September is here, with its Septembery ways — lively though hectic, buoyant with promise but bogged down with to-dos, warm in the sun with just the right amount of snap at night. Everything seems new, even if you’re only returning to routines abandoned sometime back in June. I have to confess that I really like this time of year, even though I’m one of those summer lovers who doesn’t care if it’s hot as long as I get a swim and an ear of sweet corn on the side.
In honor of the changing season and fresh start, and to help you manage the chaos of it all, I’m back with the Weeknight 100, as we call it at New York Times Cooking headquarters. It’s a list of 100 recipes you should make this year, hand-selected by me and packed with future favorites. Five of those recipes are below.
Crispy chicken with lime butter. This buttery lime chicken dinner couldn’t be any dreamier. Food styled by Simon Andrews. (David Malosh/The New York Times)
1. Crispy Chicken With Lime Butter
You don’t need a thermometer to know when these chicken thighs are done. You just need your ears. In this recipe, chicken thighs are slow seared using a technique from chef Paul Bertolli called “bottom-up cooking” where the chicken cooks almost entirely on the skin side over moderate heat, resulting in shatteringly crisp skin. The gentle sputtering sound that signals the release of moisture from the chicken hitting the hot fat in the pan stops when the meat is fully cooked and the skin crisp and evenly browned. A quick pan sauce of chicken stock, lime juice and maple syrup, made glossy with a few pats of butter, completes this dish.
By Eric Kim
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
4 large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon peanut or canola oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup chicken stock or 1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
2 teaspoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pats
Parsley, cilantro, basil or mint leaves, for serving (optional)
Preparation:
1. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. If you have time, set aside at room temperature for at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium. Add the oil and swirl the pan to coat it. Place the chicken skin side down and cook without moving it until the skin is crispy and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Reduce the heat if the chicken splatters too much or browns too quickly.
3. Add the garlic to the pan. Flip the chicken and cook until the bottom is lightly browned and the meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, skin side up. Remove all but 3 tablespoons of the fat from the pan and save for another use (see Tip).
4. Add the chicken stock, lime juice and maple syrup to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over high, then reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the butter and continue simmering, now stirring constantly, until incorporated; the sauce will thicken and become shiny as the butter melts. Taste and add more salt and pepper as desired.
5. Serve the chicken with the pan sauce, lime wedges and the optional fresh herbs (spritzed with a little lime juice and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper).
Tips:
Rendered chicken fat, sometimes called schmaltz when clarified, can be used to panfry vegetables and meat; to enrich a soup, stew, sauce or tomato-based braise; or to spread on toast.
2. Beef Fried Rice
Beef fried rice. This impeccable method of making fried rice comes from Kay Chun, who makes sure that the bites of steak emerge juicy and tender, not dry and tough. Food styled by Simon Andrews. (Christopher Testani/The New York Times)
Fried rice is perfect for easy and fast weeknight cooking, as it is highly customizable and can be made with all sorts of veggies and protein. This beef version employs a traditional Chinese technique of velveting meat that quickly tenderizes tougher cuts. Simply mix the beef with cornstarch and oil (seasoned here with soy sauce) and let stand for 30 minutes (or even just 15 minutes, if that’s all you’ve got) before stir-frying until browned. Feel free to add more vegetables to this fried rice, like shredded cabbage or snow peas. Be sure to have all of your prep ready before cooking, as the process goes quickly.
By Kay Chun
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons neutral oil, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
12 ounces skirt or sirloin beef, sliced 1/4-inch-thick then cut into bite-size pieces (about 1 inch)
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
4 cups day-old cooked rice (preferably jasmine)
3 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup sliced scallions, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Preparation:
1. In a medium bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and the cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Add beef, season with salt and pepper, and toss to evenly coat. Let stand for 15 minutes, or even 30 minutes if time allows.
2. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high. Add half of the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, just until browned, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, transfer beef to a plate and repeat with the remaining beef. You should have at least 2 tablespoons of fat remaining in the skillet (amount will vary depending on the beef); if necessary, add more oil to reach 2 tablespoons.
3. Add onion and carrot to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds.
4. Add rice, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until well incorporated and warmed through, 2 minutes.
5. Push the rice to one side of the skillet and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the empty side. Add eggs and stir until scrambled, then mix the eggs into the rice mixture. Add beef (and any accumulated juices), peas, scallions, sesame oil and the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and cook, stirring until mixture is well blended, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Divide fried rice among bowls and top with more scallions. Serve warm.
3. Buttery Lemon Pasta With Almonds and Arugula
Buttery lemon pasta with almonds and arugula. Melissa Clark gives us a full meal in a single pantry recipe. Food styled by Simon Andrews. (David Malosh/The New York Times)
Brown butter, crunchy almonds and tangy lemon make a rich but balanced sauce for this pantry-friendly pasta. The arugula lends freshness and rounds out the pasta, turning this into a quick one-pot meal. If you want to increase the vegetables, you can double the arugula. (Just add a little more lemon juice.) And if you don’t have baby (or wild) arugula on hand, spinach or baby kale are fine, though slightly milder, substitutes. Don’t stint on the red-pepper flakes; their spiciness helps bring together the flavors.
By Melissa Clark
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
Fine salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound linguine or spaghetti
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup sliced almonds
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
4 to 5 ounces baby or wild arugula, coarsely chopped, or use baby kale or spinach (4 to 5 cups)
Grated Parmesan, for serving
Preparation:
1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until it is 1 minute shy of being al dente, usually a minute or 2 less than the package instructions. Scoop out about 1 1/2 cups pasta water, then drain pasta.
2. While the pasta cooks, in a large skillet or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until the foam subsides, the milk solids turn golden-brown and the butter smells nutty and toasty, 3 to 4 minutes. (Watch carefully to see that it doesn’t burn.)
3. Stir in almonds, rosemary and red-pepper flakes, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the nuts are toasted and slightly darker in color, about 1 minute.
4. Add about 1 cup pasta water to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Add lemon juice, zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a large pinch of black pepper, then add drained pasta and toss well. Add arugula, tossing until it wilts. Simmer for another minute, if needed, to thicken the sauce until it’s thick and glossy. If the mixture seems dry, add more pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time.
5. Taste and add more salt, red-pepper flakes and lemon juice, if needed. Serve topped with grated Parmesan and more red-pepper flakes, if you like.
4. BBQ Pepper Shrimp
BBQ pepper shrimp. A little New Orleans, a little French, this dish, which Korsha Wilson adapted from the Lobster Pot, a beloved restaurant in Provincetown, Mass., is a delicious dinner and easy to make. Food styled by Hadas Smirnoff. (Armando Rafael/The New York Times)
This dish, inspired by the BBQ pepper shrimp at the Lobster Pot (the busy seafood restaurant in Provincetown, Massachusetts, that the McNulty family began operating in 1979), is a rich, satisfying shrimp dinner that comes together quickly. Chef and owner Tim McNulty came up with the idea for the dish after trying New Orleans-style BBQ shrimp. He blends those spicy flavors with the richness of beurre blanc, a classic French butter sauce. “It’s a big seller for us,” McNulty says of the dish, which has been on the menu for more than 10 years. The sauce is an ideal topping for pasta or crusty bread and is a perfect match for any seafood: “It’s a great base recipe and you can add scallops or lobster to it instead of the shrimp.” The sauce also makes a luscious topping for steak, similar to an au poivre.
Recipe from Tim McNulty
Adapted by Korsha Wilson
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium shallot, diced small (about 1/4 inch)
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 rosemary sprig
1 thyme sprig
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cayenne hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
Crusty bread or cooked pasta, for serving
Preparation:
1. Place the butter in the freezer until ready to use.
2. Pat the shrimp dry on a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt. In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high for 2 minutes. Swirl the pan to coat the bottom. Add half of the shrimp and cook until lightly golden in spots and starting to curl (they’ll be almost cooked through), 2 to 3 minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked shrimp to a plate. Repeat with the remaining shrimp, using the remaining tablespoon of oil to coat the pan. Transfer the remaining shrimp to the plate.
3. Adjust heat to medium and add the garlic and shallot. Cook, stirring, until shiny and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine, rosemary and thyme and stir, scraping up any browned bits. Let simmer until the skillet is almost completely dry, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cream, Worcestershire, hot sauce, lemon juice and black pepper. Continue to simmer and let reduce until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes more. Taste and adjust salt if desired.
4. Remove the butter from the freezer. Adjust heat to low and add half the butter. Stir until completely melted, and then add the remaining butter. Stir constantly until butter is melted and sauce is smooth.
5. Return the shrimp to the pan and cook, stirring to coat in the sauce, until shrimp is piping hot and cooked through, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately with crusty bread (or over pasta), with lemon wedges alongside.
5. Sweet and Sour Cauliflower
Sweet and sour cauliflower. This is the Chinese American classic made vegan, thanks to Hetty Lui McKinnon. Food styled by Samantha Seneviratne. (Julia Gartland/The New York Times)
Reminiscent of classic sweet and sour dishes served at Chinese American restaurants, cauliflower seamlessly steps in for pork or chicken here. For beautifully burnished florets with crispy edges, the cauliflower is treated to a simple dusting of cornstarch, applied in stages to create a more even coating, and a gentle lick of oil before baking or air-frying. Punchy and tart, this sweet and sour sauce is a keeper. Ketchup is the key ingredient, and it brings sourness, sweetness and umami to a simple blend of garlic, rice vinegar, soy sauce and sugar. Eat with rice, noodles or on top of panfried tofu.
By Hetty Lui McKinnon
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons cornstarch (for the cauliflower) plus 1 teaspoon (for the sauce)
1 large cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into bite-size florets
Salt and pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Rice or noodles, for serving
Preparation:
1. If using an oven, heat it to 425 degrees. If using an air fryer, heat it to 400 degrees, if preheating is recommended for your air fryer.
2. Place 3 tablespoons cornstarch in a large bowl. Add the cauliflower, season with a big pinch of salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Drizzle in 2 to 3 tablespoons oil and toss until well coated. Add 3 tablespoons cornstarch and toss. Drizzle in another 1 to 2 tablespoons oil and toss well again, making sure there is no dry cornstarch on the cauliflower.
3. If using an oven, grease a sheet pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Arrange the florets in a single layer on the baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip the cauliflower to encourage even cooking, and return to the oven for another 8 to 10 minutes, cooking until it is tender and golden around the edges.
4. If using an air fryer, you may need to work in batches depending on the size of your machine. Arrange the cauliflower in a single layer on the rack, and air fry for 16 minutes, tossing the cauliflower halfway through, to encourage even crisping. Cook the remaining cauliflower.
5. While the cauliflower cooks, make the sweet-and-sour sauce: Place the ketchup, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and garlic in a small pot. Heat over medium, stirring, until the sugar melts and the mixture starts bubbling around the edges, about 1 minute. Whisk the remaining 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water, then slowly pour the cornstarch slurry into the pot, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 1 minute.
6. To serve, transfer the cauliflower to a bowl and drizzle the sweet and sour sauce over the florets. Top with scallions. Serve with rice or noodles.
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