Dinner

Fresh sardines are only sporadically available, so we’ve recommended using canned sardines here. By all means broil fresh sardines if your fishmonger has them. If you go with canned, spend a little money on them: Imported Portuguese and Spanish sardines such as Cole’s and Matiz taste much better than the grocery store staples. You could also use good-quality tuna—again, imported canned tuna, or line-caught albacore from the Western U.S., will taste best. A time-saving tip: Soaking the farro over.…

Pulling mussels from the shell is a delightfully hands-on way to get your lean protein. The little black shellfish are easy to cook; the only trick is to sort them carefully beforehand. Toss out any cracked shelled mussels, as well as any open ones that don’t close up tight when you squeeze them. The beards are the tough little fibers that help mussels cling to rocks; to remove them, just pinch the hairy fibers with a clean kitchen towel and pull. Don’t do this much before cooking, though, becau.…

This chunky grain dish is freshened up with a delicious combination of dill, parsley, and mint. If you don’t have all three, use a handful of whatever tender herbs you’ve got. If you substitute regular lemon for the Meyer lemon, use less zest and juice: Regular lemons are more aggressive.

This dish calls for a fish with a fairly firm structure: Line-caught albacore, lingcod, and mahi-mahi are all good options. Or paint a wild salmon fillet with the marinade and proceed. If you have not made The Greenest Tahini Sauce, you could use a spoonful of straight tahini mixed with olive oil as a marinade; try incorporating a bit of lemon zest as well.

If you have time to marinate the chicken the night before, it will deliver extra flavor. If not, just be sure to marinate it before preparing the rest of your dinner.

We like to cook chicken breasts with the skin on because it helps keep the meat moist. And this recipe calls for a little aromatic thyme and garlic to be tucked underneath the skin to flavor the chicken as it cooks. We’ll let you decide whether to pluck off the skin before eating.

Mackerel, a lovely oily fish, is delightfully hard to overcook. It’s often sold frozen, especially in Japanese markets, so allow a day for defrosting if you’ve purchased it in that form. If you can’t find mackerel, choose another oily fish: Black cod and wild sockeye salmon will both work, though they require a longer cooking time. You may want to try cooking them in steaks with this broiling method; the bones lend extra flavor and keep the fish from falling apart, too.

Seasoning the chicken with a bit of apple cider vinegar beforehand helps tenderize the chicken before roasting.

Don’t bother trying to divide this fillet into tidy portions. Instead, use a spoon to break it into perfectly imperfect pieces.

“The grapefruit brightens everything in this dish.” —Eleanore Park, BA recipe tester