Recipes

34 Cooking Moments When You Know You've Nailed It

It's hard to tell when you've finally achieved the ideal pan-seared fish skin or grill marks on a steak. These photos show us how it's done so you can get it right every time.
Image may contain Food and Roast
Romulo Yanes

There comes a moment in every cook's life when you know you got it right. The butter's ideally melted, the steak's expertly charred, and the skin on that fish filet is ever-so-crispy. Ever wanted to know how to know? Check out these examples of the exact moment we got it right so you can too. Every single time.

  • Image may contain Food Bread and Cracker
    3/33

    The Brittlest Brittle

    Here, a coarse sea salt like fleur de sel or sel gris plays a few important roles: It tempers and cuts the richness of the nuts and butter, it adds a concentrated crunch—and it makes the brittle look divine. Break this vibrant salted pistachio brittle on top of ice cream or crumble it over rice pudding. Or, do what we do, and eat it straight off the baking sheet.

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  • Image may contain Food Hot Dog Dish and Meal
    Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott
    4/33

    Soft-on-the-Inside Roasted Carrots

    A colorful and spicy (but not fiery!) side breaks up all the heavy, rich dishes on the table.

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  • Image may contain Animal Fish and Food
    Romulo Yanes
    7/33

    Crispy Pan-Roasted Salmon Skin

    Crispy on the top, flaky and moist on the bottom. That's the way we like this pan-roasted salmon with fennel, and this recipe's all about how to get that skin crisped just right.

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  • Image may contain Plant Fruit Food and Cherry
    8/33

    Sticky, Thick Compote

    Simmer until the fruit is soft and the juices are thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Then your cherry compote is ready.

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  • Image may contain Ribs Food Animal Seafood Lobster and Sea Life
    Julian Broad
    9/33

    Fall-Apart-Moist Brisket

    No one will fault you for seasoning brisket with salt and pepper, braising it in beer, and calling it a day. But follow chef Lee's method—which calls for a bath of stout, bourbon, and soy sauce; a glaze made with peach jam; and a side of easy homemade pickles if you'd like—and you're on the path to savory-and-sweet nirvana.

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  • Image may contain Food Dessert Cake Cutlery Spoon Pie and Tart
    10/33

    Shattering Brûlée

    This Brûléed Bourbon-Maple Pumpkin Pie pie has every holiday ingredient imaginable: spices, maple syrup, pumpkin, chocolate, and (of course) booze. It also has a crackable shell of sugar on top.

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  • A large pan of golden Parker House rolls topped with flaky sea salt.
    Photo by Jonathon Kambouris; Food styling by Simon Andrews; Prop styling by Kaitlyn Du Ross
    15/33

    Browning Tops and Doughy Bottoms

    A top coat of melted butter and salt makes these Parker House dinner rolls irresistible. When they turn this color, you know they're done.

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  • Image may contain Food Bread Human Person Bun Pizza Confectionery and Sweets
    Cedric Angeles
    16/33

    Charred Tops and Juicy Bottoms

    That browning top is the crispy golden-brown that lets you know this whole roasted cauliflower ready for you to cut it wide open and serve with some whipped goat cheese.

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  • Image may contain Spaghetti Food Pasta Animal Reptile and Snake
    Marcus Nilsson
    17/33

    Pesto in Every Bite

    This recipe makes more pesto than you'll need. Serve the extra with vegetables or fish, or spread it on sandwiches.

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  • Image may contain Food and Plant
    Nicole Franzen
    18/33

    Golden Brown Crust

    Though it may seem like a counterintuitive practice, extra flipping is the secret to the golden-brown crust on these pork chops.

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  • Image may contain Drink Lemonade Beverage Mixer Appliance and Jar
    19/33

    Extra-Melted Butter

    Clarified butter is one of the most underrated stars of the kitchen. And frankly, we think that's a crime. Make your best ever melted butter.

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  • Cacio e pepe pasta on a white plate placed on a wooden surface
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley
    20/33

    Evenly-Dispersed Grated Cheese

    Literally "cheese and pepper," this minimalist pasta is like a stripped-down mac and cheese.

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  • Image may contain Plant Food Vegetable and Cauliflower
    21/33

    Crunchy Tops

    The combination of meaty, caramelized cauliflower florets and some just-this-side-of-burnt onions has become our go-to side dish. When the tops brown, that means they're crispy–and begging you to eat them.

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  • Image may contain Food Plant and Meal
    Peden + Munk
    22/33

    Crunchy and Soft-in-All-the-Right-Places Fried Rice

    Jaew is a tart, smoky dipping sauce from Thailand, usually served with grilled meats and sausages. Hot Joy chef Quealy Watson takes it to a Tex-Mex place in this eggy, cheesy rice dish that might remind you of nachos (it works).

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  • Image may contain Food Pizza Bread Dish Meal and Plant
    23/33

    Golden Brown Cheese

    When the cheese on top of this goat cheese dip with spring vegetables turns golden brown, it's practically screaming for you to grab some bread and dive right in.

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  • Casserole dish of baked ziti on gray marble surface.
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman
    24/33

    Toasted-on-Top Baked Ziti

    We know ricotta is a traditional addition, but it has a tendency to get dry and grainy when baked. Our update uses a creamy Parmesan béchamel, in addition to a tangy tomato sauce, which together make for a super flavorful finished dish—that won’t dry out in the oven.

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  • Image may contain Roast and Food
    25/33

    Almost Bleeding Rib-Eye Roast

    Pack this stunning beef roast with a savory stuffing, which keeps the meat juicy and makes a fine accompaniment on the plate.

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  • Perfect baked potato recipe
    Photo by Christopher Baker
    26/33

    Crispy-Skinned Baked Potato

    Olive oil, salt, and pepper: This recipe is as blank-slate as it gets. Feel free to add other spices to the salt-and-pepper mix, such as cumin or smoked paprika, and finish with whatever cheese you like.

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  • A diagonally cut grilled cheese sandwich being pulled apart by two hands with a cheese pull connecting the two halves.
    Photo by Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott
    27/33

    Drippy, Melted Cheese

    After rigorous scientific testing, we’ve determined that sandwiches sliced in half on a diagonal actually taste better. That thread of cheese when you pull is how you know you've cooked it to perfection.

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  • Image may contain Food Dessert Chocolate and Cake
    28/33

    Spreadable Chocolate Frosting

    The frosting on this Cocoa Layer Cake is highly spreadable. It shouldn't be too thin nor too thick—and it should be droolworthy enough that you're licking it out of the bowl and off the spoon.

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  • Image may contain Food Dessert Cake Pie and Bread
    Brian W Ferry
    29/33

    Bubbly Crust

    With two of the most popular winter veggies (kale, butternut squash) and loads of sage, this chicken pot pie is a classic. Bubbling on top means you nailed it.

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  • Image may contain Food Pasta Lasagna Pizza Cutlery and Fork
    Marcus Nilsson
    30/33

    Lasagna Bolognese Layered Like a Pro

    This version of the Italian classic tastes as though it's been perfected over generations.

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  • Pink peppercorn bacon recipe
    Jeremy Liebman
    33/33

    Crisp Peppercorn Bacon

    It might seem like a long time, but cooking the bacon until it’s well-done means it’ll stay crisp at the table.

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Associate Web Editor. When she’s not posted up at a café, reading and praying that sipping her cappuccino won’t mean sacrificing a night’s sleep, Elyssa writes about food culture and restaurant trends for bonappetit.com. The team’s unrelenting sweet tooth and beverage nerd, Elyssa can also be found refreshing the Wait-or-Buy ... Read More