For juicy roast chicken with beautifully crisp skin, brining is the way to go. Traditional wet brining (submerging the chicken in salt water) is effective, but also a hassle. We prefer “dry brining,” which requires nothing more than sprinkling kosher salt over the chicken and into the cavity, then letting it rest, uncovered, in the refrigerator. But how much salt and for how long? Our testing found that 0.8 percent salt by weight (or about ¾ teaspoon per pound) worked best. Duration matters, too. Dry brining for eight hours or less was underwhelming. For best flavor, 10 to 24 hours are needed. Longer than 24 hours caused the meat to dry out and the skin to brown unevenly.
Leftover (cooked, then chilled) rice generally is best for fried rice. The chilling period dries the rice, which helps the grains stay separate and better absorb flavor during stir-frying. But what if you don’t have leftover rice at the ready? We tested a variety of shortcuts, including purchasing bags of frozen cooked rice. That was a letdown; the grains lacked the chew of properly cooked rice. So we also tried several quick-chill methods for cooking and chilling rice at home. Rice subjected to an ice bath turned to mush, as did rice chilled in the refrigerator for an hour. But rice spread on a baking sheet and cooled at room temperature for an hour, as well as rice chilled in the freezer in an 8-inch baking dish, gave us the results we were looking for—rice that crisped and browned lightly while staying chewy.
Japanese tamagoyaki pans traditionally are used to turn out perfectly rolled omelets called tamagoyaki. But at Milk Street, we also love how easy these square pans—and their deep, straight sides—make it to toast nuts, seeds and spices. The sides corral the contents as you shake the pan over the heat. We prefer copper or aluminum versions that are about 5½ inches square, the perfect size for toasting ¼ cup of dry ingredients. For toasting, place whole nuts, seeds or spices in the cold pan and toast over medium, gently shaking until aromatic.
Wafu dressing, a Japanese-style salad dressing of soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar and oil, is surprisingly complex despite a scant ingredient list. We built on this to create an all-purpose sauce that bumps up the aromatics with bright, spicy ginger, and adds richness with toasted sesame oil and sweetness with a bit of honey. Whisk together ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar, 3 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons neutral oil, 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper and kosher salt to taste. Use as a salad dressing, toss with chilled ramen, or drizzle over steamed vegetables and poached chicken or seafood.
When tomato sauce is overly acidic, it is tempting to add sugar to adjust the flavor. But that only masks acidity (and not that effectively). So we experimented with various recommended remedies to reduce acidity, including adding sugar, honey, butter, baking soda, even a peeled and halved potato. When we measured the results with a pH meter, we found the sweeteners did little. In fact, slightly acidic honey made things worse. The most effective solutions were baking soda, an alkaline that neutralizes acids (¼ teaspoon per 6 cups), and surprisingly, the potato, which has weakly alkaline properties. Both not only lowered acidity but also enhanced the flavor of the sauces.
Bone broths have gained an influencer edge over basic stocks. Stocks generally are cooked for a few hours, while bone broths can cook for as long as 48 hours, drawing out more collagen and protein from the bones for better body. Are supermarket versions of bone broth worth their premium price? In our testing, we found most contain unnecessary ingredients (herbs and vegetables) that muddy flavor, and their texture was not appreciably different from conventional stock. And while some ultra-premium frozen versions tasted fine on their own, boasting more collagen than their boxed counterparts, they lost their edge once added to recipes. Our feeling: In most cooking, basic stock is best.
