Weeknight Kitchen

This is one of those dishes I make at home a lot because it relies mainly on store-cupboard ingredients and uses an ingredient that I always keep in the freezer for emergencies: frozen raw peeled prawns. It really takes no time at all to throw together and works especially well with orzo, but you can use any pasta you like.

This is a recipe for Sweet Corn Risotto with Chili Crisp that uses a smart technique to get the very best out of an ear of sweet corn. In this take from Jessica Darakjian’s new book One-Pot Meals, she grates all but one ear of corn on a box grater to get every last drop of milk and juice. Then, she cuts the kernels off the remaining cob to add some chunkiness to the finished dish. Imagine: creaminess without the cream.

— Sally Swift

If you were expecting hot dogs with caviar or foie gras, I’m sorry to disappoint, but these are outrageously good. Taking the time to cook a delicious topping for your hot dog makes it special. And to me, fried leeks and sauerkraut are the most special of them all. Although eating hot dogs with just mustard and relish is always fun, crowning them with something substantial turns them into a satisfying meal.

This simple, colorful salad, from Morning Glory Farm’s executive chef, Augustus Paquet-Whall, highlights two of the stars of summer: corn and tomatoes (the third is strawberries). His philosophy in the kitchen is to be intentional with ingredients—and with corn this good, there’s no need to overcomplicate things. Raw sweet corn is not only safe to eat but packed with nutrients and pure corn flavor. Serve alongside grilled meat or seafood, or enjoy a big bowl all on its own.

A dish I was tasked with making when I was working in my first restaurant job at The Dorchester Hotel. Needless to say, the skill of making gnocchi has stayed with me and they often feature on the menus I write. The key is to not overwork the potatoes when mashing: you need it to be dry and floury to give you the best chance of success. Don’t be disheartened even if you fail: there is a lesson in that.

Don’t burn the sage: burn the butter, add the sage and the aromas will create a wonderful sense of calm in your home.

Cold tofu with soy sauce is a staple. For me, it’s what I imagine cottage cheese and peaches, or yogurt and fruit, is for some other people, something that you can make real quick on the go as a snack, but in a savory rather than sweet sort of way. It also can be an appetizer or part of a spread of banchan and other side dishes to round out a meal of steamed pork belly or grilled meats or vegetables. Plus it’s a great blank slate for other toppings. Try it, say, with some chopped kimchi right on top.

This cauliflower is dressed up with luscious flavors—anchovy, raisins, garlic, orange, and breadcrumbs—a typical combination in Sicily. I pair it with burrata, which, I admit, is everywhere these days, but I will never get sick of it.

I don’t think many people know about choriqueso, but this cheesy dip with hidden specks of smoky Mexican chorizo is so velvety and melty that they won’t forget it once they try it! I love to serve it in a mini cast- iron pan for a bit of a restaurant feel, but it’s just as good in a large pan. This molten golden gooey deliciousness is guaranteed to draw a crowd. Use fresh Mexican chorizo sausage if you can find it. This is not a dried Spanish chorizo situation. Feel free to swap in shredded mozzarella if you can’t find Oaxaca cheese.

One of my favorite things that I ate in Singapore was chile crab, a cultural icon. A sweet and tomatoey sauce, enriched with eggs and used to smother giant crabs. We also got a black pepper butter crab which was so buttery and peppery. We ended up combining the two crabs and it created the most delicious bite we could have imagined – peppery, spicy, and slightly sweet. I’ve encompassed that glorious bite into a burger. To make it more budget friendly I’ve opted for shrimp instead of crab, but feel free to switch out the shrimp for 8 oz / 225g lump crab meat, or even any cooked fish for an easy fish patty.

Juicy chicken skewers—marinated in aromatic spices and coconut milk, then grilled for a smoky char—are a street-food favorite you can enjoy in your own backyard. Served with velvety peanut sauce, each bite blends sweet and salty flavors with a hint of heat. For vegetarians, double the mushrooms and skewer them separately.