The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science

CRYO-BLANCHING AND SAUTÉING Cryo-blanching is a technique that was developed by my friends Alex Talbot an ...

freeze, ice crystals forming within their cells will puncture cell walls, weakening their structure. After ...

CRYO-BLANCHED GREEN BEANS WITH FRIED GARLIC NOTE: Follow the instructions for preparing vegetables for ...

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons Fried Garlic (here) ...

Essential VEGETABLE Technique #3: BRAISING Braising is a slow-cooking process you see most often ap ...

emerald green with a hearty crunch and raw freshness in the center was not worth gracing their lips. I call ...

BRAISED ASPARAGUS This was a technique that my old mentor, Ken Oringer, taught me at his restaurant Clio ...

1 cup homemade or low-sodium canned chicken or vegetable stock 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 teaspoon lemo ...

BRAISED STRING BEANS WITH BACON My good friend and fellow food writer Meredith Smith is from Kentucky, wh ...

SERVES 4 TO 6 8 ounces slab bacon, cut into 1-by-½-inch-thick lardons 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 3 medium ...

crisp and well rendered, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragra ...

BRAISED LEEKS WITH THYME AND LEMON ZEST Leeks are the archetypal wingman. They disappear into stews and ...

SERVES 4 TO 6 8 medium leeks (see Note above) white and light green parts only 2 tablespoons extra-virgi ...

outer layers. Rinse under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Heat the olive oil in ...

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QUICK CHICKPEA AND SPINACH STEW WITH GINGER Restaurant fare is both complex and time-consuming to make—th ...

ginger added to the pureed tomatoes. It’s not enough to make itself obvious, but it’s just enough ...

1 teaspoon sweet or hot Spanish smoked paprika 12 ounces spinach, trimmed, washed, drained, and roughly chop ...

sherry vinegar. ...