MAKES 1 COCKTAIL
This is a great basic recipe. You can build, add, and adjust depending on your own taste. Add garnishes such as radishes, olives, sweet peppers, hot peppers, pickled vegetables, or our favorite—an oyster. Play with different ingredients like changing the acid component from citrus to vinegar. I really like adding some smoked pimentón for smoky depth or pickle brine to give it a salty kick. —Nino
2 ounces vodka
4 ounces tomato juice
½ ounce fresh lemon juice
½ ounce Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of celery salt
2 or 3 dashes of hot sauce
Bar spoonful of prepared horseradish
1 stalk celery
Shake all ingredients except the celery with ice and strain into a glass filled with ice. Garnish with the celery.
WITH CHARRED SCALLIONS AND PICKLED MUSTARD SEEDS
SERVES 6
Starting a meal with oysters is kind of the best way to get a meal going—everyone gets involved with the shucking, so you can just keep throwing them back. Pickled mustard seeds add a unique element. It almost acts like caviar in its texture, but its flavor is, as you might’ve guessed, pickled and mustardlike. Keep them in the fridge like a condiment and put them on anything from a rib eye to risotto to add a briny punch.
1 cup sherry vinegar
⅓ cup sugar
Salt
½ cup whole mustard seeds
Grapeseed or vegetable oil
½ bunch of scallions, white and green parts, sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
2 dozen oysters, scrubbed
Grated zest of 1 lemon
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
oyster knife
Combine the vinegar, sugar, and 1¼ cups water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Salt to taste and pour the liquid over the mustard seeds in a small bowl or container. Set aside.
Add enough oil to coat the bottom of a large skillet and heat it over high heat until it shimmers. Add as many scallions as will fit in one layer in the pan. Let them sear and wilt. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Repeat with another batch, if necessary. Once the scallions are cool enough to handle, slice thinly.
On your counter, firmly hold the oyster flat side up between two towels. Notice that there is a point in the back of the oyster where the top and bottom shells come together. Aim the tip of the oyster knife into this joint and use a little force to wedge it in. Gently but firmly, twist the knife to pop the joint open. Run the knife at a slight upward angle along the length of the shell to remove the top shell. Once it’s off, inspect the oyster; it should smell sweet like the ocean. If it’s dry or has an off aroma, discard it.
Gently scoop the bottom of the oyster meat with the knife to clear it from the shell. Remove any grit with your finger. Sprinkle each oyster with a scallion, a small pile of pickled mustard seeds, a tiny pinch of lemon zest, and a few drops of pickling liquid.
SERVES 6
This recipe comes from Chris’s close friend and bandmate, Christopher Bear. When they’re on tour, Chris and Christopher throw barbecues next to the bus as often as possible. With only two portable hibachi grills and a knife at their disposal, simplicity is key—and crowd-pleasing is pretty crucial. The secret to this recipe is that the cabbage is marinated and then grilled, which gives it even more flavor. It’s fantastic on a burger or as a side for any BBQ on any day of summer.
1 cup sesame oil
1¼ cups rice wine vinegar
¾ cup tamari soy sauce
1 4-inch piece of peeled fresh ginger, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium head of red cabbage
2 handfuls of fresh cilantro, chopped
In a large bowl, mix together the oil, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. Trim the root of the cabbage, quarter it, and put in a large bowl. (If it’s very large, then cut into 6 wedges.) Pour the oil mixture over the cabbage wedges and let it marinate for at least 1 hour at room temperature.
Preheat a grill until very hot. Remove the cabbage wedges and tap against the bowl to shake off the marinade. Throw the cabbage down on the grill, avoiding the center (the hottest part of the grill) and reserve the marinade to use as a dressing for after the cabbage is cooked. Close the lid of the grill and allow the cabbage to roast. After about 7 minutes, flip the pieces, cover, and cook for another 7 minutes. Now move the wedges to the center of the grill to blacken, turning every couple of minutes so it doesn’t burn to a crisp.
The outermost leaves will naturally start peeling away, so keep pulling them off until all the layers have seared and blackened slightly. Chop all the cabbage into thin strips, toss with the dressing to taste, add cilantro, and serve.
SERVES 6
We considered it our personal duty to perfect the method of making an amazing burger. Although it’s not that complicated, it does take a little finesse to get a final product that’s really, really good.
We’re not purists—we like a hit of flavor in the meat mixture, and one ingredient we find key is a healthy amount of onions. They add punch to the flavor of the meat and help keep the burger extra juicy and delicious. Another tip is to cut your onions and garlic as small as possible so that the flavor folds in seamlessly with no detectable chunks. But most importantly, you want to taste your burger before it even hits the grill. It’s just like beef tartare. So after everything’s mixed, take a taste. See what it needs. It should be delicious before it’s even cooked. Our final piece of advice is to salt just the surface of the patties right before they’re grilled. That way the salt pulls the moisture only out of the surface of the meat, which helps it get a nice crust on the outside without drying out the inside. But the most important thing about burger cooking is that it should feel fun and easy. If you’re nervous about your burger-making skills, don’t fret: Just give people more beer.
2 pounds ground beef with an 80:20 fat ratio
1 large yellow or sweet onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
3 tablespoons bourbon
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Grapeseed or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
6 buns
Tomatoes, onions, mayonnaise, pickles, or other toppings of your choice (the Grilled Red Cabbage Slaw is great)
In a bowl, combine the beef, onion, garlic, and jalapeño with the bourbon and Worcestershire sauce. (Depending on how much spice you want, you can use more or less jalapeño. Also, leaving in the seeds will add even more heat. You can always add more later when you adjust the seasoning.) Let this mixture marinate while you prep other items for your meal—it only gets better as it sits. So this is a great time to get your grill nice and smoking hot and clean.
Add the parsley and pepper to the meat mixture and combine well. Try a pinch of the meat and adjust the seasoning to taste. (If you’re nervous about tasting the meat raw, grill a small bite of it and taste that.) When you’re happy, divide the meat into 6 balls, and gently form them into patties.
Once the grill is very hot, use your grill brush to scour off any bits from the grate. Roll up a dish towel, coat it lightly with oil, and rub it along the grate so your food doesn’t stick. Now you’re ready to throw the burgers down. Salt the side of the meat that is about to meet the flames. Place the patties salt side down on the grill and let cook for 4 minutes with the lid open. After 4 minutes, salt the tops of the burger, and flip the patties over. Continue to cook for another 3 to 5 minutes or until they are done to your preference. You can tell by just touching a patty. If it gives easily and is soft, it’s still rare. Once you feel a little resistance, it’s medium-rare. Firmer than that is getting into medium and then well-done territory.
Grill up some buns and layer the patties with your toppings of choice.
SERVES 6
This potato salad is a barbecue classic that Tal, Ithai’s brother, has made a staple out of. We’re not sure he’s invited anywhere anymore unless he shows up with it. Instead of mayo, he uses a mustard vinaigrette plus a few soft-boiled eggs to give it creamy body with complex flavor. Try to buy organic potatoes whenever possible; because potatoes and other root vegetables absorb everything that is put into the soil, you’ll want to make sure they’re not absorbing chemicals you don’t want to eat.
18 small new potatoes—red, yellow, purple, doesn’t matter
⅔ pound green beans or haricots verts
6 large eggs
1 medium red onion, diced, or 1 bunch of scallions (white and green parts), chopped
1 bunch of fresh dill, or to taste, chopped
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
6 to 9 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 to 9 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
⅓ cup bread crumbs
Cover the potatoes with cold, generously salted water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until they can be easily pierced with a cake tester, about 20 minutes. Remove from the water and set aside to cool (throwing them in the fridge is fine).
Fill a bowl with ice and water. Bring the water in the saucepan back up to a boil and add the green beans. Blanch for 1 to 2 minutes, until bright green and crisp-tender. Remove the green beans and chill in the ice bath.
Bring the water back up to a boil and carefully add the eggs. Let cook at a rolling boil for 5 minutes. Transfer the eggs to the ice bath. Once cool enough to handle, gently crack the shells and peel. (This is a great task for a friend in need of a job in the kitchen.)
Slice the potatoes about ¼ inch thick. Halve the beans lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces.
In a mixing bowl, combine the potatoes, green beans, onion, and dill.
Make a vinaigrette by combining the mustard, garlic, vinegar, and oil in a mason jar. Give it a shake and season with salt and pepper.
Crush the soft-boiled eggs into the potato–green bean mixture with some dressing. Adjust with more salt or dressing, to taste. You can serve immediately, but it’s best after an hour in the fridge.
There comes a point in the summer when the farmers’ markets are exploding with tomatoes. These peak-season gems are nothing like the sad-looking, mealy beefsteaks that sit in the grocery store the rest of the year. They’re sweet and juicy and fragrant and don’t need a single drop of oil or salt to taste amazing. If it’s late summer and we’re eating, chances are there’s a tomato on the plate. Our Israeli-Style Tomato Cucumber Salad and Tomato and Sweet Corn Salad are two great summer staples, and here are a few others to get you inspired.
MAKES 3 QUARTS
There are variations on the basic red sauce method in kitchens all over the world, including ours. This one in particular works well any time of year, as tomatoes aren’t always in season, even if we wish they were.
8 to 10 pounds plum tomatoes (about 40 tomatoes)
Extra-virgin olive oil
1½ large yellow onions, finely diced
2 heads of garlic
4 medium carrots, juiced or grated
Crushed red pepper flakes
Salt
2 bay leaves
8 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh oregano
8 whole black peppercorns, toasted
1 or 2 handfuls of basil, depending on how herbaceous you like it, chiffonade
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, salt the water, and fill a large bowl with ice water.
With the tip of your knife, make a small X on the bottom of each tomato. Add a few tomatoes at a time to the hot water and allow them to boil for 20 seconds, or until you see the skin starting to peel away from the flesh. Transfer to the ice water. After a few seconds they should be cool enough to handle and the skins should slip off easily when pulled. If not, put the tomatoes back into the boiling water for 10 seconds more and shock again with ice water. Peel all the tomatoes using this method.
Put the tomatoes in a large bowl and crush them with your hands. Remove the cores.
Generously coat the bottom of a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot with olive oil and heat over medium-low heat. Add the onions, 3 whole cloves of garlic, and grated carrots (if not using juice) and very gently sweat them until they are translucent and sweet, about 5 minutes. Once the onions are soft and translucent, add 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes and a few pinches of salt. If you’ve juiced the carrots, pour that in now. Let the mixture cook gently for another 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the tomatoes to the pot along with a tied cheesecloth pouch filled with the remaining garlic (just cut the heads in half, exposing the cloves), bay leaf, thyme, oregano, and peppercorns.
Turn the heat up to high, bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let the sauce cook for a good 4 hours, occasionally stirring and scraping down the sides with a spatula to prevent it from burning and also to put all that good flavor back into the sauce. You’re looking for the sauce to cook down to a thick consistency. When it is done, remove the cheesecloth pouch and discard.
We like a big rustic red sauce, but if you want a smooth sauce, wait until the sauce has cooled a bit, and blend it in a blender or with a handheld immersion blender.
Eat as much as you want or can handle, pack the rest into containers, and freeze them to last you for months.
NOTE: CANNED TOMATOES
If you don’t get around to preserving summer tomatoes and want to make this dish in the winter, use jarred, not canned, tomatoes. We don’t feel so good about cooking with canned goods because they can contain bisphenol-A (BPA), a toxic industrial chemical used for lining cans. We won’t get into the gnarly details, but it’s just not good for you. Plus, food sitting in a metal container for a long time tends to taste a bit like, well, metal.
MAKES ABOUT 3 QUARTS
This recipe is inspired by Chris’s friend Jacopo’s grandmother from northern Italy. She roasts her tomatoes in the hot summer sun, which deepens their flavor and yields the best red sauce he’s ever tasted. You can get the same effect using a low oven.
8 to 10 pounds fresh San Marzano, plum, or small heirloom tomatoes, halved lengthwise
Salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
5 whole garlic cloves, plus 3 garlic cloves, minced
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
10 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 200°F or the lowest temperature your oven will go.
Arrange the tomatoes on rimmed baking sheets, cut side up. Top them with a dusting of salt, a drizzle of oil, the rosemary, and the whole garlic cloves. Roast for 6 hours, or until they completely soften and turn deep red.
Discard the rosemary and whole garlic cloves and transfer the tomatoes to a large saucepot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Add the minced garlic. Cook for a few minutes so the garlic incorporates; if the sauce is watery, cook until it’s thick. Season with salt. Stir in the basil before serving. Pack extra sauce into containers and freeze; they will keep for months.
MAKES 2 SANDWICHES
There’s nothing like a good BLT, and certainly nothing easier to make. The real key—like any recipe—is to use the best possible ingredients, especially the tomatoes. We prefer heirloom, but any variety in season will do. As for bacon, treat yourself to quality, thick-cut slices and not thin, little strips that have been sitting in plastic their entire lifetime. And if you really want to get serious about taking this to another level, consider making your own mayonnaise, too.
3 thick slices of high-quality slab bacon
1 heirloom tomato
Salt
Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
4 slices of pumpernickel or sourdough bread
Chris’s Homemade Mayo or good-quality store-bought mayonnaise
1 handful of fresh basil leaves or arugula
Halve the bacon lengthwise and cook it in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until rendered and crisped to your liking. Drain the bacon slices on paper towels and save the fat for another use. Slice the tomato into wide disks. Don’t be dainty—a fresh tomato can hold its own in this sandwich—and salt the tomato slices. Add enough oil to the pan to coat, set back over medium heat, and toast the bread on one side until lightly browned. Slather with mayonnaise on the untoasted side and top with the bacon, tomato, and basil.
MAKES ¾ CUP
At one point in my life I was determined to master making mayo at home. For about a week I’d get home after a long day at the studio and practice, hoping to find the best way to make this classic recipe. I didn’t have a blender at the time, only a whisk. So while I can attest that you can do this with no fancy equipment, it’s a lot easier if you have a blender or food processor.
1 large egg yolk
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon sea salt
¾ cup sunflower or extra-virgin olive oil
In a blender or bowl, combine the egg yolk, mustard, vinegar, 1½ teaspoons of the lemon juice, the salt, and ¼ cup of the oil. Blend or whisk vigorously until the ingredients have come together. Then, while still blending or whisking, slowly stream in the rest of the oil, a few drops at a time, until the mixture is completely emulsified. Emulsification, by definition, is combining two liquids that wouldn’t otherwise combine without a little coaxing. To coax this mayo to come together, the secret is taking your time when adding the oil. Once the mixture is thick and mayo-like in consistency, taste and adjust the seasoning with more lemon juice or salt if desired. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for about 1 week.
SERVES 1 TO 2
Growing up, most of my family lived in Israel and my best memories all revolve around the food—whether it was the sunflower seeds we always grabbed at the store on the corner or the plate of hummus that’s sold on almost every street. And then there’s shakshuka, a hearty breakfast stew of slow-cooked tomatoes, garlic, and spices like paprika and za’atar, a sort of Mediterranean herbes de Provence, all topped off with—my favorite—an egg. It’s a one-pot meal that is easy enough to make while half asleep in the morning and even easier if you have some of our Red Sauce on hand. But above all, Mediterranean food has a way of being fresh and clean while still giving you a good, filling start to the day. It’s best served with a piece of toast and, obviously, a good cup of coffee.
Extra-virgin olive oil
¼ white onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt
1 cup Red Sauce or good tomato sauce
3 large eggs
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of paprika
Pinch of za’atar
Pinch of chopped fresh parsley
Add enough oil to a medium cast-iron skillet to coat the bottom and heat over a medium flame. Add the onion and garlic and allow them to sweat with a pinch of salt. Once translucent, add the red sauce. Raise the heat so the sauce comes to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Break the eggs over the pan and season with salt and pepper. Add the paprika and za’atar. Be careful with the paprika and za’tar—they can be overpowering if used too heavily, and you can always add more later. Cook the egg-sauce mixture over low heat until the eggs are cooked to your liking. I personally prefer them to be on the runny side. Consider that the eggs will continue cooking even after the heat’s turned off, so cook them just a hair under how you like them, but be sure the white is all opaque when you turn off the heat.
Finish with the parsley and serve the whole thing still in the pan with toast and coffee.
SERVES 8
This is a perfect example of how good eggplant can get when it’s cooked low and slow. It not only takes on a sweeter taste, but it also keeps its beautiful color. If you can, make this a day in advance and store it in the fridge to let the flavors blend.
2 large eggplants
1 head of garlic
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 baguette or caraway-seeded bread, cut into ¾-inch slices and toasted
1 red onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon honey, or to taste
2 pinches of ground cumin
Paprika (optional)
Pinch of lemon zest (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
Toasted pine nuts (optional)
Fresh lemon juice (optional)
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Set the eggplants on your stove’s grates over a high flame (or use your broiler), turning once you get a good char. Once charred on all sides, transfer the eggplants to a cooling rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet and put in the oven. Roast until a cake tester glides in easily with no resistance, 45 minutes to 1 hour. While the eggplant is roasting, slice the head of garlic in half widthwise, coat in oil, then wrap in a little foil pouch. Put it in the oven and roast alongside the eggplant. Cook until a cake tester can easily pierce the cloves, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Remove the garlic and eggplant from the oven, cut each eggplant in half, and cool to room temperature.
Scoop out the eggplant’s flesh onto a cutting board. Give it a rough chop. You don’t want it to be completely mushy. Transfer it to a bowl.
Squeeze out the cloves of roasted garlic onto the cutting board and use the side of your knife to smash it into a paste. Fold the garlic into the eggplant, tasting after each addition (2 to 3 cloves should be plenty; save the extra for another use). Stir in the onion, honey, cumin, paprika (if using), and lemon zest (if using). Add salt and pepper to taste.
Stir in a bit of oil until you’ve reached a diplike thickness that can hold its shape when spooned over bread. Spread on toasted bread and top with parsley, and if you want, pine nuts and lemon juice.
WITH FRESH CORN ANDOUILLE “GRITS”
SERVES 4
It might not look like it a first glance, but this dish pulls its inspiration from the classic shrimp-and-grits combination, but instead of using ground dried corn (grits), we’re using whole kernels of fresh sweet corn and adding some Andouille sausage to give it a kick. Then there’s the herbaceous sauce. We’re calling it a “chimiverde”—a cross between chimichurri and salsa verde, two olive oil–based, herb-forward sauces. It goes with everything, and the vinegary brightness makes it great with meat and fish.
2 ears of fresh corn
Grapeseed or vegetable oil
1 small shallot, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 link of Andouille sausage, cut into ¼-inch disks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
About 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
12 large sea scallops (about ¾ pound) (see Note)
Wondra flour
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 lime wedge
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ cup chopped fresh mint
Shuck the corn by peeling off its tough outer leaves and peeling off the silk sticking to the kernels. (Doing this under running water works well.) Stand each ear vertically on your cutting board and run your knife down its length, cutting where the kernels hit the cob. Collect the kernels in a bowl.
In a medium saucepan, add enough oil to coat the bottom and heat over a medium-low flame. Sweat the shallot, minced garlic, and sausage until the shallot is translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the corn.
Continue to sweat over low heat for another 5 minutes. The corn will go from pale to vibrant yellow. At this point, add salt to taste and a teaspoon of butter. Gently toss the corn mixture until evenly coated with butter, then move the pan to the back of your range.
Get a cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet hot over a medium-high flame, then add enough oil to coat the bottom. While you wait for the pan to heat, dredge the scallops with Wondra. When the oil is shimmering, carefully place the scallops in the skillet, and season with salt. You should hear a faint sizzle as they are cooking. Allow the scallops to sit in the pan undisturbed for about 4 minutes.
Once a golden crust has formed—you’ll be able to see it creeping up the side of the scallops—throw in a generous tablespoon of butter and the smashed garlic. Allow the butter to foam, then flip each scallop and baste with the butter for 30 seconds to a minute. Remove them from the pan and serve immediately over the corn.
To finish the dish, add a touch of chimiverde (you don’t want it to overpower the scallops), a squeeze of lime, the parsley, and the mint.
NOTE: BUYING SCALLOPS
When purchasing scallops, check that they are “dry,” or “undipped,” that is, untreated with sodium tripolyphosphate, which makes them absorb water and impossible to sear.
MAKES 2 CUPS
This recipe makes about 2 cups, much more than you’ll need for this dish, but you can keep the extra sauce in your fridge for a week and put it on everything from salads to steaks.
½ cup chopped white onion
2 garlic cloves
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
1 tomatillo, charred (on the grill or over your stovetop burners)
1 red chile pepper, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh oregano
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
⅓ cup Chardonnay vinegar
1 anchovy fillet
1 teaspoon capers
1 good pinch of paprika
¾ cup olive oil
Grated zest of 2 limes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place the onion, garlic, parsley, mint, tomatillo, chile, oregano, thyme, vinegar, anchovy, capers, and paprika in a blender. Pulse until well combined but not completely smooth, more like a salsa than a vinaigrette. Transfer to a bowl and add the oil and lime zest. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary. At this point, you can store the sauce in the fridge, but make sure it’s back to room temperature before adding it to the scallops (or any other hot dish, for that matter).
SERVES 4
At just about any restaurant in Israel you can get a salad that’s almost always the same thing: cucumber, tomato, parsley, and half a lemon on the side. It is like a universal language there. So not surprisingly, Ithai’s parents served this to him all the time when he was growing up. His favorite part was when he and his brother would dip bread in the leftover dressing. It’s why we’ve added a breaded egg to the mix—it not only adds a bit of something both crunchy and soft, but it will also soak up all the flavorful juices from the salad. Because the dish is so straightforward, it’s crucial that you find the freshest produce possible.
3 large ripe tomatoes
4 Kirby cucumbers
1 red onion
½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
¼ garlic clove, grated or minced
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
6 large eggs
Canola oil
All-purpose flour
1½ cups panko bread crumbs
Dice the tomatoes and cucumbers, making the pieces all roughly the same size. Thinly slice the onion. Combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions in a large bowl, add a handful of parsley, and toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a mason jar, combine the mustard, honey, garlic, and a couple grinds of pepper. Add the lemon juice and olive oil, then give the jar a good shake until the dressing emulsifies.
In a large saucepan, bring enough water to cover the eggs by an inch to a rolling boil. Fill a large bowl with room-temperature water. Gently lower 4 of the eggs into the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes and 45 seconds. Transfer the cooked eggs to the water bath to cool, then carefully peel them, set them back in the water bath, and reserve.
Fill a large saucepan with 3 inches of canola oil, making sure you have at least 2 inches of clearance. Heat the oil over medium-high heat to 375°F. If you don’t have a candy thermometer to test the temperature, throw in a few bread crumbs. If they sizzle immediately, the oil is ready.
While the oil is heating, set up a dredging station. Fill 1 small bowl with flour and season it with salt. In another small bowl, beat the remaining 2 eggs. Pour the panko into a third small bowl.
Once the oil is at temperature, remove the eggs—one at a time—from the water bath and carefully dry with towels. Dip each egg first in the flour bowl, then in the beaten egg, and then the panko, making sure to lightly but evenly coat at each stage.
Working in 2 batches, carefully lower the dredged eggs into the oil and fry until just golden brown. Remove the eggs and set them aside on a paper-towel-lined plate. Season with salt.
Toss the tomato-cucumber mixture with enough dressing to coat and season with salt and pepper—this salad can take on more seasoning than you think. Portion out as desired and top each plate or bowl with a fried soft-boiled egg.
MAKES 1 COCKTAIL
During the summer evenings, once the magic hour approaches, we all head down the road from our house, cross train tracks to the shore of the Hudson River and wait for the sun to go down. The colors of the sky, the shadows of the Catskill Mountains shimmering and reflecting off the river—the view is breathtaking. This drink not only complements the mood of the hour—warm sunset, cooling air—but also some of the colors that make it so extraordinary.
—Nino
1 or 2 thin slices peeled fresh ginger
2 to 3 dashes of Angostura bitters
Sugar cube (optional)
½ ounce fresh lime juice
1½ ounces Del Maguey Vida mescal
2 to 3 thin slices plum
Club soda
In a mixing glass or shaker, cover the ginger with the Angostura bitters and muddle. If you want a sweeter drink, add a sugar cube before muddling. Add lime juice and mescal. Shake with ice and strain into a Collins glass filled with ice. Add the plum and top with club soda.
SERVES 4
We came up with this idea when asked to throw together a lunch for a large group of people one summer afternoon. We wanted a nice, light summer snack that would taste as good as it sounded.
½ cup honey
A pinch of lavender, fresh or dried
2 peaches
½ baguette, cut into 1-inch slices, toasted
½ pound goat cheese, young, aged in ash—whichever you like
Fresh mint leaves, chiffonade
In a small pan, warm the honey and lavender over low heat for about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the honey to cool down until it is just warmer than room temperature.
Slice the peaches into small wedges, about ¼ inch thick.
Top the toasts with a good amount of goat cheese, followed by a couple of peach slices. Add a few strings of mint, then lightly drizzle everything with the lavender-honey mixture.
SERVES 4
Trout is one of our favorite fishes because fortunately it can be caught wild in most of America. That means it is easily accessible, whether you’re fishing for your own or picking up one at your fish market. Plus its flavor is sweet, rich, and mild, and it’s usually just the right size for dinner.
For this preparation, we use a grill grate set over an open fire to cook the fish, which gives it some smoky character. We highly recommend breaking this out at your next cookout, but since you won’t always have the option of a fire pit or grill, feel free to treat this as if it were a piece of meat, searing the fish in a pan and finishing in the oven, as described in our meat-searing method. Either way, this dish takes less than ten minutes from start to finish once you have your fire or grill going.
½ cup hazelnuts (optional)
12 fresh figs
Grapeseed or vegetable oil
4 whole trout (about 1 pound each), cleaned and butterflied (ask your fishmonger to do this for you)
Extra-virgin olive oil
8 to 12 sprigs of fresh thyme
4 bay leaves
Salt
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
A few handfuls of microgreens (see Note)
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Coarse sea salt
Good-quality extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing
Prepare your fire and set up your grill. Allow the fire to get really hot—and the grill to get completely cleaned from the heat of the fire—then wait for it to burn down enough so it’s a bed of hellfire-hot coals.
Toast the nuts, if using them: When your fire is ready, set a small saucepan over the grill grate—or medium flame if using your stovetop—and allow to heat. Toss in the hazelnuts and let them toast, rolling them around a bit until they are lightly browned and fragrant. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
Coat the figs with grapeseed oil. Coat the fish with a small amount of olive oil, both on the outside and inside the cavity. Stuff each fish with 2 to 3 sprigs of thyme, 1 bay leaf, and a pinch of salt; then lightly salt the outside. Arrange the fish and the figs on the grill, leaving enough room to flip the fish over when the time comes. Cook the trout for 3 minutes on the first side, then flip over with a thin spatula and finish for 2 minutes on the other side, or until the fish is just cooked through. While the fish cooks, return the small saucepan to the grate or directly in the coals. Add the balsamic vinegar and let reduce by half. Reserve.
When the fish is done, remove it from the grill and let it cool for 3 minutes on a warm plate. Meanwhile, roll the figs around with a spoon so they don’t overcook on one side. Test them for doneness by piercing with a cake tester, then holding it to your lip. It should feel warm. Remove the figs and toss them in a bowl with the reduced balsamic vinegar while still hot. Set aside.
Once the fish has rested, fillet to serve: Place the fish on a cutting board. Remove the head and tail. Then, keeping your knife parallel to your cutting board, cut along the spine. (It may be easier to use a dinner knife to fillet the fish, so you don’t cut through the spine with your sharp kitchen knife.) You should be able to (carefully) lift the fillet away from the rib cage with a spatula or spoon. Then lift the spine from the bottom fillet.
To serve, make a bed of microgreens on each plate and top with a few figs. Lay a trout fillet on top of the figs and finish each with a generous squeeze of lemon, a sprinkle of coarse sea salt, the hazelnuts (if using), and finishing oil.
NOTE: MICROGREENS
It used to be you’d only see these on restaurant menus, but now a lot of markets and stores are carrying microgreens—or lettuces and vegetables that are harvested at the seedling stage. There are all different kinds—micro-arugula, -basil, and -kale, to name a few—and they’re great as the base of a salad or for adding some green and delicate flavor to a dish. If you can’t find them, feel free to use any small lettuce, like baby arugula, or lettuce made smaller, like chopped radicchio.
SERVES 4
It took us a bit to come around to quinoa—it seemed like a food that you’d make yourself buy in a health food store rather than something tasty you’d look forward to eating. However, as we began to see more of our friends eating it, we began to look for ways to make it interesting, and it’s actually a really versatile ingredient that takes on flavor really well. Plus, it also happens to be high in protein and is one of the healthiest grains out there. This version goes well with just about any fish. The fresh grapes and toasted hazelnuts make the salad crunchy, juicy, and delicious.
1 cup quinoa (any variety)
2 cups vegetable stock
Salt
1 bay leaf (optional)
2 to 4 garlic cloves (optional)
2 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
16 seedless green and red grapes, quartered
¼ cup toasted hazelnuts, crushed
1 tablespoon honey
¼ cup champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
4 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
½ bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Grated zest of ½ orange
Freshly ground black pepper
In a fine-mesh sieve, rinse the quinoa well until the water runs clear and there aren’t any more “suds.” Drain and transfer to a medium saucepan. Add the stock, a pinch of salt, the bay leaf (if using), garlic (if using), and/or thyme (if using) and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Keep the pot covered but remove it from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork, taking out any aromatics you added earlier.
Transfer the quinoa to a bowl and fold in the grapes and hazelnuts. Then stir in the honey, vinegar, and oil. Add in the basil, mint, parsley, lemon zest, and orange zest and toss everything together. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve warm or let cool to room temperature.
SERVES 8
With their vibrant layers of fruit, custard, and ladyfingers, these trifles are beautiful. You can try and find some individual vintage glasses to serve them in or find one large glass bowl that could be a table feature. It’s always better to make and assemble this dessert the day before so it has time to set and take on all the flavors.
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
5 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split open, seeds scraped out and reserved
1 packet ladyfinger cookies, such as Savoiardi
2 cups dry sherry
3 blood oranges
1 quart mixed berries such as blackberries, raspberries, currants, and blueberries
1 cup pecan halves or any nut of your choice, toasted
In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar and whisk just to combine. (Don’t leave sugar on the yolks without mixing, as the sugar “cooks” the eggs, leaving you with hard lumps in your custard.) Set aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, bring 3½ cups of the cream, the vanilla seeds, and vanilla pod to a boil. Remove from the heat and slowly pour the cream over the egg mixture while whisking. Then add the egg and cream mixture back to the pan and place over very low heat. Stir constantly, scraping the bottom of the pan with a heatproof rubber spatula, to thicken the custard. (If the heat is too high, the mixture will scramble.)
Use a candy thermometer to gauge its progress. Once the custard has reached 156°F, remove it from the stove, remove and discard the vanilla pod, and pass the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover the surface with plastic wrap (which will keep a skin from forming on top) and leave in the fridge to cool.
While the custard is cooling, set out 8 glasses. Break up the cookies into small pieces, but not a fine crumble, and place one cookie’s worth of pieces at the bottom of each glass. Top the cookie pieces with ¼ cup sherry so that they soak up the liquid and become soft. Set aside.
Divide the berries and oranges among the glasses and top with the chilled custard. When ready to serve, whip the remaining 1½ cups cream to soft peaks. To finish, top each trifle with whipped cream and pecans.
MAKES 2 CUPS
When we were hanging out at our friend Dan’s house a couple years back, he kept giving us pieces of what was arguably the best smoked trout we’d ever had. He said his neighbor Lenny made it. Sure enough, just down the road was a little store in the back of Lenny’s house where his mother sold his smoked trout. Well, it wasn’t so much a store as it was a mudroom that they just happened to sell trout and honey out of.
It seemed necessary to figure out a way to work in a smoked trout recipe, even if it’s as simple as making it into a spread that you can throw on some toast. Smoked trout in general is pretty delicious, so it doesn’t necessarily have to be Lenny’s. But if you live near Fort Greene, Brooklyn, and can make it to the farmers’ market, it’s worth checking his out.
½ pound smoked trout, flaked into bite-size pieces
½ cup crème fraîche
¼ cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 scallion, white and green parts, sliced
1 fresh or dried fig, cut into ¼-inch dice
1 small red chile pepper, chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon pickled mustard seeds
1 clove roasted garlic (optional, but if you have it around, it can’t hurt)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a medium bowl, combine the trout, crème fraîche, oil, lemon juice, scallion, fig, chile, parsley, mustard seeds, and garlic (if using) and fold to make a diplike consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread over a piece of toast with a bit of avocado and you’re good to go.
Sometimes there are nights when you just don’t feel like cooking a dinner. When that happens, you need to say, “Forget it,” and make yourself a cheese plate. Usually we try to assemble one out of whatever’s in the fridge, but if you’re heading to the store, think about getting a variety of cheeses.
Generally speaking, we dig getting a bleu cheese, then both a hard and soft cheese. From there, we’ll go with one cow’s milk and one goat’s milk, just to mix it up. Then all you have to do is toss in some charcuterie, olives, roasted garlic, ripe figs or berries (if in season), and small toasts or crackers. But if you are in a cooking mood and want to make this a truly ultimate cheese plate, then go for Chris’s Gruyère Pastry and Fig–Earl Grey Jam.
Just be sure to give your cheeses some time to warm up at room temperature. When they’re cold, you won’t get to appreciate their full flavor. Soft cheeses in particular need that extra love to get back to their natural gooey texture.
SERVES 6
Almost every holiday, Chris’s mom would ask him to make this, because it requires some intense stirring for about 20 minutes. You’ll see once you make this recipe that it’s a good job to pass off to a friend who needs a good workout. Aside from building strong arms, though, this is a delicious buttery pastry that has a flaky croissant-like texture combined with the richness of Gruyère. How could it not be good? Plus, it’s nearly impossible to mess up. If you’re looking to step up your cheese plate game, this is a perfect addition.
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1½ cups grated Gruyère cheese
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground mustard seed
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
In a medium saucepan, combine the butter with 1 cup water and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Make sure the butter completely melts. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add in the flour, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball and comes away from the sides of the pan, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Add the eggs one at a time, stirring until each egg has been completely incorporated before adding the next. The dough will be smooth and shiny. Stir in the Gruyère, Dijon mustard, salt, and mustard seed.
On a buttered baking sheet, form a ring of roughly 1½-inch-round dollops that is 9 inches in diameter with half of the dough. Make a second ring layered directly on top of the first with the remaining dough. (This gives the pastry a lighter, flakier texture.)
Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Bake for another 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 325°F and continue baking until the pastry is puffy and lightly browned, about 15 more minutes.
Remove from the oven and poke holes in the pastry with a fork to let steam out. Let the pastry cool on a wire rack, then cut into small wedges and serve.
MAKES 3 CUPS
This sweet, textural jam pairs really well with cheese, especially a sharp bleu or soft brie style. It’s also great spooned over yogurt, granola, or toast. The Earl Grey leaves go directly in the jam instead of getting strained out, since they’ll eventually soften and are completely edible. Just make sure to use a high-quality tea.
5 cups fresh figs, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons loose Earl Grey tea
3½ cups sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
Preheat the oven to 275°F.
Place a small plate in the fridge; you’ll see why in a bit.
In a heavy-bottomed, medium saucepan, cook the figs over low heat with the tea until they start to collapse. Add the sugar, stir until combined, then stir in the lemon juice. Raise the heat to medium, let the mixture come to a boil, and cook until it is jamlike in texture. The old “plate in the fridge” test is good for seeing if it’s done—jam that has reached its setting point (or 220°F) will “gel,” or hold its shape, when dripped onto a cold plate. If the jam is still runny, let it boil for a few minutes more. When the jam gels, place it in containers with airtight lids. Let cool and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
LILLIE’S TIPS FOR SUPERIOR JAMS
• Don’t leave your fruit lying around too long, especially berries. Buy ripe produce and use it quickly.
• Remember that jam is an ideal use of knobbly and misshapen—but perfectly delicious—fruit.
• The lemon juice is important because the tartness balances the sweetness of the jam and reacts with the fruit’s natural pectins and sugars to help the jam set.
• When you’re boiling the jam, don’t stir it. The cold air will make it spit. Do stir every few minutes when it is cooling, to stop a skin from forming.
WITH MUSSELS, CURRANTS, AND MINT
SERVES 8 TO 12 AS A SIDE
The inspiration for this dish came from the mussel snack carts set up at the fish markets in Turkey. At first it seemed strange to be selling shellfish as casual street food, but the locals seemed to be going nuts for it. As it turned out, the mussels, stuffed with pungently spiced seafood and rice, were out of this world. The sweet-savory balance of the currants and mint with the mussels and rice is really something. We’ve kept the same easy vibe of that dish here, but it stays in the skillet for an even simpler presentation—especially if you’re making an enormous batch or two to feed a crowd. If you’re making this with friends, we recommend handing off the mussel prep work.
1 pound mussels (about 20)
Grapeseed or vegetable oil
1 small white onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 red bird chile pepper, minced
Good pinch of herbes de Provence
Good pinch of ground turmeric
1 cup dry white wine
4½ cups seafood, chicken, or vegetable stock
3 cups long-grain rice
½ cup currants
Salt
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 small bunch of fresh mint, leaves roughly chopped
Sort through the mussels to make sure they are all alive. Do this by taking any open ones and squeezing them shut. If they’re alive, they will stay closed on their own. Chuck those that do not. As for the ones that are already closed, keep them for now, but if they don’t open after cooking them, they have to go, too.
Debeard the mussels by grabbing the little stringy beard sticking out from the opening of the shell. While holding the hinged end of the shell with one hand, pull the beard toward you, tugging it and the small white knobby bit attached to the end until they detach. Then give the mussel shells a scrub with a brush or scouring pad.
In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat enough oil to coat the bottom. Add the onion and garlic and sweat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chile, herbes de Provence, and turmeric. Reduce the heat to low, and let the ingredients cook together for about 20 minutes.
Pour in the wine to deglaze, making sure to loosen up any ingredients that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and then down to a simmer, cooking until the wine has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add your stock, return to a boil, and stir in your rice. Turn the heat down to a very gentle simmer, cover the pot, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed almost all the liquid.
Next, add your mussels. Cover the pot again and cook for another 7 to 10 minutes, or until all the mussels have fully opened. (Keep in mind that a few may never open, which means they didn’t survive the journey and must be discarded.)
Once done, take the pot off the heat, stir in the currants, and taste the rice for seasoning. Add salt, if needed, and lemon zest, to taste. Just before serving, add the lemon juice and mint.
MAKES 1 COCKTAIL
If you grew up in New York, then you know about open fire hydrants. Like an improvised water park in the middle of the asphalt street, the minute someone popped open the cap and the water started flowing, the whole block—kids, teens, adults—all found relief from the oppressive summer heat. I hope this drink brings just a little bit of that when sipped. —Nino
2 ounces Hendrick’s gin
½ ounce fresh lime juice
¾ ounce cucumber juice
Good-quality tonic water
Freshly ground black pepper
Cucumber slices, for garnish
Shake the gin, lime juice, and cucumber juice with ice. Strain into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice. Top with the tonic water and a few grinds of pepper. Garnish with a slice of cucumber.
SERVES A CROWD, ABOUT 40
We have always wanted to roast a whole pig over an open fire. It would be the perfect way to end summer—like a BBQ on steroids. More food, more friends, and more drinks, which equals more good times.
That said, this dinner is no joke. It was a massive challenge. But so what? It’s the ultimate conquest. We had no idea if we’d be able to pull it off, but halfway through, when we realized it was going to work—that all that prep was paying off, that everyone was pulling together to make it happen, that this beautiful 35-pound pig was about to be dinner—there was nothing like that feeling. And we can honestly say that it was one of the best meals we’ve ever made.
1 pig (about 40 pounds), gutted and cleaned
6 pounds kosher salt, plus more as needed
3 pounds sugar, plus more as needed
2 bottles bourbon
4 heads of garlic, halved
1 4-ounce bottle of coriander seeds, toasted
1 4-ounce bottle of whole black peppercorns, toasted
10 bay leaves
4 pounds mustard greens or other tender braising greens, washed and chopped
Rice wine vinegar (optional)
5 quarts pickles, or so; use a variety, but watermelon rinds are perfect (optional)
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
50-gallon drum or large industrial garbage can or giant insulated cooler
Drum liner (like a massive 50-gallon garbage bag)
8 10-pound bags of ice
6 feet of wire
Good wire cutters
About 60 pieces of quartered, seasoned firewood, preferably cherry wood, but any fruit tree will do
Metal shovel
Long basting brush or long, thin twigs
1 to 2 large rimmed baking sheet trays with roasting racks that fit in them, depending on the size of the pig
A Week or Month Before the Roast
Find a pig of noble origins. It should be one that has been fed an organic diet and raised in an open woodland area. Plan on about a pound of meat per person.
Next, you’ll need a spit-roasting rig. You can build one yourself—and there’s no shortage of videos online to walk you through it—but we recommend renting or borrowing one. Chances are if you ask around town, someone is bound to have something you can use. Ideally you’ll find a motorized spit, which will allow you to hang out with your friends more, as opposed to sitting in front of a seven-hundred-degree fire for two hours. It will be a little more expensive than the alternative, but it’ll save your shoulders. The alternative is a manual spit, which is what we ended up with. If that’s the case for you, just take turns with your friends. The more people you invite, the better, if only because there are more arms to turn the spit.
The Night Before the Roast
Brine your pig. Line the 50-gallon drum or cooler with a liner. Fill it about halfway with cold water and add a 2:1 mixture of salt and sugar. This is going to be a lot of salt and sugar. We suggest starting with 3 pounds of salt and 1½ pounds of sugar and going from there. You want enough in the brine that you can taste it. Because you’ll be cooling the brine with ice, make it fairly strongly seasoned to accommodate the melting ice. Grab your bourbon and throw that in the mix, then add the garlic, coriander, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Add the pig, and plenty of ice, making sure the pig is submerged. Cover and allow the container to sit in a cool area overnight. Every few hours, take a look to see if you need to add more ice to keep the brine cold.
Two Hours Before the Roast
Pull the pig out of the brine and pat it dry. Using the wire, tie the pig’s front legs together as tightly as possible. Repeat for the back legs. This will help protect the smaller extremities from cooking much more quickly than the thicker bits.
Once the legs are secure, affix the pig to the spit. We could try to explain how to do that here, but we guarantee that it would make things a lot more complicated than they need to be. We’re guessing, though, that whoever lent you the spit will be able to give you a hand. And if not, there’s always YouTube.
An Hour Before the Roast
About an hour before you’re ready to begin cooking, get the fire going. First, build the base of the fire with wood stacked about a foot tall and wide enough so the flames will reach the entire length of the pig. You could also build two smaller adjacent fires to form one big fire. Let the fire burn for an hour before putting the pig on to cook so it is really ripping hot. We are not slow-roasting a pig here. This is a proper roast. We’re talking about a fire that’s going to get up to 700°F, but no need to stick a thermometer in the fire—if it’s a giant pile of flaming wood and hot like a sweaty campfire, it’s most likely the right temp.
And Now for the Roasting
Once you have a nice bed of white-hot embers to cook over, it’s time to get started. It’s okay if there are still a few flames; just make sure they are about a foot lower than the pig. Situate the spitted pig over the fire. Then, using a shovel, build two mounds of ashes, one toward the head of the pig and another toward the legs. These areas take the longest to cook, so we want to have the heat closest to these.
This is when your friends will come in handy. Once the pig is going, you’re in for at least a few hours of constantly rotating it—like browning, not burning a marshmallow—as well as basting it with flavorful Platza Oil.
Cook the pig until you have an internal temperature of 150°F in the shoulder (for a 40-pound pig, this will take 2½ to 3 hours), basting with Platza Oil every so often. Note that wind, rain, and snow may extend the cooking time and blow your otherwise well-timed meal out of the water. That’s part of the adventure.
Once your pig is cooked, spread the mustard greens over one or two large roasting racks set in rimmed sheet trays. Set the pig on top of the greens. This will cook the mustard greens a little, as well as soak them with a pig-juice dressing. Loosely cover the whole thing with foil and let the pig rest for an hour.
Transfer the greens to a big bowl. Pour in any drippings from the pig that have collected on the sheet trays. Season to taste with salt and rice wine vinegar (if using) to balance the flavor.
At this point we could go into a long-winded diatribe about how to carve a pig, but the truth is, it’s going to be confusing, and this is a total caveman meal—no one’s going to care about getting a neat little slice. So don’t worry about carving this up perfectly. Just start cutting and if you hit a bone, cut in a different direction. Or you can simply pull it off the bone because the meat will be so tender. Then serve the meat immediately with the mustard greens, pickles (if desired), and Fireside Fruit Chutney.
MAKES ABOUT 2 QUARTS
Pork loves fruit, especially fruit that’s in season. We’ve included rhubarb here, but this recipe can be adapted to suit whatever you pick up at the market.
4 cups chopped rhubarb (from about 4 stalks) or seasonal fruit of your choice
1 cup chopped white onion
3 cups cider vinegar
3 cups packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon whole allspice
Add all the ingredients to a pot and set next to the fire, where it’s hot but not blazing hot. Let the mixture cook while you’re roasting your pig, until all the onions break down, the rhubarb gets sweet, and the whole mix has a loose and chunky saucelike consistency.
MAKES ENOUGH FOR A 40-POUND PIG
While the pig was roasting—and we, too, thanks to the fire—we couldn’t help but think of being in a Turkish bathhouse and being beaten by a huge hairy guy with olive branches soaked in oil. This type of massage, called platza, entails a beating-and-basting that’s apparently for the receiver’s own good. Well, same goes for that pig. Flogging the pig with flavor-soaked branches as it roasts is doing justice to that beast like any ambitious caveman gourmand would have done. Or at least we imagine.
1½ pounds (6 sticks) unsalted butter
6 shallots, thinly sliced
Salt
3 heads of garlic, cut in half along the waistline
6 bay leaves
1 tablespoon whole black and red peppercorns
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon whole allspice
1 tablespoon whole star anise
Melt the butter in the bottom of a stock pot over medium-low heat, then slowly sweat the shallots until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes, keeping the heat low enough to prevent them from browning.
Add 6 quarts of water to the pot and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add enough salt to make the water seawater-salty, then add the garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves, coriander seeds, allspice, and star anise.
Simmer the liquid for 30 minutes.
For applying the oil, try to find thin branches from a tree that bears edible fruit, such as an apple or peach tree. Remove the leaves and cut the whips to about 20 inches long. Bundle a manageable handful of them together, ends even to ends, and secure with wire or twine. (Or, fine, go ahead and use a long grilling basting brush.)
The trick is to constantly and completely baste the pig as it turns on the spit. This recipe makes enough to do so for about 3 hours, enough for a 40-pound pig, so adjust the batch for the size of your pig. Have your friends bring you water and stay hydrated. This task is no joke.
NOTE: COOKING LESS THAN THE WHOLE HOG
We know that you can’t cook an entire pig so easily, but scaling down to a 3- to 4-pound pork loin, cooked with our meat-searing method would be just as rad with the greens and chutney, and especially the Turkish-Style Paella with Mussels, Currants, and Mint.
SERVES 6
This is a big summer hit. It’s easy to make—even easier if you get a friend on corn-shucking and string-bean-blanching duty—and the tomatoes and corn are so amazing this time of year. It’s also really nice with richer, fattier dishes like roast pig, because the freshness of the salad and the acidity of the vinaigrette lighten it up.
If you can, get an assortment of tomatoes—cherries, plums, little ones, big ones, Black Princes, Speckled Romans, Green Zebras—whatever looks and tastes great. This is when going to a farmers’ market is really handy because a lot of stalls will let you cut up a few and taste them. If you go to the grocery store instead, no big deal, just sniff out the most aromatic ones.
1 pound string beans
2 ears of fresh corn
Grapeseed or vegetable oil
Salt
3 pounds tomatoes
1 red onion, sliced paper-thin
Sherry vinegar, or red wine vinegar, or champagne vinegar (sherry vinegar will be a little bit sweeter)
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Bring a large pot of seawater-salty water to a boil and fill a large bowl with water and ice. Trim the stems off the beans and boil for 1 minute, just enough to set the bright green color and take a little rawness off. Drain the beans, shock in the ice water, and set aside.
Shuck the corn by peeling off its tough outer leaves and peeling off the silk sticking to the kernels. (Doing this under running water works well.) Stand each ear vertically on your cutting board and run your knife down its length, cutting where the kernels hit the cob. Collect the kernels in a bowl and set aside.
Lightly coat a large sauté pan with oil and place it on medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the corn to the pan, season with a little salt, give a quick toss, and cook just until the kernels go from pale to bright yellow. This will remove some of the starchiness that raw corn can have and help it get a little sweeter. Remove from the heat and reserve.
Cut the tomatoes into bite-size pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt. Mix in the onion, cooked green beans, and the corn.
Sprinkle a little bit of vinegar over the top, toss together, and taste. (The oil from the cooked corn should be enough for the salad, especially since you don’t want to make this dish heavy.) Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary, and top with a good sprinkling of parsley (if using).
SERVES 6
Remember shaved ices from when you were a kid? This is just like that, only an adult version with booze.
½ cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cup grappa
2 pounds seedless watermelon flesh, roughly chopped
Grated zest and juice of 1 lime
Combine the sugar, salt, and ¼ cup water in a small saucepan and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool completely, then add the grappa. The syrup must be cool; otherwise the heat will cook out the alcohol.
Add half of the watermelon to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Pass it through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving the liquid and discarding the pulp. Blend the remaining watermelon, grappa syrup, lime zest, and lime juice until smooth. Add that mixture to the first batch. Pour into a casserole or any other shallow, freezer-safe container. Put the mixture in the freezer. Every 30 minutes, take it out and stir and scrape the mixture with a fork to break it up, until all of it has frozen. This should take about 3 hours.
Serve in glasses that have been chilled in the freezer.
WATERMELON RINDS
When you’re cutting up the watermelon, save the rinds. Pickling them is an awesome way to garnish a dish, especially one that’s heavy on fat. We highly recommend using our Sweet and Sour Pickle Brine and serving them with Whole Spit-Roasted Pig with Greens.
