grapeseed oil

In China, cucumbers are considered the ideal foil for hot weather and hot food. Versions of this salad, pai huang gua, are served all over the country, sometimes spiked with dried chiles and Sichuan peppercorns for more dimensions of flavor. In Beijing, people buy whole chilled cucumbers from street vendors and munch them on the go, much as Americans become attached to their cups of iced coffee in summer. The smashing process, a classic Chinese technique, cracks the skin, helps release the seeds and splits the flesh into appealing craggy pieces. Salting and chilling the cracked cucumbers give them the perfect cool, crunchy, watery mouth feel.

Chinese Smashed Cucumbers With Sesame Oil and Garlic

cucumbers

kosher salt,

granulated sugar, plus more for cucumbers

rice vinegar

sesame oil

soy sauce

grapeseed olive oil

garlic cloves,

Red pepper flakes,

whole cilantro leaves,

toasted white sesame seeds,

Rinse cucumbers and pat dry. Cut crosswise into pieces about 4 inches long. Cut each piece in half lengthwise.

On a work surface, place a piece of cucumber (or several) cut side down. Lay the blade of a large knife flat on top the cucumber and smash down lightly with your other hand. The skin will begin to crack, the flesh will break down and the seeds will separate. Repeat until the whole piece is smashed. Break or slice diagonally into bite-size pieces, leaving the seeds behind.

Place the cucumber pieces in a strainer and toss with a big pinch of salt and a big pinch of sugar. Place a plastic bag filled with ice on top of the cucumbers to serve as a weight and place the strainer over a bowl. Let drain 15 to 30 minutes on the counter, or in the refrigerator until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.

Make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine salt, sugar and rice vinegar. Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Stir in sesame oil and soy sauce.

When ready to serve, shake cucumbers well to drain off any remaining liquid and transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with grapeseed or olive oil and toss. Add half the dressing, half the garlic and the red pepper flakes to taste, and toss. Keep adding dressing until cucumbers are well coated but not drowned. Taste and add more pepper flakes and garlic if needed. Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro and sesame seeds.

This fried chicken is coated with a layer of super light, extra crunchy craggy-ness thanks to a tight packing of fine 00 flour coupled with a low-temperature shallow fry. It's finished with a drizzle of toasted honey butter, allowing the hot and flavorful spice dust to stick to every nook and cranny. It's also not a coincidence that this recipe combined with Stella's waffle recipe uses exactly one quart of buttermilk, so fire up those waffle makers...

Extra-Crispy Fried Chicken With Caramelized Honey and Spice Recipe

For the Buttermilk Brine:

2 1/2– (1.1 chicken

(540 grams) buttermilk

(130 grams) Frank's RedHot hot sauce

(4 grams) garlic powder

(4 grams) onion powder

(2 grams) black pepper

(8 grams) kosher salt (see note)

For Frying:

(375 grams) Italian 00 flour (see note)

(8 grams) kosher salt,

For the Honey-Butter Drizzle:

(120 grams) clover honey

(30 grams) water

(50 grams) butter

For the Spice Dust:

árbol chilies (about 6 grams)

Kashmiri red chilies (18 grams)

(2 grams) star anise

black cardamom pod (2 grams), inner seeds only

cinnamon (4 grams)

(2 grams) cumin seeds

peppercorns

(6 grams) porcini mushroom powder

To Serve (Optional, but Recommended!):

Buttermilk Vanilla Waffles

To Prepare and Brine the Chicken: Using a chef's knife, break the chicken down into 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, and 2 wings and divide each breast half in half (making 4 breast pieces in total); leave all pieces bone-in. Split backbone crosswise into 2 pieces and reserve the neck if you choose to fry it as well. (Both the backbone and the neck are optional pieces with very little meat, but fried-chicken-crust lovers will adore them.) 

In a large lidded container or mixing bowl, whisk together buttermilk, hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt. Add chicken to buttermilk brine, making sure it is fully coated and submerged; cover with lid or plastic wrap. Alternatively, you can place the brine and chicken in a heavy-duty zipper-lock bag and place the bag in a dish to catch any leaks. Place in refrigerator and marinate overnight for at least 8 hours and no more than 12 hours. 

For Frying: Fill a 12-inch cast iron skillet with oil. (If using a skillet of a different size, increase or reduce the amount of oil to fill it halfway up.) Attach a clip-on thermometer and preheat the oil to 325°F (163°C), keeping the burner at medium-high heat. Line one sheet tray with paper towels and set a wire rack in another sheet tray.

Whisk together the 00 flour and salt. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of buttermilk brine into the flour and gently toss. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, lift chicken from buttermilk and immediately place it in flour with your "wet" hand. Using your other, "dry" hand, bury the chicken and press flour into all sides, packing tightly to form large clumps of flour coating each piece. Lift chicken out of flour and shake to remove any loose flour before placing into the hot oil. Proceed with remaining pieces, first frying the legs and thighs in one batch, then frying the breast, wings, and backbone (if using) in the second. 

Once the chicken is added to the oil, the temperature will drop to between 250 and 275°F (121 and 135°C). Do not increase the heat to compensate; just allow the oil temperature to gradually return to 325°F (163°C) as the chicken cooks. The temperature should be up to 300°F (148°C) after 10 minutes; if not, increase the heat. Fry, turning, until deeply golden brown all over, with extra-dark bits where the chicken makes contact with the pan, about 8 minutes per side for legs and thighs and about 6 minutes per side for wings, breasts, and backbones.

As each piece of chicken is ready, remove from oil to the paper towel–lined sheet tray and season immediately with kosher salt. Transfer chicken to wire rack to rest.

Meanwhile, for the Honey-Butter Drizzle: Add honey to a 1-quart saucepan and caramelize over medium-high heat until deep, nutty brown, with an aroma of burnt sugar. Remove from heat and add water. Return to heat and add butter, stirring until incorporated. Set aside.

For the Spice Dust: Remove stems and seeds from chilies by cutting them open with kitchen shears over a wire rack set over a sheet tray. In a small sauté pan over medium heat, toast chilies until fragrant, warm to the touch, and pliable. Set aside. In the same pan, toast star anise, cardamom, and cinnamon for 30 seconds before adding cumin and Sichuan peppercorns. Toast until fragrant and warm to the touch. In a spice grinder, grind toasted chilies and spices together until fine. Mix in mushroom powder. Set aside.

To Serve: Just before serving, drizzle each piece of chicken with honey butter and generously sprinkle on spice dust. Serve with buttermilk waffles, if desired. 

Salsa macha is a rich chile oil from Veracruz, Mexico, made from variations of dried chiles, garlic, nuts and seeds fried in oil and finely chopped. As a condiment it’s easy to make, and stores well. It’s also incredibly versatile, adding texture and depth to everything it touches, from tacos and fried potatoes to poached eggs or a simple bowl of noodles with herbs. Once you’ve made it once, feel free to adjust the ingredients to suit your taste, playing with the chile varieties, or swapping in different seeds or nuts.

Salsa Macha

chiles,

morita

chiles de árbol, stems and seeds removed

peanuts

white sesame seeds

rice wine vinegar, white wine vinegar or white vinegar

brown sugar

Sea salt,

In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium. Add all the chiles, turn the heat down to low, and fry, stirring often, until the chiles are puffed all over, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chiles to a bowl.

Add the garlic to the oil and cook over low, stirring often until toasted, dry and golden brown, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to the bowl with the chiles.

Add the peanuts and sesame seeds to the oil and fry for 5 minutes more, or until very lightly browned. Add the vinegar and sugar, and let the vinegar completely evaporate, about 1 minute.

Turn off the heat, add the chiles and garlic back to the skillet and stir to combine. Allow the entire mixture to cool in the pan, about 15 minutes.

Once cooled, transfer the mixture to a food processor. Blend until the nuts and chiles are finely chopped, stopping before any ingredient starts to become a paste. Season to taste with sea salt. Pour into jars and use immediately, or keep refrigerated for up to 1 month.

This clever vegan re-creation of a Southern Louisiana étouffée comes from Jenné Claiborne, who included it in her 2018 cookbook "Sweet Potato Soul." Succulent oyster mushrooms stand in for the shrimp or crawfish used in a traditional étouffée. The seaweed called dulse brings a smoky, savory note and a mix of Creole and Old Bay seasoning provides the familiar flavors. Ms. Claiborne suggests spooning this over brown rice instead of the traditional white.

Vegan Mushroom Étouffée

grapeseed or coconut oil

all-purpose flour

yellow onion, diced

green bell pepper, diced

celery stalks, diced (about 1 cup)

salt

vegetable stock

bay leaf

dulse (seaweed) flakes

thyme

Old Bay seasoning, more to taste

oyster mushrooms, trimmed and roughly chopped (about 2 cups)

brown rice,

Lemon wedges,

parsley,

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the oil over medium heat until it ripples, then sprinkle in the flour. (Test the oil by dropping a pinch of flour into the pot. If it sizzles, it is hot enough). Stirring constantly, cook flour and oil together until the mixture toasts and turns golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, celery and salt and stir. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, stock, bay leaf, dulse, Creole seasoning, and Old Bay. Stir well and bring the pot to a simmer. Add mushrooms and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and Old Bay.

Serve étouffée spooned over rice, garnished with lemon and parsley.

This toum recipe comes from Marjayoun, Lebanon, where Sameer Eid grew up eating it with shawarma. Samy, Sameer’s son, learned how to make it after he started working at Phoenicia, the family’s restaurant in Birmingham, Mich. “It took me more attempts than any recipe in my life to get it right,” he said. The key is to be patient during Step 1, to be sure the garlic breaks down enough to later become a creamy, fluffy condiment. Toum is called “garlic whip” on Phoenicia’s menu. It’s served with roasted chicken and kebabs; some customers even request it with babyback ribs. It’s versatile, and also great drizzled over roasted vegetables and avocado toast.

Toum (Garlic Whip)

garlic cloves (about 32 cloves, from 3 to 4 whole heads)

lemon juice (from 3 to 4 lemons)

canola oil oil

water

Place peeled garlic and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the garlic for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl, then repeat three more times until garlic is finely chopped.

Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice and continue processing until a smooth paste forms, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl every 45 seconds or so. You want the wet, finely chopped garlic mixture to end up with a texture similar to mashed potatoes. Pinch it between your fingertips, and it should no longer feel gritty. (If you don’t blend the garlic enough at this stage, it won’t become fluffy and emulsified later.)

With the food processor running, start incorporating 1 cup oil, drizzling it in at a slow, steady stream. Once the oil is incorporated, slowly add another 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Repeat this step with another 1 cup oil, then another 2 tablespoons lemon juice. By the end, the mixture should have a fluffy consistency.

With the food processor running, alternate adding 1/2 cup oil in a slow, steady stream, then 1 tablespoon lemon juice. This should happen twice. Next, with the food processor running, add the remaining 1/2 cup oil in a slow stream until totally incorporated, then do the same for the ice water.

Once finished, transfer to a lidded container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Toum will keep, refrigerated, for up to 3 weeks.

Heston Blumenthal takes on the classic chicken wing in the only way he knows how with crazily delicious results.

Heston Blumenthal's chipotle chicken wings

(165 milliliters) apple cider vinegar

titanium-strength gelatine leaves

tsp ground chipotle chilli (from gourmet food shops)

unsalted butter, chopped

white onion, thinly sliced

red chilli, seeds removed, thinly sliced

garlic powder

tsp raw sugar

barbecue sauce (recipe follows)

chicken

Olive oil,

Coriander sprigs, finely chopped small red chilli, also lime wedges,

tsp each smoked paprika (pimenton), ground ginger, also mustard powder

Asian (red) eschalots, thinly sliced

garlic cloves, chopped

1L (4 cups) chicken stock

(660 milliliters) tomato passata

(500 milliliters) tomato sauce

(375 milliliters) apple cider vinegar

dark muscovado sugar (substitute dark brown sugar)

Worcestershire sauce

golden syrup

tamarind puree (from Asian food shops and selected supermarkets)

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Dirty rice gets its color from caramelized sirloin and the roux — flour browned (but not burned) in oil. The New Orleans-based chef Isaac Toups offers a 15-minute roux shortcut in his book “Chasing the Gator,” but you may find your roux browns more quickly in the smoking hot oil. Be sure to stir, stir, stir once you add the flour. You cannot walk away from the pot while making this roux. Prep the “trinity” — bell peppers, onion and celery — in advance as you won't have time to do it while the roux cooks. When the roux turns the color of milk chocolate, toss in the chopped vegetables to stop the roux from cooking any further. Instead of adding rice and the serving components, you could do as Mr. Toups suggests and use the meat gravy as a base for a lasagna ragu. Just throw in some fresh tomatoes and cook it down “until it’s nice and tight” and make it your lasagna filling.

Dirty Rice

sirloin

grapeseed oil, or other neutral oil

black pepper

cumin

cayenne

amber beer

white onion

green bell pepper

celery

garlic, crushed

chicken stock,

Louisiana jasmine or medium-grain white rice

unsalted butter

scallions (green tops only), chopped

Kosher salt

Sear the meat: Season the sirloin — just use it how it comes out of the tray from the grocery store — with 1 teaspoon of salt on each side.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it starts to smoke. Place the sirloin in the skillet in one piece and let it sear until it browns and caramelizes, 3 to 5 minutes. Then flip it and repeat, 3 to 5 minutes longer.

Once the block of sirloin is well browned — nearly caramelized, chop it up in the pan with a metal spatula to sear the inside bits. Add the black pepper, cumin and cayenne and stir well. Cook for a minute. Add the beer to deglaze the pan, and cook 1 minute longer, scraping up any browned bits. Remove from the heat and set aside. At this point, you could freeze the meat.

Make the gravy: Start by making a dark roux. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over high heat until it just starts to smoke. Add the flour and immediately start stirring with a long-handled spoon. Stir constantly, scraping the bottom and edges well to keep the flour from burning. Once it’s the color of milk chocolate, anywhere from 4 to 15 minutes (the most important thing to watch is the color of the roux), add the onion, bell pepper, and celery and stir together. Cook for a minute. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Add the beer and mix well.

In 1/3-cup increments, add the stock, stirring well between each addition. Reduce heat to low and stir frequently, but not continuously, until you have a well-emulsified gravy, thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4 minutes.

Once the gravy is done, add the cooked beef. Bring the meat and gravy mixture back to a bare simmer. Cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours, or until the sauce has no chalky or floury flavor.

Make the rice: While the gravy is cooking, put rice, 2 cups water, salt and bay leaf in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and bring to a bare simmer. Stir, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let steam in the covered pan for another 10 minutes, until all water is absorbed. Fluff with fork. Spread it out in a single layer on a baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To serve: Add the cooked rice, butter and scallions to the meat gravy in the pot. Stir it all together over low heat, just to warm it all through. Add salt to taste and serve.

The vegan chef Jenné Claiborne grew up in suburban Atlanta, where she developed a love for the teriyaki chicken stir-fry at Panda Express. After she became vegan, she recreated the flavors of her teen-age craving, using dates and soy sauce to produce the flavor of teriyaki sauce. If you don’t have chickpeas on hand to add heft to the vegetables, replace them with tempeh, tofu, edamame, jackfruit or mushrooms. Also, feel free to swap out the broccoli in favor of another green vegetable like kale, cabbage or bok choy. To make a less salty, slightly less mall-like version, use low-sodium soy sauce or 1/4 cup soy sauce and 1/4 water or broth. You can also use low-sodium canned chickpeas (or soak and cook your own and salt to taste).

Mall-Style Vegetable Stir-Fry

ginger

Medjool

arrowroot powder

red bell pepper, chopped or julienned

carrot, chopped or julienned

broccoli,

chickpeas

sesame seeds (raw

limes,

cilantro

Make the sauce: In a saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic, and cook, stirring, just until garlic starts to turn golden, about 1 minute. Stir in soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and dates. Let simmer 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk arrowroot with 1/3 cup water until smooth. Slowly stir the mixture into the simmering sauce. When sauce begins to thicken (this will happen very quickly), remove from heat and set aside to cool.

When cool enough to handle, transfer sauce to a blender, and blend until smooth.

Make the stir-fry: In a wok or skillet with a lid, heat oil over medium heat. When hot, add onions. Stir-fry about 1 minute, until softened. Add red pepper and carrots, cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in broccoli, chickpeas and sauce, and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are cooked to your liking, about 10 minutes.

Serve over rice, garnished with sesame seeds, fresh cilantro and lime wedges.

This salad combines the crunch of crisp noodles with colourful and tasty vegetables alongside an Asian-style sesame dressing. Chinkiang or black vinegar is a Chinese rice-based vinegar that can be found in the Asian section of most supermarkets. Recipe extracted from The 5-Minute Vegan Lunchbox by Alexander Hart, published by Smith Street Books, RRP $24.99.

Crispy soy noodles recipe

store-bought crispy-fried noodles

shredded wombok (Chinese cabbage)

carrot

3–4 radishes, very thinly sliced

chives

chinkiang or black vinegar

caster (superfine) sugar

Meet the tlayuda, a Mexican street food topped with gooey cheese. This version from Nixta in Saint Louis comes with carrot salsa, burrata and fresh herbs.

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Top 12 grapeseed oil recipes from across the web

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Top Tags

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The most viewed grapeseed oil recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine