Sear

Chive oil would also be good on other protein, like grilled steak or whole fish, such as red snapper. Throw in a sliced jalapeño or serrano for a little heat. This recipe is from N7, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

Pekin ducks, also known as crescent or Long Island ducklings, have small breasts. If using magret, which are larger, cook a minute or two longer per side. This recipe is from N7, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

The surface of this hand-cut Italian burger will be seared and crisp, the inside medium-rare.

Mark your calendar: It’s steak sandwich night in America. (Feeling virtuous? Remove the bread and…voilà: steak salad!)

This rub works on just about any cut (in fact, it’s served on filet mignon at Mesa Grill), and the pan-to-oven method is foolproof.

The key to browning chicken skin in butter is to crowd the pieces so the butter doesn’t burn in the skillet—then it makes the most beautifully browned skin!

The bavette cut is a well-marbled piece from the end of the sirloin, prized for its flavor. Your butcher might know it as “flap steak”; if not, go with sirloin, hanger, or flank instead.

Citrus segments get saucy in our play on duck à l’orange.

Pick a small to medium celery root and peel off its hide with a sharp knife. Inside you'll find ivory-green flesh that's crisp, a bit nutty, and utterly delicious in salads. This take on a classic remoulade provides perfect contrast to the silken luxury of seared scallops.

The crisp-skinned salmon is warmed up with spices and the sweetness of carrots. Then it's cooled down with one of the most refreshing combinations of all time: cucumbers and yogurt.

The fennel seeds turn into an aromatic, crunchy crust on the skin.

Our idea of magic mushrooms is crisp, golden (legal) substances with the power to lend a bass note of flavor to grain salads, turn a piece of ricotta toast into a meal, or stand alone as a savory side. 

What makes the dish is a 26-ingredient mole, a riff on the Oaxacan sauce that the chef calls a "happy accident."

Perfectly thin, uniform slices make any dish a showstopper. Try this cutting technique on other vegetables, such as skin-on potatoes before they're roasted.

Make this red snapper recipe when you can find really great mushrooms, and use the best Port and Sherry vinegar you can get your hands on—they’re the foundation for the sauce.

Chef Seamus Mullen serves these robustly flavored meatballs as a shared plate at El Colmado, his New York City tapas bar, but they’re also a great main.

The initial charring of the cabbage is key: Be brave. If you think you’ve made a terrible mistake and burned dinner, you’re doing something right. 

This elegant stew can be made up to the point that the farro goes in; cool, then cover and chill up to 2 days.

Don’t fear the fat; most of it will render, leaving a deliciously crisp browned layer on top.

To make addictively crispy chicken skin for this cobb salad recipe, turn it often in the skillet, until it looks like bacon.

This technique will work on any fish—red snapper, salmon, and branzino, and mackerel included.

This fragrant sauce calls for a mix of dried spices. If the ones you’ve got in the pantry smell musty or you can’t remember when you bought them, restock.

The only slow cooker chili recipe you need. This recipe can also be easily doubled.

Thinner links of merguez sausage are ideal for these nibbles, but if you can’t find them, just halve larger ones lengthwise into quarters before wrapping in pastry.