Frywall Recipes

Pad Thai is the national dish of Thailand and a favorite at Thai restaurants everywhere. Like most Thai dishes, Pad Thai is all about the balance of contrasting flavors: sweet, sour, savory, and funky–or whichever adjective you prefer for the singular punch of fish sauce that gives this dish its signature pungency. Though the list of ingredients here is rather long, the technique isn't difficult, and it's customizable to suit your tastes. Our version here is made with chicken, but don't be shy about substituting in shrimp, beef, or tofu. We love making it at home because we can control how much oil and sugar go into the recipe. And, of course, because we love to cook!

Brussels sprouts are packed with flavor, nutritiousness, and a vegetal cuteness rivaling the miniature gherkin. Yet cooking them can be deceptively tricky. Roasted, they often emerge charred on the outside but undercooked within. Cook them in a steamer, and they'll likely turn sweet and succulent, but with a high risk of mush. This braise-and-brown method delivers the best of both worlds – thorough doneness with the depth of flavor that comes from caramelization. And the wine, herbs, pine nuts and parmesan add a simple sophistication that's really, really, really hard not to love.

This recipe for braised carrots makes the perfect side dish for a holiday roast or a weeknight family dinner. The earthy sweetness of the carrots is balanced by the salty sharpness of capers. Garlic and parsley bring the dish together but keep a relatively low profile, here. This preparation is a great alternative to maple carrots: less sweet, more dimensional, and so very handsome sidled up to a pot roast or a mound of buttery mashed potatoes. But you needn't wait for a big occasion. Try these carrots once and you'll likely add them to your root repertoire all year-round.

We've been itchin' to do this one all year. The latke is the epitome of Jewish European soul food – simple, satisfying, and ripe for debate. All agree that Hanukkah is the season for this delectable potato fritter, but then it starts. Should you call it a latke or chremslach? Should it be fluffy like a pancake, or dense like a torpedo? Is the onion essential or sacrilegious? Is a slight eggy flavor the sign of success or abject failure? Should the latke be served with sour cream or apple sauce, or in this land of plenty, both? Clearly these questions are too substantial and important to weigh here, but you may rest assured that the recipe below will yield the most authentic and delicious latke this side of Bubbe's house.

Crispy fried shallots are the incredible make-ahead topping that will go on just about any food. Soups, salads, burgers, fish – you name it, it'll be complemented by the delicious crunch of shallots, a milder cousin of the common onion. You can make them in batches and keep them sealed and refrigerated for at least a few days, if you can resist the temptation of eating them all right away.

For Thanksgiving dinner, try making these instead of store-bought fried onions to top your casseroles or mashed potatoes. And don't forget to save the oil after frying; you can cook with it again or use it for dressings and marinades.

You should make duck breast this weekend. Really. It's easy to make and delicious and provides the meaty satisfaction of beef with the dietary profile of fowl. Yes, it has a bit of fat, but much of it cooks off, and what remains is high in monounsaturated fats and essential fatty acids. Duck fat is good fat, people. Today's recipe is bare bones, because duck, like a good steak, already comes packed with all the flavor you need. Just add salt, pepper, and the right amount of heat, and let the duck quack for itself.

Yair Reiner invented Frywall in his home kitchen while making duck breast, and here he demonstrates how it's done.

For these recipes we usually favor simple, delicious recipes with easy-to-find ingredients. But sometimes, nature has other plans. When Yair found a magnificent chicken of the woods mushroom* growing right in his Brooklyn back yard, we just had to fry it up for you. Fried chicken of the woods has the crunch and texture of fried chicken, with the mild aroma of mushroom and forest. Vegetarians will go crazy for it – if they can keep the carnivores away.

* Chicken of the woods, of the Laetiporus genus, are fairly common and easy to recognize. But as with any wild mushroom, you should consult an expert to positively identify any specimen you plan to eat. 

You've had fried cheese sticks, and you've had jam. We take that combo to a whole other level, using fine brie and a homemade onion jam. The result is an amazing crunchy-on-the-outside, gooey-on-the-inside morsel that borders on the sublime. It's everything you love about the nutty flavor of soft cheese, but turned up to 11.

The onion jam accompaniment can also go on burgers or toast. One or two pieces are sure to go missing between counter and table.

Chinese fried rice is a brilliant way to transform leftover rice and a few fresh ingredients into something delectable. This recipe provides a basic blueprint with lots of opportunity to customize based on your tastes and what you have in the fridge. Whether or not you have a wok, you'll want to use a Frywall so you can stir and mix without making a mess.

Italian cooking legend Marcella Hazan gave the world this amazingly simple recipe for a rich, luscious tomato sauce that calls for just a few ingredients and very little prep work. The key is to let it bubble and reduce uncovered for about 45 minutes, which is where the Frywall comes in.

This seafood recipe evokes the flavors and aromas of a beachside restaurant in the summertime, but without all the tourists. Instead of making ground beef, try this healthier alternative for a family meal. You can use tuna if you have it, served with or without the bun.

 

Crisp and salty on the outside, tangy and luscious on the inside, fried green tomatoes are culinary marvels that don't get their due. If you've never made them, strap yourself in for an experience. Enjoy them with a savory buttermilk ranch dip as an appetizer or the back on the back patio with a cold one, and let the summer sink in.