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As à la meunière means “in the manner of the miller’s wife” in French, it’s no surprise that this preparation often calls for the fish to be coated with flour before being sautéed, to promote browning.

The hearty flavor of these dumplings lends itself to a range of preparations. Tossing with basil pesto is perhaps the most common, but gnocchi can also be served with brown butter and sage or doused in a hearty ragù, like Bolognese Sauce (page 383).

In Italy, lasagne is usually made with fresh pasta, either made at home or bought at the local shop (practically every town has one). The quality of the pasta is in fact the key to the dish, since the ratio of noodles to sauce should be fairly equal. The other components should also be of top quality, as they will contribute to the overall dish; buy fresh ricotta and mozzarella if possible—both will lend wonderful flavor and creaminess. This vegetarian lasagne evokes the Italian flag, with its layers of red (marinara sauce), white (cheese), and green (fresh spinach pasta). If you would like to incorporate some meat, brown a pound of sweet Italian sausage (casings removed), crumbling with a spoon as it cooks, then halve the sausage and sprinkle evenly among the cheese in two layers. The pasta dough should be made as close to assembling the lasagne as possible, so plan accordingly. There is no need to pre-boil these noodles. Once rolled out to the thinnest setting on your pasta machine, stack the noodles (they should measure 5 inches wide and 26 inches long) on a baking sheet with plenty of semolina in between to keep them from sticking together. The lasagne can be assembled on one day and then baked on the next; cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake.

You might imagine that this dish was a modern creation, but its history dates back to the 1700s, when dried macaroni—one of the few staples that could survive a year aboard ship—was brought from Italy to Britain and to the American colonies. Because there was a lack of other (Italian) ingredients, the imported pasta would often be served with a simple white sauce—milk thickened with flour and butter; sometimes it was baked in a casserole with bread crumbs on top. The earliest recorded recipe was in the Boston Cooking School Cookbook in 1896. This recipe uses a classic variation of béchamel known as sauce Mornay, made by whisking the flour into sautéed onions to form the roux (which is what thickens the sauce; see page 62 for more); then milk is added and the sauce is left to simmer until thick and creamy. Grated cheese is the final touch. Béchamel—and any sauce where flour is used as a thickener—is typically cooked for about 30 minutes to give the starch molecules in the flour enough time to absorb as much liquid as possible (so the flour goes from being granular to smooth, or gelatinized). In this recipe, the sauce is simmered for a much shorter time, since it will continue to cook in the oven after being stirred into the dish. For variety, top some or all of the servings with thin slices of roasted tomato and fresh thyme.

Tortellini are traditionally served in broth; Basic Chicken Stock (page 41) or Basic Brown Stock (page 50) would be equally delicious.

Beans are wonderful for making dishes that are hearty enough to serve as the main part of a meal or, in smaller portions, as an accompaniment to meat, fish, or chicken. Besides protein, they lend chewy texture that holds up well when tossed with vinaigrette. This dressing is made by deglazing the pan that was used to sauté the mushrooms and aromatics with vinegar, then whisking in oil. You may find that you have some left over; if you like, toss it with frisée or other salad greens, then serve the lentils over the greens. The lentils are also delicious with sausages, pan-seared tuna or roasted salmon, and duck confit.

This simple yet timeless Italian dish demonstrates beautifully the process of sautéing: cutlets—most often chicken or veal—are dredged with flour, then sautéed in a mixture of olive oil and butter, a typical combination that is practical and flavorful. The flour encourages the chicken to form a light crust (and helps thicken the pan sauce), the butter helps it to brown, and the oil raises the smoke point so the butter doesn’t brown too much before the chicken is cooked through. A simple pan sauce is the only accompaniment, and is designed to make good use of the tasty browned bits left in the pan from cooking the chicken.

When you’re using fresh lobster meat, the fewer the other ingredients, the better-tasting (and more authentic) the salad will be. Some people like to use only mayonnaise or melted butter, but a sprinkling of fresh herbs and lemon juice can also be delicious and not at all overpowering. Buttered toasted buns and a side of chips are musts—at least among purists.

These lobsters need nothing more than drawn butter and lemons as companions at the table (preferably one covered with newspaper and set with bibs, lobster picks, and nutcrackers). Lobster also has an affinity for fresh herbs, such as tarragon, chervil, and parsley, any of which can be minced and stirred into the melted butter. Of course, some people think the best way to eat lobster is to pile it on a buttered, toasted bun (see recipe). No matter how you plan to enjoy lobster, you’ll need to extract the succulent meat; see the how-to (page 240).

Pot-au-feu (literally “pot on the fire”) is sometimes described as the national dish of France. It certainly embodies one of that country’s primary tenets of cooking: taking inexpensive and widely available ingredients and, with a bit of careful tending-to and extended cooking, turning them into a dish fit for a king. Calling it a one-pot dish, however, is a bit of a misnomer; sure, most everything is cooked in the same pot, just not at the same time (the potatoes are always cooked separately). What you end up with is a multifaceted meal that retains the taste of each of its components. If you want to follow tradition, serve the broth as a separate course, then present the sliced meat and vegetables on a platter. Choose among mandatory accompaniments—fresh horseradish, assorted mustards, cornichons (or gherkins), and sea salt—and be sure to offer toasted bread for spreading with the marrow scooped from the bones.

This roasting technique is unique to duck. For the skin to turn crisp, the thick layer of fat that covers the breast needs to be rendered. That’s the reason for the slow roasting at a low temperature (300°F as opposed to 450°F for chicken). This allows the duck enough time in the oven to render the fat before the breast meat has finished cooking, producing a duck with crisp, golden skin. To offset its richness, duck is often coated with a tangy glaze. In this recipe, the classic duck à l’orange, which put French-style duck on the American map, has been updated with a glaze that combines the flavors of pomegranate, honey, and orange.

When poaching a large whole fish, place it in cool liquid first and then slowly bring the liquid to the proper temperature to result in an even texture inside and out. Adding the raw fish to hot liquid would cause the outside to overcook before the inside is cooked. Court Bouillon (page 231) is the traditional poaching liquid for seafood, imparting gentle flavors to the fish without being the least bit overpowering. For the prettiest presentation, remove the skin from the fish while it is still warm, as it will slip off more easily than when cold. A whole fish is always an impressive sight at the table, but even more so when poached and then wrapped in thin ribbons of cucumber, the plump pink fish in stark contrast to the bright-green ribbons.

Rack of lamb is a good candidate for roasting, as the bones and external layer of fat guarantee that the meat will be flavorful and incredibly juicy. That layer of fat, however, requires more than the heat of the oven to sear, so the lamb is first browned on the stove, just on the one side. Rather than the more traditional mustard and herb crust, this rack is coated with yogurt, which adds subtle flavor and tang. The coating also contains bread crumbs, parsley, mint, lemon, garlic, and olive oil, all of which lend other flavor components as well as visual and textural contrast. For a more straightforward but still delicious version, simply rub the lamb with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper before roasting.

The effect of salt-baking is similar to baking (or rather steaming) in parchment paper (en papilotte; see page 215): the salt absorbs steam and becomes a hard shell when baked, creating a vacuum inside that seals in flavor and moisture (without making the fish taste overly salty). As when cooking en papillote, you can layer the fish with aromatics—lemons and herbs as in this recipe, or ginger, scallions, and lemongrass for Asian flavors—for more complexity. Since the skin will not have crisped in the oven, you will need to remove it before serving the fish. Before doing this, you might want to invite your guests into the kitchen for a glimpse of the fish in its salt crust (it’s an impressive sight) and perhaps to assist you in cracking it open.

This is the standard technique for poaching most thick (at least 1 inch) fish fillets or steaks, such as halibut or salmon. Similar to braising, the fish is gently simmered in a flavorful liquid, only in this method the fish is completely covered in liquid. (To poach thinner fillets, follow the shallow-poaching method on page 210, as they may overcook if deep poached.) The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the fillet; plan for 4 to 5 minutes per inch. In this recipe, halibut fillets are poached in chicken stock enhanced with a few aromatics and then served in their cooking liquid (a manner of serving called “à la nage”).

Prime rib, or standing rib roast, has long been a mainstay at the holiday table (where it is often paired with Yorkshire pudding, a British specialty made from the pan juices and a simple batter of flour, eggs, and milk). As it is expensive, prime rib should be handled with extra care. It is imperative that you have an instant-read thermometer for determining the internal temperature; if allowed to cook too long, the meat will no longer be a rosy pink inside, the optimal color for any high-quality roast. Remove the roast when still rare, as it will continue to cook as it rests, rising as much as 10 degrees in 20 minutes. Rubbing meat (as well as chicken and fish) with herbs, spices, and a bit of oil will add tremendous flavor. Here, the beef is coated with a mixture of bay leaves, sage, and orange zest, all familiar holiday flavors. Allowing the meat to “marinate” in the rub overnight deepens the flavor even more. A similar result is achieved by simply salting the meat a day or two before roasting, whereby the salt will have penetrated the meat much like a brining solution (page 126). Larger roasts such as prime rib, crown roast, and a whole turkey are started at a high temperature (450°F) to sear the meat, then the temperature is lowered after 30 minutes to prevent the outside from burning before the meat is cooked through. The exterior won’t develop a crust right away, but the initial high heat gives the outside a head start so that it will be perfectly browned in the end.

A composed salad of marinated seasonal vegetables becomes a main course when fortified with sliced poached chicken. Not only is this an economical way to stretch a meal, it is practical in other ways, too. For starters, many of the components can be prepared (and refrigerated) ahead, and when served as shown, guests can select the ingredients they prefer. This salad offers an array of springtime’s fresh bounty, including asparagus, new potatoes, leeks, and artichokes, all gently cooked just until tender. You can adapt this formula to take advantage of whatever is in season throughout the year.

Until fairly recently the best lamb was a luxury that could be found only in spring. Today, modern farming techniques make such lamb available year-round, although many of us still keep to tradition, preparing a roasted leg of lamb on Easter or Passover. The term “leg of lamb” generally refers to the hind leg and hip of the animal. Though the cut can be pricey, it is very straightforward to prepare, even for the novice home cook. For this recipe, the lamb is “larded” with slivers of garlic along with fresh rosemary and thyme, to infuse it with flavor. The pan sauce is flavored with Dijon mustard and red wine, then thickened with a paste of equal parts softened butter and flour. This classic thickener is called buerre manie, and is often used to thicken stews and braises, including the cider-braised pork on page 183.

Poaching chicken breasts on the bone results in more flavorful and juicy meat than poached boneless breasts. It’s also harder to overcook the meat. The aromatics used in the poaching liquid below are designed to add flavor to the chicken, but Basic Chicken Stock (page 41) can be used to similar effect. Poached chicken has myriad uses: add shredded chicken to soups, casseroles, pot pies, and Mexican dishes such as enchiladas, burritos, and quesadillas, or to all kinds of green salads. This one’s a particular favorite: Cut the chicken in to 1-inch pieces and toss with chopped tomatoes and cucumbers, torn fresh basil leaves, shredded Romaine, and a creamy dressing, such as Green Goddess (page 359).