Portion-size cuts of meat or chicken take a relatively short amount of time to cook through (as opposed to, say, a whole chicken or leg of lamb), so you can’t rely on the high temperature of the oven to sear the surface of the meat to a golden brown. (In other words, it would take longer for the meat to brown on the outside than to cook through on the inside.) Instead, the meat is first seared on the stove. This recipe is for chicken breast halves (with the skin left on during cooking for added flavor and to keep the meat from drying out), but the method can be used to cook thick pork or lamb chops; skin-on fish fillets, such as bass, salmon, and snapper; or even steaks, such as porterhouse or T-bone, which take too long to cook entirely on the stove. Pan-roasting is frequently practiced in restaurants, as it allows chefs to get a nice crust on the meat and then quickly finish it in the oven. Choose quick-cooking vegetables and other accompaniments, such as the grape tomatoes here, so that everything is ready at once.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.
This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.
Crispy tots topped with savory-sweet sauce, mayonnaise, furikake, scallion, and katsuobushi.
Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.
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An extra-silky filling (no water bath needed!) and a smooth sour cream topping make this the ultimate cheesecake.
You’ll want to put this creamy (but dairy-free) green sauce on everything and it’s particularly sublime under crispy-skinned salmon.