Nut-Free

This bright, vegetarian sauce features lemon three ways: juice, zest, and preserved lemon peel.

Use the best quality lamb you can find. Chilling the deboned loin in the freezer for 15 minutes will make it easier to handle.

Serving a perfectly cooked, crisp-skinned piece of fish in a seasoned lime broth lets you get a spoonful of bright flavor in every bite.

If paella escaped from Spain, sailed to China, and did some soul-searching along the way, you’d have the namesake dish at Chicago’s Fat Rice. The generous pot of aromatic rice, curry-scented chicken, and (much) more can be traced back to Macau, the former Portuguese colony in China, where it’s almost always served at home. Chefs Abraham Conlon and Adrienne Lo took inspiration from foreign-language cookbooks; their version is a blend of Portuguese and Chinese cooking that Conlon calls “the origin”…

At Alma, Los Angeles, these airy beignets are topped with yuzu kosho, a spicy condiment made with yuzu (an aromatic Japanese citrus), chile, and salt. Though not the same, we got great results using lemons.

Because this dough is eggless, it has great al dente texture. If you can’t find durum wheat flour, all-purpose will work well, too.

An anchovy fillet and some fish sauce mimic fermented kimchi's slightly funky undertones, but they won't hit you over the head with fishiness (we promise).

For this recipe from chef Hugh Acheson, Empire State South, Atlanta, letting the carrots sit past the initial 5-day pickling will make the flavor more pronounced.

Soaking the cut raw potatoes in water removes surface starch, which yields crispier fries and prevents them from clumping together as they cook. Make sure to dry them thoroughly so that they don't cause the hot oil to spatter when you add them to the pot.

You may get six or eight soufflés out of this recipe. Older eggs will create more voluminous whipped whites, meaning more batter. Dry days (as opposed to humid weather) will help make the meringue loftier, too.

Bruising the cucumbers helps break down their flesh, which is then better able to absorb the flavor of the marinade.

Chef Philip Krajeck, Rolf and Daughters, Nashville, says the key to this dish is getting a good char on the brussels sprouts, which helps balance the richness of the porky, eggy sauce. Salt draws moisture out of the leaves, which might make them soggy, so he doesn’t season them.

This is one of those sleeper recipes that’s more complex-tasting than it sounds. Each element is supereasy to prepare and can be made days in advance, but the finished dessert is a stunner.

Sauté whatever leafy greens you like or happen to have on hand; it’s an ideal way to use up those slightly past their prime.

To ensure the snow-white color of this soup, don’t let the onions brown.

Browning the farro imbues it with a nutty flavor—a step you can add any time you prepare the grain.

Key when making the batter for these fish and chips: Be sure your beer and club soda are ice cold, and chill the batter if prepping ahead.

You might be wondering, Does this really taste good? The answer is yes. Choose a light-bodied, fruity olive oil rather than a heavy, peppery one.

Cooking the liver till just medium-rare keeps it from tasting chalky; straining it through a fine-mesh sieve gives the finished mousse a silky texture.

A saucy dish for those who don’t mind eating with their hands. Serve with plenty of crackers or bread for sopping up every last bit of the delicious liquid, and extra napkins, too!

Paper-thin crepes aren’t so fussy. “They’re almost simpler than pancakes,” says pastry chef Megan Garrelts of Rye in Leawood, Kansas.

This boldly flavored fermented kimchi recipe comes from chef Jon Churan of Perennial Virant in Chicago.

At home, chef Gregory Vernick (Vernick Food & Drink, Philadelphia) always keeps miso on hand for an umami blast in everything from braises and mayo to this Asian-leaning chicken soup. You won’t believe how much depth it adds to canned broth.

Typically steamed or sautéed, fresh mustard greens are also great raw and simply dressed. “I like the strength they give to salads,” says chef Frederik de Pue, of Table, Washington, D.C.