Eggplant Beef Burgers with Parsnip Relish
Sadly, for many home cooks, outdoor grilling and the charred burgers it enables are an impossible dream. But I had a thought: could you simulate that smoky, blackened experience with scorch-skinned eggplant? Anyone who has prepared baba ghanoush, the Levantine dip made from that vegetable, knows how to singe its purple skin over a burner (or under a broiler). I took my flame darkened aubergine and mixed it into my ground beef. Then I buried cooling, salty feta in each patty. Derived from spicy Southeast Asian sambals, parsnip relish is an upgrade from ketchup; it can jazz up any burger, hot dog, or deli sandwich, and accompany meat or fish that has been grilled — or pan-seared or roasted. Because who needs a grill anyway?
Makes
Be the first to log a make
No makes logged yet — log yours using the button above.
You may also like
Pistachio-Cherry Danish
Charlotte Druckman · Stir, Sizzle, Bake: Recipes for your Cast Iron Skillet
New Year’s Eve is a holiday I have little patience for and barely celebrate. I have two methods of coping: either leaving the country for someplace that isn’t teeming with tourists and Best Night Ever! cavorters, or staying home in my pajamas, drinking champagne, and eating something outrageously luxurious while watching old movies. A few years ago I was going with Option 2 and hadn’t figured out what my lavish culinary indulgence would be. Then I read something Amanda Hesser wrote about her mother’s Danish, and I became dead set on perfecting my own. There was no kneading required, and I just had to proof the dough overnight in the fridge. Filling and twisting it was just as painless. It was so good, I didn’t bother to let it cool and wait for the stupid ball to drop. I stood in my kitchen, ignoring everything else, as I stuck my fork in a slice, repeatedly, before cutting a second, larger piece. Later, when I got the idea of using pistachio paste in the filling, I knew I was going t
Frittata with Bread and Bottarga
Charlotte Druckman · NYT Cooking
Going out on New Year’s Eve has always been, according to my parents, for amateurs. Their long-standing alternative: stay home and eat well. The ritual starts with caviar and Champagne. Then Dad might prepare steak tartare and Mom, a chocolate soufflé. Good stuff. Now, all grown up (and then some), I realize they’re on to something. A low-key, intimate gathering starring good food is my preferred way to ring in the new. But in these lean times — and in my significantly smaller kitchen — putting out a succulent spread and entertaining the troops chez moi calls for some creativity. This frittata can be cut in half and served as a meal for two with a bitter chicory salad, or sliced into strips and put into a salad of its own.
Mele e Cottechino (Apples and Pork Sausage)
Charlotte Druckman · NYT Cooking
Going out on New Year’s Eve has always been, according to my parents, for amateurs. Their long-standing alternative: stay home and eat well. The ritual starts with caviar and Champagne. Then Dad might prepare steak tartare and Mom, a chocolate soufflé. Good stuff. Now, all grown up (and then some), I realize they’re on to something. A low-key, intimate gathering starring good food is my preferred way to ring in the new. But in these lean times — and in my significantly smaller kitchen — putting out a succulent spread and entertaining the troops chez moi calls for some creativity. Charlotte Druckman
Vegan Brownies With Tahini and Halvah
Charlotte Druckman · NYT Cooking
It was said that the recipient of the very first batch of these brownies polished them off, alone, in one sitting. There is no proof of this. What we do know is that they are vegan, deeply dark and fudgy. The recipe, which is based on one in Amy Chaplin's cookbook, “At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen,” uses everyday ingredients to reach that fudginess: olive oil (a proven amplifier of chocolate’s complexity) and dates (to round out the bitterness of the cocoa powder, and to act as a binder). But tahini and halvah are the two surprise players here, taking the recipe in a rich direction. The tahini disappears into the brownies, making them shockingly moist, while the halvah lends something familiar and unexpected. Regular almonds are fine; Marconas are better. You could replace the spelt flour with all-purpose for a less savory, more traditional effect. Charlotte Druckman
Marsala-Marinated Chicken With Roasted Vegetables
Charlotte Druckman · NYT Cooking
Marsala and chicken don’t always have to perform the same scaloppine routine, where you sauté the pounded breast and deglaze it with the wine to make a sauce, perhaps adding some mushrooms and cream. You’ll get so much more flavor if you use chicken thighs and let them marinate in the fortified wine with some Dijon and shallots before cooking. Transfer the poultry with mushrooms, carrots and more shallots to a sheet pan, roast them and dinner is done. This Marsala marinade is generous and versatile: It’s veal, pork and lamb-friendly. Set some aside before it touches the meat and you can even turn it into a salad-friendly vinaigrette.
Strawberry-Marsala Cake
Charlotte Druckman · NYT Cooking
Joe Trivelli, the head chef of the River Café in London, has a recipe for an apple cake in his 2018 cookbook, “The Modern Italian Cook.” It’s simple to prepare but complex in flavor, because its batter includes vin santo and brown butter. Both the fruit and fortified wine are ingredients associated with Northern Italy. In Sicily, Marsala would be the spirit of choice; it has more depth than its counterpart thanks to a subtle savory quality, and is often used for macerating strawberries. It’s a perfect pairing, improved upon when baked into this cake, especially when berries are in season. Charlotte Druckman