Saute

An Andalusian dish with a sweet, aromatic sauce. Do not use canned chickpeas here.

This is an old New Orleans recipe that has nothing to do with grilling or barbecuing. Its name comes from the spicy, slightly smoky flavor the shrimp gain while being cooked with Worcestershire sauce and lots of black pepper. It’s a fine and almost absurdly fast dish—once the shrimp are peeled, you can have it on the table in ten minutes, and that’s no exaggeration with a creamy, rich, savory sauce that completely belies the amount of effort required on your part.

I like gazpacho, but the ultimate minimalist version—take a few tomatoes, a red pepper, some onion, oil, and vinegar, and whiz it in a blender—doesn’t always cut it for me. When I confessed this to my friend and sometime co-author Jean-Georges Vongerichten, he suggested I abandon tradition entirely and combine tomatoes with another fruit of the season: cantaloupe. These, combined with basil and lemon—in place of vinegar—produce the mildest, most delicious, creamiest gazpacho I’ve ever tasted. Make sure to use ripe cantaloupe and tomato at the height of the summer for the best results.

There is nothing like a simply cooked dish of eggplant, one of the world’s most beloved vegetables and one that several cuisines—Italian, Turkish, and Indian, most notably—treat with near reverence.

One of the classic moles of Oaxaca, now popular throughout Mexico. Though no mole is simple, this is among the easiest and most straightforward, something you can actually consider making on a weeknight (especially if you’re an experienced cook and can brown the chicken and make the sauce at the same time). To be entirely authentic—or, at least, more authentic, since true authenticity is never really possible north of the border—you should roast most of the sauce ingredients before combining them in the skillet. Toast the almonds in a dry skillet, shaking occasionally, until fragrant; heat the peeled garlic in a dry skillet until lightly browned; roast the onions and tomatoes in a hot oven until blistered; and so on, right down to toasting and grinding fresh whole spices. (In fact, old-style cooks brown unblanched almonds and then peel them.) All of this does make a difference, and if you have the time, please try it. Believe me, though, the mole will be sensational without these steps. If you’ve never cooked with lard, have no fear: It has less saturated fat than butter and is still sold in virtually every supermarket. It remains a wonderful cooking fat. Serve with rice or Arroz a la Mexicana (page 517).

Here are two versions of this delicious sweet-and-sour dish, which is prepared at roadside stands and restaurants on many Caribbean islands: Pan-cook it in the winter, grill it in the summer. Serve it with Coconut Rice and Beans (page 516).

Best made with boneless thighs, this is not bad with breasts either, as long as you don’t overcook them. Serve with crusty bread.

This fragrant, sweet-smelling Malaysian version of braised chicken is complex and delicious. The vaguely red color (it’s actually brown) comes from the chiles and tamarind. But if you don’t have tamarind, or you want a truly red sauce, substitute tomato paste for the tamarind paste; it’s a nice change of pace and actually makes the dish more attractive. Serve this with Nasi Lemak (page 515) or another rice dish.

The simplest and easiest way to infuse the flavor of lemongrass into chicken. For the ultraswell version, see Lemongrass Chicken (page 287). Like that dish, this one is great with steamed Sticky Rice (page 508).

Though you occasionally see this technique in other cuisines, I know of nowhere but Vietnam where caramelized sugar is used as the basis for a savory sauce in such a wide variety of dishes. You see it with pork, beef, shrimp, finfish, chicken, and even frog. You see it in fancy urban restaurants and in rural three-sided structures. Completed by plenty of onions and black pepper, the result is wickedly forceful, decidedly delicious, and, in the sauce’s dark brown glossiness, downright gorgeous, an astonishing creation given the number of ingredients and the time it requires. See page 500 for information on Asian fish sauces like nam pla. Other cuts of meat you can use here: boneless chicken thighs, pork steaks cut from the loin—both of which will require longer cooking times—or any fish or shrimp (see Fish Fillets Poached in Caramel Sauce, page 232). Sticky Rice (page 508) is not entirely traditional here, but it’s great, as is any other plain rice dish. A strong-flavored salad (like Green Papaya Salad, page 198, but without the shrimp) would round things out perfectly.

A laughably simple weeknight dish that packs a lot of flavor. Try to buy shoulder (rib) end pork chops, which will dry out less in the pan than others. Serve with a salad and a cooked vegetable or starch, like any of the mashed potato dishes on page 480. Other cuts of meat you can use here: bone-in chicken thighs (which will require more cooking) or pork medallions cut from the tenderloin (which will cook more quickly).

This central European dish brings the breading technique to lamb, a meat with enough flavor and tenderness to taste great underneath a crunchy exterior. While cuts of meat from the loin or leg can be used, the medallions of meat from the rack are far superior in texture. It’s not unusual to finish the dish with a sprinkle of white wine sauce, but you can skip that and simply squeeze some lemon juice over the lamb; that’s what I usually do.

Wiener schnitzel, one of Austria’s most famous culinary exports, is traditionally made with a pounded out boneless veal chop, though at $15 to $16 per chop (also per serving) it’s a lot more feasibly reproduced with cutlets. If the cutlets you buy are thicker than those called for here, pound them gently between two sheets of wax paper using the bottom of a small saucepan. And if you opt for the more opulent—but not necessarily better—veal chops, you may want to have two skillets going at the same time, as a properly flattened boneless veal chop will be 8 to 9 inches in diameter and you’ll have to cook them one at a time. You can, of course, follow this recipe using chicken, turkey, or pork cutlets.

I once thought that poached skate with brown butter was the highest and best use of this relative of shark, but then I began to sauté the fish, which is even better. Which you prefer depends, to some extent, on your tolerance for butter. I offer the sautéed version first and the more classic poached fish as a variation. For either, it’s easiest if you buy skate that has been “filleted,” that is, removed from its central cartilage (if it isn’t, just cook it a little longer; it will practically come off the “bone” by itself). But never, ever buy skate that has not been skinned; you simply will not get it off unless you resort to a pair of pliers—and even then it won’t be easy. This is a rich dish; serve it with salad and a light vegetable, no more, and you’ll be satisfied.

If you are a steak-and-eggs kind of person, and a liver kind of person, this is a great dish. (I love it, especially at breakfast.) Serve with warm pita bread. Other cuts of meat you can use here: chicken livers (clean them well and do not overcook them); strip, skirt, or other steak.

This Szechwan specialty gets its heat from fresh chiles and its flowery, smoky aroma from Szechwan peppercorns. Since the beef is cut into such thin shreds, it takes little time to cook. Serve this with rice or noodles, along with stir-fried greens (page 463). Other cuts of meat you can use here: pork, preferably from the shoulder or leg (fresh ham); lamb, preferably from the shoulder or leg; boneless chicken.

This stir-fry has only curry powder in common with the stews that are usually labeled curries. Unlike those, this is quick and easy. Serve it over steamed rice. Other cuts of meat you can use here: pork, preferably from the shoulder or leg (fresh ham); lamb, preferably from the shoulder or leg; boneless chicken; shrimp (which will cook much faster).

The most challenging part of this recipe is cutting the pork into thin shreds; freeze the meat for 30 or even 60 minutes first, which will make it easier, but plan on spending the bulk of the time allotted for this recipe on this single task. The cooking itself takes only 5 minutes (in fact, if you want to serve rice with this, which you should, cook it beforehand and keep it warm). Don’t mince the garlic; you want its flavor to be strong in this dish. Serve this with white rice. Other cuts of meat you can use here: beef, preferably sirloin; lamb, preferably from the shoulder or leg; boneless chicken.

If you like a really strong garlic flavor, reserve half of the garlic and stir it in at the end of the cooking, along with the optional sesame oil. Serve with rice. Other cuts of meat you can use here: beef, preferably sirloin; lamb, preferably from the shoulder or leg; boneless chicken; shrimp (which will cook more quickly).

Akin to the preceding recipe, this one and its Japanese variation use additional liquid. This, plus the braising time, makes for a saucier dish that can be stretched, with white rice, to serve more people if you like. But in any case, it’s delicious. See page 500 for information on Asian fish sauces like nam pla. Other cuts of meat you can use here: boneless chicken.