lost to the cutting board. Unfortunately, this leads to an uneven distribution of salt. There’s a reason that chefs tend to season food by sprinkling the seasoning from a good foot above the counter, and it’s not just kitchen theatrics: The higher the starting point, the more evenly the seasoning will be distributed. The more evenly distributed the seasoning, the better the food tastes. So next time you have to season a steak, place the meat on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with the specified amount of salt from up high. Then simply pick up each piece of meat and roll it in any salt that has landed on the baking sheet.
Serves 6 to 8; Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes (plus 18 hours for salting)
why this recipe works
Without proper preparation, inexpensive beef roasts can turn out tough and flavorless. To transform an affordable boneless eye-round roast into a centerpiece-worthy dish, we started by salting the meat and then searing it before roasting. We also roasted it at a very low 225 degrees and then turned off the oven toward the end of cooking. This allowed the meat’s enzymes to break down the roast’s tough connective tissue. Open the oven as little as possible, and remove the roast from the oven (and close the oven door) while taking the meat’s temperature. If the roast has not reached the desired temperature in the time specified in step 5, reheat the oven to 225 degrees for 5 minutes, then shut it off and continue to cook the roast to the desired temperature. We don’t recommend cooking this roast past medium. Buy refrigerated prepared horseradish, not the shelf-stable kind, which contains preservatives and additives.
BEEF
1 (3½- to 4½-pound) boneless eye-round roast, trimmed
4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pepper
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup prepared horseradish, drained
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
1. FOR THE BEEF Rub roast thoroughly with salt, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 18 to 24 hours.
2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 225 degrees. Pat roast dry with paper towels, rub with 2 teaspoons oil, and sprinkle with pepper.
3. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown roast well on all sides, 12 to 16 minutes; reduce heat if pan begins to scorch. Transfer roast to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and roast until thermometer inserted into center of meat registers 115 degrees (for medium-rare), 1¼ to 1¾ hours, or 125 degrees (for medium), 1¾ to 2¼ hours.
4. FOR THE SAUCE Meanwhile, whisk cream in bowl until thickened but not yet stiff, 1 to 2 minutes. Gently fold in horseradish, salt, and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour before serving.
5. Turn oven off and leave roast in oven, without opening door, until meat registers 130 degrees (for medium-rare) or 140 degrees (for medium), 30 to 50 minutes.
6. Transfer roast to carving board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 15 minutes. Slice meat crosswise as thinly as possible and serve with sauce.
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HOT FOOD KEEPS COOKING
To get a cut of meat to the table cooked just right, you have to know a little bit about physics. The temperature of meat keeps rising even after you stop cooking it. This is an effect called carryover cooking, and it happens for two reasons: First, the exterior of a large roast gets hot much more quickly than the interior. Second, because heat always moves from a hotter to a cooler area, as long as there is a difference in temperature between two areas of the meat (the very-hot outside and the less-hot inside), heat will keep moving from one to the other, even after you remove the meat from the heat source. Eventually the inside and outside will reach equilibrium, but before they get to that point, the carryover cooking can cause a significant increase in temperature at the center of a large roast, bringing it from a perfect pink to a disappointing gray. This means that if you wait until your meat is at your desired doneness before you take it out of the oven, it’ll probably be overdone by the time you sit down to eat.
Timing Is Everything
So when, exactly, should you remove meat from the heat source to ensure it finishes at the perfect temperature? Both the size of the food and the heat level during cooking will affect the answer. A large roast will absorb more heat than a thin steak, which means that there will be more heat in the meat and therefore a greater amount of carryover cooking. Similarly, carryover cooking is greater in a roast cooked in a hotter oven. In general, however, meat should be removed from the oven when it’s 5 to 10 degrees below the desired serving temperature. For more information about doneness temperatures, see this page.
Exceptions to the Rule: Poultry and Fish
Carryover cooking also applies to poultry and fish, although they don’t retain heat as well as beef, lamb, and pork, which have denser muscle structure. For this reason and for optimal food safety, poultry and fish should be cooked to the desired serving temperatures. Cooking loosely structured proteins like fish at lower temperatures is a good way to avoid overcooking; the hotter the oven, the more dramatic the effect of carryover cooking.
Pan-Seared Thick-Cut Pork Chops
Serves 4; Total Time 1 hour (plus 45 minutes for salting)
why this recipe works
Thick-cut chops are decadent, restaurant-style fare, but come with the challenge of cooking the inside without overcooking the exterior. For perfect chops, we flip-flopped conventional logic and started them in a low oven, letting the meat gently tenderize before finishing by searing them in a hot pan to create a beautifully caramelized exterior. Buy chops of similar thickness so that they cook at the same rate. We prefer the flavor of natural chops over that of enhanced chops (which have been injected with a salt solution and sodium phosphate to increase moistness and flavor), but if processed pork is all you can find, skip the salting step in step 1. Serve the chops with Salsa Verde or your favorite applesauce.
4 (12-ounce) bone-in pork rib chops, 1½ inches thick, trimmed
Kosher salt and pepper
1–2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Pat chops dry with paper towels. Using sharp knife, cut 2 slits, about 2 inches apart, through outer layer of fat and silverskin around edge of each chop. (This membrane contracts faster than rest of meat and can cause buckling if left intact.) Sprinkle entire surface of each chop with 1 teaspoon salt. Place chops on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and let stand at room temperature for 45 minutes.
2. Season chops liberally with pepper; transfer baking sheet to oven. Cook until thermometer inserted into centers of chops and away from bones registers 120 to 125 degrees, 30 to 45 minutes.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat until just smoking. Place 2 chops in skillet and sear until well browned and crusty, 1½ to 3 minutes, lifting once halfway through to redistribute fat underneath each chop. (Reduce heat if browned bits in pan bottom start to burn.) Using tongs, turn chops and cook until well browned on second side, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer chops to plate and repeat with remaining 2 chops, adding extra tablespoon oil if pan is dry.
4. Reduce heat to medium. Use tongs to stand 2 pork chops on their sides. Holding chops together with tongs, sear sides of chops (with exception of bone side) until browned and chops register 140 to 145 degrees, about 1½ minutes. Repeat with remaining 2 chops. Let chops rest, tented with aluminum foil, for 10 minutes.
think like a cook
It’s difficult to cook thicker steaks (1½ to 1¾ inches thick) such as filets mignons and pork chops entirely on the stovetop; you often end up with a burnt exterior and a raw center. Even if you can manage to avoid burning the exterior, the meat around the perimeter is usually overcooked by the time the center comes to temperature. The secret to getting a great crust on extra-thick chops and steaks without making them tough is to cook them in a very low oven, then quickly sear them. This is called reverse searing. The gentle oven heat minimizes moisture loss and promotes a natural enzymatic reaction that breaks down connective tissue in the meat and makes it especially tender. We also roast the meat on a wire rack, which allows the hot air to circulate and dry the surface of the mat. The drier surface helps the meat brown even better in the skillet. After their time in the oven, the chops brown in record time, and since the meat is in the pan for just a few minutes, there isn’t time for it to lose much moisture or become overcooked.
Oven-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Shallot-Balsamic Pan Sauce
Oven-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Shallot-Balsamic Pan Sauce
Serves 4; Total Time 45 minutes
why this recipe works
Pork tenderloin is a superfriendly cut to experiment with in the kitchen; it’s easy to prepare and cooks quickly. One of our favorite ways to cook it is a two-step pan-searing, oven-roasting technique, which gives the meat a golden crust and an evenly cooked, juicy interior. To punch up the mild pork, we used the fond left behind in the pan to build a deeply flavored pan sauce when we transferred the meat to the oven. We prefer natural pork tenderloin to enhanced pork tenderloin (which has been injected with a salt solution). This recipe calls for cooking two tenderloins at the same time in the same skillet, so be sure to buy tenderloins that are roughly the same size. This recipe will work in a nonstick or a traditional skillet. You will make the pan sauce while the tenderloins roast, so be sure to prepare all of the sauce ingredients before searing the pork.
PORK
2 (12- to 16-ounce) pork tenderloins, trimmed
1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
¾ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and chilled
2 shallots, sliced thin
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar
¾ cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
1. FOR THE PORK Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle tenderloins with salt and pepper and rub into meat. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place both tenderloins in skillet; cook until well browned, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, rotate tenderloins one-quarter turn; cook until well browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat until all sides are browned. Transfer tenderloins to rimmed baking sheet and place in oven; roast until thermometer inserted into center of tenderloins registers 145 degrees, 10 to 16 minutes.
2. FOR THE PAN SAUCE Meanwhile, immediately after placing pork in oven, melt 1 tablespoon butter in still-hot skillet. Add shallots, water, and sugar and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until shallots are browned and caramelized, 7 to 10 minutes; remove skillet from heat and set aside.
3. Transfer tenderloins to cutting board and tent with aluminum foil; let rest for 10 minutes.
4. While pork rests, set skillet over medium-low heat and add vinegar; simmer, scraping up any browned bits, until mixture is slightly thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add rosemary and any juices from resting pork; continue to simmer until syrupy and reduced to about ⅓ cup, about 2 minutes longer. Off heat, whisk in mustard and remaining 3 tablespoons butter, 1 piece at a time. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Slice tenderloins ½ inch thick and serve with sauce.
think like a cook
So you just pan-seared a steak, chop, or chicken breast, and have a pan full of browned, stuck-on bits. But wait! Don’t clean that pan! Pan sauces take advantage of that fond to create a rich, deeply flavored accompaniment for the meat. Although the ingredients can change depending on the sauce, the steps are the same.
Pour Off Excess Fat
If there’s more than a tablespoon of fat in the pan, pour off the excess or the sauce will be greasy. If there’s very little fat in the pan, add a little vegetable oil or butter.
Add Aromatics
Aromatics like shallot, garlic, or onion will enhance the flavor of a quick pan sauce and give it depth.
Deglaze the Pan
Add liquid to the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits. The fond dissolves as the liquid simmers, adding meaty flavor.
Simmer and Reduce
You want to reduce the liquid to both concentrate flavors and change its consistency. Don’t shortcut this process, or your sauce will be too watery.
Add Meat Juices
As the meat rests, it will exude juices. Add these juices to the skillet and simmer to reduce. Add robust seasonings such as rosemary or capers so they can cook a bit.
Whisk in Butter
Off heat, whisk in chilled unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, to make the sauce thick and glossy. To finish, add seasonings such as leafy herbs, salt, and pepper. If the pan sauce isn’t vinegar- or citrus-based, add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice to brighten it up.
Roasted Chicken Parts with Lemon and Herbs
Serves 4 to 6; Total Time 1 hour
why this recipe works
A chicken needn’t be roasted whole. Often, we turn to roasting individual parts—a largely walkaway approach that allows you to use whatever combination of parts you want. To encourage crispy skin and avoid the flabbiness that plagues some recipes, we brushed the parts with melted butter and roasted them in a 450-degree oven, elevating them on a wire rack to let the fat render away. Using bone-in, skin-on parts insulated the meat, ensuring it would stay juicy in the hot oven. Because dark meat cooks slower than white meat (and should be cooked to 175 degrees rather than 160 degrees for white), be prepared to remove different cuts at different times, or simply roast all breasts, or all thighs, and so on. Rubbing herb butter under the skin adds incredible flavor, but you can skip it if you prefer. Serve with lemon wedges.
4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (split breasts, whole legs, thighs, and/or drumsticks), trimmed of excess fat and skin
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus 2 tablespoons melted
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme, rosemary, tarragon, or sage
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Salt and pepper
1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set wire rack in baking sheet.
2. Mix softened butter with herbs, lemon zest, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in small bowl.
3. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Use your fingers to carefully separate skin from meat on chicken pieces. Rub butter mixture underneath skin of chicken. Arrange chicken, skin side up, on prepared wire rack. Brush chicken with melted butter and season with salt and pepper.
4. Roast until thermometer inserted into breasts registers 160 degrees, about 30 minutes, and legs, thighs, and/or drumsticks register 175 degrees, about 30 minutes for drumsticks and 45 minutes for legs and thighs. Transfer chicken to cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
variations
Roasted Chicken Parts with Honey and Mustard
Instead of lemon-herb-butter mixture, mix ¼ cup Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons honey, and 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar together in bowl. Brush over chicken several times during last 5 minutes of cooking.
Roasted Chicken Parts with Five-Spice Powder and Ginger
Instead of lemon-herb-butter mixture, mix 3 tablespoons softened unsalted butter with 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon five-spice powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl. Rub butter mixture underneath skin of chicken.
think like a cook
When cooking poultry, we recommend that you either make sure the skin ends up nice and crispy or remove it before serving. Flabby chicken or turkey skin is unappealing and unattractive; it isn’t something anyone wants to eat or see on the plate. But the crisp, well-browned skin on a great roast chicken can be the best part of the dish. That’s because when you sauté or roast the skin and it reaches temperatures over 300 degrees, a set of reactions take place in its fats and proteins to produce hundreds of deeply flavorful compounds.
The Keys to Crisp Skin
In order to get the skin as crisp as possible, you need to render all the fat between the skin and the meat. Tricks like elevating the poultry on a rack while cooking in the oven help with this, as does cutting slashes in the skin. You can also brown the skin in a hot skillet and then finish cooking the chicken in the skillet over a lower temperature, or in the even heat of the oven (this has the added benefit of creating flavorful browned bits—fond—in the skillet, great for making a pan sauce). When the skin is fully cooked it will not only turn a lovely golden-brown color, it will also get supercrispy, almost like a potato chip. When you’re trying to gauge doneness, watch for both the color and the texture of the skin to change.
Shedding the Skin
Chicken skin is like a raincoat: It’s an effective barrier, keeping what’s outside out and what’s inside in. This is especially important in oven-roasted recipes, where the skin helps protect delicate white meat in the hot oven, but if you don’t want to serve the skin you can remove and discard it before serving. Chicken skin is slippery; to simplify the task, use a paper towel to provide extra grip when pulling off the skin. For stews and braises, if you don’t crisp the skin and render the fat, you should typically discard the skin before cooking. If you don’t, the fat will render into the stew or sauce, which could make it overly greasy.
Weeknight Whole Roast Chicken with Tarragon-Lemon Pan Sauce
Serves 4; Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
why this recipe works
Few dishes are more impressive than a roast chicken—or more rewarding. While there is no single perfect way to make one, there are factors to consider, chiefly that different parts cook at different rates, and that chicken is prone to drying out. Ideally, you’d salt or brine the bird, but that takes time. This recipe uses a creative, weeknight-friendly approach: We start with a preheated skillet to give the slower-cooking thighs a jump-start and then literally turn the oven off halfway through cooking. This helps the meat finish cooking gently and slows the evaporation of juices as the oven cools. We prefer to use a 3½- to 4-pound chicken; if roasting a larger bird, increase the time when the oven is on in step 2 to 35 to 40 minutes. Prep all sauce ingredients while the chicken is in the oven and make the sauce itself while the chicken rests.
CHICKEN
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 (3½- to 4-pound) whole chicken, giblets discarded
1 tablespoon olive oil
TARRAGON-LEMON PAN SAUCE
1 shallot, minced
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Pepper
1. FOR THE CHICKEN Adjust oven rack to middle position, place 12-inch ovensafe skillet on rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine salt and pepper in bowl. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Rub oil all over chicken. Sprinkle salt mixture evenly over surface of chicken, then rub mixture in with your hands to coat evenly. Tie legs together with kitchen twine and tuck wingtips behind back.
2. Transfer chicken, breast side up, to skillet in oven. Roast until thermometer inserted into breast registers 120 degrees and thighs register 135 degrees (taking care not to hit bone), 25 to 35 minutes. Turn off oven and leave chicken in oven, opening door as little as possible, until breast registers 160 degrees and thighs register 175 degrees, 25 to 35 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to carving board and let rest, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
3. FOR THE PAN SAUCE Meanwhile, using large spoon, carefully remove all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet (handle will be hot), leaving any browned bits and jus in skillet. Place skillet over medium-high heat, add shallot, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth and mustard, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer until reduced to ¾ cup, about 3 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter, tarragon, and lemon juice. Season with pepper to taste. Carve chicken and serve with sauce.
variation
Thyme–Sherry Vinegar Pan Sauce
Add 2 minced garlic cloves and 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme to skillet with shallot. Omit tarragon and substitute sherry vinegar for lemon juice.
think like a cook
The natural shape of a chicken creates certain challenges when you try to roast it whole. Within a whole chicken there are actually two different types of meat: dark meat (thighs and drumsticks) and white meat (breast). Dark meat cooks more slowly than white meat. This is mainly due to the fact that dark meat is denser because it has more fat and proteins. To account for this difference, we cook the bird thigh side down in a preheated skillet to give the dark meat a head start. To prevent it from drying out while ensuring it is safe to eat, white meat should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees and dark meat should be cooked to 175 degrees. Having a good instant-read thermometer is essential for perfectly cooked chicken.
Another challenge with whole chickens is getting crisp skin. Make sure to blot the chicken dry with paper towels before cooking to eliminate excess moisture that can cause the skin to steam and become flabby.
Serves 8 to 10; Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes (plus 3 hours for brining)
why this recipe works
You don’t have to roast a whole turkey to get holiday-worthy moist meat and crisp skin. A whole breast is a great, manageable alternative. We started by brining the breast, which flavored the mild white meat and helped it hold moisture. Loosening the skin and rubbing the meat underneath with softened butter promoted browner, crispier skin. We found that a dual-temperature approach to cooking was best: Starting the turkey breast in a 425-degree oven jump-started browning, and reducing the heat to 325 degrees after 30 minutes allowed the meat to finish cooking gently. If you’re using a self-basting turkey breast or a kosher turkey, skip the brining in step 1. Pair this roast with cranberry sauce (see this page) for a classic complement.
½ cup salt
1 (6- to 7-pound) bone-in turkey breast, trimmed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
¼ teaspoon pepper
1. Dissolve salt in 1 gallon cold water in large container. Submerge turkey in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 3 to 6 hours.
2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Set V-rack inside roasting pan and spray with vegetable oil spray. Combine butter and pepper in bowl.
3. Remove turkey from brine and pat turkey dry with paper towels. Using your fingers, gently loosen skin covering each side of breast. Place butter mixture under skin, directly on meat in center of each side of breast. Gently press on skin to distribute butter mixture over meat.
4. Place turkey, skin side up, on prepared V-rack and add 1 cup water to pan. Roast turkey for 30 minutes.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and continue to roast until thermometer inseted into thickest part of turkey registers 160 degrees, about 1 hour longer.
6. Transfer turkey to carving board and let rest for 20 minutes. Carve turkey and serve.
variations
Roast Turkey Breast with Orange and Rosemary
Add 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary, 1 teaspoon grated orange zest, and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes to butter mixture.
Roast Turkey Breast with Southwestern Flavors
Add 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons chili powder, ¾ teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder, and ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper to butter mixture.
think like a cook
We often rely on one of two methods to boost flavor and juiciness when cooking meat and poultry: brining or salting. Brining works faster and is best for lean cuts like turkey breast because it adds, rather than merely retains, moisture. As it soaks, the meat absorbs the brine and retains it during cooking. The result? The juiciest, best-tasting meat you have ever eaten. All you need is refrigerator space, a little time, and a big container.
Follow the chart below; dissolve salt and sugar in the water in a container large enough to hold the brine and meat. Submerge the meat completely. Cover and refrigerate for the specified time (no longer or the meat will be too salty and may be mushy). Remove the meat and pat it dry with paper towels before proceeding. We prefer table salt for brining because it dissolves easily. If you use kosher salt, adjust the amount using the chart on this page. Do not brine kosher birds or enhanced pork, since they’ve already been treated with salt.
|
PROTEIN |
BRINE |
TIME |
|
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (up to 6) |
1½ quarts water, 3 tablespoons salt, 3 tablespoons sugar (optional) |
½ to 1 hour |
|
Bone-In Parts (4 pounds) |
2 quarts water, ½ cup salt, ½ cup sugar (optional) |
½ to 1 hour |
|
1 Whole Chicken (3–8 pounds) |
2 quarts water, ½ cup salt, ½ cup sugar (optional) |
1 hour |
|
1 Whole Turkey (12–17 pounds) |
2 gallons water, 1 cup salt |
6 to 12 hours |
|
1 Whole Turkey (18–24 pounds) |
3 gallons water, 1½ cups salt |
6 to 12 hours |
|
Bone-In Turkey Breast (6–7 pounds) |
4 quarts water, ½ cup salt |
3 to 6 hours |
|
Pork Chops (up to 6) |
1½ quarts water, 3 tablespoons salt, 3 tablespoons sugar (optional) |
½ to 1 hour |
|
Boneless Pork Roast (3–6 pounds) |
2 quarts water, ¼ cup salt, ¼ cup sugar (optional) |
1½ to 2 hours |
|
Pork Tenderloins (up to 2) |
2 quarts water, ¼ cup salt, ¼ cup sugar (optional) |
½ to 1 hour |
Serves 4; Total Time 25 minutes
why this recipe works
Oven roasting is a simple, hands-off way to tackle fish, which can be intimidating to inexperienced cooks. To get a browned exterior and perfectly cooked interior on salmon fillets, we used a method where we preheat the oven and a baking sheet to 500 degrees, then turn down the heat just before placing the fish on the sheet. The initial blast of high heat firms up the exterior of the fish, which then gently cooks as the temperature in the oven slowly drops. To ensure uniform pieces of fish, start with a whole center-cut fillet and cut it yourself. Cutting several slits in the skin helps the fat render. If your knife is not sharp enough to cut through and slash the skin easily, try a serrated knife. It’s important to keep the skin on the fillets during cooking; remove it afterward if you want. For information on removing pinbones from salmon, see this page.
1 (1¾- to 2-pound) skin-on salmon fillet, 1½ inches thick
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Lemon wedges
1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, cut salmon crosswise into 4 fillets. Make 4 or 5 shallow slashes, about 1 inch apart, on skin side of each fillet, being careful not to cut into flesh. Pat salmon dry with paper towels, rub with oil, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees and remove baking sheet. Carefully place salmon, skin side down, on rimmed baking sheet. Roast until centers are still translucent when checked with tip of paring knife and thermometer inserted into salmon registers 125 degrees (for medium-rare), 9 to 13 minutes. Transfer salmon to plates and serve with lemon wedges.
variation
Oven-Roasted Salmon with Grapefruit and Basil Relish
Omit lemon wedges. Cut away peel and pith from 2 red grapefruit, then separate segments and cut into ½-inch pieces. Place grapefruit pieces in fine-mesh strainer set in a bowl and drain for 15 minutes. Pour off and discard all but 1 tablespoon grapefruit juice from bowl; whisk ½ minced small shallot, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil into juice in bowl. Stir in grapefruit segments and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with salmon.
think like a cook
When you see the labels “Atlantic” and “Pacific” on salmon, you probably assume they refer to the places the fish were caught, but those names are a little misleading. Once upon a time, Atlantic salmon did originate in the Atlantic Ocean. But nowadays most Atlantic salmon sold in the United States is raised on farms in Norway, Scotland, Chile, and Canada. The fish called Pacific salmon—which includes sockeye, coho, and Chinook (also called king)—originated in the North Pacific Ocean. Most Pacific salmon sold in this country is still wild-caught in the American Northwest, British Columbia, and Alaska. Pacific salmon has a more assertive flavor and a lower fat content than farmed Atlantic salmon. With its naturally firmer flesh and lower fat content, wild Pacific salmon is better cooked to a slightly lower temperature than farmed Atlantic salmon (120 degrees versus 125 degrees) for the ideal tender, moist texture.
|
Pacific salmon has less fat and more flavor. |
Farmed Salmon Atlantic salmon has more fat and a mild flavor. |
Serves 4; Total Time 25 minutes
why this recipe works
Sautéed fish fillets seem simple, but in reality they are rarely executed well. Attempts often result in dry, overcooked fillets, especially with thinner cuts. Yet sautéing adds a delicate, crispy texture and flavor to fish fillets that you can’t get with other techniques. The trick to our method was to brown the fillets undisturbed on the first side, in the fat and with assertive heat, until the edges and a thin border turned opaque, resisting the temptation to check doneness constantly. (All that activity can cool down the food, meaning the fish won’t brown and will be more likely to stick to the pan.) Thickness determines in part how long fillets must cook. This recipe gives cooking times for both thin and thick fillets. Do not use fillets thinner than ¼ inch, as they will overcook very quickly. These fish fillets can also be served with Grapefruit and Basil Relish, Cherry Tomato Salsa, Salsa Verde, or one of the savory compound butters on this page.
½ cup all-purpose flour
4 (6-ounce) skinless thick white fish fillets, ½ to 1 inch thick, or 8 (3-ounce) skinless thin white fish fillets, ¼ to ½ inch thick
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Lemon wedges
1. Place flour shallow dish. Pat fish dry with paper towels. Season both sides of each fillet with salt and pepper; let stand until fillets are glistening with moisture, about 5 minutes. If using any tail-end fillets, tuck thin, tapered end under to create even thickness. Coat both sides of fillets with flour, shake off excess, and place in single layer on baking sheet.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until shimmering. Place half of fillets in skillet in single layer and immediately reduce heat to medium-high.
3A. FOR THICK FILLETS Cook, without moving fish, until edges of fillets are opaque and bottoms are golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Using 2 spatulas, gently flip fillets. Cook on second side until thickest part of fillets is firm to touch and fish flakes easily, 2 to 3 minutes.
3B. FOR THIN FILLETS Cook, without moving fish, until edges of fillets are opaque and bottoms are lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Using 2 spatulas, gently flip fillets. Cook on second side until thickest part of fillets is firm to touch and fish flakes easily, 30 to 60 seconds.
4. Transfer fillets to serving platter and tent with aluminum foil. Repeat steps 2 and 3 with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and remaining fillets.
5. Place second batch of fillets on platter with first batch; tilt platter to discard any accumulated liquid. Serve fish immediately with lemon wedges.
think like a cook
ONE FISH, TWO FISH, WHAT IS WHITE FISH?
White fish is a marketing term that encompasses many species of deepwater saltwater fish, all of which are mild-flavored and white-fleshed. It’s a big group (sometimes lumped together under the label “scrod”) that includes cod, flounder, grouper, haddock, hake, halibut, pollack, sole, and many others. The term “white fish” is often used to differentiate these species from oily fish, a designation that includes meatier, moister fish such as salmon, swordfish, and tuna. (Confusingly, “whitefish” is used for a second and entirely different sort of freshwater fish—which we’re not referring to here—that is often smoked and used for whitefish salad at delis.)
Because of its flaky flesh, white fish can be tricky to cook. Here are some tips for keeping it from falling apart when cooking on the stovetop:
» Always use a nonstick skillet to keep the fish from sticking, and be sure to preheat it properly so that the oil is just shimmering before you add the fish to the pan.
» We recommend a two-spatula turning method, which supports the fillets as you flip them. We like slotted fish spatulas for this job. They have long, thin, pliable metal blades that can easily shimmy underneath delicate fillets. And these spatulas are good for way more than just fish; they’re actually our favorite all-purpose spatulas in the test kitchen.
» Overcooked fish is more likely to fall apart, so check the temperature of your fish at the start of the time range and immediately transfer the fish to plates once it’s done.
Pan-Seared Shrimp with Lemon Butter
Serves 4; Total Time 30 minutes
why this recipe works
Pan searing is one of the quickest, easiest ways to get moist, tender shrimp with browned exteriors. But a good recipe for pan-seared shrimp is hard to find. The majority result in either dry and flavorless or pale, tough, and gummy shrimp. We started by seasoning the shrimp with salt, pepper, and sugar, which brought out their natural sweetness and aided in browning. We cooked the shrimp in batches in a large, piping hot skillet and then tossed them with butter, lemon juice, and fresh parsley. We also like pairing these shrimp with a glaze-like sauce with plenty of acidity as a foil for their richness; see the variations. The cooking time is for extra-large shrimp. If using smaller or larger shrimp, be sure to adjust the cooking time as needed. For more information on how to prepare shrimp, see “Peel-It-Yourself Shrimp.”
2 pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound)
⅛ teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1. Peel and devein shrimp. Pat dry with paper towels and season with sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of shrimp to skillet in single layer and cook, without stirring, until spotty brown and edges turn pink, about 1 minute.
2. Remove skillet from heat, flip shrimp, and let sit until opaque in very center, about 30 seconds; transfer to bowl. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and shrimp.
3. Off heat, return first batch of shrimp and any accumulated juices to skillet. Add butter, lemon juice, and parsley and toss to coat until butter melts. Cover and let sit until shrimp are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lemon wedges.
variations
Pan-Seared Shrimp with Chipotle-Lime Glaze
Substitute following mixture for butter, lemon juice, and parsley in step 3: 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, 4 teaspoons packed brown sugar, 1 teaspoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, and 2 teaspoons adobo sauce.
Pan-Seared Shrimp with Ginger-Hoisin Glaze
Omit pepper. Add ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes with salt and sugar in step 1. Substitute following mixture for butter, lemon juice, and parsley in step 3: 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons water, 1½ teaspoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger, and 2 thinly sliced scallions.
think like a cook
Many cooks buy peeled shrimp, and they are making a big mistake before they even get in the kitchen. The machines that peel shrimp rough up these delicate crustaceans and the end results are miserable. A far better option in terms of convenience is to keep frozen shell-on shrimp in your freezer. Frozen shrimp are actually better than “fresh,” which are almost always thawed previously frozen shrimp that are past their prime. Simply thaw frozen shrimp in a colander under cool running water for about 10 minutes, depending on their size. Thoroughly dry them before proceeding. Break the shrimp’s shell on the underside, under the swimming legs; it will peel off easily. Leave the tail end intact if desired, or tug it to remove the shell. Use a paring knife to make a shallow cut along the back of the shrimp to expose the vein. (The vein doesn’t affect flavor, but removing it improves the appearance of cooked shrimp.) Use the tip of a knife to lift the vein out. Discard it by wiping the knife against a paper towel.
SAUCES AND CONDIMENTS TO SERVE WITH EVERYTHING
Once you have a few basic recipes and techniques mastered, the next step is adding flavor. An easy way to do that is with a sauce. All the sauces here are quick to prepare and packed with flavor; any one of them can be used numerous ways to spice up your cooking. We’ve provided some suggestions for using them here (you’ll find more ideas in the chapters that follow), but consider them jumping-off points for your own culinary exploration and creativity.
Makes about ¾ cup
Toast garlic cloves, unpeeled, in a skillet over medium heat until softened and spotty brown, 8 minutes.
Lightly bruise 2 cups fresh basil leaves in 1-gallon zipper-lock bag with rolling pin. Process basil, ¼ cup toasted pine nuts (see this page), 3 toasted and minced garlic cloves, and ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Transfer pesto to bowl, stir in ¼ cup grated Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper to taste. (Pesto can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. To prevent browning, press plastic wrap on surface or top with thin layer of olive oil.)
Makes about ¾ cup
To toast garlic, see Classic Basil Pesto. We prefer oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes over dried.
Drain, pat dry, and chop 1 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. Process chopped tomatoes, ¼ cup toasted walnuts (see this page), 3 toasted and minced garlic cloves, ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, ½ cup grated Parmesan, and ½ teaspoon salt in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Pesto can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. To prevent browning, press plastic wrap on surface or top with thin layer of olive oil.)
Makes about 3 cups
This sweet-spicy salsa is the perfect complement to pork, shrimp, and meaty fish. Try it on Oven-Roasted Salmon. Or stir it into cooked quinoa and vegetables for a simple grain salad. For a spicier salsa, add the jalapeño seeds.
Peel and pit 2 ripe but firm mangos (see this page) and cut into ¼-inch pieces. Stem, seed, and mince 2 jalapeños. Combine mangos and jalapeños with 3 minced shallots, 6 tablespoons lime juice (from 3 limes), 6 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 minced garlic cloves, and ½ teaspoon salt in bowl. (Salsa can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
Makes about 1 cup
This Italian herb-based green sauce brings vibrancy to just about anything.
Pulse 3 cups fresh parsley leaves, 1 cup fresh mint leaves, ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons rinsed capers, 3 rinsed anchovy fillets (optional), 1 minced garlic clove, and ⅛ teaspoon salt in food processor until finely chopped (mixture should not be smooth), about 10 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Transfer salsa to bowl. (Salsa can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
variation
Use only 1 cup parsley and add 2 cups fresh basil leaves. Increase garlic to 2 cloves and add 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest.
Makes about ½ cup
We use this potent North African sauce to flavor lamb (see this page). It is also nice stirred into soups and drizzled on hummus, eggs, and sandwiches. If you can’t find Aleppo pepper, substitute ¾ teaspoon paprika plus ¾ teaspoon finely chopped red pepper flakes.
Combine 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 6 minced garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons paprika, 1 tablespoon ground coriander, 1 tablespoon ground dried Aleppo pepper, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ¾ teaspoon caraway seeds, and ½ teaspoon salt in bowl. Microwave until bubbling and very fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring halfway through microwaving; let cool to room temperature. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.)
think like a cook
MAKING THE MOST OF SAUCES
A sauce can instantly transform a dish from boring to best in show. Here are some of our favorite ways to use the sauces on these pages.
» Toss pesto, Salsa Verde, or Harissa with boiled sliced potatoes for an instant potato salad. Or serve boiled potatoes with Garlic Aïoli.
» Drizzle pesto, Harissa, or Mexican Crema onto soups.
» Spoon pretty much any sauce on top of roasted or grilled poultry, meat, or seafood, or brush onto roasted, grilled, or steamed vegetables.
» Combine pesto, Salsa Verde, or Harissa with mayonnaise and sour cream to make a dip for crudités or potato chips. (Salsa, Garlic Aïoli, Lemon-Yogurt Sauce, Chipotle Mayonnaise, Curried Peanut Sauce, and Cilantro-Mint Chutney all make great dips as is.)
» Spread pesto, Garlic Aïoli, or Chipotle Mayonnaise onto sandwiches.
» Toss any cooked vegetables (Roasted Root Vegetables, and Pan-Roasted Potatoes, would both be great) with pesto, Harissa, Salsa Verde, Curried Peanut Sauce, or Cilantro-Mint Chutney. Or dollop with Lemon-Yogurt Sauce, Garlic Aïoli, or Chipotle Mayonnaise.
» Drizzle a sauce over a grain bowl, matching the sauce to the other flavors in the dish (see “Anatomy of a Great Grain Bowl”).
» Use pesto, Salsa Verde, Mango-Mint Salsa, or Cilantro-Mint Chutney to flavor fresh cheeses such as mozzarella or ricotta—or add to a cheese plate.
» Top grilled or toasted bread with pesto, Cherry Tomato Salsa, or Salsa Verde for a quick bruschetta appetizer.
Makes about 4 cups
To freeze, cool the sauce completely and transfer to a freezer-safe container. Press a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface, cover the container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the microwave, or in the refrigerator overnight.
Cook 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and 3 minced garlic cloves in medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until garlic is fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in one 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes and one 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes and their juice. Bring to simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir in 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil and ¼ teaspoon sugar and season with salt to taste. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.)
Makes about 1 cup
Combine 6 ounces quartered cherry tomatoes, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro, and 1½ teaspoons lime juice in bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. (Salsa can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
Makes about 1¼ cups
Whisk ½ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons lime juice, and 2 tablespoons milk together in bowl. (Crema can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
Makes about 1¼ cups
Process 2 large egg yolks, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 1 minced garlic clove in food processor until combined, about 10 seconds. With processor running, slowly drizzle in ¾ cup vegetable oil. Transfer mixture to medium bowl and whisk in 1 tablespoon water, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil until emulsified. (Aïoli can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.)
Makes about 1 cup
Use whole-milk yogurt or low-fat yogurt in this recipe (not nonfat).
Whisk 1 cup plain yogurt, 1 tablespoon minced fresh mint, 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 1 minced garlic clove together in bowl until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let sit until flavors meld, about 30 minutes. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
Makes about ½ cup
You can vary the spiciness of this sauce by adjusting the amount of chipotle.
Whisk 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons sour cream, 2 tablespoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, 1 minced garlic clove, and ⅛ teaspoon salt together in small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
Makes about 1 cup
Whisk ¾ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives, 1 minced garlic clove, and ¾ teaspoon pepper together in bowl. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.)
Makes about 1 cup
For a spicier sauce, add the jalapeño seeds.
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Stir in 2 stemmed, seeded, and minced jalapeño chiles, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, and 1½ teaspoons curry powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in ½ cup water, ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter, 3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon sugar and bring to simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and flavors meld, about 2 minutes. Adjust consistency as needed with additional water. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours; whisk to recombine before serving.)
Makes about ¾ cup
Mirin can be found in most supermarkets; if you cannot find it, substitute 2 tablespoons dry white wine mixed with 1 teaspoon sugar. For a milder sauce, omit the chili oil.
Combine 1 minced scallion, ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons mirin, 2 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon chili oil, and ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil in bowl. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 8 hours; whisk to recombine before serving.)
Makes about ½ cup
This sauce is the classic topping for Vegetable Bibimbap. Gochujang, a Korean chile paste, is sold in Asian markets and some supermarkets. If you can’t find gochujang, an equal amount of Sriracha sauce can be substituted. Because Sriracha is more watery than gochujang, omit the water if you use this substitution.
Whisk ¼ cup gochujang, 3 tablespoons water, 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon sugar together in bowl until well combined. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
Makes about 1 cup
Combine 2 cups fresh cilantro leaves, 1 cup fresh mint leaves, ⅓ cup plain whole-milk yogurt, ¼ cup finely chopped onion, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1½ teaspoons sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, and ¼ teaspoon salt in food processor. Process until smooth, about 20 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. (Chutney can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
think like a cook
WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS…PRESERVE THEM!
It’s not exactly a sauce, but this Moroccan condiment is one of our favorite magic ingredients to put in anything. Add preserved lemon to vinaigrettes, pan sauces, grain salads, roasted vegetables, chicken, fish, pasta dishes, and anything else that could use a bright, briny pop of lemon flavor. We like Meyer lemons here because they are thin-skinned and mellower. When using regular lemons, choose smaller fruits with thin skin. Because regular lemons have thicker peels, they may take 2 to 4 weeks longer to soften. It’s important to wash, scrub, and dry the lemons well before preserving.
Makes 4 preserved lemons
Wash and dry 4 lemons, then cut each lengthwise into quarters, stopping 1 inch from bottom so lemon stays intact at base. Juice 8 more lemons to yield 1½ cups juice; reserve extra juice to use as needed. Working over bowl, gently stretch 1 cut lemon open and pour 2 tablespoons salt into center. Gently rub cut surfaces of lemon together, then place in 1-quart jar. Repeat with remaining cut lemons and 6 more tablespoons salt. Add any accumulated salt and juice in bowl to jar. Pour 1½ cups lemon juice into jar and press gently to submerge lemons. (Add more lemon juice if needed to cover lemons completely.) Cover jar tightly with lid and shake. Refrigerate lemons, shaking jar once per day for first 4 days to redistribute salt and juice. Let lemons cure in refrigerator until glossy and softened, 6 to 8 weeks. (Preserved lemons can be refrigerated for at least 6 months.) To use, cut off desired amount of preserved lemon. Rinse if desired. Using knife, remove pulp and white pith from rind and discard. Slice, chop, or mince rind as desired.
