Mango, Orange, and Jícama Salad

Why this recipe works:

For a fresh, vibrant fruit salad in the late winter, we started with a selection of tropical fruits, which boasted plenty of sweetness and nuanced flavor. To provide juiciness and acidity, we paired the tropical fruits with citrus and then used a lime syrup to tie all the flavors together. A final addition of a mildly flavored, crisp vegetable, which was softened slightly in the syrup, gave the salads just the right amount of texture without masking the bright fruit flavor.

Serves 4 to 6

Make sure that the syrup has cooled before pouring it over the fruit.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon grated lime zest plus 3 tablespoons juice (2 limes)
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Pinch salt
• 12 ounces jícama, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 oranges
• 2 mangos, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch dice (4 cups)

Instructions

1. 
   
   1. Bring sugar, lime zest and juice, pepper flakes, and salt to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat, stir in jícama, and let syrup cool for 20 minutes.
   
   2. Meanwhile, cut away peel and pith from oranges. Slice into 1/2-inch-thick rounds, then cut rounds into 1/2-inch pieces. Place oranges and mangos in large bowl.
   
   3. When syrup is cool, pour over oranges and mangos and toss to combine. Refrigerate for 15 minutes before serving.

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Crispy Orange Beef

Why this recipe works:

Traditionally, this dish is made by frying multiple batches of lightly battered beef in about 8 cups of oil. We simplify the recipe by replacing the batter with a coating of cornstarch and freezing the dredged pieces of beef for easier handling as well as decreasing the oil to 3 cups. Our sauce uses orange pith as well as zest to add complex bitter notes. By caramelizing the orange peel before building the sauce, we mimic the flavor of the dried tangerine peels that are typically used.

Serves 4

Use a vegetable peeler on the oranges and make sure that your strips contain some pith. Do not use low-sodium soy sauce. Serve this dish with steamed rice.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds beef flap meat, trimmed
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 6 tablespoons cornstarch
• 10 (3-inch) strips orange peel, sliced thin lengthwise (1/4 cup), plus 1/4 cup juice (2 oranges)
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 3 cups vegetable oil
• 1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and sliced thin lengthwise
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 scallions, sliced thin on bias

Instructions

1. 
   
   1. Cut beef along grain into 2½- to 3-inch-wide lengths. Slice each piece against grain into ½-inch-thick slices. Cut each slice lengthwise into ½-inch-wide strips. Toss beef with 1 tablespoon soy sauce in bowl. Add cornstarch and toss until evenly coated. Spread beef in single layer on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Transfer sheet to freezer until meat is very firm but not completely frozen, about 45 minutes.
   
   2. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, orange juice, molasses, sherry, vinegar, and sesame oil together in bowl.
   
   3. Line second rimmed baking sheet with triple layer of paper towels. Heat vegetable oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until oil registers 375 degrees. Carefully add one-third of beef and fry, stirring occasionally to keep beef from sticking together, until golden brown, about 1½ minutes. Using spider, transfer meat to paper towel–lined sheet. Return oil to 375 degrees and repeat twice more with remaining beef. After frying, reserve 2 tablespoons frying oil.
   
   4. Heat reserved oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add orange peel and jalapeño and cook, stirring occasionally, until about half of orange peel is golden brown, 1½ to 2 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and ­pepper flakes; cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is beginning to brown, about 45 seconds. Add soy sauce mixture and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until slightly thickened, about 45 seconds. Add beef and scallions and toss. Transfer to platter and serve immediately.
   
   
   

Technique

Turning Orange into Tangerine

Traditionally, crispy orange beef is made with dried -tangerine peels, which have a pungent and complex flavor but can be tricky to find. We mimic this flavor by leaving some bitter pith on orange peel that we brown in oil.

PURPOSELY PITHY: Leaving some pith on fresh orange peel helps to mimic the flavor of dried tangerine peel.

Technique

Deep-Fried Doesn't Have to Mean Greasy

The most common misconception about deep-frying battered foods is that the results are always greasy. But this doesn’t have to be the case at all. When battered foods are deep-fried in hot oil, water in the batter and near the exterior of the meat turns to vapor and exits. Once the water exits, there is space for a small amount of oil to take its place. The amount of oil absorbed is directly proportional to the amount of water lost. The more water out the more oil in.
But our Crispy Orange Beef seemed to take in even less oil than we expected: When we weighed the fry oil before and after cooking, we found that the entire 1½ pounds of beef absorbed only 7/8 ounce, or 2 tablespoons, of oil. How was this possible? It all comes down to the meat’s coating. Instead of dipping the beef in the traditional batter for this recipe—a moist mixture of egg white and cornstarch—we simply dredged it in dry cornstarch. Since cornstarch has virtually no moisture to lose on its own, this meant that all the moisture lost during frying was coming from the beef alone. (With battered beef, both the coating and the meat lose moisture.) The upshot: Less moisture was lost, so less oil was absorbed.

ONLY 2 TABLESPOONS: Our beef absorbs very little oil.

Technique

A Better Cut for Frying

To prevent beef from folding over on itself while frying, cut flap meat steaks into 3-inch-wide lengths, then into 1/2-inch-thick slices, and the slices into 1/2-inch-wide strips.

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Mu Shu Pork

Why this recipe works:

Making Mandarin pancakes—the traditional wrapper for mu shu pork filling—may sound daunting and time-consuming, but we discovered that they’re remarkably easy, thanks to the hot water that’s used to make the dough. Using hot water is important for two reasons: It makes the dough less sticky because the starches absorb hot water more quickly than cold water, and it makes the dough easier to roll out because the gluten proteins don’t coil as tightly, and thus don’t snap as much when rolled out. As for the pork and vegetable filling, the prep can be done while the dough rests. We brine sliced pork tenderloin in soy sauce, which keeps it tender and moist, while sherry, sugar, ginger, and white pepper punch up the flavor. Rehydrated shiitake mushrooms provide a pleasantly chewy texture, and their soaking liquid adds depth to our stir-fry sauce. We also add cabbage and sliced bamboo shoots to bulk up the vegetable portion of the meal.

Serves 4

We strongly recommend weighing the flour for the pancakes. For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle to a boil and then measure 3/4 cup.

Ingredients

• Pancakes

• 1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil

• Stir-Fry

• 1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, rinsed
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 (12-ounce) pork tenderloin, trimmed, halved horizontally, and sliced thin against grain
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 6 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced thin on bias
• 1 (8-ounce) can bamboo shoots, rinsed and sliced into matchsticks
• 3 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce

Instructions

1. 
   
   1. FOR THE PANCAKES: Using wooden spoon, mix flour and boiling water in bowl to form rough dough. When cool, transfer dough to lightly floured surface and knead until it forms ball that is tacky but no longer sticky, about 4 minutes (dough will not be perfectly smooth). Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
   2. Roll dough into 12-inch-long log on lightly floured surface and cut into 12 equal pieces. Turn each piece cut side up and pat into rough 3-inch disk. Brush 1 side of 6 disks with sesame oil; top each oiled side with unoiled disk and press lightly to form 6 pairs. Roll disks into 7-inch rounds, lightly flouring work surface as needed.
   3. Heat vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Using paper towels, carefully wipe out oil. Place pancake in skillet and cook without moving it until air pockets begin to form between layers and underside is dry, 40 to 60 seconds. Flip pancake and cook until few light brown spots appear on second side, 40 to 60 seconds. Transfer to plate and, when cool enough to handle, peel apart into 2 pancakes. Stack pancakes moist side up and cover loosely with plastic. Repeat with remaining pancakes. Cover pancakes tightly and keep warm. Wipe out skillet with paper towel. (Pancakes can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw wrapped pancakes at room temperature. Unwrap and place on plate. Invert second plate over pancakes and microwave until warm and soft, 60 to 90 seconds.)
   4. FOR THE STIR-FRY: Microwave 1 cup water and mushrooms in covered bowl until steaming, about 1 minute. Let sit until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain mushrooms through fine-mesh strainer and reserve 1/3 cup liquid. Discard mushroom stems and slice caps thin.
   5. Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sherry, sugar, ginger, and pepper in large bowl. Add pork and toss to combine. Whisk together reserved mushroom liquid, remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, remaining 1 tablespoon sherry, and cornstarch; set aside.
   6. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add eggs and scramble quickly until set but not dry, about 15 seconds. Transfer to bowl and break eggs into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces with fork. Return now-empty skillet to medium-high heat and heat 1 tablespoon oil until shimmering. Add scallion whites and cook, stirring frequently, until well browned, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Add pork mixture. Spread into even layer and cook without moving it until well browned on 1 side, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until all pork is opaque, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer to bowl with eggs.
   7. Return now-empty skillet to medium-high heat and heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil until shimmering. Whisk mushroom liquid mixture to recombine. Add mushrooms and bamboo shoots to skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until heated through, about 1 minute. Add cabbage, all but 2 tablespoons scallion greens, and mushroom liquid mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until liquid has evaporated and cabbage is wilted but retains some crunch, 2 to 3 minutes. Add pork and eggs and stir to combine. Transfer to platter and top with scallion greens.
   8. Spread about 1/2 teaspoon hoisin in center of each warm pancake. Spoon stir-fry over hoisin and serve.
   
   
   

Technique

No Substitutions

Don’t be tempted to substitute tortillas or other wrappers for homemade Mandarin pancakes; there is no replacement for their thin, delicate, stretchy texture. Plus, the pancakes can be made well in advance and refrigerated or frozen.

Technique

Pancakes Made Two by Two

Cooking two rounds together produces pancakes twice as fast.

SANDWICH: Brush 6 disks with sesame oil. Top with unoiled disks. Press pairs together, then roll into thin rounds.

COOK: Heat each round until air pockets form between layers and underside is dry. Flip and cook second side.

PULL APART: When pancakes are cool enough to handle, peel apart into 2 pieces.

Technique

Science: What Hot Water Does to Dough

Most lean Western doughs, such as for pizza and rustic breads, are made with cold water primarily because the yeast they contain would die if exposed to hot water. But unyeasted Mandarin pancake dough calls for hot water, which eliminates two problems that plague most cold-water doughs: stickiness and springback.
Hot water makes the dough less sticky because it separates the tightly packed starch molecules faster than cold water does, allowing the starch to absorb the free water that would otherwise make the dough tacky.
Hot water also makes the dough easy to roll out because it straightens some of the coiled sections of gluten (the network of proteins that give dough structure). As a result, the dough is less elastic and less prone to snapping back. At the same time, the straightened proteins can move closer together and form tighter bonds, creating a stronger gluten network that allows the dough to be rolled out paper-thin without tearing and makes the pancakes stretchy.

NOT SO WOUND UP: Hot water straightens the tightly coiled gluten proteins, making the dough easier to roll out.

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Ultimate Charcoal-Grilled Steaks

Why this recipe works:

For a steak that delivered a perfectly brown crust, even doneness, and a narrow gray band—plus, flavor from the grill—we ditched the actual grill in favor of a superhot charcoal chimney. Skewering the steaks and laying them over the chimney made for a secure, easy-to-manage setup and more even browning across the entire surface of the steaks. After trimming the steaks’ fat caps in order to eliminate flare-ups, we score the steaks for better browning. We bake the steaks, well salted to ensure seasoning throughout, slowly in a low oven to cook them evenly and dehydrate their surfaces before blasting them over the chimney for about 60 seconds per side.

Serves 4

Rib-eye steaks of a similar thickness can be substituted for strip steaks, although they may produce more flare-ups. You will need a charcoal chimney starter with a 7 1/2-inch diameter and four 12-inch metal skewers for this recipe. If your chimney starter has a smaller diameter, skewer each steak individually and cook in four batches. It is important to remove the fat caps on the steaks to limit flare-ups during grilling. During cooking the lit chimney can be placed on the grill grates of your grill or set on top of bricks.

Ingredients

• 2 (1-pound) boneless strip steaks, 1 3/4 inches thick, fat caps removed
• Kosher salt and pepper

Instructions

1. 
   
   1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Cut each steak in half crosswise to create four 8-ounce steaks. Cut 1/16-inch-deep slits on both sides of steaks, spaced 1/4 inch apart, in crosshatch pattern. Sprinkle both sides of each steak with 1/2 teaspoon salt (2 teaspoons total). Lay steak halves with tapered ends flat on counter and pass two 12-inch metal skewers, spaced 1 1/2 inches apart, horizontally through steaks, making sure to keep 1/4-inch space between steak halves. Repeat skewering with remaining steak halves.
   2. Place skewered steaks on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet, transfer to oven, and cook until centers of steaks register 120 degrees, flipping steaks over halfway through cooking and removing them as they come to temperature, 1 1/2 hours to 1 hour 50 minutes. Tent skewered steaks (still on rack) with aluminum foil.
   3. Light large chimney starter filled halfway with charcoal briquettes (3 quarts). When top coals are completely covered in ash, uncover steaks (reserving foil) and pat dry with paper towels. Using tongs, place 1 set of steaks directly over chimney so skewers rest on rim of chimney (meat will be suspended over coals). Cook until both sides are well browned and charred, about 1 minute per side. Using tongs, return first set of steaks to wire rack in sheet, season with pepper, and tent with reserved foil. Repeat with second set of skewered steaks. Remove skewers from steaks and serve.
   
   
   

Technique

Chimney Champ

A chimney starter is central to this recipe. Our favorite model from Weber boasts sturdy construction, a generous 6-quart capacity, a heat-resistant handle plus a second handle for pouring control, and plenty of ventilation holes, virtually guaranteeing that the coals ignite quickly.

WEBER RAPIDFIRE CHIMNEY STARTER

Technique

Grilling Steak over a Chimney Starter?

Most of us have used a chimney starter only for lighting coals and getting them good and hot before we pour them into the grill. But the coals are actually at their hottest in the chimney—not in the grill, where airflow is far more restricted. So why not leave the coals in the chimney and cook over that? Sure enough, this setup produced a deeply browned sear in just 1 minute per side. Here’s how it works.

CHIMNEY DESIGN: The cylindrical shape concentrates the heat. The open ends maximize airflow, keeping the fire burning intensely. A 7 1/2-inch diameter is ideal for two steaks.
SKEWERS: We use 12-inch metal skewers to suspend the steak across the chimney.
STEAK: We remove the fat cap and divide a strip steak in half. We crosshatch the surface for maximum browned crust. We salt, as always. We precook in the oven, low and slow.
VENTS: Located on both the sides and bottom of our winning chimney, these allow even more air circulation.
COALS: Three quarts fill the chimney halfway.
KETTLE GRILL: What else would make a safer base for cooking over a burning-hot chimney?

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Mushroom Bisque

Why this recipe works:

Too often the abundance of dairy that gives a mushroom bisque its trademark richness obscures the flavor of the mushrooms. We wanted a silky texture, but we wanted deep, earthy flavor, too. To achieve these goals, we used three kinds of mushrooms—white, cremini, and shiitake. Because mushrooms will exude moisture even without being cut, we cooked them whole in the microwave until they had released most of their liquid. The dehydrated mushrooms browned more efficiently in the pot, which we then deglazed with the reserved mushroom liquid. We kept additional ingredients to a minimum so as not to distract from the mushrooms’ flavor. A liaison of egg yolks and cream whisked in at the end gives the soup a texture that is luxurious without being cloying.

Serves 6 to 10

Tying the thyme sprig with twine makes it easier to remove from the pot. For the smoothest result, use a conventional blender rather than an immersion blender. Our Fried Shallots (see related content) can replace the garnish of cream and chopped chives.

Ingredients

• 1 pound white mushrooms, trimmed
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed
• 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, chopped fine
• 1 sprig fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 4 cups water
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2/3 cup heavy cream, plus extra for serving
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Chopped fresh chives

Instructions

1. 
   
   1. Toss white mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and 1 tablespoon salt together in large bowl. Cover with large plate and microwave, stirring every 4 minutes, until mushrooms have released their liquid and reduced to about one-third their original volume, about 12 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to colander set in second large bowl and drain well. Reserve liquid.
   2. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are browned and fond has formed on bottom of pot, about 8 minutes. Add onion, thyme sprig, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is just softened, about 2 minutes. Add sherry and cook until evaporated. Stir in reserved mushroom liquid and cook, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in water and broth and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
   3. Discard thyme sprig. Working in batches, process soup in blender until very smooth, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per batch. Return soup to now-empty pot. (Soup can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Warm to 150 degrees before proceeding with recipe.)
   4. Whisk cream and egg yolks together in medium bowl. Stirring slowly and constantly, add 2 cups soup to cream mixture. Stirring constantly, slowly pour cream mixture into simmering soup. Heat gently, stirring constantly, until soup registers 165 degrees (do not overheat). Stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, garnishing each serving with 1 teaspoon extra cream and sprinkle of chives.
   
   
   

Technique

Lots of Mushrooms, Little Work

Our bisque contains a full 2 pounds of mushrooms, but we found that there’s no need to slice or chop them. Because mushrooms lack a thick outer layer, they give up moisture readily even when left whole. We simply toss them with salt and microwave them until most of their liquid is released. Then we brown the shriveled mushrooms to deepen their flavor and use the reserved mushroom liquid to help form the base of the soup.

MEGA MUSHROOMS: A mix of white button, cremini, and shiitake mushrooms gives our soup woodsy depth.

Technique

Yoking Together Yolks for Silky—and Flavorful—Bisque

The abundance of cream in bisques gives them their lush consistency, but it also makes most versions taste flat. While the fat droplets in cream thicken a liquid by getting in the way of water molecules, slowing their movement, they also mute flavor by coating the tongue and preventing flavor molecules from reaching taste receptors.
For a bisque with both pleasing body and a more pronounced mushroom flavor, we turned instead to an old-school French thickener—a so-called liaison, which replaces a large portion of the cream with egg yolks. As the bisque heats, proteins in the yolks unfold and bond together into long, tangled strands that, like the fat in cream, interfere with the movement of water molecules. Egg yolks also contain the powerful emulsifier lecithin, which has a twofold effect: It breaks up the fat droplets into smaller particles that disperse more completely throughout the liquid, obstructing more water molecules, for an even thicker consistency. It also keeps the bisque smooth by holding the fat droplets suspended in the liquid so they don’t separate out.
If yolks can do all this, why even use cream? Because the fat it contains provides an appealing mouthfeel that yolks alone can’t match.

JUST CREAM

• Tan dots represent fat droplets
• Grey dots represent water molecules

CREAM + YOLKS

• Tan dots represent fat droplets
• Grey dots represent water molecules
• Bands represent protein molecules

Technique

What is Bisque?

Consult a tome on classic French cookery and you'll learn that "bisque" traditionally refers to a rich, creamy coup made with shellfish. Nowadays, the word is used to describe any creamy soup, shellfish-based or not, that's a step up in flavor and refinement from plainer creamed soups.

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Sausage Meatballs and Spaghetti

Why this recipe works:

We wanted to use commercial Italian sausage to create meatballs that were full of sausage flavor but still fork-tender. To temper the springy texture that sausage can have, we add a combination of ground pork, brined with baking soda and salt to help the meat retain juices and appear more tender, and a panade made with heavy cream instead of milk; the extra fat helps ensure moist and tender meat. Pulsing the meat mixture in a food processor, rather than mixing it by hand, ensures that it is thoroughly mixed without being overworked. To really make the flavors of Italian sausage shine, we add a hefty dose of the spices already present in the meat. Baking the meatballs in a hot oven lets you quickly brown them in a single batch, and a simple, bright tomato sauce pairs well with the richness of the meatballs.

Serves 4 to 6

The fennel seeds can be coarsely ground in a spice grinder or using the bottom of a heavy skillet. Use a light touch when rolling the meatballs to prevent them from being dense. To portion the meatballs, use 2 tablespoons or a #30 scoop, loosely filled, of the pork mixture. Our preferred brands of crushed tomatoes are Tuttorosso and Muir Glen.

Ingredients

• Meatballs

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 teaspoons water
• 12 ounces ground pork
• 2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, coarsely ground
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 12 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed and broken into 1-inch pieces

• Tomato Sauce

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
• 1 pound spaghetti

Instructions

1. 
   
   1. FOR THE MEATBALLS: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Set wire rack in aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet and spray with vegetable oil spray.
   2. Dissolve salt and baking soda in water in large bowl. Add pork, fold gently to combine, and let stand for 10 minutes.
   3. Pulse bread, cream, Parmesan, egg yolks, garlic, fennel seeds, oregano, pepper, and pepper flakes in food processor until smooth paste forms, about 10 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add pork mixture (do not wash out bowl) and pulse until mixture is well combined, about 5 pulses.
   4. Transfer half of pork mixture to now-empty large bowl. Add sausage to processor and pulse until just combined, 4 to 5 pulses. Transfer sausage-pork mixture to bowl with pork mixture. Using your hands, gently fold together until mixture is just combined.
   5. With your wet hands, lightly shape mixture into 1 3/4-inch round meatballs (about 1 ounce each); you should have about 24 meatballs. Arrange meatballs, evenly spaced, on prepared wire rack and bake until browned, about 15 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.
   6. FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE: While meatballs bake, heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in basil and season with salt to taste.
   7. Add meatballs to sauce and gently simmer, turning them occasionally, for 10 minutes. Cover and keep warm over low heat.
   8. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.
   9. Add 1/2 cup sauce and 1/4 cup reserved cooking water to pasta and toss to combine, adjusting consistency with remaining reserved cooking water as needed. Transfer pasta to large serving platter and top with meatballs and remaining sauce. Serve, passing extra Parmesan separately.
   
   
   

Technique

Discovery: Don't Mix in Panade by Hand; Process It

To ensure that meatballs hold their shape, retain moisture, and stay tender during cooking, we typically combine the ground meat with a panade, a paste made of milk and bread. The starches and liquid form a gel that coats and lubricates the meat proteins, preventing them from linking together into a tough matrix.
The problem: It’s hard to thoroughly incorporate a panade into the meat when blending by hand, so we use a food processor. Its sharp blade literally cuts the paste into the meat so that the mixture is homogeneous.

CLUMPY: Blended by hand.

HOMOGENEOUS: Blended in a food processor.

Technique

400 Meatballs to Perfection

When we started testing, our sausage meatballs were dense and springy. We made close to 400 meatballs before landing on just the right combination of ingredients and mixing methods that produced the savory, juicy, fork-tender meatballs we wanted.

1. FIRST WE TRIED: Hand-mixing sausage with standard panade (bread-milk mixture).
BUT: Meatballs were dense, with mushy pockets of bread.

2. THEN WE TRIED: Subbing less-dense ground pork for sausage.
GOOD: Meatballs were less dense.
BUT: They were lacking sausage’s rich juiciness.

3. NEXT WE TRIED: Combining sausage and ground pork.
GOOD: Richer meatballs.
BUT: The meat and panade were not homogeneous.

4. SO WE TRIED: Mixing with a food processor.
GOOD: Smooth, homogeneous.
BUT: Meatballs not truly tender and juicy.

5. AFTER THAT WE TRIED: Mixing in portion of pork mixture by hand.
GOOD: More tenderness.
BUT: Still not juicy.

6. SO WE TRIED: Soaking pork in baking soda.
GOOD: Juicier meatballs.
BUT: Meat still a little sticky.

7. FINALLY WE TRIED: Subbing heavy cream for milk.
GOOD: Extra fat = less sticky meat.
SUCCESS: Rich, savory, tender meatballs.

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Crispy Salt and Pepper Shrimp

Why this recipe works:

To keep our shell-on, deep-fried salt and pepper shrimp shells crispy and crunchy rather than tough, we employ several tricks. First, we choose shrimp that are not overly large (31 to 40 per pound), which ensures that the shells are thinner relative to those on more jumbo specimens. Next, we coat them in a thin layer of cornstarch to dry out their shells, which helps make them brittle upon frying. Then we cook them in small batches in very hot oil, which ensures that any remaining water in the shells is driven off. To season the shrimp and keep them moist, we toss them with salt and a little rice wine and let them sit briefly before dredging and frying. For an extra jolt of spiciness, after frying the shrimp, we also dredge and fry a couple of thinly sliced jalapeños. And to give the dish lots of depth, we add black peppercorns, Sichuan peppercorns, cayenne, and sugar to the coating and fry more of the same with ginger and garlic to make a flavorful paste. Finally, we toss the shrimp in this aromatic paste to unify the dish and keep the flavorings well distributed.

Serves 4 to 6

In this recipe the shrimp are meant to be eaten shell and all. To ensure that the shells fry up crisp, avoid using shrimp that are overly large or jumbo. We prefer 31- to 40-count shrimp, but 26- to 30-count may be substituted. Serve with steamed rice.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds shell-on shrimp (31 to 40 per pound)
• 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• Kosher salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 cups vegetable oil
• 5 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, and sliced into 1/8-inch-thick rings
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 2 scallions, sliced thin on bias
• 1/4 head iceberg lettuce, shredded (1 1/2 cups)

Instructions

1. 
   
   1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 225 degrees. Toss shrimp, rice wine, and 1 teaspoon salt together in large bowl and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes.
   2. Grind black peppercorns and Sichuan peppercorns in spice grinder or mortar and pestle until coarsely ground. Transfer peppercorns to small bowl and stir in sugar and cayenne.
   3. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until oil registers 385 degrees. While oil is heating, drain shrimp and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer shrimp to bowl, add 3 tablespoons cornstarch and 1 tablespoon peppercorn mixture, and toss until well combined.
   4. Carefully add one-third of shrimp to oil and fry, stirring occasionally to keep shrimp from sticking together, until light brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Using wire skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to paper towel–lined plate. Once paper towels absorb any excess oil, transfer shrimp to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and place in oven. Return oil to 385 degrees and repeat in 2 more batches, tossing each batch thoroughly with coating mixture before frying.
   5. Toss jalapeño rings and remaining 2 tablespoons cornstarch in medium bowl. Shaking off excess cornstarch, carefully add jalapeño rings to oil and fry until crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. Using wire skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer jalapeño rings to paper towel–lined plate. After frying, reserve 2 tablespoons frying oil.
   6. Heat reserved oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add garlic, ginger, and remaining peppercorn mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is fragrant and just beginning to brown, about 45 seconds. Add shrimp, scallions, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss to coat. Line platter with lettuce. Transfer shrimp to platter, sprinkle with jalapeño rings, and serve immediately.
   
   
   

Technique

How Frying Makes Shrimp Shells Good Enough to Eat

Most of us peel shrimp before eating it—and for good reason. Made of an elastic substance known as chitin, the shell can be tough. But great salt and pepper shrimp feature a fried shell as crispy—and appealing to eat—as the skin on fried chicken.
Interestingly, the process by which poultry skin and shrimp shells become crisp and edible is somewhat different. Raw chicken skin is flabby because its fat molecules (which make up 50 percent of its weight) coat its proteins, preventing them from cross-linking and firming up the texture; it also contains a lot of water. The high heat of frying takes care of both issues: It causes the fat to render, allowing the proteins to cross-link and become more rigid, and it drives off water, turning the cross-linked proteins brittle.
Chitin, on the other hand, does not break down when exposed to heat. Furthermore, its rubbery texture is entirely caused by moisture. To crisp the shells, it is necessary to dehydrate them as much as possible—something that can be accomplished only by a dry heat method like frying. (Moist methods will leave the shells chewy and flexible; think shrimp boil.) For this reason, we eschew a wet batter and instead toss the shrimp in seasoned cornstarch. This light, dry coating helps pull moisture from the shells, which evaporates in the hot oil, leaving them brittle and crisp. Note: Since older, larger shrimp have thicker, tougher shells, it’s also important to start with relatively small shrimp; we prefer 31- to 40-count specimens.

BOILED = TOUGH
Moist heat makes shrimp shells rubbery.

FRIED = CRISP
Dry heat dehydrates—and, thus, crisps—the shells.

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