Beurre manié is one of the best ways to thicken a sauce or a soup, period. This fancy-sounding mixture—it means kneaded butter in French—is incredibly simple to make and equally easy to use. Just rub enough flour into softened butter to make a thick paste; then whisk in little bits of the paste to finish a pan sauce for, say, shrimp scampi or a roast turkey, or to enrich a seafood chowder or oxtail stew. As the butter melts, it separates and evenly disperses the flour particles, which swell and thicken the liquid. The result: a lustrous, velvety texture with nary a clump. Once a technique that was employed by professional and home cooks, unfortunately, this smart kitchen trick is rarely seen anymore. We think it’s time to revive it. Here’s how to make and use beurre manié.

What you need:

Ingredients:

• Unsalted butter, softened
• All-purpose flour

STEP 1: Combine the butter and flour.

In a medium bowl, mix together equal parts butter and flour.

STEP 2: Make a paste.

Using your fingers or a fork, knead or mash the mixture until the flour is well incorporated and a smooth paste forms.

STEP 3: Whisk the beurre manié into a sauce or soup.

When simmering a sauce or soup, whisk in one piece of beurre manié at a time as needed.

STEP 4: Cook to thicken.

Allow the mixture to return to a boil, and cook for at least 1 minute to thicken. If your sauce is not as thick as you’d like, add a bit more beurre manié. The butter-coated flour particles will melt and quickly thicken the sauce as it simmers, and the additional butter will add a sleek luster, similar to the effect of mounting a sauce with cold butter.

How to store leftover beurre manié:

If you don’t use the full batch of beurre manié (most recipes only call for a tablespoon or two at a time), it’ll keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Some cooks like to roll teaspoon- or tablespoon-size amounts of the paste into balls before storing for convenience. Make sure to bring the beurre manié to room temperature before using. 

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It takes a bit of practice and patience to properly “turn” an artichoke, but the task is well worth the effort. If it’s your first time working with the fresh, thistly vegetable, you may find the heaps of trimmed leaves excessive or wasteful, but rest assured, it’s all par for the course to reach those tender hearts. 

Cut artichokes begin to turn brown the moment they’re exposed to air; to prevent that, some cooks hold them in a bowl of lemon water while trimming. That said, if you’re cooking the artichokes (as opposed to, say, slicing them raw for salad), they turn brown when exposed to heat anyway, so it’s fine to skip the acidulated bath.

You may not want your fingers to turn brown, however: Artichokes contain a phytochemical called cynarin that can discolor skin. For that reason, we recommend wearing latex gloves, especially if you’re trimming large quantities of the vegetable.

1. Using a sharp knife, trim off the bottom inch and dark green circumference of the stem, and any tough outer leaves.

2. Slice off the inner cone of leaves where it meets the heart, leaving the fibrous choke attached.

3. Using a teaspoon, gently scrape out the fuzzy choke, being careful to not remove any meat from the bottom.

4. Optional: If the recipe calls for artichoke bottoms, slice off and discard the stem so the bottom of the artichoke is flat.

The post How to Trim an Artichoke appeared first on Saveur.

Charcuterie boards don’t need an introduction at this point, do they? Despite their secure status as a classic party appetizer, these design-forward snack boards have recently surged in popularity on social media, dominating Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest and the hearts of every cheese and cured meat enthusiast on the planet. They have become the subject of many cooking classes and for some, assembling them has become an entire career. The appeal is easy to understand: they don’t involve actual cooking, which makes them more of an art project than a culinary pursuit; they don’t necessarily involve flatware, so eating one is both a refined and primal act; finally, they’re also highly customizable, and who doesn’t love a good choose-your-own-adventure type of snack? 

Depending on who is preparing it and their level of artistry, assembling a charcuterie board can be anxiety-inducing. What is the right quantity of components, and where exactly does one start when arranging them? The options are endless, plus all of those intricate, perfectly executed salami roses and prosciutto rivers we see on social media don’t help the performance anxiety. Luckily, your board doesn’t have to rival a Renaissance painting to be a hit. It all comes down to mastering the basics and choosing what you like. There are no rules in snack board land (except that choosing high-quality ingredients is key). There are, however, some best practices for getting the most out of your experience.

Step 1: Choose your canvas. 

A wooden cutting or serving board is an obvious first choice simply for aesthetic purposes, but any other flat serving platter or piece will do. The goal is to cover your surface, so keep in mind that the bigger the board, the more you will spend to cover it.

Step 2: Gather your equipment. 

In addition to a board, you will need a variety of small knives and spreaders and some petite bowls or ramekins for your dips, jams, olives, and the like. Toothpicks or mini forks are also helpful and prevent people from getting too handsy with the food, particularly if you do not plan to provide plates. Labels to identify cheeses and spreads are helpful as well, but not necessary (if hosting guests with known allergies, labels are more than recommended). 

Step 3: Pick your players. 

Meat: When it comes to charcuterie, meat is the name of the game. Literally. The word itself is a portmanteau of the French words for flesh and cooked, “chair” and “cuit,” respectively. Three types of meat is a good place to start, keeping in mind to use a variety of textures. Soft, pre-sliced meats like prosciutto can be paired with a harder cured meat, like salami, which guests can slice themselves. Round it all out with a spreadable option, like pâté, mousse, or a terrine. If you feel like turning on your stove, a crisped-up sliced sausage provides a pleasant and unexpected smoky element. 

When it comes to quantities, two ounces of each meat/cheese per guest is a generally accepted guideline. Double that if the charcuterie board is the entire meal. 

Cheese: You only need one type of cheese to start the party, and a universal cheese like cheddar is always a good choice. If you want a variety, go for a trio of soft, semi-soft and hard cheeses. Soft cheeses include brie, goat cheese, and burrata while Roquefort, Stilton and Gouda are semi-soft. For a harder cheese, try manchego, Gruyère or a nice aged pecorino or Parmesan. To please all palates, you could include cheeses from different milks, such as cow, goat, and sheep. While leaving cheeses whole can be visually pleasing, portioning some of it is helpful for your guests. For example, leave softer cheeses wedged and cut harder cheese into cubes. You can also purchase goat cheese pyramids or mini mozzarella balls for an even more interesting sculptural array. Cheese is best served at room temp, so make sure you pull it from the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving. For more guidance on cheese selection, check out our guide here. 

Spreads/Condiments: Mustards and fatty meats are a match made in heaven. Dijon, whole-grain mustard, and honey mustard are ideal mates for your meats. Other tasty options include hummus, tapenade, pesto, pimento cheese or labneh. Almost any dip or spread can benefit from a drizzle of olive oil at the end. Find some of our favorites here. 

Crackers: No board is complete without a sturdy, starchy vehicle to get all that deliciousness into your mouth. Crackers are classic and come in a variety of flavors. If you’re only having one option, it’s best to keep it plain so the toppings can really sing. And, depending on what you’ve stocked your board with, pick something sturdy enough to stand up to a brusque spread of brie. Mini pitas, toasted baguette slices, bagel crisps, or toast triangles also work well. 

Sweet: We all know how good a sweet-salty combo is. Assorted chutneys, jams or honey can add this balance. Sliced figs, pears or apples and grape clusters provide freshness and color, but dried fruits also work. We love a good dried apricot skewered with some prosciutto. 

Briny bits: Olives, pickled vegetables, cornichons, marinated artichokes—any of these will help balance the richness of the meat and cheese. 

Crunchies: Nuts are great for filling gaps on a board. They’re also extremely delicious with just about any cheese. Choose what you like, but we’re big fans of oily, salty Marcona almonds. Some crudités, like sliced carrots or radishes, can also add the crunch factor. 

Step 4: Build your board. 

Start by placing your larger items on the surface. Think logs of meat, larger wedges of cheese, and any bowls or ramekins. Once these anchors are down, you can go in with the “fluff.” Thinly sliced meats, assorted fruit, and fanned-out crackers can fill in the spaces nicely. Another best practice is to keep like-items grouped, so soft cheeses near soft meats and vice versa. Finish it all off with herbs or edible flowers, if you fancy.

As intimidating as charcuterie boards may seem, 90% of the work is just deciding what to put on one. Specialty food stores and butchers are good sourcing spots, but any ol’ deli counter will have options for you—Trader Joe’s and Aldi are your friends here. It doesn’t matter if you’re going for a glorified Lunchable look or stacking your board with expensive cheeses you can’t pronounce; the journey is up to you. Whether you’re serving a big party, small party, or a party of one (yourself), keep these tips in your back pocket and battle that board like a boss.

The post How to Assemble a Showstopping Charcuterie Board appeared first on Saveur.

There’s no better group activity than getting your hands dirty together—especially when the end results are edible. This is universally true, but what’s eaten varies by continent, country, state, city, and even neighborhood. (If you’ve ever engaged in a conversation about the color of roux for gumbo amongst New Orleanians from different sides of the river, you’ll understand: blonde versus dark roux is a hot, hot topic.) In the coastal South, these gatherings often unfold around the boiling of crustaceans, roasting of oysters, or frying of fish. What’s destined for the pot depends on the season, proximity to water, and who’s cooking. In Charleston, South Carolina, the Lowcountry boil (also known as Frogmore Stew) is king, bringing fresh shrimp and crabs to the forefront for a messy, festive feast.

Tia Clark, native Charlestonian and owner of Casual Crabbing with Tia, grew up eating blue crabs regularly with her large extended Gullah Geechee family. The Gullah Geechee community are descendants of enslaved Africans who lived and worked on the coastal Atlantic plantations, including South Carolina and the Sea Islands. Crabbing and eating crab play an essential part in Gullah Geechee culture—something Clark truly began to understand later in life after a health scare wake-up call, when she quit smoking and embraced an active lifestyle. Despite growing up in downtown Charleston, surrounded by water and seafood, Clark had never been to the beach until she was 17—and had certainly never caught a live crab. But in 2018, when she went crabbing with a cousin and caught her first crab, the experience changed her life. “After that, I just wanted to be on the water all the time,” Clark recalls. “How did I not know crabs were out here?” That fateful day set Clark on a path to starting her own business, in which she takes others onto the water and shows them the ropes, inviting them into the crabbing community.

That community is, at the end of the day, the main point of a boil. “That’s where the joy is,” says Clark, whether she’s steaming her crabs with water and light beer, or mixing up a spicy boil. “Number one, you’ve got to get a group of people ready to gather around the table, and an awesome outdoor setting,” says Clark. “That’s what it’s all about,” she adds. “Everyone being around the table together. Cracking crab is like breaking bread together.”

And when it’s time to get crackin’, Clark likes to serve her blue crabs with spicy butter, the recipe for which she won’t divulge. What she can tell us, however, is that she is a fan of the liberal application of Old Bay, a classic seafood boil component. Here’s how to throw your own Lowcountry-style seafood boil, according to Clark.

Step One: Assemble the Ingredients

If you’re Tia Clark, you’ll catch your own crabs in the waters around Charleston. If you’re not lucky enough to be in her company, head to your local seafood purveyor, or order them online. Depending on the size of the crabs, how ravenous your guests are, and how proficient they are at picking crabs, you’ll likely need four to six for each guest. If you’re serving other food, you can get away with fewer.

Step Two: Prepare the Boil

All the flavor comes from the boil, says Clark, so make sure you season heavily. Unlike flavoring a soup or stock, you generally don’t have to worry about being too liberal with spices, as guests won’t be consuming the boil liquid.

In a large metal pot with a steamer basket, add enough water to fill the pot about halfway. Add your seasonings of choice: Clark typically uses Old Bay, a cheap beer like Miller High Life (“Don’t ask why, that’s how we’ve been doing it forever,” she says), hot sauce (such as Texas Pete), and apple cider vinegar, which Clark says helps the meat separate from the shell more easily. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil. 

Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients: small red potatoes, halved corn on the cob, and andouille or other smoked sausage cut into 2-to-3-inch chunks. An unexpected, optional addition: peeled hard-boiled eggs. “Sometimes we throw eggs in there, and you’ll get hard-boiled eggs with all the spiciness of the boil in there,” says Clark. “That’s a Geechee thing.”

Step Three: Cook the Crabs

When adding ingredients to the boil, there’s a method to the madness. Items that cook longer, such as potatoes, go in first, with delicate seafood entering the mix last. Clark adds her tubers first, boiling them for 5 to 10 minutes before adding corn on the cob and sausage, which should cook for another 5 minutes or so. Then, add the crabs, boiling them until cooked through and bright red, which usually means a minimum of 15 minutes. If adding shrimp, dump those in last, then remove the entire boil basket after 2 minutes. 

Step Four: Serve the Crabs 

“Usually there are people gathered around the pots, and they are ready,” says Clark. “You’ve gotta ask everyone to move so you can just get to the table.” After you’ve scattered the crowd, carefully lift the basket from the boil pot and allow it to drain briefly. Pour the crabs and accouterments onto a newspaper-lined table—season liberally with more Old Bay, or your favorite seasoning.  For a quicker cleanup, cover the table in burlap under the layer of newspaper—at the end of the party, roll the entire shebang up and throw it into the trash.

The post How to Host a Lowcountry Boil, According to an Expert appeared first on Saveur.

Blue crabs are found along the Atlantic Coast and Gulf Coast, from Nova Scotia to Argentina. Prized for their sweet meat, these versatile, blue-hued crustaceans are served in many ways, from dips to crabcakes to bisques and beyond. However, there’s no more festive way to consume crabs than steamed or boiled then directly served on tables covered with newspapers and canisters of Old Bay. Whole crabs can be intimidating with their spiny shells and tough-to-crack exteriors. But, fear not: Getting to that precious lump crab meat within can quickly become second nature. Read on for our step-by-step instructions on cracking crabs. Eat them straight away with lemons and cold beer, or check out our favorite recipes for blue crab meat right here.

1. Turn the crab over so that its belly faces you. Using your fingers or the tip of a sharp knife, lift up its heart-shaped apron, or tail, and pull it back to snap it off of the body.

2. Hold the crab in your hand with legs on either side of your right hand. With the other hand, remove the top shell from the bottom of the body, twisting and prying it off to separate the shell from legs and body.

3. Remove the gills, often called “dead man’s fingers”, which are attached to either side of the crab. (The yellowish “mustard” and orange roe are edible.) Using both hands with thumbs on the center of the body, crack the crab into two pieces.

4. Press lightly on the body where the back legs, or “swimmers”, are attached and pop out the backfin meat in the rear of the crab. Extract the rest of the body meat with your fingers. Remove the claws.

5. Using a cracker or a small wooden mallet, gently crack open the claws. Ease the meat out of the shell if possible. Then scrape the meat out of the claws with your fingers or a table knife.

The post How to Eat a Blue Crab appeared first on Saveur.

For many home cooks, a good, sturdy cast iron skillet is an all-purpose tool. It can be used for anything from roasting veggies and baking cakes to frying chicken and searing steaks. They are far more affordable and durable than fancy ceramic or aluminum cookware and they can take a ton of heat on the stove, in the oven, or even over a campfire. The only caveat? They happen to be a little high maintenance when it comes to cleaning and caring for them. However, with proper TLC, a cast iron skillet will last forever. Read on to learn how to season and clean your cast iron pieces so they can last for generations. 

How to Season Your Pan

Seasoning is the most important step after purchasing a new cast iron pan. And while many of them come pre-seasoned, it doesn’t hurt to add another layer to protect your new investment. Seasoning—and we’re not talking about salt and pepper—creates a shiny, nonstick coating that protects your skillet from rust and prevents food from sticking to the surface. 

To season, preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Use a paper towel to wipe a small amount of neutral oil, such as canola, inside and outside of your skillet, including the handle. A neutral oil with a high smoke point,  like flaxseed, canola or sunflower is the best; olive oil will burn. Place the pan in the hot oven directly on the wire rack, with a baking sheet below to catch any errant oil drips. Bake for 1 hour, until the oil is no longer sticky. Turn off the oven and let the pan cool completely inside. 

Repeat the process as needed. The easiest way to ensure your skillet stays non-stick is to use it often. Cooking fatty foods, like bacon will help keep her good n’ greasy. When a skillet is properly seasoned, you should be able to fry an egg with no butter and no sticking. 

Always Wash by Hand

After use, gently scrub your skillet with a small amount of natural dish soap and a non-abrasive sponge or dish brush. Contrary to popular belief, a little bit of soap is okay and won’t strip the seasoning. Never use steel wool or a metal scrubber to clean your skillet unless you’re doing heavy-duty stripping (more on this later). We hope this goes without saying, but cast iron should never—ever—go in the dishwasher.

Remove the Crusty Stuff 

Make sure to remove any crusty, baked-on food right away. While the pan is slightly warm, pour on 1/4 cup kosher salt with some warm water and use a pan scraper or scrub brush to exfoliate and remove the food particles. For really stuck on food, try the boiling water method. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil until the food particles loosen. They should come off on their own, but you can aid them by using a wooden (not metal or silicone) spatula to scrape them off.

Dry Quickly 

Use a paper towel or kitchen towel to thoroughly dry your pan immediately after washing. Leaving a skillet wet for too long can cause it to rust. That also means you never want to soak your skillet to clean it or put it in the dishwasher. Make sure you don’t use a fancy, decorative towel for this step, as a well-seasoned pan can leave black marks. You can also put your skillet into a low-oven temp and bake until dry.  

Hit the Reset Button

If you enjoy scouring vintage markets for cookware, you’ve likely picked up some cast iron skillets that could use a facelift. Often, this involves completely stripping the pans from carbon buildup and burnt-on grease. There are a few tried and true methods of doing this, but many involve dangerous lye-based chemicals like oven cleaners. We find that in many cases, a decent amount of Bar Keeper’s Friend and a whole lot of elbow grease does the trick. 

For heavier-duty stripping jobs, the oven-cleaner method is your best bet. In a ventilated space, like a garage, spay down your skillet with oven cleaner. Be sure to wear rubber gloves and a respirator mask so you don’t inhale the stuff. Once the pan is sprayed down all over, place in a trash bag for 24 hours. Using gloves, remove the pan from the garbage bag, rinse and scrub thoroughly using dish soap and a stainless steel scrubber. Rinse and scrub a couple of times to ensure all the oven cleaner is removed. Dry thoroughly and follow Step 5 to re-season. 

Final Thoughts 

Cast iron skillets are durable, affordable, and practically indestructible when cared for properly. Just like a car, service your skillets routinely and they will last forever. Neglect them and they will need more work to return to their glory days. While tedious at first, eventually your cast iron routine will become second nature. And, the more you use them, the more seasoned they will get. Whether you scored a skillet at the thrift shop or inherited one from your grandmother, follow these steps to keep it smooth and shiny for years to come.

The post How to Clean and Care for Cast Iron Pans appeared first on Saveur.

Growing up, I always considered backyard grilling a special-occasion activity—reserved for warm-weather long weekends like Memorial Day or the Fourth of July. My parents would invite friends around and dust off our Weber; then we’d marinate drumsticks, ribs, and vegetable skewers and prepare appetizers and drinks before spending the day shepherding platters from the indoor kitchen to the grill to the backyard table. I always loved our cookout days, even though there was a lot of going back and forth between the indoors and outdoors, and not a lot of sitting down to enjoy the summer air.

Recently, I took a road trip from my parents’ house in Northern California down to the Santa Ynez Valley, home to the 10,000-acre Alisal Ranch. In addition to raising horses and maintaining its lakes and golf courses, the ranch hosts “BBQ Bootcamp” events a few times a year, when pitmasters from around the country convene to demonstrate tips and best practices for amateur grillers. As chefs walked us through easy techniques for cooking all kinds of foods, from pizza to puddings, I began to realize that a grill is a far more versatile and forgiving tool than most of us might think. Perhaps using one doesn’t have to be a labor-intensive, all-day affair either, and, with the optimal tools and ingredients, maybe it doesn’t have to be relegated to holiday weekends, or even to dinnertime. “Look at your grill as an outdoor range,” Valerie Gordon, the chef behind Valerie Confections in Los Angeles, told us. “It’s not just steak, ribs, and potatoes. Just about everything can be cooked on the grill.”

“When I’m inside cooking, I’ve got my back to my family,” said Paula Disbrowe, author of the grilling cookbook Thank You for Smoking. Outside, on the other hand, the grill is the center of the entertainment, the hearth around which everyone gathers. For making the most of our backyard grates and cooking outside with ease, here are some of my top takeaways from grilling camp.

Break out the cast-iron skillet. A well-seasoned cast-iron vessel is a practically indestructible cooking tool that’s nonstick to boot. With one of these versatile skillets on the grates, you can make practically anything you’d make on an indoor stovetop—whether it’s scrambled eggs and French toast for breakfast, grilled-cheese sandwiches and shrimp skewers for lunch, or chicken thighs for meal prepping. “The bonus is the proteins absorb the wafting charcoal and wood smoke aromas, [yet] you retain all of the flavorful juices,” said Disbrowe. This means you can even grill dishes that require or produce a good deal of liquid, like a hearty paella or marinated vegetables.

Add woody, herbaceous aromas. Different kinds of wood impart different flavors, so Riker recommends experimenting with a few varieties to find your preferred wood or combination of various types. “Mesquite wood provides a strong smoky flavor, while fruitwoods like cherry or apple offer a milder, sweeter taste,” he explains, adding that his favorite is olive, which imparts a distinctly nutty essence. If you’re using a gas grill, you can still introduce the element of wood via a wood chip box. “Even a small amount of woodsmoke adds tremendous flavor,” advised Disbrowe, whose preferred woods are hickory and oak, both of which provide rich, intense aromas that pair especially well with red meat. Further heighten the flavor by adding fresh herbs directly to the grates: “I love to add sprigs of rosemary or even small stems of fresh bay leaves to the periphery of the fire, so they smolder more slowly,” Disbrowe noted.

Keep an all-purpose spice blend on hand. A simple spice mix is key to grilling efficiently for a crowd—it’s much easier to keep a single shaker on stand-by, rather than a whole line-up of spice jars. Take Santa Maria rub, for example, which is especially popular among tri-tip fans and typically includes salt, black pepper, and garlic powder (though some cooks like to incorporate additional flavors such as paprika, thyme, or cumin). The mild-flavored concoction can be sprinkled over eggs in the morning, rib-eye in the evening, and snacks in between.

Foil it up. Riker’s favorite foolproof technique for cooking delicate foods, like certain seafood and vegetables, is to seal them in packets of foil to keep the ingredients tender and moist. Add a splash of citrus juice and a sprinkling of spices and herbs first, and always crimp the edges of the packet tightly to keep everything contained. (Open it up carefully—nothing ruins a day of backyard fun like a nasty steam burn.) On that note, you should keep foil around anyway, as it’s handy for tenting cooked foods to keep them warm while they rest.

Cook big steaks to feed a crowd. Instead of grilling individual steaks one by one, get big cuts of meat and grill those, then slice them up for guests. “The secret to cooking this meat to perfection is to season it generously,” said Craig Riker, Alisal Ranch’s executive chef. Sprinkle the entire surface with kosher salt, then refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes, or ideally overnight. When you’re ready to grill, let the meat come to room temperature; then, cook the steak over indirect heat, seeking out the cooler parts of the grates, which will promote more even cooking. When the meat is 8–10 degrees away from the desired temperature, move the steak to the hotter parts of the grates and sear for a couple of minutes on each side. Reverse-searing achieves that crisp, brown exterior while keeping the inside juicy and tender. While a tomahawk steak might sound intimidating, Riker promises it’s a great at-home option: “The marbled fat yields melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and a robust flavor,” he said—especially when paired with a rich, herbaceous chimichurri.

Intensify salads by grilling the ingredients first. Try introducing a smoky char to your vegetables before tossing them into a salad, and you might never go back. Sturdy ingredients like asparagus, bell peppers, mushrooms, okra, squash, and shallots all taste great after a kiss from the flame. Before adding the grilled veg to your raw greens, simply toss them with some fresh herbs, butter, and apple cider vinegar to create what Riker calls “a flavor explosion.” Or, keep it extra simple with a mere three ingredients: “A split romaine, grilled and finished with olive oil and salt, is hard to beat,” suggested Burt Bakman, the pitmaster behind the Los Angeles restaurant Slab Barbecue. And don’t rule out fruit—grilled watermelon salad with feta is another one of his go-to’s.

Grill fruit to make spiked drinks. A brief rendezvous with heat can bring out the jamminess of sturdy fruits like pineapple and stone fruits. “Grilling peaches intensifies their sweetness,” said Riker, who recommends cooking the slices until they have char marks before adding them to a favorite sangria to the whole batch with subtle smoky flavor. (Drinks writer Leslie Pariseau aptly likens the aroma to “the comforting scent of an early evening campfire.”) Alternatively, muddle the grilled fruit with syrup and citrus juice, then shake it in with ice and your liquor of choice to make an icy, slurpable cocktail.

Make boats out of sturdy fruits and vegetables. Nothing’s more fun than an edible bowl, especially for kids, so turn ingredients into boats and fill them with tasty toppings. Riker recommends grilling a few halved, pitted avocados flesh-side down, then topping them with spicy salsa and cotija cheese for a creamy appetizer or side dish. Or, spoon the seeds out of a halved zucchini or eggplant before filling them with cheese and herbs and giving them a blast of heat for a craveable cheese pull. For dessert, try caramelizing halved, pitted peaches, then filling them with whipped cream or mascarpone and sprinkling with cinnamon sugar and granola—an entertaining spin on a peach crisp. The cooking and assembly all happen outside, and guests can top their boats to their liking.

Go ahead, make a pizza. It’s totally feasible—or, dare we say, easy—to make a pizza using your grill. First, stretch out the dough and give it a light sprinkle of flour. “Just a dusting will help prevent the pizza from sticking onto the peel and becoming a calzone,” noted Brendan Smith, co-owner of the Santa Barbara pizzeria Bettina. Place it directly on the grates and par-cook it on both sides; then, when you’re ready to eat, top it with sauce and other add-ons and give it a final grill. According to Smith’s co-owner Rachel Greenspan, if you opt for meats like sausage, they can be placed onto the crust raw: “The fat seeps out as it cooks,” she pointed out. Eggs are also a fun addition, especially for breakfast: use cheese to build a small well in the center of the pizza, then crack in a raw egg for a delectably oozy yolk. Smith also encourages home pizzaiolos to get creative with seasonal veg combinations: during spring, Tutti Frutti peas and mint pesto make a refreshing pair, while in the summer, the pizzeria always makes a peach-and-poblano-pepper pie. Don’t have pizza dough on hand? Swap in flatbreads or pitas for a time-saving alternative.

Make melty, custardy treats. Desserts made from liquidy, quick-cooking batters are great candidates for the grill—think a skillet chocolate-chip cookie, fudgy blondies, and sticky toffee pudding. (Dense batters with a long cook time, like pound cake, won’t perform as well). Make sure to grease any skillet using a pastry brush, and “you will get a crispy edge like you’ve never had in your life,” Gordon promised. “Throw the batter on the grill while you’re eating dinner, and as soon as you’re done eating, dessert is ready.”

The post Your Backyard Grill Can Cook a Lot More Than You Think appeared first on Saveur.

Olive oil is sensitive—and needy. Olives are a fruit after all, and just like the juice from any fruit, olive oil can go sour if not properly stored. Extra-virgin olive oil is made from pure cold-pressed olives, whereas standard olive oil is a blend of cold-pressed and processed oils. Extra-virgin olive oil takes a lot of time and love, which often leads to higher prices and a superior product that smells grassy, peppery, or fruity. Cooking with rancid oil will not only affect the taste of your food, but it will decrease the health benefits as well. Use these tips to keep that liquid gold good until the very last drop.

Heat is not your friend. 

Yes, that fancy bottle of EVOO looks cute next to your stove, but that is probably the worst place to keep it. A cool, dry location, like a cupboard or pantry, is the best move. If you cook a lot and have an everyday olive oil you like, it’s okay to keep it by the stove in an appropriate container (more on that later!). The expensive stuff you use to finish a dish is better stored in a dark, cool place away from your stove. If you want to get technical, between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit is optimal. 

Let there be (no) light. 

Light exposure will speed up rancidity and reduce the amount of antioxidants in your oil. This is why most olive oils are sold in dark green bottles. If your oil comes in a clear bottle, you’re better off transferring it to a dark, opaque container so minimal light seeps in. Bonus points for a ceramic vessel which also will block out heat. 

Keep it sealed. 

Aside from heat and light, oxygen is the third worst oil offender. That means that the second you open the bottle, the decaying process has already begun. Keep your bottles tucked away in a cool, dark place and funnel just what you need for daily use into a smaller container with a lid or thin pouring spout. A small ceramic cruet or dispenser is ideal for easy drizzling, not to mention they look very chic on the counter. Just remember to rinse and scrub with a bottle brush before refilling to dispose of any leftover oil that could spoil your new batch. 

Product mentions: Emile Henry Olive Oil Bottle Maccarello Olive Oil Bottle 

Mind the expiration date. 

Most premium olive oils will have a harvest date on the bottle. The oil will typically last two years from that harvest date, if unopened. Once the bottle is open, the sooner you use it the better. Between one and two months is ideal for maximum freshness. 

How can you tell if it’s gone sour? 

Just give it a whiff. Good olive oil will smell fresh and fruity. Rancid oil will smell metallic or like a box of crayons. 

Final thoughts

Unlike wine or vinegar, olive oil does not get better with age, so it’s not an ingredient you want to hoard. To keep your oil fresh and tasty, use it in a timely fashion and remember the dirty three: heat, light and oxygen. Avoid buying olive oil in bulk, even if that big bottle is on sale! You’re better off purchasing small quantities and replacing frequently as needed.

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Konbu, or edible kelp, is ubiquitous across Japanese cuisine, and it’s arguably the most essential flavor base in the country’s vegetarian dishes. Cooked over low heat (or steeped overnight in cool water), it becomes konbu dashi, a versatile soup stock that brings the seaweed’s savory, briny flavor to countless Japanese specialties, from soups and stews to simple vegetarian sides. A pot of konbu dashi can unlock a wide variety of plant-based possibilities. 

Species of Konbu

Though there are 18 edible species of konbu, four types are most common: ma-konbu, Rausu konbu, Rishiri konbu, and Hidaka konbu. 

• Ma-konbu is mainly produced along the Hakodate coast of Hokkaido. These thick, wide strands are generally regarded as the best-quality Japanese konbu—it has an elegant sweetness and makes a clear yet rich dashi. 
• Rausu konbu is harvested along the coast adjacent to the town of Rausu at the northern tip of Hokkaido’s Shiretoko Peninsula. The strands are a soft brown, with a lovely fragrance, producing a yellow- tinged, yet aromatic, rich dashi. 
• Rishiri konbu is gathered along the coasts of Rishiri Island and Rebun Island off the northwestern coast of Hokkaido. The strands are firm and slightly salty, yielding a clear, gentle-flavored dashi, prized for high-level, elegant cuisine.
• Hidaka konbu is produced along the Hidaka coastal area of southern Hokkaido. The soft strands are a dark blackish green with an appealing viscosity when simmered. Hidaka konbu is perhaps the most readily found konbu in Japan and abroad. It makes a good traditional dashi, but is most suitable for konbu-maki (konbu rolls), tsukudani (sweet shoyu-simmered preserve), or other dishes in which the konbu is simmered. 

How Konbu Is Harvested

Konbu gathering is tightly controlled by the local Japan Fisheries Cooperative Associations, and is only allowed during a six-week period from around July 21 through August 31. The season starts slowly, with gathering restricted to a short couple of hours three days a week, eventually extending to a five-hour period. 

Konbu is harvested by fishermen who motor out in small boats over vast undersea kelp forests close to shore. The fisherman thrusts a long, hooked pole into the roots of the kelp, then wrenches up the heavy strands into a large pile on his boat.

The konbu is then hauled off the boat to a washing area before being spread on the pebbled beach to dry. The drying process is crucial and involves many steps. The kelp is turned once and, after about half a day, brought inside while it is still pliant. Finally, the konbu is sun-dried before being stored in a large, airtight, zippered storage room. 

The Future of Konbu

Despite environmental precautions and restrictions, konbu harvests have been steadily declining due to ocean pollution and climate change. In 2019 only 13,000 tons of kelp were harvested, compared with 38,000 in 1990; the price of konbu has doubled in the last five years. Konbu extinction is a very real possibility, and the highest-quality varieties have already become quite difficult (and pricey) to obtain. Thankfully for home cooks, gnarled or lower-grade konbu still produces flavorful dashi, so do not despair. 

How To Make Konbu Dashi

To make konbu dashi, first source the best-quality konbu you can find. (There’s no need to wipe off the white substance, which is called mannitol, that forms on the konbu—it’s harmless and contains a lot of umami.) Break an approximately six-inch-by two-inch piece of konbu in half, then place it in a small pot with one quart of cold water. Set aside to soak for three hours, then place the pot on the stovetop and turn the heat to low. Cook just until steam rises from the water and small bubbles form on the konbu, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature before straining out the konbu and using the dashi. (The leftover konbu can be used to make a variety of dishes, like konbu tsukudani, or simmered konbu.) This process makes about 3½ cups of konbu dashi.

If you have time, you can also skip the stovetop process and simply soak the konbu overnight in the refrigerator and use the cold stock straight from the fridge. Or, if you are in a hurry, skip the preliminary soak, but still cook the konbu (just be sure to cool for at least 30 minutes before using).

Excerpted from JAPAN: The Vegetarian Cookbook © 2023 by Nancy Singleton Hachisu. Photography © 2023 by Aya Brackett. Reproduced by permission of Phaidon. All rights reserved.

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Building a great cake is nothing to be afraid of.

I worked as a pastry chef years back and have made more birthday cakes than I can count (and a handful of wedding cakes I’d prefer not to), and when New York pastry chef Natasha Pickowicz’s gorgeous new cookbook, More Than Cake, arrived in the mail, flipping through it reminded me just how low-stress making a really great cake can be. Sure, layer cakes are high-stakes; they’re the centerpieces of some of the most special occasions, an on-display embodiment of the baker’s skill and style. But Pickowicz gets it. While the multi-component cake recipes in her book are involved, an overall sense of chill persists throughout, encouraging and inspiring the reader while alleviating our collective dessert-related anxieties. 

The fastidious home baker will likely find More Than Cake a rewarding exercise in planning and time management; but jazzier readers will enjoy the open invitation to experiment and the lush series of highly-riffable prompts. Sure, you could make her elaborate fennel jam- and mascarpone-filled, pistachio buttercream-wrapped olive oil cake from scratch. You could also go at it a little more relaxed, borrowing an individual component or two from the book, then swapping in store-bought elements or your own creations for the rest. (When I spoke with Pickowicz on the phone, she eagerly encouraged either approach.) In addition to the recipes themselves, Pickowicz also provides a clear photo tutorial for how to assemble a layer cake like a pastry pro. I’ve often wondered why this smart and simple bakery method—which results in sharp edges, a level top, and a stable cake every time—hasn’t been the standard in home layer cake recipes, so I hopped on a call with the cookbook author to talk through the basics.

Check out her pro technique below, then get your hands on your own copy of the book here.

What you need:

• 13- by 18-inch rimmed baking sheet (aka half-sheet pan)
• Round cake pan
• Paring knife
• Plastic wrap
• Pastry brush
• Assorted offset spatulas
• Large serving platter
• Cake turntable (optional)
• Piping bags
• Piping tips

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Just about all layer cake components can be made well ahead of time; most can be stored in the fridge or freezer. But before you begin, be sure that all of your ingredients are at the proper working temperature (cool room temp is ideal). 
Many home cake recipes suggest sawing thick baked rounds crosswise into fragile slices, which are then stacked freeform into teetering, icing-spackled towers. Pickowicz’s pro method is simpler, sturdier, and far more precise. “My whole approach,” she explains “is to build the cake the way you might assemble a lasagna or a tiramisu. You assemble it in a deep dish so that the layers are supported as they rest in the pan.”

STEP 1: Bake the cake in thin sheets and cut to size.

Rather than baking thick layers in a round cake pan, Pickowicz prefers to spread her cake batters into large rimmed baking sheets (aka sheet pans). These thin layers bake more quickly and evenly than thicker rounds, which have a tendency to dome and crack.

Pickowicz then uses a deep, round cake pan as a stencil to cut as many circles as she needs. Be sure to reserve two perfect circles for the cake’s top and bottom layers and use the trimmings to “Frankenstein together” additional circles for the center layers. (Don’t worry: the filling will help fuse any irregular pieces together.)

STEP 2: Line a cake pan with plastic wrap and insert a circle of cake.

Line the inside of the cake pan with 2 or 3 large sheets of plastic wrap, making sure that the film reaches all the way to the corners of the pan while still leaving plenty of overhang along the edges. Carefully lower an intact circle of cake into the pan. If using a “soak,” brush the layer generously. While Pickowicz acknowledges that soaks are not always strictly necessary, she likes the added moisture and flavor that comes from adding a syrup or creamy liquid. “Soaks are another opportunity to build flavor into a layer cake,” she explains.

STEP 3: Add a layer of filling, another circle of cake, and repeat.

Old-fashioned American-style cakes often sandwich thick cake layers around modest swipes of the same frosting used to decorate the outside of the cake. Pickowicz prefers to play with more surprising textures, and a more balanced cake-to-filling ratio inspired by intricate mousse cakes popular in Korea and China. Spoon a generous layer of filling evenly over the cake layer: Try a layer of homemade or store bought jam, a curd, or even a nut butter or praline paste.

If you like, top with another layer of filling—variation in texture is key—then repeat the process, adding another cake layer, a bit of soak (if using), and another layer of filling. Repeat this process four or five times, or until the cake pan is nearly filled, reserving one unbroken circle for the final layer.

Top the final layer of filling with the unbroken cake circle, brush generously with your soak (if using), then fold the edges of the plastic up and around to cover. Press down gently to level the cake as needed. Wrap tightly with another layer of plastic wrap, then transfer the cake to the fridge for at least 8 and up to 72 hours, or to the freezer for up to a month.

STEP 4: Unmold the cake onto a platter or cake stand.

The day you plan to serve the cake, unmold and frost it. (If the cake is frozen, thaw it overnight in the fridge before unmolding.) Unwrap the top of the cake, then invert the pan over a cake platter, cardboard cake round, or cake stand. Lift the pan up and away so that the perfectly flat bottom layer is now the top. Discard the plastic wrap.

STEP 5: Using an offset spatula, coat the cake generously with buttercream.

Ice the cake: Some folks like to use a rotating cake stand at this stage and you may certainly do so if you like, but Pickowicz shrugs off the added equipment as unnecessary. “You can frost the cake right on the platter, right on your cake stand, right on your whatever!” If using buttercream you have made ahead of time, be sure it is at room temperature and beat it well until very smooth. Using an offset metal spatula, she explains, scoop half of your icing onto the top of the cake. Spread the buttercream all the way to the edges, then dollop the remaining buttercream evenly along the sides, smoothing gently to avoid scraping the edges of the cake and the filling, until the sides of the cake are thoroughly coated. (Remember: A well-chilled cake will hold together far better at this stage than a warm or room temperature one.) Run the spatula once more along the surfaces to smooth, scraping away any excess buttercream from the edges.

STEP 6: Decorate the cake with a piping bag fitted with a pastry tip.

Once the cake is coated, you can consider it a blank canvas: Pickowicz’s decorating style is elegant, organic, and a bit freeform, but you can feel free to experiment with the many intricate cake decorating tools available online and in your local bakery supply shop. A pastry bag with or without a piping tip is an easy way to create sculptural designs with buttercream and other icings. Alleviate any pressure by making a bit more frosting than you need; that way, you can always scrape away any mistakes and start afresh.

STEP 7: Experiment with unconventional decor.

If piping bags and buttercream rosettes aren’t your style, that’s fine too! Some of Pickowicz’s most striking cakes are only very simply iced—then crowned with a few choice beauties from the farmers market. “When I’m decorating cake, I’m always looking at my pantry and fridge and wondering, ‘What do I have in here that I could use?’” she explains. “Maybe it’s this beautiful bunch of basil or some tomatoes on a vine. Maybe it’s whole nutmeg pods and cinnamon sticks. I like thinking beyond what we think ‘should’ be on a layer cake and instead just saying, ‘Well, what’s around me? How can I make this personal?’”

Get the Book

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Making your own kombucha might sound like an intimidating feat best left to those with a background in food science. But according to Balo Orozco, a Los Angeles-based chef who became an expert in making seasonal fruit-based kombucha during the pandemic, “it’s really easy.” All it requires is time, a handful of tools, and a bit of watchfulness. Plus a SCOBY, which stands for “symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast” and serves as the mother culture for making kombucha (meaning it contains the necessary bacteria and yeast to break down sugars in the process of fermentation). 

As kombucha lovers know best, the fizzy drink packed with probiotics can be expensive. Also, much of what’s widely available is overly sweet. That’s why making your own is the perfect project if you want to keep your fridge stocked with ‘booch that suits your tastes.

Traditional kombucha is made with tea, which Orozco omits in order to make a non-caffeinated drink that instead highlights the natural flavors of fruit. His brand Sunset Cultures specializes in refreshing and juicy kombuchas like pomegranate-and-key lime and persimmon-and-ginger made from leftover or misshapen farmers’ market produce. Orozco says he’s a fan of kombucha not only because of potential health benefits but because of its flavor potential. “Because I’m a chef, I always want to make something that’s delicious,” says Orozco. 

Here, he shows us how to make strawberry kombucha. Once you’ve gotten comfortable with this process, you can try using other fruits or adding an additional flavor that you think will pair well with your base fruit. For example, Orozco adds fennel flowers to his strawberry kombucha.

Before You Begin

Since kombucha is a fermented product that’s made using friendly bacteria and yeast, it’s important to look out for mold throughout the production process. Be on the lookout for fuzzy green, white, or black mold, similar to what you might find on spoiled items in your fridge; if any is found, it’s best to throw out your SCOBY and starter and begin again. “If your mother bacteria is infected, everything is going to be infected,” Orozco explains, and you could get sick upon consumption.

What you need:

• Gallon glass container with a wide mouth
• A SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast), which Orozco recommends buying online from Kombucha Kamp
• Sugar
• A bottle of store-bought kombucha (strawberry or original flavor)
• Disposable plastic gloves
• Strong cloth napkins (These should not be fuzzy like a washcloth or gauzy like cheesecloth).
• Sturdy rubber bands
• Kombucha heating mat, optional
• Metal mixing bowl
• 2 lb. of strawberries, halved with leaves and stems removed 
• Small pot
• Cooking thermometer
• Fine mesh metal strainer
• Long-handled plastic or wooden spoon
• Glass bottles with swing tops or corks, sterilized

Step 1: Prep your glass container.

Wash your glass container thoroughly with hot water and soap in order to sterilize it, then dry it with a clean cloth. This will prevent foreign bacteria from entering your kombucha production. 

Step 2: Create a starter using your SCOBY.

To the clean glass container, add 1 quart of cool filtered water (tap water can also contain contaminants; if using, bring tap water to a boil and allow to cool to room temperature before using), ¼ cup sugar, and ¾ cup store-bought kombucha. Using a plastic or wooden spoon, stir until sugar is dissolved; add the SCOBY. Place a cloth napkin over the top of the container and secure it with a rubber band. Set aside to ferment; after five days, taste your kombucha. If it’s too tart, let it ferment less next time, and if it’s too sweet, allow it to ferment for another day or two. This will be the base (or starter) for your kombucha and will make up 20 percent of your kombucha’s final volume.

Step 3: Make strawberry tea.

To a small pot, add the strawberries and 1 quart filtered water. Set over medium-high heat, and bring the liquid to 186°F for at least 30 seconds to kill any existing bacteria. Remove strawberries from heat and cool to room temperature.

Step 4: Set up your kombucha.

Uncover the kombucha starter and, using a gloved hand, transfer the SCOBY to a clean metal bowl. Position a clean, fine metal strainer over the bowl and strain the remaining starter liquid into it. Thoroughly clean your glass container with soap and hot water, then strain the cooled strawberry tea into it, setting the solids aside for another use*. Add 3/4 cups sugar, 2 quarts filtered water, and 1 quart of the strained starter liquid (setting the SCOBY aside in the metal bowl). Using a long-handled plastic spoon, stir until the sugar has dissolved. Finally, return the SCOBY to the glass container, cover it with a fresh cloth napkin, and secure it with a rubber band. 

Step 5: Let your kombucha ferment.

Set the glass container out on the counter in a dry place, out of direct sunlight. As your kombucha ferments, the SCOBY will expand to the diameter of the container and take on the pink color of the liquid. 

Check on the kombucha once a day: Uncover the container and, using your clean, long-handled spoon, stir gently, then ladle out a taste. The longer the kombucha ferments, the less sweet and more tart the flavor will become. You can also use a pH meter to check the acidity of your kombucha, which will go down as it continues to ferment. Most store-bought kombuchas net out around 2.2 pH, but Orozco prefers his to be less acidic and juicier, between 2.8 and 3.2. Note that when it’s hot outside, your kombucha can be ready in as little as 3 days. At colder temps, the liquid will take longer to ferment, from 5 to 9 days. The ideal temperature for fermentation is 80°F, with a range of 75-85°F. If you’re having trouble keeping the kombucha at a steady temperature, a heating mat is a great way to make sure fermentation isn’t stalling, without overheating.

Step 6: Bottle your kombucha for the second fermentation.

Once the kombucha is fermented to your liking, uncover the jar, transfer the SCOBY to a clean metal bowl and set it aside to create a new starter**. Set a fine mesh strainer over a large pitcher and strain the kombucha into it. If desired, adjust the sweetness with a tablespoon or 2 more sugar. (This is where an optional refractometer, which measures sugar levels, comes in handy: Orozco likes his kombucha at about 2 brix.) The added sugar will also help kickstart the final fermentation, which is where the bubbles form. Pour your strained kombucha into clean glass bottles, leaving at least an inch of space between the liquid and the cap, then cap the bottles and leave them in a cool space out of direct sunlight for 1 to 2 days.

Step 7: Pop your bottles in the fridge, and drink them at your leisure.

After 1-2 days at room temperature, transfer your unopened bottles of kombucha to the fridge, where they will keep well for about 2 months. In order to manage the potential bubbling over of your kombucha—i.e., that moment when you open a bottle of kombucha and it fizzes all over you—Orozco recommends waiting until your bottles are fully chilled before opening. Once the kombucha is cold, open the bottle over a bowl so that you won’t lose any kombucha in case your batch is especially bubbly.

*If like Orozco, you’re inspired to make use of the byproduct leftover from the kombucha, you can macerate the strawberry solids to make compote or jam.

**If you want to keep making kombucha, you’ll need to maintain a starter—aka a SCOBY hotel— by repeating step 2 every time you finish a batch. Pro-tip: if you don’t want to make kombucha so regularly, you can put your starter “to sleep” by storing it in an airtight container in the fridge. When you take your starter out of the fridge, fish out the SCOBY and mix it with another quart of filtered water, 1/4 cups sugar, and ¾ cup leftover homemade kombucha (or store-bought if you don’t have leftovers). Your SCOBY will take a bit longer (around 10 days) to come back to life after being refrigerated. Extended refrigeration may also cause a new SCOBY to form and for the original SCOBY to die. If parts of your SCOBY have turned dark brown, those bits are dead and should be trimmed and discarded. Also: it’s okay if your SCOBY tears; it’s still usable and will continue to grow.)

Kombucha is a wonderful drink to have on hand as a refreshing, low-ABV beverage that’s also good for you. In this case, it’s non-caffeinated, too. As you practice making kombucha at home, you can start to experiment with different fruits and flavors, or with sweeter and sourer brews. So long as you keep your tools and SCOBY clean and pay attention to unwanted bacteria, kombucha-making is safer than one might initially think — and it’s quite the nifty craft to have in your repertoire. 

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