[Photograph: Kerry Saretsky]
Light but punchy, this dish is made from simple salmon broiled on a bed of piperade, a stewed mix of red, yellow, and green bell peppers, onions, garlic, olive oil, and, the secret ingredient, piment d'Espelette, a red pepper powder from the Basque region of France that is lightly spicy, and very earthy. Traditionally, you would cook eggs in place of the salmon, but I like this little update that gives everyday salmon so much exotic flavor.
About the author: Kerry Saretsky is the creator of French Revolution Food, where she reinvents her family's classic French recipes in a fresh, chic, modern way.
Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!
Special equipment: food processor
serves serves 2, active time 20 minutes, total time 2 hours and 20 minutes
To make the piperade, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a sautépan over medium-low heat. When the oil shimmers, add onion. Cook, stirring frequently until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, bell peppers, and piment d’Espelette. Cook, stirring frequently until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juice, and season well with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat all the way down, cover, and cook slowly for 2 hours, stirring every half hour or so.
Adjust a rack to 6 inches below broiler element and preheat broiler to high. Remove lid from piperade pot, increase heat to high, and let it boil until the pan is nearly dry and the tomato broth has evaporated. Transfer the piperade to a food processor, and pulse until roughly chopped, about 6 one-second pulses.
Transfer the piperade to a broiler-safe baking dish. Rub the salmon fillets with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, and season with salt and piment d’Espelette. Place the salmon on the piperade, and broil for 10 minutes, until the top is golden brown, and the salmon is cooked through. Tear some mint over the salmon. Serve with warm bread.
As part of Robb Walsh's Tex-ploration for Texas Eats he spent time on a shrimp boat making his way around Corpus Christi Bay trawling for the fresh, sweet little shrimp that are so good around those parts.
Texas Eats is full of plenty of wonderful recipes for the seasonal specialty that are Texas shrimp, and one of our perennial favorites is Shrimp and Grits, otherwise known as breakfast shrimp.
You can't really go wrong with sweet shrimp served over smooth grits, but Walsh steps up the recipe by sautéing the shrimp in bacon fat along with mushrooms, scallions, and garlic, creating a pan sauce that's pretty over the top. And those grits? Well, let's just say that those are the grits of Southern breakfast dreams.
What Worked: There are countless iterations of this Southern breakfast classic out there, but Walsh's version is spot on, packed full of rich shrimp flavor, crisp bits of bacon, and the creamiest, cheesiest grits.
What Didn't: All's clear here, we could eat this for breakfast forever.
Suggested Tweaks: You could always go with herb grits in place of the cheese version in this recipe, just toss in some sliced scallions and thyme. And since this is a breakfast dish, topping it off with a poached or fried egg wouldn't hurt at all.
Reprinted with permission from Texas Eats by Robb Walsh. Copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press. Available wherever books are sold. All rights reserved.
serves serves 4, active time 1 hour, total time 1 hour
For the Shrimp Stock: In a stockpot, combine the water, heads, shells and vegetable trimmings and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes to extract flavor.
Remove from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve several times to remove any tiny shell or other bits. Use immediately, or let cool, cover, and refrigerate for a week or freeze for up to 3 months.
For the Cheese Grits: In a saucepan, combine the broth and water and bring to a boil over high heat. Slowly add the grits while whisking constantly. When all of the grits are incorporated, decrease the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 30 minutes, until soft and creamy.
Remove from the heat and stir in the Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses, butter, salt, black pepper, and cayenne and stir just until mixed. Serve hot with Tabasco sauce on the side.
For the Shrimp and Grits: Peel and devein the shrimp, then make the stock from the heads and shells as directed, using only 1 cup water. Set the stock aside.
Prepare the grits as directed, substituting the 1 cup shrimp stock for 1 cup of the water. Set the grits aside in a warm place, or keep them warm over hot water in a double boiler.
In a skillet, sauté the bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain, then crumble.
Return the skillet to medium heat and add enough oil to the bacon drippings so the fat is about ⅛ inch deep. When the fat is hot but not smoking, add the shrimp in a single layer. Turn the shrimp as they color. Add the mushrooms and sauté, stirring, for about 4 minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked through.
Add the green onions and garlic and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute more. Stir in the parsley and season with the lemon juice, Tabasco, salt, and pepper.
Divide the grits among 4 bowls. Spoon the shrimp on top, sprinkle with the bacon, and serve immediately.
[Photograph: Nick Kindelsperger]
Adapted from Ruta Kahate's Quick-Fix Indian
Why I Picked This Recipe: Though it's called Quick-Fix Indian and many of the recipes look simple enough, most have sub recipes, which you'll need to make ahead of time. This isn't a big deal, but sometimes this can extend the cooking process to over an hour. But if you sub freshly grated ginger here for the ginger paste (which she gives as a tip), this comes together in about 20 minutes.
What Worked: I never really thought about it before, but shrimp and zucchini are an inspired pair. When cooked right, they are both tender, juicy, and slightly sweet. The spices are nice, too, adding some depth without covering up any of the fresh flavors.
Suggested Tweaks: The ingredients in the title should be flipped, because this is really more of a zucchini recipe with some shrimp. Not that I'm complaining too much. I just split this whole recipe with my wife. But if you would like to bulk the dinner out to feed four, just double the amount of shrimp, and serve with some rice.
About the author: Nick Kindelsperger is the editor of Serious Eats: Chicago. He loves tacos and spicy food. You can follow him as @nickdk on Twitter.
serves serves 2 to 3 , active time 20 minutes, total time 20 minutes
In a bowl, toss the shrimp with half of the turmeric and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
Pour two tablespoons of the oil into a large wok set over high heat. When oil just starts to smoke, add the shrimp. Stir-fry until they turn pink, about 2 minutes, remove from heat, and immediately remove them with a slotted spoon. Place them on a plate and set aside.
Pour the remaining tablespoon of oil into the wok and turn the heat to medium. Add the remaining turmeric, along with the bay leaf, chiles, cumin, coriander, and the ginger. Stir well, and cook until very fragrant, about one minute. Add the zucchini, and toss until the cubes are evenly coated in the spice mixture. Cover the wok, and cook until the pieces have softened, stirring occasionally, five to eight minutes.
Add the shrimp and the cilantro, stir well, and then turn off the heat. Divide the mixture between four plates and serve immediately with rice.
A spicy, finger-licking shrimp boil has the makings of a bib-requisite backyard bash. [Photograph: Jennifer Olvera]
Note: Timing is everything when it comes to a seafood boil, but the time ingredients will take depend largely on factors like potato size and whether or not shrimp are frozen. In other words, visual cues are key. So are napkins aplenty.
About the author: Jennifer Olvera is a veteran food and travel writer and author of "Food Lovers' Guide to Chicago." Follow her on Twitter @olverajennifer.
Special equipment: Large stockpot, large metal strainer
serves serves 6, active time 45 minutes, total time 1 hour
Combine horseradish, vinegar, ketchup, mayonnaise and Sriracha in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Bring water, beer, Old Bay, cayenne, bay leaves, ½ tablespoon kosher salt, lemon juice, reserved lemon halves, and garlic to a boil in large stockpot over high heat. Skim foam from top. Add potatoes, cover and cook 10 minutes. Add smoked sausage and boil for another 4 minutes before adding corn. Cook for 7 more minutes, then add shrimp and cook until shrimp just turns pink and is no longer translucent, about 3 minutes.
Immediately drain cooking liquid and discard lemons and bay leaves. Pour contents of pot into large serving bowl, platter, or on top of a paper-covered table. Sprinkle with additional Old Bay, if desired, and serve with prepared sauce, Tabasco and napkins.
[Photograph: Kerry Saretsky]
This is my favorite way to cook salmon, and it's also the easiest. Just lightly butter the bottom of two boneless, skinless fillets, as though you were buttering a piece of bread. Sit them in a hot skillet to get nice and crispy, and then top the salmon with a mound of buttery breadcrumbs spiked with whole grain mustard, Dijon mustard, and fresh thyme. Slide the whole skillet under the broiler, and wait for five minutes, until the crumbs are golden brown and the salmon is done. The crumbs are tender, but also just that little bit spicy. The salmon is crisp, and just flakes apart. The whole thing is perfect.
About the author: Kerry Saretsky is the creator of French Revolution Food, where she reinvents her family's classic French recipes in a fresh, chic, modern way.
serves serves 2, active time 15 minutes, total time 15 minutes
Preheat the broiler to high and adjust rack to 6 inches below the element. Pulse bread in the bowl of a food processor until coarse crumbs are created, about 10 to 12 one-second pulses. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon butter, both mustards, and thyme, pinching the mixture together so the butter is incorporated and the mixture sticks together. Season with salt and pepper.
Spread the bottom of each fillet of salmon with a thin layer of butter. Preheat a medium skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add salmon buttered-side down and cook without moving until a nice crust has formed, about 2 minutes. Pile the crumbs on the salmon, then transfer to the broiler. Broil until the crumbs are crunchy and browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
[Photographs: Leela Punyaratabandhu]
These shrimp cakes can be served as an appetizer or a main course. Even though at many Thai restaurants in Thailand, these cakes are paired with Chinese-style plum sauce, I prefer to serve them with Thai sweet chili sauce which you buy from the store or make at home easily.
Note: If you live in the United States, your cilantro most likely comes with no roots. Simply substitute with the same amount of cilantro stems.
About the author: Leela is the author of the Thai food blog SheSimmers.com. You can follow her at @shesimmers
Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!
serves serves 4, active time 20 minutes, total time 30 minutes
Add shrimp garlic, salt, cilantro, white pepper, and baking powder to bowl of food processor. Pulse until smooth paste is formed, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Run processor continuously until mixture becomes smooth and sticky, about 15 seconds. Transfer shrimp mixture to a large bowl and refrigerate it for at least 10 minutes.
Place bread crumbs in a shallow pie plate. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or wok to 325°F as registered on an instant read or deep-frying thermometer.
Roughly divide the shrimp mixture in the bowl into four equal portions. Divide each portion again into four portions to form 16 equal piles.
Form each portion of shrimp mixture into a patty about 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Roll each patty in the bread crumbs and gently lower it into the hot oil. The shrimp cakes puff up quite considerably in the oil, so make sure you don't overcrowd your frying vessel.
Flip the shrimp cakes over a few times while they're frying. Once they're golden brown, fish them out onto a paper towel-lined plate.
Serve the shrimp cakes immediately with Thai sweet chili sauce.
[Photograph: Susan Now]
Chile plays a major roll in the cuisine of Sri Lanka. Powdered cayenne and hot peppers, both dried and fresh, pop up in nearly every recipe in S.H. Fernando Jr.'s Rice & Curry. So it's only appropriate that we're kicking off a week of Sri Lankan home cooking with a chile-laden recipe for Deviled Shrimp.
This beer-drinking snack is cooked in a base of caramelized garlic, onions and ginger, tossed with curry leaves, tomatoes, and fresh chiles and finished with a bright squirt of fresh lime juice. It's the kind of eat-with-your-hands dish that's the ideal balance of savory sour heat that makes you want to devour every last spicy shrimp.
What Worked: Fernando calls these spicy, bright shrimp a convenient finger food, the ideal snack for an icy beer. We sampled the pairing for ourselves and have to agree, it's a match made in heaven.
What Didn't: No complaints here but be warned, there's a lot of chile going on i.e. not for the faint of heat heart.
Suggested Tweaks: This recipe can be made with squid as well. Just cut your cephalopods into one inch lengths and proceed.
Reprinted with permission from Rice & Curry by S.H. Fernando Jr.. Copyright © 2011. Published by Hippocrene Books. Available wherever books are sold. All rights reserved.
serves makes 4 to 6 servings, active time 20 minutes, total time 20 minutes
Wash, clean, and shell shrimp.
Heat oil in pan. Sauté onions, garlic, ginger, and curry leaves until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes and Serrano chiles.
Add shrimp, cayenne powder, dry chiles, vinegar, and salt, and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat, put on a plate, and squeeze on lime juice just before serving.
[Photograph: Kerry Saretsky]
This is one of my all time favorite dishes, because it so easy, but so impressive. And so elegant, you can have people over during the week without worrying.
I choose the less expensive, quicker cooking, sweet bay scallops, and toss them with meaty Spanish chorizo, full of smoked paprika and garlic. As the two broil together, the chorizo collapses into its own juices, and the scallops bathe in them, becoming burnished red as the flavors transfer from the sausage to the scallops. The toasted breadcrumbs and fresh greens on top add a welcome mild counterpoint. So good!
About the author: Kerry Saretsky is the creator of French Revolution Food, where she reinvents her family's classic French recipes in a fresh, chic, modern way.
serves serves 2, active time 5 minutes, total time 15 minutes
Preheat the broiler to high and adjust rack to 6-inches from element. Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel. Toss scallops and chorizo with 2 teaspoons olive oil in a medium bowl and season lightly with salt. Divide mixture evenly between two broiler-safe gratin dishes or one broiler-safe 8- by 8-inch square baking dish. Toss the remaining teaspoon of olive oil with the panko and parsley (if using) in a separate bowl, then top scallop mixture with crumbs. Cover each gratin dish tightly with foil. Place the dishes on a baking sheet and broil for 10 minutes. Remove foil, and broil an addition 3 to 4 minutes until the chorizo has blistered and the crumbs are lightly toasted. Top each dish with a handful of greens lightly tossed with olive oil and salt. Serve immediately.
[Photograph: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]
Note: For best results, use small, raw, shell-on shrimp and peel yourself (shelled shrimp tend to be a little mangled). Avoid par-cooked shrimp, as they will not absorb flavor properly. Traditional Colombian-style coctel is made with straight up mayo, ketchup, and hot sauce. I like adding some extra-virgin olive oil for extra flavor.
About the author: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Chief Creative Officer of Serious Eats where he likes to explore the science of home cooking in his weekly column The Food Lab. You can follow him at @thefoodlab on Twitter, or at The Food Lab on Facebook.
serves serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer, active time 25 minutes, total time 25 minutes
Place shrimp in a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons lime juice and 1 teaspoon salt and toss to combine. Place in refrigerator and let marinate for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a medium bowl, combine remaining lime juice, mayonnaise, olive oil, ketchup, and onion and stir until homogenous. Add hot sauce to taste and stir to combine. Add parsley and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Drain shrimp and add to pot of boiling water. Cook until just barely cooked through, about 45 seconds. Drain shrimp in sink and place under cold running water until well chilled, about 1 minute. Transfer to a large plate lined with paper towels and carefully dry shrimp. Add shrimp to bowl with sauce and toss to combine. Serve immediately with crackers and extra limes for squeezing.
Warm grilled salmon topped with a punchy Thai cucumber salad makes a refreshing and light main course. The dressing, made from fresh lime juice, garlic, fish sauce, and sugar, has that classic sweet-sour-salty Thai flavor; use it as a sauce to spoon liberally around the fish.
About the author: Jennifer Segal is the chef behind the popular food blog, Once Upon a Chef.
Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!
serves serves 4, active time 25 minutes, total time 25 minutes
Combine garlic, lime juice, oil, fish sauce, coriander, and sugar in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Season with salt and set aside. Combine cucumbers and basil in a large bowl and set aside in refrigerator.
Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over entire surface of coal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover gill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate.
Rub salmon fillets lightly with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Place fillets skin side down on grill and cook until golden brown and slightly charred, 3 to 5 minutes (resist the urge to peek or flip early; when fillets are nicely seared on the first side, they should release easily). Flip the fillets over and continue grilling until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of filet registers 125°F for medium rare or 130°F for medium, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a large plate and tent with foil. Allow to rest for five minutes.
Meanwhile, toss cucumber and basil with half of dressing. Remove the skin from the salmon if desired. Spoon salad on top and drizzle remaining dressing on and around salmon. Serve immediately.
[Photograph: Kerry Saretsky]
Shrimp Scampi. Old School! It will always be a stalwart standby mountained on top of linguine, but I like this more elegant, updated version. Grill some thick country bread drizzled with olive oil until it's charred (use an oven if you don't have a grill), and rub the hot bread with garlic. Then top it with a 5-minute stew of big, juicy shrimp, creamy, hearty white cannellini beans, white wine, tons more garlic, parsley, cold sweet butter, and even some arugula if you're feeling adventurous. Perfect for two.
About the author: Kerry Saretsky is the creator of French Revolution Food, where she reinvents her family's classic French recipes in a fresh, chic, modern way. She also writes French in a Flash here on Serious Eats.
Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!
serves serves 2, active time 10 minutes, total time 10 minutes
Heat a grill pan over high heat or the oven to 450°F. Drizzle the bread lightly with olive oil on both sides, and grill or toast on both sides. Cut the whole garlic clove in half. When the bread is toasted, rub the hot bread all over with the cut side of the garlic, and season lightly with salt.
In a large braising pan, head 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, and season with the chili flakes, salt and pepper. Cook just until the shrimp are pink and curled, turning once. Set the shrimp aside with a slotted spoon. Add the garlic to the hot oil, and just heat through until you can smell it—less than 30 seconds. Add the wine and beans and bring to a boil. Gently whisk in the cold butter and parsley. Add the shrimp back in to the sauce, and spoon over the waiting garlic bread. If you want to be extra gourmet, add in a heaping handful of torn baby arugula. Bon app!
The following recipe is from the April 18 edition of our weekly recipe newsletter. To receive this newsletter in your inbox, sign up here!
[Photograph: Michael Schrom]
Part of the allure of the club sandwich is that extra piece of toast in the middle of the sandwich. Not only does it give the club height and and an excuse to use a frilly toothpick, but it also acts as the dividing line between the bacon tier of the sandwich and the chicken salad, or turkey, or whichever club you prefer.
Zakary Pelaccio, author of Eat with Your Hands, has upped the club sandwich ante by adding butter-poached lobster and turning that middle slice of bread into a riff on that classic Chinese restaurant app, shrimp toast, only here it's lobster toast. Sounds pretty good, right? Well, it also features slices of crispy bacon and sambal aïoli.
Recommended playlist and drinks pairing:
Listen: The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds, a classic—and well suited to gin and tonics and club sandwiches.
Drink: G&Ts—club service, nudge, nudge.
What Worked: This is an outrageous sandwich on its own but we're all for serving the lobster toast on its own as a kitschy app.
What Didn't: Don't skimp on the oil for the lobster toast; use too little and it will stick to the pan.
Suggested Tweaks: If you're not game for mixing up your own aïoli you can always sub in mayo and sambal olek.
Reprinted with permission from Eat with Your Hands by Zakary Pelaccio. Copyright © 2012. Published by Ecco. Available wherever books are sold. All rights reserved.
serves makes 4 sandwiches, active time 1 hour, total time 2 hours
For the Sambal Aïoli: Put the egg yolk and the garlic in the bowl of a food processor and pulse, using a spatula to scrape any yolk that gets stuck to the sides of the processor back to the blades, until smooth. Then purée, slowly adding the oil with the machine is running until the aïoli has emulsified. Add the vinegar and lime juice and process to combine. Season with salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate until you're ready to use it and stir the sambal belacan.
Make the Lobster Toast: Heat at least 2 inches of oil in a deep heavy pan over medium-high heat to 375°F (measured on a deep-frying thermometer).
In a food processor, pulse the parcooked lobster meat, fish sauce, MSG, 2 tablespoons of the all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper until a paste forms. in a bowl, whisk together the rice flour and the remaining all-purpose flour. Season it with salt and pepper. Then add the sparkling water, starting with 1 cup, whisking to incorporate evenly and ensure there are no lumps. Whisk in up to 1/2 cup more sparkling water if necessary to obtain the consistency of a slightly watery pancake batter.
Spread the lobster paste evenly over each piece of bread, all the way to the edges. The coating should be 1/4 inch thick. Working with one piece at a time, dip the lobster-smeared bread into the batter and coat fully, shaking off the excess. Carefully add each piece to the hot oil and fry, flipping once, until golden and crisp on both sides, about 3 minutes total. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain and season with salt.
Finish the sandwiches: In a medium saucepan, heat the butter and 1/2 cup water over low heat, whisking until the butter has completely emulsified. Cut the lobster tails in half lengthwise. Add the tails to the butter mixture and poach gently until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a plate and gently poach the claws until just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, return the tails to the liquid, and set the pan to the side.
In a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until brown and crisp, then transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Cut the cooked bacon slices to fit perfectly on the bread and eat the trimmings.
Trim the crusts from the toasted white bread. Spread each slice with 2 teaspoons of the sambal aïoli. Top each of four of the slices with a few lettuce leaves, a slice of tomato, a slice of lobster toast, and 3 slices of bacon. Put half a lobster tail and a whole claw on each stack. Top with the remaining toasted white bread, slice each sandwich diagonally, and serve immediately.
[Photograph: Kerry Saretsky]
I consider a brimming, steaming pot of mussels to be the twenty-first century Lady and the Tramp. There's nothing more romantic than sharing a steaming pot of food and eating with your hands. We normally think of mussels as French, but this recipe is decidedly light, tangy, and exotic. The broth is simple but sophisticated; coconut milk, lime, chili, cilantro, ginger, and coconut milk add sweetness, tang, spice, and heat to the briny mussels. Served on a nest of rice noodles, this dish is so impressive, but so easy, quick, and cheap that it's kind of unbelievable. Bullseye.
Note: When you bring the mussels home from the store, throw out any that are open and don't close tightly when you tap them. Once cooked, discard any mussels that don't open.
About the author: Kerry Saretsky is the creator of French Revolution Food, where she reinvents her family's classic French recipes in a fresh, chic, modern way. She also writes French in a Flash here on Serious Eats.
Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!
serves serves 2, active time 5 to 7 minutes, total time 30 minutes
Heat the coconut milk and water into a large stockpot over low heat. Meanwhile, slice the ginger into rounds. Halve the lemongrass, and beat it with the dull side of the knife to release its flavor. Tear the leaves from the cilantro stalks. Peel three strips of zest from the lime with a vegetable peeler.
Add the ginger, lemongrass, cilantro stalks (reserve the leaves for later), and lime zest to the coconut milk. Raise the heat to high, bring the coconut milk mixture to a boil, then lower the heat all the way down to the lowest setting. Cover the pot and steep the broth for 25 minutes.
Raise the heat to high and add the chilies and mussels. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the mussels open 3 to 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and stir in the roughly chopped cilantro leaves.
Divide the noodles between two serving bowls, then divide the mussels and broth over the noodles. Serve immediately with lime wedges
[Photograph: Kerry Saretsky]
This isn't your typical Salade Niçoise! This is a chunky mix of herbes de Provence-seared rare tuna steak and marinated white anchovies, tossed with crisp haricots verts, juicy baby tomatoes, hearty potatoes, briny black olives and capers, sweet basil, and a lemon-thyme-honey citronette with that Provençal perennial: extra virgin olive oil. Spooned into lettuce cups and devoured like tacos, this is a hearty, bright, light-hearted take on a seaside classic.
About the author: Kerry Saretsky is the creator of French Revolution Food, where she reinvents her family's classic French recipes in a fresh, chic, modern way.
serves serves 4, active time 10 minutes, total time 10 minutes
Rub the tuna steak in 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Season with herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear the tuna for 45 seconds on each side, and immediately rub the hot fish with the cut side of the garlic. Set aside to cool for a few minutes, then cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon zest and juice, the thyme, the mayonnaise, and the honey, and season with salt and pepper. Cube the tuna. Toss the tuna, potatoes, beans, tomatoes, olives, onions, capers, and anchovies with the lemon dressing in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange the tuna salad in the lettuce cups and serve immediately.
[Photograph: Blake Royer]
What Worked:The flavors in this dish were fascinating. You couldn't necessarily taste every aspect, but it all came together in a surprising way, just the way you might hope they would eating the food of an inventive chef.
The technique I'll definitely take away from this dish is Izard's way of finishing the pasta: with a big dollop of crème fraîche.
What Didn't Work: While I loved the flavors of this dish, I didn't find it necessary to cook the clams separately with their own aromatics as the recipe suggested. It seemed like a translation from a restaurant's methods rather than something ideal for home. I've streamlined the recipe to make it easier—and faster—for a weeknight.
Suggested Tweaks: I might suggest a few less clams and more sambal paste. A little goes a long way, and I thought overal the dish could be spicier.
Adapted from Girl in the Kitchen.
About the author: Blake Royer is a food writer, photographer, and filmmaker based in Chicago; he has been writing for Serious Eats since 2007. You can follow him on Twitter @blakeroyer.
serves serves 4, active time 20 minutes, total time 25 minutes
In a small bowl, combine the crème fraîche and horseradish and set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add the snap peas. Cook until almost tender, 2-3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the water behind to cook the pasta. Run cold water over them to stop the cooking, or shock in an ice batch. Leave the pot on the heat.
Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the sausage and break up into chunks in the skillet. Cook, stirring only occasionally, until well-browned and nearly cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the linguine to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
Meanwhile, add the fennel, onion, and shallot to the sausage and cook until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the sambal or other chile paste and cook for an additional minute.
Add the wine to the skillet and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan, bringing the wine to a simmer. Add the clams and cover the skillet with a tight fitting lid and cook, stirring occasionally, until the clams are opened, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the cooked pasta and the snap peas to the pan and toss well to combine. Add a little pasta water if it seems dry. Just before serving, add the crème fraîche and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss well to combine and serve immediately.