Culinary Road Trip

Take a cross-country tour of regionally inspired American dishes

What better way to celebrate summer than by taking a culinary road trip? Since the earliest days, ingenious and resourceful cooks have made the most of the wealth of local ingredients available, and now there’s no end ofgood things to cook and savor in each region of this vast country. The following recipes take their inspiration from thecraggy coastline of New England to the rich culinary heritage of the South, from the breadbasket of the Midwest to thesunny farmland of California and the wild fecundity of the Pacific Northwest. If you have been dreaming of that crosscountryroad trip but can’t find the time—or simply don’t want to spend all those hours in the car—here is a way to embarkon an exciting and delicious adventure without leaving your kitchen.

Grilled Steak, Bell Pepper and Onion Skewers with Avocado Crema

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

Color, crunch, freshness, lushness and big flavor: These skewers bring a dose of California sunshine to any table. Serve them on a bed of rice or couscous and pass a fresh green salad at the table.

• 1 1/2 pounds flank or tri-tip steak, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch cubes

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to drizzle

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon paprika, sweet or hot

• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 2 bell peppers, preferably 1 red and 1 orange or green, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1 medium red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1/4 cup loosely chopped fresh cilantro

1. Place the meat cubes in a large bowl. Season with the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt and several grinds of black pepper, and stir to combine. With your hands or a spatula, massage the marinade into the meat until it’s evenly distributed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 4 hours.

2. Thread the skewers (see Cook’s Notes), alternating beef, peppers and onions and repeating until all the ingredients are used up. Arrange the skewers on a tray or baking dish, and drizzle with a thin thread of oil (no more than 2 teaspoons) and any marinade remaining in the bowl. The assembled skewers can be covered and refrigerated for up to 4 hours before grilling.

3. Prepare a medium-hot grill, and grill the skewers, turning every few minutes, until the beef is nicely seared on all sides and cooked to your liking, and the vegetables are tender and browned on the edges, about 8 to 12 minutes. Check for doneness by making a small cut into a piece of meat to peek inside. Remove from the grill, and let rest in a warm spot or loosely covered with foil for a few minutes.

4. Drizzle the skewers with about half the avocado crema and sprinkle the cilantro over the top. Pass the remaining crema at the table.

Cook’s Notes:

• For this recipe you will need 8 to 12 skewers (if wooden, soak in water for 30 minutes). The number of skewers you will need depends on how long they are. For smaller (6- to 8-inch) ones, figure 3 per person. For larger (10-inches or longer), count 2 per person. While you certainly don’t need to obsess about making all the skewers identical, it can be frustrating to get partway through and realize that you’ve used up all of one ingredient. A neat trick to make tidy skewers is to arrange the meat and vegetables into as many piles as you have skewers before you start threading; this way you don’t run out of any one ingredient by the time you get to the final skewer.

• Interested in a little sweet with the savory? Consider adding pineapple to the skewers. You will need 3 cups of 1-inch pineapple chunks (about 1/2 pineapple, peeled and cored) for this recipe.

Avocado Crema

• 1 ripe Haas avocado, pitted and cut into large chunks

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• 2 tablespoons milk, light cream or water, plus more as needed

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1. Combine the avocado, sour cream, lime juice, milk (or cream or water), cumin and salt in a food processor or blender, and process until smooth and creamy. It should be a pourable consistency. If too thick, add a bit more liquid. Taste for salt. The crema may be made up to 2 days ahead and stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator.

Grilled Steak, Bell Pepper and Onion Skewers with Avocado Crema

Salmon Fillets with Hazelnut Brown Butter and Lemon-Shallot Gremolata

Salmon Fillets with Hazelnut Brown Butter and Lemon-Shallot Gremolata

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

The rich taste of Pacific salmon pairs beautifully with a quick sauce of browned butter and toasty hazelnuts, and the bright lemon gremolata adds just the right punch of sharp freshness. Add a simple steamed green vegetable—such as asparagus, snap peas or green beans—and spoon a little of the sauce over these as well. Sublime.

• 4 skin-on salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each) salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

• 1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts (See Cook’s Notes)

• 2 tablespoons minced shallot

• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1. Pat the salmon dry with paper towels, and season all over with salt and pepper.

2. Heat a heavy skillet (preferably not non-stick) over mediumhigh heat until hot. Add the oil, swirling to coat the pan, and heat until shimmering, about 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the fillets skin-side down. Cook, without disturbing, until the skin is crisp and releases easily from the skillet, about 6 minutes.

3. Flip the fillets, and immediately add the butter pieces to the pan. As the butter melts, use a soupspoon to baste the fish. Continue to cook until the fillets are cooked to your liking, another 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the fillets to warm plates or serving platter.

4. Increase the heat to medium-high, and add the hazelnuts, stirring frequently. Cook until the butter and nuts are fragrant and toasty, about 1 minute. Stir in the shallot, parsley and lemon zest, and heat through, about 30 seconds. Season with the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the salmon and serve immediately.

Cook’s Notes:

• If you buy whole hazelnuts with the skin intact, you want to remove it before chopping as it adds a little bitterness to the sauce. Do so by spreading the whole hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toasting in the oven at 350°F until the skins begin to crack, about 10 minutes. Transfer them to a clean kitchen towel and wrap them in the towel to steam and cool for 2 minutes. Then rub with the towel to remove the skins before chopping.

• The best way to enjoy the rich taste of salmon fillets is to cook it to medium or even medium-rare, which means checking for doneness as you would a steak or chop. The simplest method is to discretely cut into the thickest part of a fillet and check (medium salmon will have a trace of deep red translucence at the center). You can also test with an instant-read thermometer, looking for 135°F for medium-rare and 140°F for medium.

Buttermilk and Black Pepper Oven-Fried Chicken

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

If you crave good fried chicken but don’t want to stand over a pan of hot oil, here is a baked version that delivers big on both flavor and texture. A long soak in seasoned buttermilk leaves the chicken tender and moist, and a savory panko and Parmesan crust leaves it finger lickin’ good—and a good deal healthier! This is also delicious served cold at a picnic. Just don’t forget the coleslaw and potato salad.

• 1 quart buttermilk

• 1 tablespoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon salt 2 to 3 dashes hot sauce

• 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces

For the Coating

• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs

• 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon salt cooking oil

• spray or olive oil spray

1. In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk with the paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, salt and hot sauce. Whisk to combine. Add the chicken pieces, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but not more than 24 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a baking sheet with pan spray.

3. In a shallow baking dish, combine the panko, flour, Parmesan, baking powder, paprika, black pepper and salt, stirring to mix. Drain the chicken, discarding the buttermilk. Do not dry the chicken—the moisture of the buttermilk is essential to making the coating stick—and dredge the pieces in the coating, turning to thoroughly coat all sides. Spray the surface of the chicken with cooking oil spray, and arrange them on the baking sheet, allowing plenty of room between pieces.

4. Bake, carefully flipping the pieces about halfway, until nicely browned on all sides and cooked through, about 30 minutes for breast pieces and 40 minutes for legs and thighs. Let rest for a few minutes before serving. If serving cold, let sit at room temperature until cool, and then cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Cook’s Note: If you are cooking a mixture of white meat and dark meat, keep in mind that breast meat cooks faster and has a greater tendency to dry out than legs and thighs. Chicken breasts are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F, but the richer meat of the legs and thighs becomes tender and succulent when it reaches an internal temperature around 180° to 185°F.

Stovetop Lobster and Clam Bake

Stovetop Lobster and Clam Bake

MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

A traditional New England clambake requires an enormous fire pit, a tarp and piles of fresh seaweed, but here is a version that you can cook right in your kitchen. The secret is layering in the ingredients according to how long they take to cook. Adding a strip of kombu seaweed to the pot at the start will add a nice “kiss” of the sea to the mix, but even without it, this elaborate seafood feast will transport you to the beach.

• 3 bay leaves

• 1 tablespoon salt

• 1 (4- by 6-inch) strip kombu seaweed (optional), cut into 6 pieces

• 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, 1- to 2-inches across, scrubbed

• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into thick wedges

• 3 (1 to 1 1/4 pounds each) live lobsters (See Cook’s Notes)

• 3 large or 6 small ears corn, husked and silk removed, cut in half if large

• 1 1/2 pounds kielbasa, linguiça or other smoked sausage, cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces (optional)

• 2 dozen hard-shell clams, such as manila or littlenecks, scrubbed

• 2 pounds mussels, scrubbed

• 1 1/2 pounds large shell-on shrimp

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, salted or unsalted, melted and kept warm

1. Put 1 to 2 inches of water, bay leaves, salt and kombu (if using) in the bottom of a large lobster or preserving pot (16- to 20-quart). Outfit the pot with a steamer rack that sits several inches above the bottom (see Cook’s Note). Place the potatoes and onions on the steamer rack, and set over medium-high heat.

2. Cover, and bring to a gentle, steady boil. After 4 minutes, add the lobsters to the pot. Cover tightly, and listen and watch for the water to return again to a steady boil. As soon as the water returns to a boil, set a timer for 6 minutes.

3. When the timer buzzes, add the corn and sausage, if using, and replace the lid. As soon as the liquid returns to a boil, add the clams, mussels and shrimp, replace the lid, and return to a boil. Continue to steam another 6 to 8 minutes until the clams and mussels are open, the lobsters and shrimp are bright red, the potatoes and corn are tender, and the steam carries the sweet smell of cooked shellfish. The total cooking time will be 16 to 18 minutes, plus however long it takes the liquid to return to a boil between additions.

4. Using tongs and a slotted spoon, carefully transfer everything to a large platter. Divide the warm butter among individual ramekins. Serve immediately, accompanied by tools for cracking the lobster shells, a bowl for the empty shells and plenty of napkins.

Cook’s Notes:

• If you don’t have a large enough pot to hold all the elements of the clambake, you can divide everything into two stockpots and cook them side by side.

• Most steamer basket inserts won’t cover the entire bottom of a really large pot, but as long as the steamer holds the potatoes above the liquid, it will be fine. Alternatively, create a makeshift steamer rack by propping a round metal cake rack on a few round cookie cutters or empty tuna cans with both ends removed.

• In warm weather, you might want to cook your clambake outdoors, placing the pot over a hot grill. If you do, allow extra time as the liquid may take longer to reach a boil between additions.

• If you can’t get live lobsters, try frozen lobster tails. They should be thawed in the refrigerator overnight, and then follow the recipe as written except reduce the initial lobster cooking time from 6 minutes to 4 minutes.

• Feel free to vary the fresh seafood according to what’s available. For instance, try crab legs in place of the lobster or increase the amount of shrimp. No mussels? Add more clams.

Blue Cheese Stuffed Bison Burgers with Grilled Onions

Blue Cheese Stuffed Bison Burgers with Grilled Onions

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

There is a lively debate about which Midwestern cook came up with the concept of putting the cheese inside a cheeseburger instead of on top, but no matter where the Juicy Lucy (or Jucy-Lucy) originated, this genius concept is the perfect solution to keeping the leaner, more protein-rich meat of a bison burger moist and juicy. Grilled onions and a “special” sauce don’t hurt either.

For the Cheese Filling

• 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)

• 1 tablespoon minced scallion, white and green parts

• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise

For the Burgers

• 2 pounds ground bison

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

• 1 large sweet onion, cut into 6 thick rings

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the Sauce

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

• 2 teaspoons ketchup

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

• dash Sriracha or other hot sauce, to taste

• salt, to taste

• 6 hamburger buns, English muffins or split focaccia

• Optional toppings: sliced ripe tomatoes, lettuce, pickles

1. Make the cheese filling: In a small bowl, combine the cheese, scallion and mayonnaise. Stir to mix, and set aside while you shape the burgers.

2. Break the ground bison into 1- to 2-inch bits with your hands and drop into a mixing bowl. Season with Worcestershire, salt and black pepper. Mix gently using your fingertips to break up the meat and to incorporate the seasonings without compressing the meat. Divide into 6 equal lumps, and then divide each portion again in half, so you have a total of 12 small portions (see Cook’s Note). Lightly shape each into a thin patty, about 4 inches across.

3. Divide the cheese filling evenly among 6 of the flat patties, flattening and centering it so it doesn’t spill to the edges. Top each with another flat patty, gently pinching the edges and rounding the meat to make 6 evenly shaped burgers, about 1 1/4-inch thick, without packing or squeezing the meat more than necessary. The burgers can be stuffed, shaped, and then covered and refrigerated up to 4 hours before grilling.

4. Make the sauce: Combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, vinegar and hot sauce in a small bowl. Season with salt and more hot sauce to taste. The sauce may be made ahead of time, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

5. Heat a grill to medium hot. Lightly brush the outside of the burgers and the onion rings with oil, and season both with salt and pepper. Arrange the burgers and onions on the grill, and cover the grill. Cook, flipping several times, until the onions are tender and browned and the burgers are done to your liking, about 8 minutes for the onions and 15 minutes for the burgers. Once the onions are done, set them off to the side to keep warm while the burgers finish cooking.

6. Transfer the burgers and onions to a platter to rest for a few minutes while you toast the rolls (or English muffins or split focaccia) on the grill.

7. Slather sauce on both sides of the buns. Top with the burgers and grilled onions, adding any optional garnishes. Drizzle over a bit more sauce, and serve.

Cook’s Notes:

• If blue cheese is not your thing (or if you’re just looking for a variation), make this with any favorite cheese. Grated Cheddar and Swiss are both good choices.

• The easiest way to make equal-sized burgers (without weighing each) is to eyeball even portions and arrange them, before shaping, on a large plate. This way you can add a little here and remove a little there until you have 6 equal-size lumps to start with. If you want to be more exact and have a kitchen scale handy, weigh out 5.3 ounces per burger before shaping.

By Molly Stevens

Photography Terry Brennan

Food Styling Lara Miklasevics