Good morning! Today we have for you:
Spring cooking, activate!
Hello, friends. I hope this finds you well and that you’re enjoying these early spring days. Here in California, it feels like traveling back in time, rewinding into the season from a summery heat wave. I know better than to complain about too much sun, but I do miss the swell of hope that comes with the first green after winter’s gray. So I’m going to make my lemon butter salmon to summon spring, with its abundance of dill that’s as fresh as newly sprouted grass. I created this dish for Easter last year and have been making it regularly since, especially for last-minute gatherings. Glossed with honey butter, the salmon caramelizes around the edges without drying out. The glaze was calibrated to wild salmon that becomes more deeply savory after an hourslong salt cure, but it tastes just as good on any fillet cooked right away. If you’re going that route, reduce the honey a bit. Featured Recipe Lemon Butter Salmon With DillA quick pickle of cucumbers and mustard seeds not only balances the fish’s richness, it also makes the meal feel like a party. All you need to complete the spread is crusty sourdough and more butter, and a fennel salad or chicory one. For more heft, roast potatoes or asparagus or both. All of that comes together easily, so you can make carrot cake or lemon cookies for dessert. Here are more recipes to welcome spring: Grilled asparagus with burrata and furikake: Was I skeptical when Ali Slagle pitched this trio of ingredients? Yes. Was I wrong to question her brilliance? Also yes. The salty crunch of furikake, with its toasted sesame seeds and crackly seaweed, echoes the savory char of asparagus and reverberates off the creaminess of burrata. If it’s too cold out to grill, roast the asparagus instead. Creamy chicken and spring vegetables: This stunner from David Tanis tastes like chicken potpie shedding a heavy winter coat. Based on French blanquette, the meat and vegetables swim in a white wine sauce silky with crème fraîche. Sour cream works just as well for that touch of tang. Quick lamb ragù with artichokes: For this spring take on the brawny Italian American Sunday ragù, Ali combines tomato paste and cherry tomatoes to capture the essence of red sauce. Rich with lamb yet light with (canned) artichokes, this dish will feel especially seasonal sprinkled with fresh mint. Roasted carrots with whipped tahini: Spring carrots are usually planted now and harvested at the end of the season, but any carrots taste great with this treatment. Alexa Weibel roasts them with curry powder and matches that warmth with a garlicky blend of yogurt and tahini. This is hearty enough to be a meal with grains or bread and would make an impressive side for Passover or Easter lamb. Dujjonku (Dubai chocolate chewy cookies): The South Korean pastry chef Kim Na-ra invented this confection of a creamy, crunchy pistachio truffle wrapped in stretchy marshmallow and coated in cocoa. Eric Kim created this version for home cooks, a fun project for a Sunday afternoon. Have a great week! For a limited time, you can enjoy free access to the recipes in this newsletter in our app. Download it on your iOS or Android device and create a free account to get started.
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