SERVES 4
The best part about this dish is that it takes the effort of preparing fish out of the equation. Searing fish is such a finesse game—there are so many factors you need to nail. If the oil’s too hot, you’ll overcook the fish. Too cool and it sticks to the pan. But with oil poaching, the fish doesn’t dry out because it’s being cooked really gently, and it takes on great flavor from the aromatics that infuse into the oil. We particularly like using cod here because of its silky texture.
4 (2-by-4-inch) cod fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
About 4 cups extra-virgin olive oil, as needed to submerge fish
1 sprig fresh rosemary
3 sprigs fresh lavender, or 1 tablespoon dried lavender, plus a few sprigs for garnish
½ garlic clove
Coarse sea salt
High-quality extra-virgin olive oil, ideally one with grassy notes
Toasted buckwheat or nuts
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Season the fish with salt and pepper. Pour a little oil in a roasting pan and place the fillets in one layer in the pan. Add enough oil to fully submerge the fish. Throw in the rosemary, lavender, and garlic and place the pan in the oven. Cook for about 15 minutes, checking for doneness about every 5 minutes. A bit of white might ooze out of the fish; this is just protein and it’s totally normal. When the fish is done, ready to flake apart but still somewhat translucent in the center, take it out of the pan using a fish spatula and let it rest for 3 minutes.
Pat the fish with a paper towel to remove any excess cooking oil, then finish with sea salt, the high-quality oil, and a scattering of toasted buckwheat (if using).
SERVES 4
Brandade is a salty, creamy potato-cod puree that makes for a great dip or mashed potato alternative meant for those who seriously like butter. No joke. You can spread it on a piece of toast with some chives or scallions, or throw some leftover Marinated Zucchini and Mint Salad on top for a little acidity.
This dish is traditionally made with salt cod that’s been soaking for days. So instead of going the normal—and much more time-consuming—route, we use oil-poached cod. It’s a smart way to use leftovers from the Lavender-Infused Olive Oil–Poached Cod.
1 head of garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups milk
¼ to ½ pound (1 to 2 sticks) unsalted butter
1½ pounds fingerling potatoes, or other small waxy potato
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 to 2 cod fillets, cooked using the method from Olive Oil–Poached Cod
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Slice the top off the head of garlic. Sprinkle the exposed cloves with salt and pepper, then wrap in foil. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the cloves are completely soft. Let cool and reserve half the cloves to use another time (spread on toast, in a sandwich—you get the idea). Smash the garlic cloves into a paste using the side of your knife. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, slowly melt the milk and butter together over low heat. We generally like to use the ratio of 2 parts milk to 1 part butter. Remove from the heat and reserve.
In a large saucepan, place the potatoes in just enough cold water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until a fork or cake tester slides in easily.
Drain the saucepan and mash the potatoes until smooth and creamy. A food mill works best, but if you don’t have one, use a masher or ricer.
Transfer the mashed potatoes back to the saucepan. Over low heat, whisk the potatoes as you add in the milk-butter mixture, one ladle at a time, until you get a creamy texture that can hold a soft peak. Fold in the mustard.
Remove from the heat and add salt and roasted garlic to taste. Flake in your poached fish and gently fold the mixture to incorporate, adjusting seasoning with salt to taste.
SERVES 4 TO 6
Small potatoes like fingerlings are fantastic when braised in stock or broth. Especially broth flavored with mushrooms and bacon.
2 pounds fingerling potatoes
Salt
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 garlic cloves
2 cups Bacon-Mushroom Broth or chicken stock, plus more as needed
Salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks (optional)
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
If your potatoes are bigger than 2 inches thick, halve them lengthwise.
Place the potatoes in a pan that’s deep and wide enough to accommodate all of them in one layer (a roasting pan is perfect). Season with salt. Add the thyme, rosemary, and garlic to the pan, then pour in just enough stock to cover.
Over medium-high heat, bring the stock to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork or cake tester. Remove the potatoes and aromatics from the pot.
Reduce the cooking liquid at a simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, or until it is the consistency of a gravy. Stir in the butter (if using) to make the reduction even richer. Pour the sauce over the potatoes, finish with sea salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
SERVES 4
The beauty of simple vegetable purees doesn’t stop with hearty vegetables; something as delicate as a fresh pea can shine with a quick cook and a little time in a blender.
Start by blanching the peas. Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over high heat and toss in the peas. Let them cook for about 1 minute, or until tender. To check, scoop out a few and taste them. They should be creamy in the middle yet still have a little “bite.” Strain the peas and put them directly into the ice bath to cool completely.
Heat the stock in a small saucepan until warm but not hot. Transfer the peas to a blender or food processor. Add the stock and blend until smooth. Season with salt to taste. Let the puree come to room temperature before serving.
SERVES 4
In Catalonia, Chris was lucky to witness something Catalans go crazy over called calçots, which is basically their version of a charred spring onion. (There is even a name for gathering especially to eat this: a calçotada.) The cooking method is simple: Make a hot fire, put the spring onions on a grill right on top of the hot flames, and then blacken. Once finished, you peel the outside burned layers away, and you are left with a soft smoky onion that you will never forget. Although our version is a bit different, it’s our homage to Catalonia.
These are great done on the grill, but you can also make them in a cast-iron skillet on the stove. You can tell spring onions from green onions or scallions by their larger white bulb, which has a sweeter flavor.
Grapeseed or vegetable oil
8 small spring onions, quartered
Olive oil
Salt
Heat your grill until smoking hot, then use your grill brush to scour off any bits from the grate. Roll up a dish towel, coat it lightly with grapeseed oil (key word being lightly; you don’t want to start a grease fire), and rub it along the grate so your food doesn’t stick.
Toss the spring onions in olive oil and season with salt.
Cover half the surface of your grill with aluminum foil. This is so the more delicate green half of the onion won’t overcook, since it cooks much more quickly. Place the onion horizontally so that the green part rests on the foil but the bulb is directly on the grate. Grill until there’s a good sear on the onion and it is crisp-tender on the inside.
If you don’t have a grill, no worries—just char the onion in a cast-iron skillet, green part and all.
Pickling fruits and vegetables is one of the oldest food-preserving techniques that’s stood the test of time. We found manuals issued by the United States Department of Agriculture dating back to 1910 explaining how to pickle produce, and the method goes back centuries longer than that. Some things don’t change ’cause they’re just that good!
Following is our go- to recipe for pickling. It’s super-easy—you just make a simple brine and submerge vegetables or fruit in it—and a great way to get even more mileage out of produce when it’s at its peak season. We also use pickles a lot in our food because they add bright acidity to a dish without calling for vinegar, lemon, or more salt.
The measurements that follow are just your basic ratio for making a brine. You can make any adjustments that you like or better suit what you’re making. You can throw in any aromatics, such as whole cumin seeds, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, garlic, rosemary, and so on. You can also play with the type of vinegar you use. For example, in our Oysters with Charred Scallions and Pickled Mustard Seeds, the seeds replace a traditional mignonette, which uses sherry wine vinegar. So we use that vinegar in the recipe for the mustard seeds. Since some vinegars are sweeter than others, start small with the sugar and adjust as needed.
From there, you can decide whether you want to brine something hot or cold. Hot pickling liquid is better at breaking down heartier vegetables like carrots, but it can be too intense for something more delicate—like tomatoes—and cause them to turn to mush. In that case, just let your liquid cool completely before adding it to the produce.
The amounts that follow use a quart container as a measure instead of cups, so all you have to do is eyeball the quantities.
MAKES 1 QUART OF PICKLING LIQUID
¼ quart sugar
⅓ quart vinegar (rice wine, Chardonnay, red wine? Your call)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 1½ tablespoons (about as much as will sit on a flattened palm) of aromatics, such as whole cumin seeds, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, garlic, or rosemary (optional)
Suggested vegetables: Cucumbers (such as Kirbys), radishes, trimmed green beans, thin slices of red onion
Add the sugar, vinegar, and ⅔ quart water to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook until the sugar has fully dissolved. Remove from the heat.
Taste your pickling liquid. The vinegar should be strong enough to make the back of your throat tickle but not enough so that you cough. Add the salt and pepper and taste for seasoning—you want just enough to round out the acidity of the pickling liquid and bring out its sweetness. Then add the aromatics (if desired).
Situate your produce in either four small (1-cup) or one large (4-cup) mason jar or another glass container with a tightly fitting lid. Make sure there is about 1 inch clearance between the produce and the top of the container.
Either pour the hot brine over your produce now or wait until it’s cooled, entirely submerging the produce and keeping ½ inch of clearance. Store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. If your produce starts to have an almost carbonated taste, that means it’s beginning to ferment and should be thrown away. If your vegetables have turned black or brown, the pickles are ready to be tossed.
WITH SEARED PEA SHOOTS AND GRAPEFRUIT-SOY VINAIGRETTE
SERVES 4 TO 6
Good bay scallops are incredible. They’re small, sweet, and briny, almost creamy. If you see them at a good fish market, make a move for them, but ask first if they have been “dipped.” Dipped scallops have been treated with a preservative that plumps them up with water, which means you’re paying for dead weight and a metallic taste. But a good bay scallop’s natural brine is really nice, so why mess with it? The sautéed pea shoots—or early stems of a pea plant, also called pea tendrils—plus the vinaigrette then bring smoke, citrus, and salt to the dish.
Grapeseed or vegetable oil
1 handful of pea shoots
Salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
Splash of stock or water
Extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
20 bay scallops (about ¼ to ½ pound)
Fleur de sel or other light finishing salt
Shiso, sliced thin, for garnish
Togarashi pepper (Japanese 7 spice)
Set a large sauté pan over high heat. When it’s smoking hot, add just enough grapeseed oil to coat the bottom and quickly sear your pea shoots. While the pea shoots are in the pan, season them carefully with salt—they don’t require a lot. When they’ve gotten a bit of color, remove them from the pan and place them on a paper towel to drain. Transfer them to a bowl and place them in the fridge to cool for a few minutes.
While the pea shoots are cooling, make your vinaigrette. Add the soy sauce, grapefruit juice, the stock, and about 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a mason jar. Cover, give it a good shake, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
On each plate, lay down the pea shoots, then the scallops. Make sure to dress each individual scallop with a bit of fleur de sel and then drizzle the vinaigrette over the top. To finish, top each plate with a pinch of shiso and Togarashi pepper.
WITH FRIED CAPERS AND PARSLEY VINAIGRETTE
SERVES 4 TO 6
Soft-shell crabs always taste better if you buy them while they’re still alive. Take the time to either clean them yourself (ask your fishmonger how to do this when you buy them) or have him do it for you so they are alive until just before you cook them. Store them in the refrigerator covered with a damp towel (not on ice or they’ll get waterlogged).
1 whole head of garlic, plus 2 to 3 additional cloves, smashed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ small white onion, roughly chopped
½ bunch of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
½ cup champagne vinegar
½ cup fresh lemon juice
2½ cups extra-virgin olive oil
Grapeseed or vegetable oil
½ cup capers, rinsed and blotted very dry
8 soft-shell crabs
Wondra flour
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
4 cups arugula, washed and dried
¼ cup thinly sliced chives (optional)
2 lemons, cut into wedges
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Slice the top off the head of garlic. Sprinkle the exposed cloves with salt and pepper, then wrap in foil. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the cloves are completely soft.
Place 2 cloves of the roasted garlic (save the rest for another use), the onion, parsley, vinegar, and lemon juice in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly pour in the olive oil until the mixture is emulsified but still loose. Taste and adjust the flavor by adding more oil or vinegar, if necessary, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat enough grapeseed oil to generously coat the bottom over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the capers and fry until just brown. Transfer them to a paper-towel-lined plate or bowl to drain.
Coat the bottom of a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet with oil and heat over a medium flame. You’ll know the oil is hot enough when it starts to “dance” or shimmer. Dust the crabs with Wondra, then place them top side down in the skillet, making sure not to crowd them or they won’t get crispy. If you have to, work in batches. Season the belly with salt and pepper—but use a light hand, since crabs are naturally salty. Cook the crabs in the skillet until they’re golden brown. After 4 to 5 minutes, you can use a thin spatula or spoon to check on the progress. Flip them over and repeat for a total cook time of about 8 minutes. To finish, add the butter, along with the smashed garlic cloves. Baste the crabs with the foaming butter until the butter is brown. Remove the crabs from the skillet and set aside.
Toss the arugula with a few spoonfuls of the vinaigrette to taste, and plate with the crabs. Top with a good pinch of capers per plate and chives, too (if using). Serve with a bowl of lemon wedges to squeeze over the crab.
AND MINT SALAD
SERVES 4
This is one of those great no-brainer warm-weather salads. All you need is 1 zucchini per person. Get a bunch of different varieties and mix up each plate.
4 zucchini or summer squash
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup champagne vinegar
⅓ cup fresh oregano leaves, plus extra for garnish
⅓ cup chopped fresh mint, plus extra for garnish
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
⅔ cup crushed almonds or pistachios (optional)
Slice the zucchini as thinly as possible (a mandoline is handy here), and toss the strips with just enough oil to coat, the champagne vinegar, and herbs, and allow the whole thing to sit in the fridge for a couple of hours. The vinegar will “cook” the squash a little bit, softening it a touch but still preserving its fresh crispness. Strain out the juices that have accumulated, add the shallot and season with salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle the almonds on top (if using).
SERVES 1 TO A CROWD
Sometimes the best dessert is as simple as a bowl of perfectly ripened fruit, grown locally and picked at the peak of its season. For a little something extra, serve these with crème fraîche on the side.
Cherries, as desired
Put the cherries in a bowl. Serve.
MAKES 5 COCKTAILS, BUT FEEL FREE TO DOUBLE THE RECIPE
As fun as it is to shake and stir a cocktail for yourself and your friends, no one wants to be handcuffed to the bar or kitchen when everyone else is out having fun. Whether you’re lying out on the porch, sitting at the foot of the river, or working in the garden, it’s nice to have a big pitcher of punch that everyone can serve themselves from. This recipe has aspects of all the classic porch drinks like iced teas and lemonades, as well as the summer classics of juleps and greyhounds. Help yourself! —Nino
4 bags of strong white peach tea
1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish
¼ cup sugar, preferably demerara for its richness
½ cup fresh grapefruit juice
½ cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups aged rum
6 dashes Angostura bitters
Club soda
Citrus and peach rounds
Fill a medium freezer-safe bowl or a plastic pint container with water and place in the freezer until frozen solid.
Bring 3 cups of water to a boil and add the tea bags, mint, and sugar. Turn off the heat and steep for 15 minutes. Strain into a large bowl and let cool. Add the grapefruit juice, lemon juice, rum, and bitters. Stir well and refrigerate.
About 15 minutes before serving, add the large ice cube to the punch as well as a few splashes of club soda. Garnish with the fruit rounds and some mint.
SERVES 4
Before writing a cookbook ever became a reality, this was one of the first dishes we would cook for our friends. The inspiration for the dish came about mostly because peaches were perfectly in season, and frankly, it just sounded fun to pair sweet peaches with the nutty and smoky grilled radicchio. So that’s just what we did, and here it is.
Grapeseed or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ garlic clove, grated or minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 anchovy fillets, minced (optional)
½ cup red wine vinegar
1¼ cups extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
2 heads of radicchio, halved (Treviso, the thinner variety, is great)
2 large peaches, halved and pitted
Heat your grill until smoking hot, then use your grill brush to scour off any bits from the grate. Roll up a dish towel and coat it lightly with grapeseed oil, and rub it along the grate so your food doesn’t stick.
In a mason jar, combine the mustard, garlic, a good pinch of salt, and a couple of grinds of pepper. If you want to take the vinaigrette up a notch, add the minced anchovy, too. (It’s really good with grilled radicchio.) Add the vinegar and olive oil, then shake to emulsify. Taste, and adjust with salt, pepper, vinegar, or olive oil.
Toss the radicchio and peaches with a good splash of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and lay them on a hot grill until just charred. Flip and repeat. Remove from the grill and set aside.
Slice the radicchio and peaches into smaller, bite-size pieces and toss with a few spoonfuls of the vinaigrette. Leftover vinaigrette keeps in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
SERVES 4
You’ve probably heard of this method for searing chicken for the obvious reason—the brick. And maybe in the past that’s sounded a little scary or complicated. But the truth is, you don’t need a brick. All that matters is having some kind of weight on the chicken because that’s what’s going to give you a perfect sear and also cook the bird evenly. Go with your weight of choice—multiple pans, a rock, a dumbbell on top of a pan—it really doesn’t make a difference as long as it’s about 7 pounds, or enough to press the chicken completely and evenly. You can ask your butcher to “spatchcock” (or halve, butterfly, and debone) your chicken, so it lays flat. Ideally he or she would leave in the leg bones, since they offer a lot of flavor, but no worries if that doesn’t happen.
1 chicken (2 to 3 pounds), halved and deboned, preferably with leg bones left in
Grapeseed or vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 generous tablespoons unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves
½ sprig fresh rosemary
2 fresh sage leaves (optional)
½ lemon
Coarse sea salt
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Take the chicken out of the fridge about 45 minutes before cooking to allow the meat to come to room temperature. Have your weight handy, making sure it is clean and not ice cold. Dry the chicken very well with paper towels. Set up a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet with a roasting rack.
Set a very large, heavy skillet (big enough to take the whole flattened chicken) over medium-high heat, and add enough oil to coat the bottom. (If you don’t have a pan large enough, split the chicken in half, down the spine, and use two heavy pans.) Season the chicken thoroughly with salt and pepper. When your oil starts to smoke, place the chicken in the pan, skin side down. “Spin” (don’t flip) the chicken so that the oil underneath it evens out (see Carrying the Sear), then place your weight on top of the chicken. After about 4 minutes, check your sear. You’re looking for an even and beautiful golden brown. Once there, flip the chicken over and repeat for another 4 minutes or until golden.
Remove the weight and transfer the chicken to the roasting rack skin side up. Put the chicken in the oven and cook until a cake tester feels hot, or a thermometer indicates an internal temperature of 150°F to 155°F, 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Rinse and wipe out the pan you used to sear the chicken, and heat over medium-high heat. When hot, add the butter and throw in the garlic and herbs. When the butter starts foaming, add the chicken, tip the pan gently toward you, and arroser the chicken with the foaming butter for a good 30 seconds to a minute (see arroser,). Put the chicken back on the cooling rack, and finish with a squeeze of lemon, a sprinkle of sea salt, and some grindings of pepper. Allow it to rest 1 more minute, then serve.
SERVES 1 TO A CROWD
I’m not normally that into sweets, but this is the kind of dessert I’ll itch for while watching the Knicks game or in need of a late snack. Growing up, if we didn’t have coffee ice cream in the freezer—which was my family’s go- to flavor—I’d grab vanilla ice cream instead and mix in some Folgers instant coffee. As I started cooking more and more and noticing how often pastry chefs were throwing salt on their dishes, I added salt to the mix. It balances out the flavor and creates complexity at the same time. I guess we can call it a sundae, but really it’s just a modified scoop of ice cream.
This recipe calls for vanilla ice cream, but you can definitely make this with coffee ice cream, hazelnut, pistachio, fruit-flavored—whatever’s your jam. Also, the better coffee you use, the better this’ll be. When I go out to eat, I’ll ask for a demitasse of ground espresso. (Yeah, this dish is so good you’ll even want to make it when you go out to eat.) But this is also a great excuse to use the Folgers that’s been sitting in your pantry forever. And as for salt, ideally you’d use something with big flakes like Maldon salt.
Scoop some vanilla ice cream into a bowl. Top with a dusting of instant coffee and a small pinch of salt. If you have corn flakes lying around, throw those in, too. The crunch can’t hurt, right? Dig in.
SERVES 2 TO 4
We really prefer buying whole racks of lamb rather than individual chops. That way, you can just cook one rack instead of many chops, and you can get a better sear without overcooking the meat. Try to avoid buying a rack that’s been “frenched,” or has had the meat stripped away from the rib bones. Sure, it looks pretty and makes for a nice little handle to eat with, but why would you want to throw away all that delicious fat when it could be seeping into the meat while it’s cooking? Lamb fat is tasty, so don’t let it go to waste just for aesthetic purposes.
Ask your butcher to make sure that the spine is fully removed, including the “eye” bones. Sometimes these bones are missed, and they could end up chipping your knife when you cut up the chops. And be sure to buy the rack the day before so that you can marinate it for a good 24 hours.
1 rack of lamb (about 8 chops)
4 garlic cloves, smashed
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
Grapeseed or vegetable oil
Salt
2 generous tablespoons unsalted butter
Coarse sea salt
Place the lamb, garlic, and rosemary into a large plastic zipper-lock bag. Add enough oil to coat everything evenly and then do your best to squeeze out as much of the air as possible out of the bag. You’re trying to mimic a vacuum seal so the garlic and rosemary flavors have nowhere to go but into the lamb. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
About an hour before you’re ready to cook the lamb, pull the bag out of the fridge, remove the lamb, and pat it dry with paper towels. Pick off any garlic and rosemary sticking to the lamb and reserve; discard the marinade. Let the lamb come to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
When you’re ready to start cooking, grab a large cast-iron pan, pour in enough oil to coat the bottom, and get it very hot over high heat. Season the lamb heavily with salt. We usually do this in the sink so that we can make it rain salt without making a mess.
When the oil is just about smoking, tip your pan away from you so that the hot oil doesn’t splatter you and place the rack, fat side down, in the pan. Let the lamb sear until golden brown, about 2 minutes, then flip and sear the other side. Transfer the lamb to a roasting rack or rack placed inside a rimmed baking pan and roast in the oven. After about 10 minutes, check your meat with a cake tester. Depending on the size of your rack, cooking times will differ, so checking is the best way to know where you’re at. You’ll want the tester to feel just-warm to warm.
Remove the lamb from the oven and allow it to rest on a cooling rack in a warm place for half of your total cooking time.
Over medium heat, melt the butter in the first pan you used, throwing in the rosemary and garlic from the marinade. Add the lamb, tip the pan gently toward you, and baste with foaming butter for a good 30 seconds. Rest the rack again for another minute.
When you’re ready to cut up the chops, put the fat side of the rack down flat on your cutting board so that the bones are easily visible. Use them as a guide for your knife, cutting along the bones to separate each chop.
Finish the chops with a dash of sea salt and serve immediately.
Ramps, or wild leeks, are found mostly in the eastern United States and are one of the best things that grow naturally in New York. So it is no surprise that everyone goes nuts for the one month they are in season. You’d be hard-pressed to find a menu without them—sautéed, grilled, pickled, you name it. Yes, the hype can get annoying, but it’s for good reason. Their pungent, almost garlicky flavor makes them just as versatile as they are delicious. It’s actually sad how quickly they come and go.
To help take full advantage of when ramps are out in full force—and also preserve their unique flavor well beyond—we enlisted our friend Ash Merriman. She’s one of Ithai’s closest friends and also happens to be one of the best chefs we know. She heads up kitchens in New York City and if you haven’t heard of her already, we’re sure you will soon.
SERVES 4
For a short time in the spring, when ramps are in season, what’s in the fridge often doesn’t look as appealing as grabbing some ramps out of the woods. (If you do forage for them, though, take care not to take more than 15 to 20 percent from one spot; ideally, you’ll take the leaves only—a single leaf from each plant, and leave the bulbs to grow.) Their flavor is the perfect mix of garlic and onion with just a little sweetness, so you don’t need to do much to them to make something delicious—just clean and sauté them. See Ramps for a variety of ways to use them.
Grapeseed or vegetable oil
4 generous handfuls of ramps (white and green parts)
Pinch of salt
Coat a large cast-iron skillet with oil, and heat over high heat until it shimmers. Throw in the ramps and add salt. Sauté until just wilted. Remove from the heat and serve.
MAKES 1 POUND
I like to make this butter at the beginning of ramp season when the bulbs are tiny and the pungent ramp kick has yet to gain full throttle. It is the one time I use raw ramps, and their soft onion flavor permeates the butter. If it’s later in the season, I recommend cooking your ramps quickly before making the butter. Slather it on steak, chicken, toast with avocado, crackers—you name it.
12 to 15 small ramps (white and green parts), cleaned
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 small shallot, finely minced
Grated zest of 1 small lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Trim the small white roots from the ends of the ramps and separate the bulbs from the green leaves. Finely mince the bulbs and chiffonade (see this page) the tops.
Place all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until all the ingredients are incorporated well.
Divide the butter mixture in half onto two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Form logs by tightly wrapping the parchment or plastic wrap around the butter. Store in an airtight container or freezer bags. The butter will keep in the fridge for a few days or up to a month in the freezer.
MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS
Make a batch of this using our simple pickling method, then throw this spread on sandwiches, toast, burgers—anywhere that would benefit from a little briny, oniony, garlicky kick. The pickles will take time to reach their peak flavor, so try to give them about a week before you dig in.
½ cup sugar
⅔ cup rice wine, white wine, or red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
¼ teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted
¼ sprig fresh dill, chopped
1½ cups finely chopped ramps (white and green parts)
¼ red onion, finely chopped
1 medium green tomato, charred on the grill, in the oven, or in a cast-iron skillet; peeled and roughly chopped
1 Kirby cucumber, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
Add the sugar, 1¼ cups water, and vinegar to a medium pot and bring to a simmer. Cook until the sugar has fully dissolved. Remove from the heat.
Taste your pickling liquid. The vinegar should be strong enough to make the back of your throat tickle, but not enough so that you cough. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then add the brown mustard seeds, yellow mustard seeds, coriander seeds, and dill.
Divide the ramps, onion, green tomato, and cucumber into glass containers with tight-fitting lids, leaving an inch of space at the top. Wait until the liquid has cooled, then pour it over the vegetables, submerging them completely, leaving ½ inch of space. (Keeping the liquid cool gives you crunchy ramps, and it preserves their pink and white colors. If you prefer the ramps wilted, pour the liquid in while hot.) Store in the fridge.
MAKES ABOUT 2½ CUPS
Remoulade is basically dressed-up mayonnaise. It goes really well with meats and is perfect any time you want a more herbaceous alternative to mayo.
1 large egg yolk
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon mustard powder
½ teaspoon prepared horseradish
½ tablespoon champagne vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of ½ lime
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups canola oil
¼ cup Quick Ramp Relish
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parley
½ small red onion, minced
½ cup fresh ramps (green parts only), blanched and chopped
2 tablespoons capers, roughly chopped
½ teaspoon grainy mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place the egg yolk, Dijon mustard, mustard powder, horseradish, vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice, Tabasco sauce, and cayenne in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Blend to combine, then, with the motor running, slowly add the oil into the mixture. Continue to add in all the oil until your mayonnaise has formed.
Transfer the sauce to a large mixing bowl. Using the food processor or blender, quickly pulse the ramp relish to chop, but don’t puree it entirely. Scrape the relish into the mayonnaise. Add the parsley, onion, ramps, capers, and grainy mustard. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days
SERVES 4 TO 6
We like adding yogurt in places you wouldn’t normally expect because it’s such an underrated condiment that absorbs flavors really well, especially spices. In this case, it picks up and mellows out the heat in smoky Moroccan harissa and makes a great complement to sweet carrots.
1 head of garlic
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt
8 to 12 medium to small carrots
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons Moroccan harissa, or to taste (or use paprika and chipotle powder)
½ cup sunflower seeds, toasted
½ cup pistachios, toasted
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chiffonaded fresh mint
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Slice the head of garlic in half widthwise and toss in oil just to coat. Wrap it in foil and bake until a cake tester can easily slide through the cloves, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Allow it to cool, then squeeze out the cloves from their husks. Using the flat side of your knife, mash the cloves into a paste. Set aside.
Slice the shallot into paper-thin rings and toss in a bowl with just enough lemon juice to coat. Season lightly with salt. Allow to sit for 30 minutes.
Preheat the broiler. Peel the carrots and trim the tops and ends. Cook the carrots in the boiling water until they are just shy of fork-tender. You want them to be a bit undercooked at this point. Remove the carrots and lay them on a baking sheet. Toss them with oil and a little salt. Place the baking sheet under the broiler until the carrots are slightly blistered.
Put the yogurt in a small mixing bowl. Stir in the harissa until you get your desired spice level. Do the same with the roasted garlic paste. Then add the lemon juice and salt to taste. At this point we’re looking for a loose consistency for the yogurt. If yours is still too thick, add a little olive oil at a time until you get there.
To serve, spoon some of the yogurt on each plate, put the carrots on top, then finish with sunflower seeds, pistachios, the shallot, parsley, and mint.
SERVES 6 TO 8
One of the first times we hung out together and had people over to eat, our friend Mina brought this cake. We found it to be almost like a tastier, healthier pound cake—rich and dense and kind of fruity and grassy from the olive oil and citrus.
¾ cup olive oil, plus extra for the pan
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for the pan
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for serving
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg plus 1 yolk
¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons brandy or cognac
1½ teaspoons grated orange zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
Powdered sugar, for serving (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Lightly oil an 8-inch cake pan and lightly dust with flour.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Stir until just mixed, then make a well in the center. Set aside.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk the egg, egg yolk, and oil until combined. Add the ¾ cup of granulated sugar and whisk well. Whisk in the milk, brandy, orange zest, and orange juice.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk, working from the center and moving outward, until the batter is smooth. Fold in the walnuts. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and sprinkle the top with the remaining tablespoon of granulated sugar.
Bake for about 1 hour, until the top gets crusty and dark brown and a knife or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Slice and serve with a dusting of powdered sugar (if desired) and cinnamon.
MAKES 1 COCKTAIL
This cocktail is named after the traditional evening stroll of Italy. At dusk, Italians take to the streets and piazzas to people-watch, relax, flirt, and to see and be seen.
This is a variation on the godfather of all Italian cocktails: the Negroni. Here, though, I replace the traditional bitter red Campari with Salers, a French aperitif made from roots, herbs, and citrus. It is bitter and sweet with notes of anise and citrus. Also, Cocchi Americano replaces the sweet vermouth. It’s delicate and complex with notes of orange flower, pear, honey, and citrus, which balances wonderfully with the Salers. The fennel garnish—known for its magical quality to both stimulate and suppress the appetite (only in Italy!)—rounds this out as the perfect drink for a summer evening. —Nino
1½ ounces dry gin
¾ ounce Cocchi Americano
¾ ounce Salers
2 dashes of grapefruit bitters
Slice of fennel or fennel fronds
Stir together the gin, Cocchi Americano, Salers, and bitters over ice until well chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with fennel.
WITH PANCETTA AND POTATO PANZANELLA
SERVES 4
Panzanella is an Italian word for bread crumb or crouton salad. Normally you see it on summer menus because it’s a way to showcase late-summer tomatoes. But this version is better suited for late winter or early spring. That’s when you get a second wave of flavorful tomatoes that are grown in hothouses. We know this goes against the always-buy-seasonal mandate, but this is an exception that makes sense. Hothouse tomatoes are a little more tart than the sweet tomatoes of summer and add a nice acidity to a dish, particularly this one. Add in some larder staples, like potatoes and pancetta, and silver fish, like branzino or Spanish mackerel—which is great this time of year—and you’ve made a summer standby perfect for colder months.
12 small waxy potatoes like new potatoes or fingerlings
4 thick slices rustic, crusty bread
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of fresh thyme and/or fresh oregano (optional)
1 slice pancetta or bacon (about ¼ inch thick)
1 shallot, thinly sliced
10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 pounds branzino or Spanish mackerel fillets
1 lemon
1 orange
Coarse sea salt
Pinch of smoked paprika (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped chives
In a medium saucepan, just cover the potatoes with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Generously salt the water to season the potatoes as they cook. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes can be pierced easily by a cake tester, about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and set aside to cool.
Slice the bread into ½- to 1-inch cubes. Imagine that you’re taking a bite of fish along with it—you want everything to fit on the fork. Generously coat the bottom of a cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet with oil. Heat over a medium flame and add the bread, tossing to coat. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme and/or oregano (if using). Keep the bread cubes moving in the pan so they are evenly seasoned and toast to a golden brown. Lay the bread cubes on a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
Slice your pancetta crosswise into ¼-inch-thick lardons. Then slice again lengthwise into ¼-inch-square cubes.
Wipe out the skillet you just used to toast the bread. Heat over a low flame, add the pancetta, and slowly render out the fat until crisp. Scoop the pieces out onto a paper-towel-lined plate, but keep the fat in the pan—you’ll want to use it to cook the rest of the ingredients so everything picks up that nice porky flavor.
Increase the heat to medium and throw in the shallot. Sauté until it has softened a touch with just a hair of color. You can add some oil if the pan starts to look dry. Add the tomatoes.
While the shallot and tomatoes are cooking, crush the potatoes with your palm so they make flattened little patties. Add them to the pan along with the tomatoes and shallot and season with a bit of salt. Cook until the tomatoes have just softened and the potatoes have heated through. Remove the mixture from the pan and transfer to a large bowl. Add the pancetta and bread cubes and gently combine.
Wipe out the skillet and set over medium-high heat with enough oil to coat the bottom. When the oil is shimmering hot, carefully add the branzino fillets to the pan, and salt them. Turn down the heat if they are sizzling like crazy; you want them to be lively, but not screaming. (Be sure not to crowd the fillets; cook in batches if necessary.)
When you see a golden crust form on the bottom of the fish, about 3 minutes, carefully flip the fillets with a thin spatula and lightly salt them. Continue cooking until a cake tester slides into the flesh easily, with almost no resistance, another minute or so. Or go ahead and cut into a piece if you’re not sure. (If using Spanish mackerel, which is usually a thin fillet, this may be a matter of seconds.) When the fish is just barely translucent, you’re ready. Remove the fish to a warm plate and let it rest for a minute.
While the fish rests, finish the panzanella by giving it a small squeeze of lemon and orange juice, to taste. Add a little coarse salt, and a tiny pinch of paprika, which adds a nice smokiness. (If you’re using bacon and it is very smoky, you can omit this.)
Heap the salad onto each plate and top with the fish, skin side up so that it stays crisp. Garnish with a few pinches of chives and serve immediately.
SERVES 4
As Chris spent a good part of a year in Germany, one thing he couldn’t help noticing is that few people seem to appreciate the coming of asparagus season as much as the Germans. In the springtime, weis spargel, or white asparagus, is on every menu in Germany. It is pretty much assumed that if it’s in season, you’re going to order something with spargel in it. After visiting during that time, we started to rack our brains as to how we could create a unique preparation that celebrates asparagus and would make the Germans proud. This soup was the result. We use green asparagus because it’s much more common, but if you have white, that would be ideal.
6 small beets
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Leaves from 1 sprig fresh thyme
3 shallots
Grapeseed or vegetable oil
1 slice bacon
1 cup dry white wine (something you’d be okay drinking)
2½ cups vegetable stock
½ bay leaf
8 to 12 medium asparagus stalks
1 small handful of crushed pistachios
1 kohlrabi bulb, peeled and sliced paper thin
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
Coarse sea salt
1 tablespoon chives, thinly sliced
Mustard or chili oil
Trout roe, for garnish (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
In a mixing bowl, toss the beets with enough olive oil to coat, then season well with salt, pepper, and thyme. Wrap the beets in a foil pouch and roast them in the oven until a cake tester can easily pierce them, about 45 minutes. Allow them to cool to room temperature, then trim off the tops and bottoms and slip the peels away from the flesh. Allow the beets to cool completely in the fridge.
Dice 2 of the shallots and slice the remaining shallot paper thin. In a sauté pan over a low flame, add enough grapeseed oil to coat the bottom. Add the diced shallots and bacon and sweat until the shallots are translucent and the bacon is crispy, 10 to 15 minutes.
Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook until it reduces to about ½ cup, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the stock and bay leaf, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl, removing the bacon, and set in the fridge to cool.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add enough salt so that you can taste it. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
Break off the bottoms of the asparagus. They’ll naturally snap where the tougher ends meet the tender part of the stalk. Cook the asparagus for 3 to 5 minutes in the boiling water. It should still be bright green and tender with a bit of crunch. Once done, remove all the asparagus with a slotted spoon and put immediately in the ice bath. Transfer the asparagus to a plate and let chill in the fridge.
Once all your ingredients are cold, cut the asparagus and beets into bite-size pieces. Skim off any fat on the top of the broth and discard the bay leaf. Arrange the vegetables in a shallow bowl and fill it halfway with the broth.
Finish the dish by adding the pistachios, then topping the broth with slices of kohlrabi and shallot, about 3 of each per bowl. Add a pinch of orange zest, a bit of sea salt and chives, and a few drops of mustard oil. Just be careful—too much will truly bust up this dish. If desired, trout roe makes a really nice garnish.
