Shallot

This lovely, simple dish is great to have in your fridge at all times. It adds a wonderful, distinctive flavor to any dish it accompanies.

Homemade green curry paste has more vivid flavor and aromatic intensity than store-bought, not to mention the freedom to control the spice level. Sopon Kosalanan of restaurant Khao King in, Queens says, “If you get it from a can, I don’t feel like it’s green curry. It doesn’t have the same aromas.” This is the recipe he makes in big batches for his restaurant every day.

A make-ahead gravy that doesn’t rely on turkey drippings or a roux. The gravy’s depth of flavor comes from roasted poultry bones and—surprise!—a sprinkle of MSG, which has an umami-to-the-max effect.

This all-purpose chile crisp—which is tangy, spicy, and addictive—will give your other condiments an inferiority complex. You’ve been warned. Put it to good use on eggs, meat, seafood, or hearty salads.

If you don't have a grill, just heat the cast-iron skillet over medium on your stovetop. Inside or out, you’ll still have buttery clams to enjoy.

Starting the shallots in cold oil guarantees that every ring will be perfectly crisp and golden brown, with nothing burnt or oil-drowned.

The diner classic gets a boost from a pot of zesty, creamy beans and sweet charred limes

Choose shallots that are all about the same size so that they soften evenly as they cook. And if spicy is not your thing, skip the Fresno chiles.

A make-ahead Parmesan and panko crumble adds addictive savory crunch to this large-format holiday side.

If you can’t find corona or gigante beans for this stew, use smaller white ones like cannellini. Keep in mind that they’ll cook a lot faster, so give the ham a 30-minute head start.

Shred perfectly cooked chicken thighs, then add the bare bones back to the simmering pot for an ultra-rich stew. Zesty gremolata, chopped bacon, and fresh lemon add even more flavor.

Slow-roasting provides the best insurance for moist, super-flaky fish without the need for much tending—which means you can direct most of your attention elsewhere this Valentine’s Day.

Chef Sirichai Sreparplarn of Brooklyn's Ugly Baby doesn’t believe in using food processors for making curry paste, but we won’t stop you from using one. He also prefers a blend of two parts shorter dried chiles (prik haeng) and one part longer chiles (prik chee fah), but any Thai chile will work.

Pop the garlic-and-rosemary-rubbed leg of lamb and the eggplant spears into the oven together and they’ll be done at the same time.

Large chunks of pork shoulder are braised in a Vietnamese-style caramel sauce (made from a combination of fish sauce and palm sugar) that’s laced with Thai chilies, ginger, garlic, and shallots. Serve the fork-tender meat with plenty of rice and some sautéed pea shoots or greens.

Roasting a chicken directly on your oven rack gives it a crispier skin on all sides. Add a tray of vegetables underneath it to catch all the delicious drippings and you'll never look back.

One take on the Ukrainian salad known as shuki, perfect for Easter.

Cooking chicken in a lidded pot over low heat lets the bird gently steam, resulting in meat that’s juicier than if you roasted it uncovered. When you’re ready to eat, crank up the oven to crisp the skin.

These Thai-inspired clams are salty, tangy, and rich from the coconut milk.

Look for Castelvetrano olives for this salad recipe; their buttery flesh and mild flavor will convert the most olive-averse.