SOUS VIDE SERIES: PORK TENDERLOIN WITH ROSEMARY AND MAPLE SYRUP

A great dish for sous vide beginners.

SOUS VIDE PORK TENDERLOIN WITH ROSEMARY AND MAPLE SYRUP RECIPE

NOTE: This recipe is just for the tenderloin—does not include sauce or sides.

Equipment needed: Sous vide machine, water bath (big pot of water is fine), large ziplock bag, and a heavy skillet.

SERVINGS: 4          

WHAT YOU NEED

• 1 whole pork tenderloin, about 1 pound

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, plus one spring

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed (no need to mince)

• 3 tablespoons maple syrup (I just put a few unmeasured glugs into the ziploc bag)

• ~1 teaspoon kosher salt

• ~1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

• 1 tablespoon of oil (ideally canola or grapeseed, but olive oil will do)

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. Make the seasoning liquid. Combine chopped rosemary, garlic cloves, maple syrup, ground pepper, and salt in a small bowl.

2. Marinate the pork. Put the pork tenderloin in a large ziplock bag, and pour in the rosemary-syrup seasoning liquid. Massage the liquid into the tenderloin to make sure it’s fully seasoned. If you have the time, it’s best to pop this into the fridge for up to 24 hours to marinate. If you can’t, no biggie.

3. Set up your sous vide water bath, and cook! Set the machine to 136ºF for a perfect pinky medium-rare. Place the ziplock bag into the water, making sure the tenderloin is fully submerged (you can weigh it down with a metal spatula or something if you need to). Use a binder clip to clip the bag to the side of the pot to prevent water getting into the bag itself. Cook for at least 1 hour, and up to 4 hours.

4. Dry the cooked pork. Remove your ziplock from the water bath, and take out the pork. Pat it dry with paper towels. It’s important to get the outside thoroughly dry, so it sears quickly.

5. Quickly sear the pork. Heat a tablespoon of oil over high heat in a heavy skillet. Once the oil is extremely hot, add the pork and cook, turning occasionally until it’s well-browned on most sides (somewhere between 3-5 minutes total; remember, the meat is already fully cooked!).

6. Serve immediately—no need to rest the pork when you sous vide. I like to cut it into thick medallions, and pour sauce over it (ideally a simple fruit + wine sauce, like cherry and red wine; I’ll post a recipe for that later). Serve with a side of polenta, grains, risotto, whatever.

The Best Bloody Mary

I've been disappointed by pretty much every Bloody Mary I've had in the past decade. This is because I went to university in Canada: home of the glorious Bloody Caesar. 

Caesars are made with tomato juice mixed with clam broth (often pre-mixed as Clamato), which gives the cocktail extreme depth of flavor (not fishiness!)—the same way anchovies are often used to add depth to tomato sauces. Americans are instinctively repulsed by this idea, so it's hard to find a Caesar anywhere. Instead, we in the States serve watery tomato juice with mammoth chunks of horseradish, speared by a two-foot high monstrosity of bacon-laden garnishes to distract you from the flavorlessness of the drink itself.

Since Clamato isn't readily available here, I'd given up on enjoying a Bloody anything, until I happened upon a recipe that was actually tasty. Dare I say, as good—if not better—than a classic Caesar. The real key is pickle juice, but you shouldn't skip the other savory ingredients either. 

THE BEST BLOODY MARY

Adapted from: a mix of random internet recipes I can no longer locate

SERVINGS: 6 (for a crowd, I'd double this recipe)              

WHAT YOU NEED

• 3 cups tomato juice (regular Mott's is fine) 
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
• 1½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¾ Tabasco sauce
• ½ celery salt (If you don't have celery salt, you don't *need* it since Worcestershire is salty, but highly recommended to get that celery flavor)
• ½ fresh black pepper
• ⅓ cup pickle juice (THIS IS KEY!!!!!!! Any jar of cheap dill pickles works fine.)
• 1 - 3 shots of vodka per drink, depending on how you roll

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. In a blender: pour in the tomato juice, lemon juice, lime juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, pickle juice, and Tabasco sauce. Process until smooth.
2. Transfer to a container or jug and add celery salt and black pepper, to taste. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled—usually 2 hours and up to overnight—but if your tomato juice was already cold, you can serve it right away with ice. We all sometimes need our cocktails urgently. 
3. When ready to serve, fill each glass with ice. Add desired amount of vodka to each glass, then fill the glass with the Bloody Mary mix. Stir well and garnish each glass—I like to use a cut spear of dill pickle and an olive, but use celery or whatever else you have on hand.

Lighter Chicken Marbella

I first tried Chicken Marbella—chicken roasted in a briny, sweet blend of prunes, olives, capers, oregano, and garlic—at my boyfriend's family's Passover a few years ago. It blew my mind. The recipe has an interesting history—it's from the lauded Silver Palate Cookbook, which revolutionized New American cooking in the early '80s, popularizing things like pesto, arugula, and pancetta. Chicken Marbella in particular became an iconic dish, served at dinner parties, potlucks, and eventually Seder dinners. It's especially perfect if you need to prep an entrée in advance. 

The original recipe is phenomenal, but it's designed to serve a crowd and is also super heavy. So I adapted it to serve two (with leftovers, which are ah. ma. zing.), and lightened it up by reducing the sugar by a ton, mixing in chicken breasts, and tweaking ingredient ratios a bit. 

Even if you're a child, or a hapless adult who doesn't care for prunes, olives, or capers, I think you might still love this dish; it is far greater than the sum of its parts. 

LIGHTER CHICKEN MARBELLA

Adapted from The Silver Palate Cookbook

SERVINGS: 3-4 | TIME: 1.5 hours, but needs to marinate overnight                

WHAT YOU NEED

• ¼ cup olive oil 
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup pitted prunes
• ⅓ cup pitted Spanish green olives
• ¼ cup capers, with a little juice
• 3 bay leaves
• ½ head of garlic (~5-8 cloves), peeled and puréed (food processor makes fast work of this)
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of freshly ground pepper
• 3-4 pounds of chicken—thighs (especially skin-on) are best but you can mix in a couple of breasts to lighten it up
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, prunes, olives, capers and juice, bay leaves, garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper. (Not the sugar—that's for later!) Add the chicken pieces and make sure they're fully coated. Refrigerate overnight. 
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange chicken in a single layer, skin-side up, in a roasting pan (or casserole dish—whatever you have). Mix wine into marinade; spoon marinade over chicken evenly. Sprinkle the chicken with brown sugar.
3. Bake for 50 minutes, basting the chicken once or twice with pan juices (but try not to brush the sugar off the chicken tops). For the last 5-7 minutes of cooking time, you can turn the broiler on to get the chicken skins crispy (but if you're using skinless chicken, don't bother broiling).
   • If you have a meat thermometer: breasts are done when the center of the thickest part is at 150. Thighs are done at 170. (So if the breasts reach 150 before the thighs reach 170, just take the breasts out of the oven early.)
4. Transfer the chicken pieces to a serving platter and top with prunes and olives. 
5. Take the pan juices and strain them into a small saucepan. (Dump what's in the strainer—capers, garlic bits, etc.—onto the chicken.) Then boil the juices on medium heat until the sauce is reduced by at least 50%—it should be viscous like a sauce, not watery. 
6. Remove juices/sauce from heat and mix in chopped parsley. Pour over chicken, and eat yourself into a coma. 

*Leftovers should be gently reheated in the oven. 

Pressure Cooker Black Bean Soup

It's my favorite time of year (minus the frigid cold, the claustrophobic lack of daylight, and the dearth of fresh produce), when cooking sites compile round-ups of the year's most popular recipes. The 2017 list on NYT Cooking features Julia Moskin's wildly popular Best Black Bean Soup. It's a stove-top recipe, but since it uses dry beans (rather than canned or soaked), I thought it'd be a perfect candidate for the Instant Pot.

The flavors are excellent: the soup isn't sludgy or starchy (thanks to minimal puréeing of the beans); there's smoky heat from the chipotles in adobo and jalapeños, which is balanced out by the cool creaminess of avocado and sour cream. So the actual ingredient list is almost exactly the same as the original—the directions are simply adapted for pressure cooking. If you only have a stove, pay a visit to the original recipe (though be warned that most commenters recommend soaking the beans overnight before cooking the soup). Or just get a f*cking Instant Pot, already. 

PRESSURE COOKER BLACK BEAN SOUP

Adapted from The New York Times

SERVINGS: 10 | TIME: 1.5 hours                

WHAT YOU NEED

FOR THE SOUP

• 1 small can of chipotle chiles in adobo 
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 onions (yellow or red is fine), peeled and diced finely
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced finely
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup red wine (this adds good flavor complexity, but if you don't have any, you can use a cup of chicken stock and a teaspoon or so of red wine vinegar)
• 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 pound dry black beans
• 2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 bay leaves

FOR THE PICKLED ONIONS & GARNISHES

• 1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced (a mandoline makes this a 30-second job)
• Juice of 1-2 limes 
• Sour cream or Greek yogurt
• Cilantro leaves for garnish (whole or chopped)
• Scallions, chopped
• Thiny sliced fresh chiles (jalapeños, fresno, whatever you find at the market)
• Sliced avocado

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. Empty the can of chipotles into the blender, and purée until smooth. Scrape into a container and set aside—you'll only be using 2-3 teaspoons of it. (Save the remainder in the fridge to use as a sauce with your eggs, sandwiches, in stews, or anything else you can think of.) 
2. In a very large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and garlic, and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 to 8 minutes.
3. Pour in wine and let simmer until most of the liquid evaporates and the pan is almost dry. Add the chopped jalapeños and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes. Dollop 2 or 3 teaspoons of the chipotle purée (depending on the level of heat and smokiness desired) and stir into the veggies. 
4. Scrape the pot's contents into your pressure cooker (or Instant Pot). Add beans, stock, dried oregano, cumin, and bay leaves. 
5. Set the pressure cooker on HIGH, for 40 minutes. Release pressure naturally (not quick release). 
6. While you wait for the soup to cook, make the pickled onions. Combine the sliced onions, lime juice, and a light sprinkling of salt. Let soften at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water (if you leave them in the lime juice, the onions' color will bleed); squeeze dry in paper towels and store in fridge until ready to serve. You can chop them before serving if you prefer. 
7. Once you can open the pressure cooker, check the texture of the soup and adjust to desired consistency. If it's too thin, you can take a cup of the soup out to blend, and stir it back into the soup. (Or if you have an immersion blender, stick it directly into the soup to blend, but be conservative as you want to keep most beans in tact.) The soup will thicken a lot as it sits, so keep that in mind. 
8. Adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, and chipotle purée. 
9. Serve in deep bowls, garnishing with sour cream/yogurt, pickled onions, cilantro, sliced avocado, and sliced chiles. Sprinkle scallions on top. 

One-Skillet roasted Cauliflower

I'm frequently overcome by non-specific urges to spend money. It doesn't matter on what. Usually I'll troll Amazon recommendation lists, and buy things I don't need, like dry shampoo or a third dog bed. Or I'll go on Instagram accounts I like and search for links to ugly craft jewelry I can buy on a whim. Lately, I've been into impulse-purchasing subscriptions: a Hulu sub, an NYT Cooking sub, a Rent the Runway Unlimited sub, and most recently, a ludicrously expensive subscription to Cook's Illustrated. Shockingly, this has been my least stupid investment; I've found their recipes to be stellar. I imagine a good many future posts will be inspired by or adapted from their archives. You're welcome. (And let's address my frivolous spending addiction another time.)

My favorite finding so far: a one-pan method to make beautifully roasted cauliflower on the stovetop, in half the time it would take in the oven. You just cover the cauliflower in the pan for the first 5 minutes of cooking, which steams it, and then uncover and brown them. The result is an incredibly flavorful crowd-pleaser—enjoyed by vegetarians, vegans, paleos, low-carb fanatics, and normal eaters alike. Plus it's healthy, which means you can guiltlessly enjoy a few more glasses of wine. 

[Photo 1: Cut cauliflower head into big slices, about 1-inch thick.]

[Photo 2: Trim the florets off of the cores.]

[Photo 3: Once the cauliflower is thoroughly browned, shove the florets to the edges of the pan. Sauté the garlic, lemon zest, and red pepper right in the center until fragrant, about 30 seconds.]

ONE-SKILLET ROASTED CAULIFLOWER

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

SERVINGS: 2-3, as a side dish | TIME: ~30 minutes                

WHAT YOU NEED

• 1/2 head of large cauliflower
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (Panko, Italian, homemade, whatever works fine.)
• 1 -2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon; don't grate the white pith under the surface yellow skin—it's bitter)
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. Cut cauliflower into 1-inch-thick slices. Cut around the core to remove florets [See Photo 1 and 2]. Transfer florets to bowl, along with any bits created during trimming.
2. In a large non-stick skillet (ideally 10-12 inches), combine 1 tablespoon oil, breadcrumbs, and a tiny pinch of salt. Heat over medium heat, stirring often, until bread crumbs are browned. Transfer to a bowl and wipe out the skillet.
3. In the same (now empty) skillet, combine 1 tablespoon of oil and cauliflower florets. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a few cranks of pepper. Cover skillet tightly, and cook over medium-high heat until florets start to brown a bit and get translucent around the edges, about 5-7 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time, because it'll disturb the steaming process.  
4. Remove the lid and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower florets are browned in many spots, about 10-12 minutes.
5. Push cauliflower to the edges of the skillet to create a space in the center [See Photo 3]. Pour 1 tablespoon oil in that space, then add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest (reserving one pinch of zest). Stir constantly for 30 seconds being careful not to let the garlic burn, and then mix with the whole pan of cauliflower, until the cauliflower is brown but still firm (i.e., tastes ready to eat), about 3 minutes.
6. Remove skillet from heat and transfer contents to a large, shallow dish. Sprinkle the toasted breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, and remaining lemon zest on top, and serve. 

Note: Since cauliflower is such a versatile base, you can use this recipe to make a thousand types of dishes. For a more decadent variation, add parmesan and bacon. Or you can get a little more creative—make it Mediterranean by mixing in olives and capers. Give it a Persian twist with some cumin, saffron, and raisins. Drown it in chocolate and bourbon, if that's your jam.

Never-Buy-Store-Bought-Hummus-Again Hummus

Hummus. Meh.

The dip hasn't excited me for years. It reminds me of last-resort snacks, of raw carrots I'm desperate to make slightly less inedible. It reminds me of lowbrow crudités platters from the supermarket.  Because lezbehonest: the majority of store-bought hummus is pretty shitty. The ratios are always off—some are grainy/chalky with too much chickpea; others are off-puttingly creamy with too much tahini.

So I came to the conclusion that I just don't care for hummus. Until I recently started making my own—it's easy, cheap, and 10x more delicious than the bland beige paste they sell at the store. Seriously, you will never buy it again. 

THE BEST CLASSIC HUMMUS

SERVINGS: Makes about 3 cups (enough to serve 5 people)  | TIME: 15 minutes                           

WHAT YOU NEED

• 2 (15.5-oz) cans of drained chickpeas; reserve 1/4 cup of chickpea liquid
• 6 tablespoons tahini, well-mixed (you can lessen to 4 - 5 tablespoons, depending on how creamy you like your hummus)
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed with flat side of knife on cutting board (if you're sensitive to garlic, use only one clove)
• Juice of 1 lemon (or more to taste)
• 1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
• 12 - 15 cranks freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika (if you can find smoked paprika, it really, really elevates this dish)
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling)
• Sesame seeds and/or za'atar (optional, for garnish)
• Fresh parsley leaves (optional, for garnish)

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. Process chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, and 2 tablespoons of chickpea liquid in a food processor or blender until smooth, about 1 minute.
2. With the motor running, pour in 4 tablespoons of olive oil, then continue to process until hummus is light and creamy, about 1 minute longer. If it's thicker than you like it, turn the motor back on and stream in more chickpea liquid until it reaches the desired consistency. Taste and season with salt or more spices, if needed. 
3. Transfer hummus into a shallow bowl. Lightly sprinkle paprika, sesame seeds, and ripped parsley leaves on top, then drizzle with more olive oil (I like to make a little pool of it in the middle of the dish).  

Note: This recipe is super flexible, so get creative and add whatever ingredients your heart desires. I've added roasted beets for vibrant color (see below), roasted jalapeños or canned chipotles for a kick, a bunch of cilantro for herbiness, olives for brine—the possibilities are endless.       

[Beet hummus, garnished with mint leaves and poppy seeds.]

5-Minute Olive Oil Drop Biscuits

Remember those magical Pillsbury Grand Biscuits that expanded out of a cardboard tube? The ones that were virtually instant and contained a radioactive ingredient list, but made you feel you all cozy and pastoral, because "freshly baked biscuits"?

Yes, I remember them well. They—along with Hot Pockets and Bagel Bites—formed the backbone of my latchkey childhood diet. 

Now that I'm pretending to be a grown-up, I don't feel as good about serving these at Chez Faye. (For full transparency: eating them myself is a different story, because I have a deep-rooted love for disgusting processed food and have very few standards for what trash I put in my body. Blame the latchkey childhood.)

But I hate baking bread from scratch. Not because I think gluten is evil—I'm more of the opinion that people who think gluten is evil are evil—but because it requires so much time, expertise, and mess, to toil over something you can buy for a few bucks at the market. 

These biscuits are the only exception. I bake them at least a few times a month, because:

• They use extra-virgin olive oil in lieu of butter/shortening, so they taste light and unctuously fruity.
• They come out golden and crusty on the outside, moist and pillowy on the inside.
• They don't sit in your stomach like stones you digest in a stupor of self-loathing.

Best of all, these biscuits take under 5 minutes to make the dough for. You only need one bowl to make the dough in, so they take less than a minute to clean up. Pop them in the oven now, or refrigerate the dough for later. 

And if you despise grocery shopping as much as I do, good news: you probably already have all the necessary ingredients in your pantry, with the exception of buttermilk. Just go out and buy a carton for couple of bucks. You can use the leftover in dressings, soups, pancakes, or for a few more dozen biscuits. 

[You only need stuff that's already in your pantry (unless you're a domestic degenerate) + buttermilk.]

[One bowl, one pan, and technically only one hand needed.]

5-MINUTE OLIVE OIL DROP BISCUITS

SERVINGS: Makes 5-6 biscuits (double this if you're serving more than 2 people)  | TIME: 15 minutes (active time: 5 min.)

WHAT YOU NEED

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (low-fat/light buttermilk works fine) 

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. Preheat oven to 450 F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt until well-combined. Pour in olive oil and buttermilk; stir until just moistened.
3. Divide batter into 5-6 portions, depending on how big you want the biscuits to be. Drop batter onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper (I like to take the full ball of dough in my hand and make 5-6 little dough piles, adding to them little by little to ensure even size and create extra ridges/textures.) Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown on the edges. 
4. Serve warm. Ideally with a pat of butter to melt in a split biscuit. 

Note: This recipe is delicious on its own, but it also forms the perfect base for fancier biscuits. Depending on what I have on hand, sometimes I'll add chopped rosemary; other times I'll throw in shredded cheddar and chopped jalapeños—whatever tickles your fancy. 

How to cook fish perfectly (with crispy skin and moist flesh)

There are few things more upsetting to me than overcooked fish—especially with soggy skin. Cooked fish skin should be so crispy it shatters, revealing rare, moist flesh—sort of like a fish crème brûlée, except not disgusting. 

It's especially tragic, because cooking fish perfectly is actually incredibly easy. This method hasn't failed me yet, so I hope it works for others. And if it doesn't...my bad!

Note: I strongly recommend curing your fish filets (whether in a dry cure like I outline below or liquid brine), because it yields a perfectly-seasoned and flavor-concentrated result. Seriously, just try it at least once. If you don't see a big difference, then you could try this method without curing, and salt the filets separately instead. Also, you don't have taste buds. 

Special equipment: A pan large enough to fit the amount of fish you have; a fish spatula (ideally, but any large flat spatula should work)

what you need

• Filets of fatty fish, (like Arctic char or salmon), cut into intended serving size
• 1/2 cup sugar (shitty white sugar performs just fine here—no need for the fancy raw stuff) 
• 1/2 cup salt
• Canola or grapeseed oil (spray like PAM works too)

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. Dry cure the fish:
   • Mix equal parts salt and sugar. (1/2 cup of each should do unless you're making many portions.) 
   • On a tray, place the char filets (skin-side up) on top half of the salt/sugar mix; then sprinkle the rest on top of the filets. Make sure all sides receive a healthy sprinkle.
   • Refrigerate for ~20 minutes. 
   • Rinse filets thoroughly with cold water, and dry with paper towels. Make dead sure that the skin side is as dry as possible, or it won't crisp up. 
2. Heat oil or spray in a pan, over medium heat. When the pan is hot enough to spit, lay fish in the pan, skin-side down. Press down each filet (lightly!) to make sure the skin is in full contact with the pan. Cook until the skin is deep golden and the flesh is opaque around the edges, about 6-8 minutes for Arctic char, and up to 10 minutes for salmon depending on how thick the filet is. Turn filets and cook for 1 minute on the other side; transfer to a platter. 
3. Plate the fish however you like—within a bed of sauce, salad, rice, cauliflower rice, whatever. Just make sure you show off dat sexy, crispy skin by presenting the filet skin-side up. ;-)