Easy

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.

The cabbage family takes quite well to braising. Start by caramelizing the apples and onions with some sugar for a pleasant balance of sweet and tart flavors. Not only does the vinegar add a delicious flavor, but the acid helps keep the cabbage a bright purple color.

Unlike crème anglaise, which is pourable, pastry cream is intended to hold its shape, requiring the addition of starch for structure (cornstarch is preferred over flour for producing a silkier texture). For this reason, pastry cream must be brought to a full boil to activate the starch and ensure proper thickening. Contrary to its name, pastry cream contains no cream, only milk; butter is added at the end for richness. Pastry cream is used to fill tarts, cream pies (such as Boston or banana), pâte à choux (cream puffs, éclairs, and profiteroles), and puff-pastry confections, notably napoleons and mille-feuille.

Seafood boils are a mainstay of Southern cooking, the type of shellfish varying by region. Shrimp boils are most commonly associated with Low Country (South Carolina) cooking, while crawfish is a specialty of Louisiana. In most of these one-pot dishes, new potatoes and corncobs (and sometimes onion wedges and sausages) are first cooked in the pot, often on the grill, and the shellfish added at the end. Then everything is piled onto a platter and served with lemon wedges, melted butter, and hot sauce on the side. Despite the name of the preparation, shrimp shouldn’t actually be boiled (or even poached), since they will toughen if overcooked. And the point at which they turn from perfectly cooked to overcooked is very hard to detect when in boiling water. Here, the cooking water is spiked with a few simple aromatics, but you could use Old Bay Seasoning (follow the suggestions on the package for the amount) for classic peel-and-eat shrimp. Or replace the water with Court Bouillon (page 231). Serve chilled shrimp with cocktail sauce (recipe below) or as an ingredient in salads.

This is an example of a short braise, where the cooking liquid is not reduced to make a sauce. Many recipes call for broccoli rabe to be blanched and then sautéed to remove some of its bitterness, but if you prefer its natural taste, braising is a better option. It mellows the bitterness without adding an extra step, especially when cooked in chicken stock, which adds a touch of richness.

When prepared properly, Japanese-style deep-fried vegetables are light and crisp and not at all greasy. Baking powder in the batter helps it to puff up in the hot oil, while cornstarch keeps it from being too dense (as it can be when made with all flour). Ice-cold batter is the secret to successful tempura, so be sure to use ice water (drained of ice). You can use any type of vegetable in this recipe, as long as you slice the vegetables thinly and uniformly so they cook evenly. Root vegetables should be sliced a bit thinner since they take longer to cook.

With its clean taste and light body, Court Bouillon is used to poach fish, shellfish, and lean white meats such as chicken and veal, when you want to impart only subtle flavor. It can be as simple as a few aromatics steeped in water or more complex with a fruity white wine or other acidic ingredients, such as vinegar or lemon juice. As with stocks, you should feel free to improvise with whatever is in your vegetable bin (or garden, if you have one). The ingredients called for here are common, but you can leave out some or replace them with other mild-tasting herbs or vegetables. The goal is to avoid overpowering the food that will be poached in the liquid.

Peaches are used in this very basic recipe for fruit jam, but you could substitute an equal amount of apricots or plums in their place. Add it to ice cream, or use it to fill a jelly roll cake such as the one on page 464. The jam is quickly made and can be kept refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 weeks. If you prefer, strain the jam in a fine sieve before storing.

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”).

This sauté makes good use of an abundance of summer vegetables, the small amount of cream adding a touch of richness without overwhelming the fresh flavor of the produce. A chopped ripe, small tomato would be a colorful addition.

This recipe uses a combination of steaming to soften the texture and brighten the color (especially helpful when cooking green vegetables), and sautéing in butter to increase flavor. The method is similar to blanching then sautéing, only in the same pan. This steam-sauté method can also be used to cook green beans, snow peas, green peas, asparagus, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. In the recipe below, sautéed snap peas are combined with shaved raw baby turnips, which are slightly bitter and contrast nicely with the sweetness of the peas. Radishes would offer the same balance of taste and crunchy texture.

A tian is a Provençal creation named for the traditional earthenware baking dish. Be sure to drizzle generously with oil to impart flavor and keep the vegetables from drying out (remember, there’s no other liquid in a tian); you can spoon off excess oil after cooking.

Tenderloin is widely considered one of the best sections of beef for roasting; it becomes meltingly tender during cooking. It’s also one of the more expensive cuts, so you’ll want to take care to cook tenderloin properly. Fortunately, this is spectacularly easy to do. The tenderloin is first seared on the stove, but this step is optional. (The roast will be just as delicious if it’s not seared, but many people prefer the look—and texture—of a nicely browned crust.) If you decide not to sear the roast, you will need to increase the cooking time a bit. Just keep checking the temperature of the meat, until it registers 125°F.