GARLIC SCAPE PESTO
I got some scapes at the farmers market Saturday and had a hankering for pesto (probably partially because of my Trader Joes pesto failure a couple weeks ago). I swapped out sunflower seeds for walnuts because that’s what I had. I used fresh basil from my garden. A half tsp of salt was enough for my batch, and I added a lot of grated parm on top of the pasta once plated. I tasted the pesto before adding it to pasta and was worried it was too strong, but once it was added to the pasta it was absolutely perfect. I’ll definitely make this again.
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CRISPY CHICKEN WITH LIME BUTTER
Definitely a keeper. It was hard to trust the process here (explained in the headnotes) because I kept thinking the chicken skin would burn, but sure enough, once the sizzling got quieter, the skin was perfect. I did just shy of medium heat on my burner and it took about 30 min skin side down. The skin was perfectly crispy. A couple min skin side up, and then the chicken is removed and the pan sauce comes together in no time. It is glossy and flavorful- slightly buttery but not overly rich - and just the right amount of sweet from the honey and lime. A bit long to have the stove going on an 80° day but worth it. My splatter screen definitely came in handy for this.
The plated photo is my daughter’s so sans sauce (I put hers on the side).
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Made this today, but with modifications inspired by the comments section. I had a huge amount (almost a kilogram) of extra-firm tofu I found lurking in the back of the fridge that needed using up pronto. I cubed it and tossed it in a mixture of light soy sauce, gochujang, peanut butter, sesame oil and neutral oil. Added the cornstarch. Turned out pretty good. I might not use the cornstarch next time, I don’t think it added much.
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I have been so curious about this recipe, thanks for reporting! Was it actually crispy?
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Yes, it was crispy. I think it would have been more crispy if I had stuck to the original recipe.
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I follow a similar method from the cookbook The Weekday Vegetarians by Jenny Rosenstrach-- you make a slurry with cornstarch, soy sauce, and oil and toss the tofu to coat. Really works.
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I love pan-roasted chicken thighs. The skin crisps up much better and more evenly than in the oven, and it’s quicker too.
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You’re so right. I had two more thighs that didn’t fit in my pan which I later air fried in the oven and they couldn’t hold a candle to the pan fried ones. I also recently replaced all my pans and wow, what a difference having decent pans makes!
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What kind of pans did you get? I need to replace a couple of mine. I’m not happy with the last skillet I purchased.
I’m making it for our dinner tomorrow!
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The most impressive one I got is a Hestan stainless steel skillet. Pricey for me, but worth it in my opinion. I’d been cooking on crappy non stick pans that I’ve had since my first apartment and this one is an infinite improvement on those. It is great for browning things like fish and chicken, as you can see in the photo I posted above. I have my eye on a couple other pieces that I will probably get slowly over time.
I also got a set of Green Pan ceramic skillets from Costco that I’m really happy with for things like scrambling eggs and taco meat and stuff like that. They clean up really well.
I always thought my stove was to blame for uneven cooking and hot spots but it turns out I was just using crappy pans! Should’ve replaced them years ago.
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Beware! It’s addictive.
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I have made it before - one of Lulu’s favorites. Definitely delicious.
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Lemony Shrimp and Bean Stew. I guess I have never posted this recipe on this topic even though I have made it many times. I follow the recipe. It is a favorite.
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Phoenicia…my internet was out this weekend, so I just got connected this afternoon. Nice…I read the NYT daily, and follow their cooking section. They do have some winners, but as others have noted, sometimes their somewhat ethnic or esoteric recipes do lack some ingredients that really add to the dish. I will look this up in the NYT.
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One of my top favorite NYT recipes.
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Planning on making this tonight, too! I cooked a half pound of Rancho Gordo Royal Corona beans and will use them (and their bean broth). Such a great recipe!
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Added some rosemary and chile de arbol this time. The Royal Corona beans are almost as big as the shrimp!
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I’m currently using a non-stick green pan but the non-stickiness stopping working shockingly fast.
