Recipes By Samin Nosrat
93 recipes found
Buttermilk-Brined Roast Turkey
With only two ingredients — buttermilk and salt — this might be the least complicated turkey brine recipe ever. The trickiest step will be pulling out your kitchen scale to weigh out the salt, but it's worth doing if you can to ensure a properly seasoned turkey. The acid in the buttermilk leads to moist, tender meat throughout, while the sugars result in a gorgeous golden-brown skin. This turkey is spatchcocked, which might sound like a lot, but it’s just another way to simplify the recipe: By removing the backbone before brining, you’ll be able to fit the turkey, placed in a 2-gallon plastic resealable bag, in the fridge more easily. And you’ll get a lot more of that beautiful lacquered skin in about half the cooking time. It’s a total win-win situation. Just make sure you don’t skimp on the brining time; 48 hours is essential to make sure the bird gets seasoned through and through. (Watch the video of Samin Nosrat preparing the turkey here.)
Brown-Butter Mochi
With a recipe that calls for exactly a can each of coconut and evaporated milks, butter mochi seems like the prime hapa example of classic postwar dump-and-stir baking. Packed with brown butter and brown sugar, this version is rife with the nutty, butterscotch notes of caramelization. The way the thick, dark crust contrasts with the chewy, faintly tropical center will bring the French canelé to mind, but these little cakes are a lot easier to make!
The Greenest Green Salad
The cookbook author Jessica Battilana's advice to home cooks is simple: "If you're going to spend your energy somewhere, spend it somewhere that matters." Put her philosophy into practice and make this simple, satisfying salad. All the ingredients can be easily found at any grocery store, and the salad will come together quickly in the kitchen, though it looks and tastes like it requires much more effort and time to prepare. Perhaps most happily, even the most discerning critics — the 4-and-under crowd — will delight in its flavor and crunch and politely ask for seconds.
Sonoran-Style Flour Tortillas
In Sonora, a Northern Mexican region where wheat has been cultivated for more than 400 years, tortillas are typically made of flour rather than corn. But unlike the generally lackluster store-bought wrappers most Americans are familiar with, handmade flour tortillas are pliable, chewy, fragrant, and dotted with mahogany blisters. While this recipe, adapted from Teo Diaz and Julia Guerrero of Sonoratown taqueria in downtown Los Angeles, isn’t complicated, it does require allowing some time for the dough to rest. But the investment is worth it. Once you roll out the tortillas and set them on the hot griddle, they’ll begin to puff with steam as they start to brown. When you take a bite, the aroma of sweet flour enveloped in fat will fill your nose and mouth. Finally, you’ll understand that a tortilla is meant to be an essential component rather than just monotextured wrapping paper for tacos, burritos, or chimichangas.
Spinach-and-Cilantro Soup With Tahini and Lemon
The simplicity of this soup’s technique belies its depth of flavor, which is both vivid and complex. The soup is made bright with lemon and fresh with cilantro, but the secret ingredient is tahini, which is layered into the soup to thicken it, and then drizzled generously on top in the form of a gently spiced sauce. The result is a soup that’s both vegetal and creamy, tangy and rich. You’ll find it so tasty that you’ll forget you're drinking your vegetables.
Chivichangas de Machaca (Stewed Brisket and Cheese Chimichangas)
Teo Diaz grew up eating chivichangas, or small burritos typically filled with stewed meat, almost every day in San Luis, Arizona, just miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. His single mother would prepare a dozen or more of them early each morning before heading out to pick and pack produce in the fields of nearby Yuma, wrapping them individually in aluminum foil and leaving them on the counter for her six children to eat throughout the day. Now the chivi, as he calls it, is one of the most beloved items on the menu at his tiny downtown Los Angeles taqueria, Sonoratown. The kitchen is too small for a stove, so he simmers brisket in an industrial-sized rice cooker before shredding it and cooking it a second time with fire-roasted chilies, tomatoes, and heaps of grated cheese. The result, wrapped in a fragrant, chewy handmade tortilla, is perfectly spiced and mouthwateringly unctuous. Everyone will want seconds.
Basil Pesto
Though pesto means “pounded” in Italian, the rush of modern life has taken the recipe out of the mortar and into the blender (or food processor) for most of us. This version, adapted from a Ligurian woman, Lidia Caveri, gently encourages (but does not require) a return to the mortar. The constant rap of the pestle will jostle the nuts, basil and garlic into an emulsified base. Add the oil and cheese to get an impossibly thick, creamy sauce that clings to pasta unlike any machine-made counterpart could. Though you might think otherwise, the pesto will come together before the pasta water has a chance to boil. And as a bonus, there'll be no blender to wash up afterward.
Buttermilk-Brined Turkey Breast
The proven alchemy of a salt-and-buttermilk brine does wonders for the often-dry roast turkey breast. The recipe is so easy, the trickiest step will be pulling out your kitchen scale to weigh out the salt. But it's worth doing if you can in order to ensure a properly balanced brine. Emerging from the oven with a beautiful lacquered skin and an incredibly moist and tender texture within, this roast is ideal for a scaled-down Thanksgiving meal, a cozy family dinner or to generate a stack of unbelievably tasty sandwiches.
Pasta Tahdig
Though no Italian would admit it, pasta makes for a great tahdig, the crisp, golden crust that forms at the bottom of every pot of Persian rice. With a shatter, the sweet, crunchy crust yields to a mouthful of perfectly seasoned, perfectly sauced spaghetti. Rotate the pan as it cooks for an evenly brown tahdig, but resist the urge to turn up the heat as the the pasta sizzles. Slice and serve it warm, showered with Parmesan, or alongside meatballs or a bright green salad. Or let it cool to room temperature, wrap it up and take it to a picnic — it will erase every lackluster potluck pasta salad from memory.
Abgoosht (Persian Lamb and Chickpea Stew)
Iran’s most beloved and ubiquitous peasant dish, abgoosht (or “meat water”) is made with inexpensive, bony cuts of meat, which take a back seat to the broth and the sheer ceremony involved in serving it all. Once the stew is cooked, it is divided into two parts: The meat, potatoes and beans are pulled from the stock and mashed into a meat paste, goosht kubideh. Simple to prepare, the dish turns into an occasion for a gathering, as the broth and meat paste are served with piles of warm flatbread, pickles and fresh herbs, palate cleansers that offset the richness of the dish.
Sabudana Khichdi (Maharashtrian Tapioca Pilaf)
Sabudana khichdi, which loosely translates to “tapioca mixture,” is a delightfully chewy Maharashtrian pilaf studded with the crunch of toasted peanuts, creamy bits of potato, and the occasional cumin seed. A hit of sweetness is balanced with salt, lemon and the alternating flames of ginger and green chile, and then everything is showered with a generous amount of chopped cilantro. The result is seductive in both texture and flavor. The key to this simple dish is to thoroughly soak the sabudana, or medium-sized tapioca pearls, until you can easily smash one between your thumb and forefinger. Then, use a microwave to cook the sabudana, stopping to check for doneness in 15-second increments. As soon as the pearls are translucent and chewy, they’re done.
Tamarind Ketchup
A touch of tamarind paste lends tomato ketchup an edgy pucker. Spread this sauce all over Chapli burgers, kebabs, fried potatoes or anywhere else you'd think to use the plain stuff.
Ashure Cereal
According to legend, when his Ark made landfall, Noah’s family threw whatever was left in the larder into a pot and transformed it into ashure, a celebratory pudding of grains, nuts, seeds and dried fruits. The cereal is eaten throughout the Middle East, but especially in Turkey, where the dish somehow transcends typical religious tensions and holds significance for Jews, Christians and Muslims alike. But according to Sarit Packer, co-chef of London’s Honey & Co. restaurant, “It’s actually quite disgusting.” Ashure is essentially a porridge, so when it cools down, it gets stiff and gloopy, like cold oatmeal. Guided by her memory of the sugary, crisp grain cereals she tasted when she first visited the United States as a child, Ms. Packer tweaked the recipe. She made a honey syrup spiked with all of the classic ashure flavorings, including cinnamon, cardamom and a spice called mahaleb (available at your local Middle Eastern grocery store or online). She drizzled the syrup over a mixture of puffed wheat, nuts and seeds, and baked the whole thing into a gloriously crisp mass. Her version looks like cross between granola and Cracker Jack, with dark, shiny brown clusters of puffed wheat, almonds, pecans and seeds. It’s somehow simultaneously light and rich, sweet and savory, crisp and full of air. Serve it as Ms. Packer does, over yogurt with fresh berries or pomegranate seeds, eat it as her parents do, drowned in a bowl of milk, or just sneak some out of the bag anytime you want a crunchy snack.
Basic Yogurt Sauce
Serve this yogurt with basmati rice, quinoa, or couscous. Use to garnish lamb, chicken or fish kebabs. Spoon a dollop into pureed soups and shellbeans just before serving. Or thin with a little water to make a creamy dressing ideal for romaine or little gem lettuces.
Whatever You Want Soup
This basic recipe can serve as a canvas for any kind of chunky soup. Mix and match ingredients to suit your cravings, using an aromatic base of onions and garlic, seasonings, flavorful stock (or water), and whatever main ingredients you choose. This recipe, like a similar one in Julia Turshen's cookbook "Small Victories," highlights soup's basic transformative qualities. With just a bit of time, ordinary ingredients can become an extraordinary winter meal for tonight, and for days to come. Covered in the refrigerator, it will last for up to five days, but it also freezes exceptionally well for up to two months. Just return it to a boil before using.
Stracciatella Alla Romana (Roman Egg Drop Soup)
Tendrils of quickly cooked eggs, seasoned with cheese, nutmeg and pepper, float in a meaty stock in this traditional Italian soup. To avoid clumps that make the dish seem more like failed scrambled eggs than a delicate broth, pour the egg mixture into the hot stock in a thin stream, whisking as you go and promptly pulling it off the heat when done. In the dead of winter, when warmth is elusive and colds seem to be overtaking everyone, there's nothing better.
Buttermilk-Brined Roast Chicken
This recipe, adapted from Samin Nosrat's "Salt Fat Acid Heat," is inspired by the Southern grandma method of marinating chicken overnight in buttermilk before frying it. You're roasting here, but the buttermilk and salt still work like a brine, tenderizing the meat on multiple levels to yield an unbelievably juicy chicken. As an added bonus, the sugars in the buttermilk will caramelize, contributing to an exquisitely browned skin. Be sure to leave 24 hours for marinating the chicken. While the beauty of roast chicken is that you can serve it anytime, anywhere, try serving it alongside panzanella, which plays the role of starch, salad and sauce.
Chicken Stock
This recipe for an intense, lovely chicken stock is full of deep flavors and provides a perfect base for soup. Feel free to use leftover bones from roast chicken, but at least half of the bones should be raw. Ask your butcher for feet, heads and wings, which are all high in gelatin and will lend body to the stock. Once cooled, freeze the stock in old 32-ounce yogurt containers, which have the added benefit of being premeasured.
Khoresh-e Fesenjoon (Persian Chicken Stew With Pomegranate and Walnuts)
Fesenjoon hails from the verdant northern Iranian hills and coast, where pomegranate and walnut trees grow. Taking its flavor cues from the land, this stew braises bone-in chicken thighs in a blend of toasted walnuts, pomegranate juice and pomegranate molasses. As the sauce cooks, it thickens and deepens to a shade of dark brown similar to that of mole poblano. You’ll need to thin it out with water to prevent it from becoming overly sticky and syrupy. The sweet and sour flavors of the pomegranate, along with the silky texture the walnuts bring to the stew, make it one of the most elegant dishes in Persian cuisine.
Herbed Yogurt
This simple sauce comes together quickly to provide a welcome creaminess and tang to Chapli burgers, kebabs, stewed chickpeas and fried potatoes alike.
Noyaux Extract
Hidden within the pit of an apricot is a kernel, or noyau, rife with the perfume of almonds, vanilla, apricots and lilies. The fragrance is intoxicating, simultaneously familiar and indescribable, and entirely worth extracting and capturing in a jar to add to preserves, whipped cream, custard, ice cream, cakes and even aperitifs all year long. To disable the amygdalin the noyaux contain, and prevent the body from converting it to cyanide, give the kernels a quick toast before steeping them in the alcohol.
Herby Fried Shallot and Bread Crumb Crunch
This recipe begins with shallots fried Southeast Asian style, starting in cold oil, with a method so simple you’ll never do it any other way. You don’t need a thermometer or any other special equipment — just patience and a careful eye. In exchange, you’re rewarded with caramel-sweet shallots that crunch, then melt between your teeth. Next, rosemary, sage and stale bread crumbs take turns in the oil, crisping as they cool. Then, they’re tossed with chopped parsley, thyme and a little flaky salt. From the moment the mixture is done, you won’t be able to stop eating it. But if you wait, it makes the perfect topping for green bean casserole, potato gratin, or macaroni and cheese. Sprinkle it atop mashed potatoes doused with gravy, or just put a bowl of it on the table and let people do with it what they will — they’ll probably end up putting some on every bite.
Farro e Pepe
While cacio e pepe, the classic Roman dish, is simple — made with only pasta and its cooking water; cacio, or Pecorino Romano; and abundant freshly ground black pepper — it’s not always easy to make. The trick to getting a thick, creamy sauce lies in combining the cheese and pepper with starchy pasta water in just the right way; this usually requires a lot of erratic stirring and sweat. This version bucks tradition in favor of simplicity and, well, farro. The technique for the cheese paste comes from Flavio de Maio, a master of cucina Romana and producer of one of Rome’s most beloved bowls of cacio e pepe. Simply blend grated cheese and a little cold water with freshly ground pepper until they come together into a creamy paste. Then toss a spoonful or two into just-cooked farro and watch it melt like butter to coat the grains in a layer of salt, pepper, richness and tang. The farro’s chewy, satisfying texture is a perfect foil for the creaminess of the sauce. Keep the leftover paste in the fridge — stir a spoonful into grits, toss it with boiled green beans and, of course, use it for a bowl of cacio e pepe. Use the technique with other hard cheeses: Asiago, Parmesan and even clothbound Cheddar make for fantastic versions.
Fried Sage Salsa Verde
A quick pass through hot oil transforms sage leaves. No longer leathery, they’re perfectly aromatic, ready to crumble into a simple combination of parsley, oil, shallots and vinegar. This fried sage salsa verde, which is adapted from "Salt Acid Fat Heat" (Simon & Schuster, 2017), can be drizzled over turkey, roasted vegetables, stuffing, casseroles or anything else that needs a little perking up.