flavor stays in the dish.”
And sure enough, as the water evaporates, a concentrated corn
broth coats the bottom of the pan. To that she adds sugar snap
peas, a few small heirloom tomatoes cut in half, chives, and “a big
honker” of butter. She uses her tongs to add the butter (which she
keeps, a pound of it, in a bowl next to the stove). With those same
tongs she turns the cod over and cooks it on the other side. When
she’s finished, she spoons the corn mixture onto a plate and tops
it with the cod, and there is a summery dish that’d put a smile on
even the most jaded customer’s face.
This two-pan method—which Charles repeats for me with
soft-shell crab and again with skate—is part of the secret that
makes Pearl such a success. Each night, no matter how crowded,
two cooks on the line use this two-pan method to cook all of the
hot food that goes out to the hungry throngs. This style of cooking
—called à la minute—is unusual for a restaurant. “Most
restaurants cook their food ahead and keep it warm,” Charles
explains. “I don’t like to cook like that.”
Cooking like this is all about rhythm. Sponge-wipe here, pan-
toss there. It’s not about following rules; it’s about feeling your
way through a dish. With two pans and a pair of tongs, you have
the tools to make piping-hot restaurant food any time you want it:
a worthy investment indeed.