Eggplant Bolognaise

 

INGREDIENTS

Yield:4 servings

• Salt and pepper
• 6tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1pound Italian eggplant, peeled and chopped into ¼-inch pieces (4 packed cups)
• 6ounces cremini (or white button) mushrooms, finely chopped (2 cups)
• ½cup finely chopped white onion
• ½cup finely chopped carrot
• 3garlic cloves, minced
• 2tablespoons tomato paste
• 3cups mushroom broth (or vegetable stock)
• 1cup canned whole tomatoes, crushed with your hands
• 1teaspoon dried oregano
• 1basil sprig, plus chopped basil for garnishing
• 1pound rigatoni, fusilli or other short pasta
• 2tablespoons unsalted butter
• Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

PREPARATION

1. Step 1

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high.

2. Step 2

   In a large Dutch oven or other heavy lidded pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high. Add half of the eggplant, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, 5 minutes. Transfer eggplant to a plate. Adjust heat to medium and repeat with 2 tablespoons of the oil and the remaining eggplant, transferring the eggplant to the plate.

3. Step 3

   Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the mushrooms to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally to scrape up any browned bits, until golden, 5 minutes. Add onion and carrot, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 3 minutes. Adjust heat to low, add garlic and tomato paste and stir until caramelized, about 2 minutes.

4. Step 4

   Stir in broth, tomatoes, oregano, basil sprig and the browned eggplant, then bring to a boil over medium-high. Cover, adjust heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is very tender, 15 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring and mashing half of the eggplant, until sauce is thickened, 2 minutes.

5. Step 5

   While the sauce comes to a boil, drop pasta in the boiling water and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.

6. Step 6

   Add pasta, butter and ½ cup of the pasta water to the eggplant mixture and cook, stirring vigorously, until pasta is nicely coated and mixture is saucy, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

7. Step 7

   Divide pasta among bowls. Top with chopped basil and cheese; serve warm.

Corn and Miso Pasta Salad

 

INGREDIENTS

Yield:4 to 6 servings (about 8 cups)

• Kosher salt
• 8ounces ditalini pasta
• 4ears fresh corn, shucked and washed
• 2large stalks celery, peeled and finely chopped
• ⅔cup finely minced fresh chives
• Granulated sugar
• 4½tablespoons white or yellow miso
• 4½tablespoons lemon juice, plus more to taste
• 1½tablespoons finely chopped Calabrian chiles (or minced chipotles in adobo, or gochujang, or sambal oelek), plus more to taste
• ½cup mayonnaise (vegan, if desired)

PREPARATION

1. Step 1

   Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add ditalini to the water and boil according to package instructions. Drain the pasta, and rinse under cold water until cool. Drain well and set aside.

2. Step 2

   Grab a large bowl and invert a smaller bowl inside of it. Hold the corn upright on the center of the smaller bowl. Using a sharp chef’s knife, slice downward to shave the kernels off the cob. Discard the cobs and remove the smaller bowl. Add the cooked ditalini, plus the celery and chives. Season with a large pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar; toss to combine.

3. Step 3

   In the smaller bowl, whisk to combine the miso, lemon juice and Calabrian chile. Add the mayonnaise and whisk until fully incorporated.

4. Step 4

   Combine with the corn mixture and toss. Taste and adjust seasoning with more lemon juice, chile, salt or sugar as needed. Store refrigerated (up to 3 days) until serving.

Huli Huli Chicken

INGREDIENTS

Yield:4 to 6 servings

• ½cup ketchup
• ½cup soy sauce
• ½cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• ¼cup rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1(1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 2 to 3garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated
• 3½ to 4pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
• Grapeseed or canola oil, for brushing the grill grate

PREPARATION

1. Step 1

   In a large bowl or a gallon-size resealable plastic bag, combine the ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ginger and garlic, and stir or shake until combined. Reserve and refrigerate ½ cup of the mixture for basting the chicken later. Add the chicken to the remaining mixture, and stir or shake until evenly coated. If using a bowl, cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours, turning the chicken at least once.

2. Step 2

   When you’re ready to cook, oil your grill grates well. Heat the grill to medium (for charcoal, the grill is ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above the coals for 5 to 7 seconds). Add the chicken to the grill, cover, and cook 25 to 35 minutes, turning every 5 minutes to keep the chicken from burning, and basting it with the reserved marinade after you turn it, until cooked through. (Cook times will vary depending on sizes and cuts of chicken pieces, so be sure to check for doneness: Meat should not be pink and the juices should run clear.) Serve immediately.

Roasted Dill Salmon

 

INGREDIENTS

Yield:4 to 6 servings

• 1½pounds skin-on, center-cut salmon fillet
• 1¼teaspoons kosher salt
• ½teaspoon black pepper
• ¼cup fresh lime juice or Seville orange juice, plus additional wedges, for serving
• 2tablespoons olive oil
• 2tablespoons soy sauce
• 2tablespoons maple syrup
• 1tablespoon dried dill or 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1large garlic clove, crushed
• ¼teaspoon ground turmeric
• ⅛teaspoon ground saffron (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Step 1

   Heat the oven to 425 degrees with the rack in the center position. Choose a baking sheet or baking dish that fits the salmon snugly (so the juices don’t disperse and burn) and line it with parchment paper. Place the salmon skin-side down on the baking sheet and season well with salt and pepper.

2. Step 2

   Combine the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl and spoon over the salmon. If you have time, flip the salmon and let marinate directly on the baking sheet, flesh-side down, for 15 minutes.

3. Step 3

   Roast the salmon skin-side down until cooked through to your liking, 9 to 12 minutes. Serve with extra lime or orange wedges, and drizzle the pan juices over the salmon and rice.

Chopped Salad With Everything Bagel Croutons

 

INGREDIENTS

Yield:4 servings

• 1plain bagel
• 3tablespoons olive oil
• Heaping ¼ cup whole, skin-on almonds, roughly chopped
• 2tablespoons pine nuts
• 2tablespoons everything bagel seasoning (or make your own)
• Fine sea salt and black pepper
• 1scant cup Greek yogurt
• 1lemon (1 teaspoon zest plus 2 ½ tablespoons juice)
• 1½ tablespoons tahini
• 1romaine lettuce heart, outer leaves discarded, sliced lengthwise through the core, cut crosswise into ¼-inch strips
• 1green bell pepper, stemmed, deseeded and diced into ¼-inch pieces
• 2scallions, thinly sliced
• ½cucumber, halved, deseeded and diced into ¼-inch pieces
• ½cup roughly torn mint leaves, plus a few extra to serve
• ½cup roughly torn basil leaves, plus a few extra to serve

PREPARATION

1. Step 1

   Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Tear the bagel into roughly 20 bite-size pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Mix in 2 tablespoons oil, the almonds, pine nuts, everything seasoning and ¼ teaspoon salt. Once the bagel pieces are well coated with oil, transfer to a lined baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the bagel croutons are golden and crispy.

2. Step 2

   In a separate bowl, whisk the yogurt with the lemon zest, ½ tablespoon lemon juice, the tahini, ½ tablespoon water and ⅛ teaspoon salt.

3. Step 3

   To the large bowl add the lettuce, bell pepper, scallions, cucumber, mint, basil, the remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus ½ teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper; mix well.

4. Step 4

   To serve, spread the yogurt mixture over the base of a large serving platter. Toss the bagel mixture into the salad and place on top of the yogurt. Scatter the extra herbs on top and serve immediately.

Everything Salmon With Creamy Caper Sauce

 
INGREDIENTS
Yield:
4 servings

• 1small red onion, halved and thinly sliced

• 1lemon

• Salt

• 4tablespoons neutral oil, such as avocado or grapeseed oil

• 2medium beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes, halved and thinly sliced

• ⅓cup everything seasoning (see Tip)

• 4skin-on salmon fillets (6 to 8 ounces each)

• 4ounces cream cheese

• 2tablespoons (drained) capers in brine plus 2 tablespoons brine, plus more as desired

PREPARATION
To a medium bowl, add the onions. Fill the bowl with cold water and swish the onions under the water. Drain the onions and repeat this step one more time, to soften the raw onion’s sharper notes.
Zest the lemon and reserve the zest for later. To the onions, add 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (about ½ lemon), a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon of oil. Using your hands, massage the onions, squeezing them as you mix, until they go from crisp and snappy to soft and lightly pink. Add the tomatoes and toss to combine. Taste and add salt as needed.
To a plate, add the everything seasoning.
Season the fish with salt on all sides. Leaving the skin portion of each fillet uncoated, dip each fillet in the everything seasoning until evenly coated on all remaining sides.
Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the fillets in oil, skin-side down, and sear for 4 to 5 minutes, until the skin easily releases from the pan and is crisp and golden. Adjust heat to medium-low. Flip the fish and sear, seasoning-side down, until crisp to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes. Lift the fillets every now and then, peeking underneath to make sure the seasoning is not burning and adjusting the heat as necessary. Transfer the cooked fillets to a plate.
Remove the pan from the heat and, using a clean paper towel, carefully wipe the pan clean, removing any leftover seasoning.
Place the pan over low heat. Break the cream cheese into chunks and place it in the pan. Add the capers and caper brine, 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (from the remaining lemon), 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 3 tablespoons water. Using a silicone spatula, vigorously mix until the cream cheese is fully melted and sauce is creamy, about 3 minutes. Taste and season with more salt or caper brine as needed.
Dollop the sauce onto serving plates, top with the fish and place salad to the side. Garnish with more capers, if you want.

• To make ⅓ cup of your own everything bagel seasoning, simply toss together 2 tablespoons each sesame seeds and poppy seeds with 1 tablespoon each onion granules and garlic granules. The garlic granules can be substituted with onion granules and vice versa.

1. Step 1
2. Step 2
3. Step 3
4. Step 4
5. Step 5
6. Step 6
7. Step 7
8. Step 8

TIP

Yann Nury’s Cherry Tomato Tart

 

Makes one 12-inch tart

Ingredients

• 3 pounds cherry tomatoes

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1 red onion

• Dried oregano to taste

For the crust

• 150 grams all-purpose flour

• 150 grams whole wheat flour

• 100 grams warm water

• 100 grams olive oil

• 12 grams dry instant yeast (or 24 grams fresh yeast)

• 10 grams salt

---

1. Lightly brush a 12-inch round metal tart pan with olive oil.

2. Make the dough: Mix the warm water, olive oil and yeast in a small bowl until completely incorporated. Combine the salt and flour in a medium bowl. Add the liquid to the flour mixture, first mixing with a fork or wooden spoon and then kneading by hand until smooth.

3. Place the dough in the oiled pan and spread it evenly with your fingers to the edge of the pan. Cover with a towel and let sit for one hour.

4. Make the coulis: Slice the onion and toss it with a half pound of the cherry tomatoes and enough olive oil to coat. Sprinkle with a bit of dried oregano and roast on a sheet pan at 450 degrees until the tomatoes are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly, then, using a blender, purée with 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard until smooth. Taste and adjust salt.

5. Slice the remaining tomatoes into halves. Spread a thin layer of the tomato mustard coulis onto the dough, adding an additional pinch of oregano to taste. Arrange the halved tomatoes atop the dough, packing them as tightly as possible. Drizzle with olive and sprinkle with sea salt.

6. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the tomatoes are slightly charred. Serve warm, as is or finished with a bit of lemon zest, a few torn basil leaves, some shaved Parmesan and a sprinkle of capers or your favorite caviar.