Steam

This dish is all about the sweet and salty soy paste, which balances out the bitterness of the broccoli.

This recipe is more formula than mandate: You can use mussels, cherry tomatoes, and shallots instead.

Steaming offers extreme speed and high hydration, which means that whatever you cook—from seasonal vegetables to proteins—will be done quickly and always moist.

You can use this foolproof steaming method to cook any sturdy fish—salmon, snapper, black cod, or arctic char would all be great.

This pipping-hot savory egg custard is often served as a banchan at Korean barbecue restaurants and has a similar texture to Japanese chawan mushi.

Kedgeree often calls for smoked fish, but for a light weeknight meal, we prefer steaming fresh fish right on top of the rice.

Strange as it may sound, and although it is surely not the healthiest way to cook broccoli, do give this a try. You will be amazed at how even broccoli can become what tastes like an indulgent, olive oil–laden, garlicky treat.

The farmers’ market in high summer is the best bet for finding the small, inky-purple, round eggplants used in this recipe.

To serve this dish as a main course for eight, double the recipe over two pots and throw some warm baguettes on the table.

By using a rich, mushroom-based broth, we simplified Atoboy chef Junghyun Park’s approach to creating huge flavor for steamed and poached fish.

No need to prep everything ahead: Get your chopping in while the fennel cooks. Just keep an eye on the pot!

This recipe is also good with clams, shrimp, or any other quick-cooking seafood you’re in the mood for.

We tested this tamales recipe with both instant and fresh masa. Fresh masa yielded the best corn flavor and best texture, but we’ve included instructions for using instant since the flour is easier to find. You can find fresh masa and dried corn husks at tortilla stores/factories, in the international section at larger grocery stores, or online. Whichever masa you choose, be sure to save some of the tomatillo purée from the chicken filling.

Clams vary in brininess and the amount of liquid they’ll release during cooking, so you’ll need to adjust the salt and add pasta water accordingly. To prevent the sauce from getting too salty, we recommend a measured amount of salt for the pasta water. If possible, look for an artisanal dried pasta for this recipe—the rougher surface texture will catch the slippery sauce better.

These pillowy steamed buns are delicious in all the same ways as Parker House rolls, with the sweet flavor of cornmeal.

Steam, fluff; steam, fluff. This couscous recipe is time-consuming but worth it.

Lining the toasted, buttered bun with lettuce might seem controversial, but it provides both crunch and a waterproof barrier that keeps the bread from sogging out.

De Laurentiis uses Peroni, an Italian beer, for this 20-minute dish, but any light-bodied lager will work and make a perfect drink pairing as well.

The secret to juicy, tender, delicately steamed white-meat chicken and squash? Going slow.

The key is to work quickly when encasing the strawberries with the mochi recipe before the dough cools and firms.

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.

This one-pot dinner is simple: Sweet cherry tomatoes, earthy chorizo, and a splash of wine do the heavy lifting.

Egg salad and potato salad: Unite! We like how the still-soft yolks dress the salad, but you can cook the eggs a minute or two longer if you like them more set.

A hearty thanks to Pamela Lau, the talented home cook (and mom of our former staff photographer, Alex Lau!) who generously shared her proportions for the dough, soup, and filling to help us create this recipe.