Recipes By David Tanis
750 recipes found
Prosecco Lemon Slush
Similar to the Italian cocktail sgroppino, which calls for a scoop of lemon sorbet, this recipe instead freezes Prosecco and Meyer lemon juice for a fresher taste and a cooling dessert. The slushy concoction makes a refreshing finish to a meal, and, topped with raspberries (and more Prosecco, if you wish), it looks festive, sort of like pink lemonade for grown-ups. Best of all, it stays fresh-tasting for several days, and never freezes completely solid.
Smoked Salmon Sandwiches With Cucumber, Radish and Herbs
For these elegant open-faced smoked salmon sandwiches, use a good quality Pullman loaf or a dense brown bread. Choose the best sweet butter you can find (think French) and don’t stint; the combination of buttered bread, smoked salmon and herbs is ethereal. Thinly sliced cucumber and radish add color, along with the briny pop of salmon caviar.
Leek and Mushroom Cottage Pie
Traditionally, shepherd’s pie is made with minced lamb and vegetables, and topped with mashed potatoes instead of pastry. If made with beef, it is called cottage pie. So it should follow that a vegetable version could be named gardener’s pie. Filled with a saucy, savory leek and mushroom stew, it’s a pie that will please vegetarians and carnivores alike.
Carrot Soup With Ginger, Turmeric and Lime
Here is the antidote to cloying, overly sweet, one-dimensional, too-thick carrot soup: fresh carrots, bright spices and a squeeze of lime. The final sizzling of cumin and mustard seeds in coconut oil — the technique is known as tarka in Indian cuisine — adds an extra blast of flavor. Look for young carrots, long and slender, which are far fresher and tastier than the fat ones that come in jumbo bags. In warm weather, you can serve the soup chilled if you'd like.
Fresh and Wild Mushroom Stew
Craving wild mushrooms? My compromise is to make a stew using mostly cultivated mushrooms. But I give them a boost of wild flavor in a couple of ways. The first is to make an intense, flavorful broth with a handful of dried porcini. The other is to actually buy some wild mushrooms. A scant half-pound of chanterelles, even if pricey, won’t break the bank. The rest of the rustic stew (call it a ragout if you wish) is made of shiitake, cremini and oyster mushrooms. As it simmers, this saucy, herbaceous mushroom stew gains depth and character. Spooned over pasta or nestled up to a soft mound of polenta, it evokes the comfort of home and the primal in each bite.
Buttery Moong Dal With Garlic and Cumin
This a basic mung bean dal, meant to be a simple everyday Indian meal with rice and chapati, or a side dish as part of a larger meal. The wonderful buttery flavor is obtained from the technique called tarka, which means spices sizzled in ghee, added to the pot at the end of the cooking process. Whirl the dal in a blender for a velvet-smooth texture. You could serve it as is, with the texture of a thick vegetable purée, or thin it with a little water and serve it as a soup. Other legumes such as red lentils or yellow split peas may be used instead.
Classic Leeks Vinaigrette
For leeks vinaigrette, look for smallish leeks, which are more tender and more closely resemble asparagus spears, for the French call this dish “asperges du pauvre,” the poor man’s asparagus. This is important; a crunchy leek is unpleasant. Drain the leeks and hold at room temperature for up to several hours, but do not refrigerate or they’ll lose their delicate texture. To serve, simply smear the leeks with vinaigrette; I make a thick, sharp rather mustardy one to complement the sweetness of the leeks. Then garnish as you wish. I like capers, hard-cooked egg, olives and cornichons.
Harira Soup
Harira, a savory Moroccan soup made with dried legumes — lentil, chickpeas, fava beans — is traditionally cooked with lamb or lamb broth, but this version is vegetarian. Though it is typically eaten to break the fast during Ramadan, it is served throughout the rest of the year as well. The soup tastes best the following day, when flavors have melded, but may thicken when refrigerated. Thin with water or broth when reheating, and adjust the salt.
Ruby Grapefruit Granita
A granita can be made from any kind of fruit juice of your liking and makes a refreshing dessert in any season. Including a bit of grapefruit pulp here makes this rendition burst with bright flavor.
Coconut Curry Chicken Skewers
These small brochettes, about 2 ounces each, are perfect party food. Ideally they are grilled outdoors over coals, but also work fine on a stovetop cast iron grill or under the broiler. Threading each piece of meat onto two skewers, rather than one, keeps the meat from twirling and makes it easier to grill. (If using bamboo skewers, soak them in warm water for 15 minutes, so they won’t catch fire.) The spicy curry sauce is used both as a marinade and a dipping sauce.
Pork Tenderloin With Shallots and Prunes
Porc aux pruneaux, which is a classic, is by no means fancy, and it is always much more old-fashioned bistro or grandmotherly than high end. Simply put, it is a pork roast with red-wine-soused prunes. Hardly elegant, although it doesn’t have to be heavy either. In France, countless versions of the dish are made in neighborhood joints and at home. Sometimes a large loin or shoulder roast is used, sometimes pan-fried chops. Here we use a lightly brined pork tenderloin, adding stewed shallots to the sauce for depth and texture, and a touch of ginger for brightness. While the roast is in the oven, the shallots simmer with the wine and prunes for the sauce. The dark red sauce (rather unctuous really) is both sweet and tart, with a boozy hint of Madeira. It strikes a Middle European chord somewhere deep within. Serve with sweet potatoes or garnet yams roasted in their skins.
Zuni Café’s Red Onion Pickles
At San Francisco’s Zuni Café, these crisp, bright pink onion rings are served with the hamburger, but they are also delicious paired with charcuterie, pâtés, cheese platters and smoked fish. Easy to make and wonderful to have on hand, the pickles keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.
Grilled Shrimp Skewers With Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Fresh wild shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico (and the Atlantic coast off the Carolinas and Georgia) are the best option for shrimp lovers. Leave them in the shell, which keeps them juicy, before threading on skewers to grill. These are seasoned only with a little salt, then served with a spicy red pepper sauce that takes cues from the Catalan romesco.
Grilled Chicken Salad With Green Beans, Capers and Olives
The key to a moist, juicy grilled boneless chicken breast is simple but crucial: Keep the heat moderate and don’t overcook the chicken. Skin-on chicken is ideal. (It's not always easy to find; sometimes you’ll see skin-on breasts that have breastbone and ribs attached, which you can easily remove. Or ask a butcher.) If boneless, skinless chicken is your only option, that’s fine, but proceed with care and adjust the cooking time on the grill to about 3 minutes per side. Cook the chicken breasts just before making the salad and let them rest for a few minutes when they come off the grill, so juices can redistribute. Slice the meat on an angle while it’s still slightly warm.
Zuni Café’s Hamburger
Made to exacting standards, the hamburger at Zuni Café, in San Francisco, is legendary. First, grass-fed beef is salted well in advance of grinding, which gives the meat its succulence. Grilled over coals and flipped three times to prevent it from overcharring or becoming tough, the patty is rested, like a roast. It is then served on a toasted square of rosemary focaccia, smeared with handmade aioli and accompanied by Zuni’s acclaimed house pickles: fuchsia-red onion rings and turmeric-tinged sliced zucchini. It is wonderful on its own, but toppings like Shelburne Farms Cheddar, Bayley Hazen blue cheese, grilled onions or portobello mushroom are also available, and most customers can’t resist a heaping plate of shoestring potatoes alongside. It’s perfectly possible to make these burgers at home, but know that the full project involves several recipes, so it’s probably best to spread the work out over a few days.
BBQ Country-Style Pork Ribs
This basic barbecue has big flavor and no ketchup or Coca-Cola (no disrespect meant to those who favor that type of seasoning). There’s no fire involved; you use a standard oven. The spicing trends toward Caribbean, with plenty of sweet spice and as much Scotch bonnet or habanero chile heat as you wish. County-style ribs are meaty bone-in pork chops cut from the shoulder end of the loin, so use those or a whole bone-in pork shoulder roast. Cooked until it’s ultratender, it can be cut in chunky pieces and served in its juices with beans, rice and cornbread. Or shred the cooked meat to make pulled pork sandwiches or tacos. It’s quite good accompanied with a crisp slawlike cabbage salad or your favorite version of coleslaw.
White Bean Salad With Roasted Cauliflower
This is the kind of substantial salad that’s nice to have on hand, no matter the occasion. If you have time, it’s best made with large dried white beans, such as cannellini, simmered at home. (It’s great to have a pot of cooked beans in the fridge all summer long, for deploying in salads and soups.) But using canned beans is absolutely OK. The recipe calls for roasting the cauliflower, but it could also be cooked on a grill to impart some pleasant smokiness.
Grilled Sea Scallops With Corn and Pepper Salsa
These summery grilled scallops are served with a kicky corn salsa, made bright green with puréed raw tomatillos, punched up with jalapeño and lime. Look for dry-packed or diver scallops, which means they are quite fresh (and haven’t been dipped in a solution of sodium bisulphite, a commonly used preservative). Large scallops, about 2 ounces each, are ideal for grilling or pan-searing. Serve with small boiled potatoes.
Marinated Mozzarella, Olives and Cherry Tomatoes
This simple dish of marinated cherry tomatoes, olives and mozzarella is best, of course, when cherry tomatoes are in season. That it gets better as it sits is a boon: Bring it to potlucks or picnics, or simply let it sit in your refrigerator, a satisfying lunch at home. A generous handful of basil leaves, sprinkled atop just before serving, gives everything a bright, herbal finish. You’ll want to make this all summer long.
Pork Satay With Thai Spices and Peanut Sauce
Throughout Southeast Asia, little skewers of marinated meat, grilled over coals, are sold as street snacks. Sweetly fragrant with coconut milk and spices, they are perfect for barbecue parties served with steamed rice, or on their own with drinks, whether grilled indoors or out. You may use pork loin or tenderloin, but marbled sirloin or shoulder is more succulent.
Tangerine Flan
Flan can often incorporate orange notes, but this version looks to that jewel of winter, tangerine. The end result is somewhat brighter in flavor, and is ideally made a day in advance of serving so the ingredients have time to mingle. Be sure to let the caramel go quite dark, but take care to avoid burning it.
Braised Chicken With Lemon and Olives
A good cook needs an assortment of chicken dishes to fall back on. Aside from roasting or frying (and in addition to grilling), braising chicken is a simple technique to master. Chicken thighs make the best braises; use skin-on bone-in thighs for the best flavor. Though it could be done on the stovetop, this dish is oven-braised. Here are more recipes using chicken thighs.
Rhubarb Crumble
In this fruit crumble — a relative of other homey desserts like crisps and buckles, bright red rhubarb makes a brilliant show, though a combination of rhubarb and apple can be nice too. Pistachio in the topping is optional and could be replaced by walnuts or pecans. Serve with cold heavy cream, whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.
Leek and Potato Soufflé With Ham and Fontina
Contain your skepticism: A soufflé made with mashed potatoes doesn’t have to be heavy, as David Tanis revealed in 2012. “The two textures can complement each other, resulting in a dish that tastes light but has an underlying heartiness,” he says. This one gets added flavor from leeks and ham. If you’re new to soufflé-making, this is a good place to start. The potatoes provide a structure that a regular butter and flour roux don’t, he wrote, so it’s less likely to fall.