When I went fishing with my dad, more often than not we caught buckets of catfish. I loved every moment of those days, right up until he’d cook the catfish by just tossing it on the grill with nothing more than some salt and pepper—then I wasn’t so happy. I loved just about anything breaded—still do!—so I took matters into my own hands and came up with this recipe. The breading keeps the fish tender and moist. The only thing I’ve changed about this dish since I was a kid is the bread crumbs. Ever since fluffy Japanese panko (page 80) has become widely available, I use it instead of regular dried bread crumbs for almost all my breaded dishes. Try this with Spicy Roasted Brussels Sprouts (page 138) and Lemon Fettuccine (page 134).
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.
Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.
This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.
This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.
A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.
This is the type of soup that, at first glance, might seem a little…unexciting. But you’re underestimating the power of mushrooms, which do the heavy lifting.
I should address the awkward truth that I don’t use butter here but cream instead. You could, if you’re a stickler for tradition (and not a heretic like me), add a big slab of butter to the finished curry.