Make Ahead

This is a recipe I created to celebrate satsuma season. Satsumas are sweet, juicy tangerines that flourish in Louisiana during the winter. (If you can’t find them in your area, any tangerine will do.) You can certainly make the marmalade in larger quantities—it keeps well and is terrific with any grilled or roasted meat, served hot or cold. Try it with grilled quail, duck breast, or even smoked pork sausage or ham. Brining is a technique that serves many purposes. It tenderizes, flavors, and keeps meat juicy. This brine can be used with chicken, turkey breast (I’d leave the soy out), and pork loin or tenderloin. You can throw in herbs or spices appropriate to the dish, but you’ll want to keep the salt/sugar ratio the same. Green beans with shallots make the perfect accompaniment to this dish.

This is what I call a “close your eyes and sigh” dish—one of those fragrant and comforting meals that remind us what makes eating such a soul-satisfying experience. It can be served as a vegetarian entrée or as a side dish with chicken, veal, or lamb. Polenta provides the creamy base that melds alternating layers of cheese and vegetables. During baking, the flavors intermingle, and the fontina and roasted garlic provide a pleasing gooey texture. A simple tomato basil sauce brightens up the mellow flavor of the polenta. The result: a perfect confluence of luscious Italian flavors. If you have never had real Val d’Aosta fontina cheese, this is an excellent time to try it. The difference is noticeable: Val d’Aosta is firm and has a savory, slightly grassy flavor. If you are short on time, forgo the sauce; this polenta is delicious without it.

While these are definitely a contemporary take on a Mexican classic, vegetable enchiladas are as satisfying and flavorful as any meat version. The preparation takes some time, but they’re a cinch to assemble. My advice is to make the sauce a day in advance or to start this early in the day before you get too hungry. The only difficult part about this recipe is deciding what vegetables to leave out. There are countless choices, but I’ve narrowed it down to a tasty combination that works well with the mildly spicy sauce. Substitute or add your seasonal favorites, including—but not limited to—chayote squash (known as mirliton in New Orleans), corn, yellow squash, pumpkin, eggplant, and so forth. If you want to fire up the grill, that’s another great way to prepare the vegetables. Just keep the veggies in large pieces, brush them with a little olive oil and seasoning, and grill a few minutes on both sides; then cool them and cut into smaller pieces. You also have a number of cheeses to choose from, such as white cheddar, Monterey Jack, and pepper Jack.

Shrimp and okra go together like oysters and artichokes (which is to say, they’re made for each other). And to my mind it’s no coincidence that corn and tomatoes are at their peak around the same time as the okra. In this recipe, they all find themselves swimming happily in a broth scented with allspice and thyme, and zippy with fresh jalapeños. If you are leery of that much spice in the broth, leave out the jalapeños and just serve some chopped up alongside, for the daring ones among you.

“Fumet” is the French term for an aromatic broth (typically fish or vegetable, though it can also refer to a meat stock) that is simmered down to concentrate the flavors. Making your own fish stock is easier than you think and adds irreplaceable flavor to recipes, such as Gulf Coast Bouillabaisse (p. 220) and Southern Shrimp Stew (p. 228). Whatever you don’t use can be frozen in small plastic containers (for up to 2 months), so you can pull it out for quick seafood pasta, risotto, or poaching liquid for a fresh fillet.

These sweet, sour, and slightly spicy onion slices add zest and color to just about any salad or sandwich. They are also a great accompaniment to a roasted meat, paté, or terrine, and they’re delicious piled atop quesadillas!

These are great on quesadillas, black beans, and in Cornmeal-crusted Oyster and Black-eyed Pea Salad with Jalapeño Dressing (p. 123).

Pungent and concentrated in flavor, preserved lemons are popular in Moroccan and Middle Eastern cooking. To use them, pull the lemon flesh away from the rind and discard. Give the rind a brief rinse in cold water, then dice or chop and add to a dish at the end of cooking. I use preserved lemons in my Artichoke Dolmades with Lemon Sauce (p. 20). They also add a distinct flavor to couscous and cracked wheat salads. You’ll want to use them sparingly (a tablespoon or two is typically enough) so they don’t overpower other flavors. This recipe doubles or triples easily.

I call this recipe “confit” because, like the French method for preserving meat, it involves slow-cooking the garlic cloves in oil and other liquids. Poaching garlic on the stovetop is an alternative to roasting garlic in the oven. I actually prefer poaching because there is less waste—when the cooking process is complete, you are left with the whole cloves as opposed to squeezing sticky partial cloves out of a softened bulb. As with roasting, this method replaces the sharp heat of raw garlic with a flavor that’s deep and sweet. I usually poach at least two bulbs so I have plenty on hand for antipasto platters, White Bean Hummus (p. 172), pastas, vinaigrettes, or even for slathering on a piece of toast for a snack.

When I first opened Bayona I never had time to eat, so I survived that first year on these two delicious dips. I’d duck into the pantry and dip crispy croutons into the smoky eggplant puree or the pungent olive spread (or both), and the flavors sustained me through my shift. I still crave them. Eggplant caviar comes from many parts of the Mediterranean, including France, Italy, Turkey, and the Middle East. It’s flavored simply, with fresh tomato, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. The secret to developing a deep, smoky flavor is to char the skin until it’s black and rather scary looking. The tapenade, or olive puree, is a pretty classic combination from the south of France. I give the black olives, capers, and anchovies a quick rinse to lessen the impact of their saltiness. Both dips provide a great base from which to build a plate. You can add hummus, feta cheese, various crunchy vegetables, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil to create a fantastic antipasto platter.

This unusual aïoli is good on any kind of grilled meat, especially lamb, and the tasty little chickens known as poussins. You might also serve it with roasted artichoke quarters. For this recipe you can steep your own lavender honey, as described below, or simply buy a good-quality lavender honey from Provence.

Whether you are slathering it on a turkey sandwich or making egg or chicken salad, you can’t beat homemade mayo. Using one whole egg in addition to the yolks helps the mixture whip into a lighter texture and prevents the mayonnaise from being overly “eggy” tasting. For a lime, lemon, or orange variation, add a tablespoon of the appropriate zest and 2–3 tablespoons of juice, then decrease the amount of vinegar so the mixture is not too acidic. Lime mayonnaise is delicious with Bahamian Conch Fritters (p. 34).

This is a vibrant, sweet, and spicy sauce that is yummy on seared scallops, roast chicken breasts, and grilled fish fillets. It’s easy to make and keeps well in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks. Feel free to throw in some minced garlic if you love it the way I do. The cilantro is optional, but the fresh green fragrance and color is an appealing touch.

This incredibly simple, delicious sauce is great with Hibachi Souvlaki (p. 164), Turkish Stuffed Eggplant with Spicy Lamb and Rice (p. 280), and good ol’ falafel sandwiches. Double the batch for parties and backyard barbecues (it’s great on lamb burgers and grilled merguez sausage, too). It keeps well in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

There are many different versions and interpretations of this exotic mixture, which can be used as a marinade, a sauce, or, with a little more olive oil, a vinaigrette. Use a portion of it to marinate fish or chicken, then grill, and toss the remaining mixture with thinly sliced Vidalia onions and sweet red peppers for a quick summer supper.

Adapted from The Royal Oak Restaurant and Pub. I fell in love with this creamy sauce when I first tasted it back in 1970 at the Royal Oak Pub in New Orleans, owned by Mr. and Mrs. John Newsham. They used to serve it with fried eggplant, and it is one of those texture and flavor combinations that I will never forget: the crisp eggplant nestled into the nutty, garlicky puree (as thick and luscious as butter-cream). Later, when I became a chef, the Newshams were big supporters of my career and even shared with me two of their family recipes, including this one, after Mr. Newsham passed away. I will always be grateful to them for the many food memories, and for their kindness.

Here’s a great way to use a small amount of smoked salmon to good advantage. Fresh herbs and lemon brighten the taste, and the cream cheese acts as a medium to carry the rich flavors. I love to serve this spread on toasted pumpernickel bread, atop tiny baked fingerling or new potatoes as an hors d’oueuvre, or as an open-faced sandwich with thin cucumber slices and watercress.

This silky puree is just one more way to enjoy fresh goat cheese, which is a favorite of mine. It can be served with toasted bread and sun-dried tomatoes for a quick hors d’oeuvre, or paired with a salad of fresh greens for an appealing first course. It’s also irresistible slathered on a turkey or grilled portobello sandwich. This puree is similar to the garlic goat cheese filling for my Eggplant Roulades (p. 303), but the addition of fresh basil, herbes de Provence, and chives gives it a style all its own.