Back Pocket Recipes

Five go-to recipes plus cooking techniques every grown-up should know

There are things grown-ups (no matter what age) should know how to do in the kitchen. Some are simple dishes; others are cooking skills and tricks that make a good dish great. When we have these recipes and skills in our back pocket, we can be sure our friends will be happy and satisfied when they come for dinner and we can start feeding ourselves a little better, too.

The recipes are as easy as a quick dish of pasta or the perfect steak.Tender fish encased in a crisp crust is much easier to achieve thanyou might think, too. Pair it with some sliced tomatoes, and you’ve gota terrific dinner. Roast chicken with a three-ingredient pan sauce isclassic “bonne femme” cooking—something every French grown-upknows how to make. And we all should master at least one showoff dish.Here it’s rosy pork tenderloin with a moist stuffing.

The Very Best Steak with Lemon-Thyme Butter

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

When you have made the investment in a beautiful thick steak, you want to be sure it comes out right. This method—starting the steaks in a low oven and then browning them stovetop—ensures a perfect crust and an evenly cooked, tender steak. The butter? Well, that’s called gilding the lily.

For the Butter

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

• 1 tablespoon minced thyme leaves

• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

For the Steaks

• 2 (2-inch thick) New York strip or boneless rib-eye steaks (about 2 pounds total weight)

• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt

• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

1. Put the butter, thyme, zest, salt and pepper in a small bowl and beat with a fork until well mixed. Add the lemon juice and beat again. Transfer to a ramekin, cover with plastic wrap, and leave at room temperature for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to meld.

2. Set a rack on a rimmed baking sheet.

3. Season the steaks all over with the salt and pepper. Be generous. Set them on the rack and leave on the counter for 1 hour.

4. Preheat the oven to 200ºF.

5. Slide the steaks—on the rack over the baking sheet—into the oven and slow-roast for 17 minutes (for rare) or 20 minutes (for medium-rare).

6. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes (a few drops of water should skitter across the surface before evaporating). Add the grapeseed oil and the steaks. Brown the top, bottom and sides for 2 minutes each. Lean the steaks against the side of the skillet if they don’t stand up by themselves. Put the steaks back on the rack, tent with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.

7. Slice the steaks against the grain, arrange on a platter, and dot with as much butter as you would like. Serve right away.

Things to know

• Size matters in this recipe. For success, the steaks must be 2 inches thick.

• Meat doesn’t come to “room temperature” when you leave it out on the counter for an hour, but the chill does come off, and it will cook more evenly.

• You can make the lemon-thyme butter in advance and refrigerate it, but bring it to room temperature before serving. If it’s cold, it won’t melt on the steak.

• If you want to serve the steak as a Tuscan would, skip the butter and drizzle the sliced steak with your best olive oil and give it a good squirt of lemon juice.

Spaghetti Pomodoro with Italian Sausages

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Unless it has meat in it, tomato sauce shouldn’t cook for hours. This is the simplest, purest of sauces, and you can have dinner ready in nearly the time it takes to boil water and cook spaghetti.

• 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 4 sweet Italian sausages

• 3 good-sized garlic cloves (1 only peeled and 2 minced)

• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed plum tomatoes

• ½ cup water

• 1 bay leaf

• crushed hot red pepper flakes

• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 1 pound spaghetti

• freshly grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese, for serving

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Prick the sausages all over with the tip of a paring knife. When the oil shimmers, add the peeled garlic and sausages. Cook, turning them as necessary, until the sausages are browned all over and just cooked through, about 15 minutes. When garlic browns, discard it. Remove the skillet from heat.

2. Meanwhile, put a large pot of water on to boil over high heat.

3. Put the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and the minced garlic in a 12-inch skillet. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook until the garlic barely starts to turn gold, about 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes. Rinse the can with the water and add it to the skillet along with the bay leaf, a pinch of crushed red pepper, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, and then turn the heat down to low.

4. When the water comes to a boil, season it with 2 tablespoons salt. Add the spaghetti and cook it until it is about 1 minute shy of al dente.

5. Turn the heat under the sauce up to high and discard the bay leaf. Use tongs to transfer the spaghetti to the sauce and add ¼ cup of the pasta water. Use tongs to stir the spaghetti into the sauce, lifting it up to separate the strands as you stir. If the sauce is very thick, add a little more pasta water. Cook for 1 minute.

6. Divide the spaghetti among 4 pasta bowls, add a sausage to each bowl, and serve immediately. Pasta waits for no one. Pass the cheese at the table.

Things to know

• Older garlic cloves will have a sprout in the center, and it’s bitter. So cut garlic cloves in half and pull out the green sprout before you mince them.

• Chefs use a paring knife to mince garlic, but it’s easier to smash garlic with the flat of a chef’s knife, add a pinch of salt, and then chop. Press down with the flat of your knife, pulling it across the garlic and crushing it with the knife. Chop and crush again and again until you almost have a paste.

Spaghetti Pomodoro with Italian Sausages

Chicken-Fried Tilapia with Tartar Sauce

Chicken-Fried Tilapia with Tartar Sauce

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

The buttermilk marinade gives otherwise-bland tilapia a bit of zing, and mixing cornstarch and flour gives you a satisfyingly crisp coating. Unlike with fried chicken, you don’t need a vat of oil for frying. If you can, get the fish marinating in the morning.

For the Tartar Sauce

• ¼ cup yellow mustard seeds

• ¼ cup white wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1 cup mayonnaise

• ½ cup sweet relish (or India relish) 2 teaspoons capers, drained

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

For the Fish

• 1 cup buttermilk

• ¼ cup minced scallions

• 3 tablespoons minced dill

• 2 tablespoons minced cilantro

• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

• 1 teaspoon Vietnamese chili garlic sauce

• 4 (7- to 8-ounce) tilapia fillets kosher salt, to taste

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• ½ cup cornstarch canola oil, for frying

1. Prepare the tartar sauce: Put the mustard seeds, vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat and cool. The mustard seeds will continue to absorb the vinegar.

2. Mix the mayonnaise, relish, capers, lemon juice and 1½ tablespoons of the cooled mustard seeds together in a small bowl. (You will have leftover mustard seeds; see Things to Know at right.) Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve it. It will keep up to 3 days so could be made ahead.

3. For the fish: Use a 2-cup measuring cup to measure the buttermilk. Add the scallions, dill, cilantro, lemon zest and chili garlic sauce and whisk. Pour into a 1-gallon sealable plastic bag.

4. Cut the tilapia down the center and trim off the bloodline. Season the fish on both sides with salt and add to the plastic bag. Seal the bag, squeezing out the air, and massage the fish, making sure all the pieces are covered with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 10 hours.

5. Set a cooling rack over a large rimmed baking sheet.

6. Whisk the flour and cornstarch together in a shallow bowl.

7. Dredge the fish in the flour coating—no need to let excess marinade drip off—pressing down to make sure the fish is coated thoroughly and generously. Once floured, set the fish on the rack.

8. Pour ¼ inch of canola oil into a cast-iron skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. When the oil is ready for frying (see Things to Know) add the thick pieces, in batches if necessary. Fry for 2 minutes, and then turn and fry for 1½ minutes. You will have a golden crust. Put them back on the rack to drain. Fry the thin pieces for 1½ minutes, and then turn and fry for 45 seconds. Yes, you’ll have a golden crust. Drain on the rack.

9. Give each diner 1 thick and 1 thin piece of fish. Pass the tartar sauce.

Things to know

• There are a few ways of testing when oil is ready for frying. It will be almost smoking; a pinch of flour flicked into the oil will sizzle instantly. But I think the best way is to press the handle of a wooden spoon into the center of the skillet. If a circle of bubbles appears immediately, the oil is ready.

• When you add the fish to the oil, set the end closer to you down first. That way, if there’s a spatter it will hit the stove and not you.

• Draining the fish on a rack lets any excess oil drip off and prevents the fish from steaming and ruining the crisp crust you have made.

• The smell of fried fish can linger. To prevent it, put a little bowl of bleach on the counter. If you’re forgetful, put a piece of tape across the top of the bowl to remind you that it’s not water.

• You will have leftover mustard seeds, which will keep in the refrigerator for months. Add them to egg salad or tuna salad, stir them into sauces, or mix some with prepared mustard for hot dogs.

Mustard Roast Chicken with Honeyed Onions

Mustard Roast Chicken with Honeyed Onions

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Mustard gives this chicken a sharp, deeply browned crust, and the pan sauce—which comes together in minutes—adds just a bit of richness. Sweet onions are the perfect accompaniment.

For the Chicken

• 1 (3½-pound) chicken

• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

• grapeseed oil

• 4 tablespoons extra strong Dijon mustard

• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle

• 8 thyme sprigs

For the Sauce

• ½ cup dry vermouth

• ½ cup heavy cream

• 1 teaspoon extra-strong Dijon mustard

For the Onions

• 4 medium (7 to 8 ounces each) yellow onions

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 2 tablespoons honey

• ½ teaspoon chopped thyme leaves

1. Pat the chicken dry inside and out with paper towels. Tuck the wing tips under the back. Season the chicken liberally inside and out with salt and pepper. Set the chicken on a plate and refrigerate uncovered for 8 hours.

2. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, set oven racks in the center and lowest positions of the oven and preheat to 400ºF. Lightly oil a cast-iron skillet with grapeseed oil.

4. Blot the chicken back dry. Mix 4 tablespoons of the mustard with the coriander and slather it all over the chicken. Put the thyme sprigs in the cavity and set the chicken in the skillet. Set the skillet on the center rack in the preheated oven and roast until the chicken is rich golden brown and the juices run clear, 1 hour. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest 10 minutes before carving.

5. Pour off any fat and put the skillet back on the stove over medium-high heat. Pour in the vermouth and bring to a boil, stirring to release any browned bits. Reduce the vermouth by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the cream and boil until the sauce thickens and reduces slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the 1 teaspoon mustard. Strain the sauce if you feel like being fancy.

6. While the chicken roasts, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.

7. Cut the onions in half through the root. Trim off the root ends and pull off any loose onion skin. Put the onions in a bowl and toss with the oil and salt and pepper to taste. Arrange cut side down on the baking sheet and roast on the bottom rack in the preheated oven until rich brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Pull off the skins and the top layer of onion if it’s dried out. Turn the onions cut side up and drizzle with the honey. Scatter on the thyme and keep warm at the back of the stove.

8. Carve the chicken and arrange it on a platter with the onions. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Things to know

• Seasoning chicken well in advance gives the salt a chance to work its way well into the flesh, and the result is the juiciest, most tender chicken imaginable. If you have the time, salt it 24 hours in advance. Your next option is in the morning, before you head out to work. Failing that, salt the chicken 1 hour ahead and leave it on the counter.

• Crushing the coriander seeds unleashes their aromatic oils and mines the mustard with tiny flavor bombs.

• Lining the baking sheet ensures all that beautiful caramelization is with the onions, not on the pan.

Pork Tenderloin with Sausage and Oyster Stuffing

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

Stuffed roasts are great presentation pieces that are sure to impress your guests. While they take a little time to prep, all the work is simple. The oysters bring an ocean freshness to the stuffing, which complements the sweetness of the pork.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 sweet Italian sausage (about 4 ounces), casing removed

• ½ cup chopped onion

• ½ cup chopped celery kosher salt, to taste

• 2 cups cubed (1/3 inch) baguette

• 2 teaspoons minced sage

• 12 good-sized oysters (Wellfleet, Wianno, Blue Point), shucked with liquor reserved

• 2 tablespoons chopped flatleaf parsley

• 2 pork tenderloins (2¼ to 2½ pounds total weight)

• freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, crumble in the sausage and cook, stirring constantly at the beginning to break the sausage up into small crumbles, until the sausage is just starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onion and celery, season with a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the sage and cook for 30 seconds.

3. Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the bread cubes. Pour 1/3 cup oyster liquor over the bread and stir in thoroughly. Give the oysters a quick chop and stir them into the stuffing with the parsley. Let the stuffing sit while you prep the pork.

4. Trim the silverskin and any visible fat from the tenderloins. Make a lengthwise cut down the center of the tenderloins, going about three-quarters of the way through. Place each tenderloin between sheets of plastic wrap and pound to just under ½ inch thick. It should be about 12 x 7 inches.

5. Set one of the tenderloins cut side up on your work surface and season with salt and pepper. Mound the stuffing onto the pork, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Season the cut side of the other tenderloin with salt and pepper and place it over the stuffing. Tuck it close to the stuffing leaving that 1-inch border on the bottom tenderloin. Use thick cotton twine to tie the tenderloins together snugly every 2 inches, lifting the bottom one up to seal in the stuffing as you tie. Tuck the ends over each other and secure with small bamboo skewers. Season the outside with salt and pepper.

6. Heat the grapeseed oil in a heavy, ovenproof 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the pork and sauté until golden all over, 2 minutes per side.

7. Slide the skillet into the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the stuffing registers 135ºF, about 30 minutes. Transfer the pork to a cutting board, tent it with foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes.

8. Carve into ½-inch slices, arrange on a platter, and serve.

Things to know

• You can shuck the oysters early in the day. After you’ve popped the hinge, hold the oysters over a small bowl as you remove the top shell and scrape the oyster and liquor into the bowl. Cover and refrigerate.

• You can substitute canned oysters (but not smoked ones) for the fresh. Add clam juice if you don’t have enough oyster liquor.

• If you want to skip the oysters, replace the oyster liquor with chicken stock.

• Silverskin, the shimmery membrane you’ll see on part of the tenderloin, will be impossibly tough if you cook it. To remove it, slip a paring knife under the center and cut with a sawing motion and the knife angled up slightly to the end, and then hold the silverskin and cut in the other direction. No need to remove it all in one piece; just try to lose as little meat as possible.

• Tenderloins aren’t perfectly round. Cut them through the thickest part.

• Use thick cotton twine to tie the roast. Thin kitchen string cuts into the meat.

Pork Tenderloin with Sausage and Oyster Stuffing

By Roy Finamore

Photography Terry Brennan

Food Styling Lara Miklasevics