Dinner

There are two hits of chile in this dish. It’s used early on to infuse the oil, where it mellows. The sprinkle added at the end is more “precocious,” says chef Philip Krajeck, Rolf and Daughters, Nashville. “It’s not in every bite, but when it hits you, it makes a big impact.”

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”…

Bringing ramen home takes a trip to an Asian market, three days of work, and your largest pot, but this low-stress (really!) labor of love might be the best soup you'll ever make.

If you’d like, let the croutons sit in the pepper mixture until the bread is fairly soft; it’ll soak up the flavorful dressing.

Toasting grains and seeds is a simple move that adds texture and deep flavor to this green salad. The dressing will be milder if you use fresh horseradish, or sharp and a tad spicy if you use prepared.

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

At Ava Gene's, chef Joshua McFadden always dresses his salads with the acidic components first so the produce can absorb some of those flavors before being coated with oil.

An invigorating hit of citrus brings together crisp apples, toasty bread and nuts, and sharp cheese, making this one of our favorite recipes this year.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

As co-chefs at Hog & Hominy in Memphis, Michael Hudman and Andy Ticer see each other daily, but the old friends still cook together on days off. “Andy does the steak,” says Hudman, “and I do the pasta.”

Blanched garlic, which is sweet and mild, is blended with briny clam liquor and olive oil to make a creamy white sauce for this unconventional pizza.

This silky, aromatic soup is a complete meal in a bowl.

Prep like a pro: Chef Mike Lata of The Ordinary in Charleston, South Carolina, makes the vierge (a Southern take on the traditional French accompaniment to seafood) in the morning, so that when dinner rolls around, all that’s left to do is sear the fish.

Chef Rene Ortiz of Sway in Austin, cooks a lot of tofu for his young vegetarian son. “He loves it,” says Ortiz, “and in order for all of us to eat it, it has to taste like something.” Ortiz’s solution: Let the porous tofu soak up the flavors of malty Chinese black vinegar and soy sauce.

At Lafayette restaurant in New York City, the lamb is served with cooked quinoa that’s folded into couscous, but you could simply choose one or the other as a side dish.

To give steaks a boost, chef David Myers of Hinoki & the Bird in Los Angeles, makes an herb rub (he likes to dry the herbs himself; if you don’t have a microwave, sub in 1 tsp. of each dried herb) and pairs the meat with a tart ponzu sauce (ponzu is available at Asian markets and some supermarkets).

Thanks to two very hands-off methods for the lamb and polenta, this is an excellent choice for a dinner party.