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New York Times
a day ago
- General
- New York Times
The Rice Hack That Fuels My Family
A dry skillet and patience are all you need to transform leftover rice into a meal, Eric Kim writes. Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne Published June 13, 2025 Updated June 13, 2025 I grew up with a rice cooker on the counter and a bag of rice the size of me in the pantry. Rice was the main carbohydrate, the grain around which the rest of the meal revolved. So we often had plenty of leftovers, which my mother would fashion into kimchi fried rice or store in single-serve containers in the refrigerator, to reheat in the microwave at a later time. But more often than not, she'd turn it into crunchy little chips called nurungji, or scorched rice. Eric Kim grew up in a house where the rice cooker was a central part of how he and his family ate every day. Rice would be served alongside meals, but then also reused and made into new and different dishes. In this video, Eric shows you some techniques and tips to leverage ingredients in unexpected ways to extend the life of a pot of rice. By The New York Times Cooking People forget that rice isn't just a blank canvas; it has a unique flavor all its own, whether you're cooking jasmine, basmati or sushi rice, or another kind you and your family love. Scorching it helps you taste its nuance. Also known as socarrat (when it's on the bottom of a paella pan) or tahdig (in Persian households), among many other names, scorched rice is ordinarily a natural byproduct. It occurs at the bottom of the pot, sometimes without any cooking fat, which means you can really taste the grain's natural sweetness. Hannah Bae of Noona's Ice Cream has even turned that elusive flavor into ice cream. At the Korean restaurant Cho Dang Gol, where stone-pot rice is the norm, you get two gifts: first, perfectly steamed white rice; second, after tea is poured into the pot to lift the nutty, browned rice stuck on the bottom, the nurungji. The longer you toast the rice, the crunchier the end result will be. Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini You can make easily scorched rice at home. Just add enough fresh or day-old cooked white rice to a dry nonstick skillet, packing it down into a layer about ½-inch tall. Drizzle 1 tablespoon water evenly over the rice. Cook over medium-low until the bottom of the rice is nicely browned and releases on its own, 15 to 20 minutes. When you shake the pan, the rice 'pancake' should slide around as one entity, smelling toasty and fragrant. Then, either with a big spatula or a confident toss of the pan, flip the 'pancake' to lightly crisp the other side, about 5 minutes. The longer you toast the rice, the drier the insides will get and the crunchier the end result will be. I like to keep the interior tender, the best of two worlds. My mother would dry it up completely. Sprinkled with sugar, it was an ideal midnight snack, something to eat in front of the television. But the best way to enjoy nurungji, to my mind, is at a table set with my favorite banchan. Break the rice into a bowl, pour some hot water over to soften it and pair it alongside. Then, sip the remaining tea, a treat on top of a treat. Follow New York Times Cooking on Instagram , Facebook , YouTube , TikTok and Pinterest . Get regular updates from New York Times Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice .
New York Times
31-03-2025
- General
- New York Times
Our Ultimate Guide to Cooking a Turkey
From brining to burnishing, here are all the tips and tricks you need to pull a perfect bird out of the oven every time. Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Prop Stylist: Courtney de Wet. Published March 31, 2025 Updated March 31, 2025 [This article was originally published in November 2015.] The turkey is the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving meal, and there are plenty of techniques for cooking one, from frying to spatchcocking to roasting upside down and turning halfway. But sometimes the classic way is the best. We will talk you through brining, stuffing, trussing and roasting, along with extra turkey tips to help you through the holiday. And visit our Ultimate Guide to Thanksgiving for more ideas and advice. Order your turkey three to four weeks before the holiday if you want something other than a supermarket bird. (Our buying guide is below.) Buy a decent roasting pan , one heavy enough that it won't buckle under the weight of the bird. You will also need a rack. One usually comes with the pan, but if you buy it separately, make sure it fits inside your pan. An instant-read thermometer is the most accurate way to determine when your turkey is done. Buy one if you don't have one. Leave enough time to defrost your turkey. Defrost it in the refrigerator, allowing one day for every four pounds of turkey, with the bird in a bowl or on a baking pan or platter. The array of turkey choices can be confusing. Below, we've broken it down to help you navigate your options. Some cooks swear by a fresh turkey, claiming that frozen varieties are not as flavorful. But when it comes to supermarket turkey, the difference between fresh and frozen is negligible. Free-range: This is a bird that is not raised in a cage and is free to graze on any grasses or grains it can find in its pen, which is generally considered a more humane and healthy poultry farming process. Organic: The U.S.D.A. requires that all turkeys sold as organic must be raised free-range, without the use of antibiotics, and fed an organic and vegetarian diet that has not been treated with pesticides. Natural: Natural turkeys are generally less expensive than organic, and are often of a comparable quality. But there is no government guarantee to back up the word 'natural' on a label. You must read on to find out if the bird is antibiotic-free, free-range or raised on a vegetarian diet, or a combination. Kosher: Turkeys with the 'kosher' label have been farmed and slaughtered according to Jewish dietary customs, with rabbinical supervision. They also undergo a salting process after slaughter that gives the meat a juicy texture. (Don't brine a kosher bird.) Conventional: This is the standard supermarket turkey. The variety is the Broad Breasted White, which was bred to have a plumper, broader breast. A conventional turkey should be brined; it will noticeably improve the texture. And use an open hand when it comes to seasonings, since the turkey won't offer much flavor of its own. Heritage: Heritage turkeys are old-fashioned varieties of birds that were common in America until the 1920s. They have a richer, more distinct flavor, more like a game bird, and have a greater proportion of dark meat. Breeds include Narragansett, Jersey Buff, Standard Bronze, Bourbon Red and White Holland. Wild Turkey: It is illegal in the United States to sell a truly wild turkey that's been shot by a hunter, thus most 'wild' turkeys on the market are pasture-raised — often free-range heritage birds. To procure a truly wild turkey you will need to either shoot one yourself or befriend a hunter. Self-basting: These turkeys have been injected with a solution generally consisting of butter or oil and salt, and sometimes herbs, spices and preservatives. Self-basted turkeys are sometimes not labeled such, so make sure to check the ingredients list. If you see anything other than 'turkey,' chances are it is a self-basting bird. Do not brine it. Roasting a turkey can be confusing — there are so many options for how to prepare the bird. But it doesn't have to be that way. Below we walk you through your choices, step by step. You've bought your turkey, and it's a few days before Thanksgiving. Do not wash your turkey after you remove it from its plastic bag; just pat it dry with paper towels. Any potential bacteria will cook off during roasting. At this point, depending on its size, your turkey may be well on the way to being fully thawed. (Allow one day of thawing in the refrigerator for every four pounds of bird.) Be sure to remove the sack containing the neck and innards from the cavity. Reserve them for stock if you like. If the bird is frozen, defrost for one day, and then you should be able to pry them out. (Beware: Sometimes, the giblets are under the neck flap, not in the cavity. Check the turkey thoroughly.) Sam Sifton's turkey brine is a simple way to set your turkey up for success. Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff. To brine or not to brine? For me, the answer is no — at least, not a wet brine. Wet brining — the process of submerging a turkey in a salt-and-aromatic solution — is the messiest and least convenient way to ensure moist and evenly seasoned meat, which is the whole point. Instead I prefer seasoning the bird all over with a salt rub — technically, a dry brine — and letting it sit for a few days, or even hours, before roasting. It's much easier to keep a salted turkey in the fridge rather than having to figure out where to store a bird covered in liquid. But it's for you to decide. (And either way, you can brine or season a frozen bird as it defrosts.) Here's what you need to know. To dry brine, combine ½ teaspoon salt per pound of turkey (use coarse kosher or sea salt) with whatever aromatics you want to mix into it. Rub this mixture all over the bird and refrigerate for up to three days. In a pinch, you can season the bird just before cooking, though the skin will be saltier than the flesh. The simple roast turkey recipe below uses a dry brine. It's important to find a recipe for brine and stick to it, without making substitutions. For instance, different varieties of salt have different volumes. If your recipe calls for 2 cups kosher salt, don't substitute table salt or else you'll have an inedible bird. (Never brine kosher or self-basting turkeys, both of which have already been salted.) The safest way to wet brine is to submerge the turkey in the salt solution, cover it, and leave it in the refrigerator. If you don't have room, you can also try brining in a cooler (as long as the turkey can fit, completely covered by the solution, with the lid on). You'll have to be vigilant about maintaining the temperature of the solution. Check it with a kitchen thermometer at regular intervals to be sure it stays between 26 and 40 degrees. To keep it cool without diluting the salt, place ice cubes sealed in plastic bags into the brining bath, replacing the cubes once they melt. Or, if you live in a cold climate, place your cooler outside. Whether you call it stuffing or dressing, the savory bread mixture that you may or may not cook inside your turkey is an integral part of the Thanksgiving meal. Generally speaking, stuffings are cooked inside the bird, while dressings are baked in a casserole dish on the side, but the words are often used interchangeably. Both methods have their merits. (And for everything you need to know about both, visit our stuffing guide.) Eric Kim's Thanksgiving stuffing. Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Baking the dressing separately allows the top to brown and crisp, and an unstuffed turkey cooks faster and more evenly than a stuffed one. This is the biggest reason why, at our house, we bake the stuffing outside the bird, which leaves space in the cavity for aromatics. Try placing onion and lemon quarters, bay leaves, peeled garlic, celery leaves, parsley and thyme in the turkey before roasting. Then, for that turkey flavor you sacrifice by not stuffing the bird, add stock and bits of crispy fried turkey skin to your dressing. (Take scraps of skin from the bird. If they are fatty, throw them into a dry pan, or else add a slick of oil, and fry over medium heat until well browned. Salt immediately after frying.) You can also add any diced cooked turkey gizzards and shredded neck meat that you used for stock, along with the turkey liver, sautéed in butter and diced. Just don't forget to make a vegetarian version if necessary. Cooking the stuffing inside the bird allows the poultry juices and rendering fat to flavor the stuffing. You can make the stuffing up to four days ahead and keep it refrigerated until the last minute, but only stuff right before the bird goes into the oven. Stuffing expands as it cooks, so fill the turkey loosely. One important caveat on timing: If your stuffing recipe calls for shellfish or turkey giblets, they need to be fully cooked and kept hot for maximum food safety before stuffing, says the U.S.D.A. Add them at the last minute, just before the stuffing goes into the bird. Stuffing slows down roasting, so if your recipe calls for an unstuffed bird, add at least 30 minutes onto the cooking time (more if it's a bigger bird). Take the temperature of the stuffing before pulling your turkey out of the oven. Both turkey and stuffing must reach 165 degrees. If the turkey is done but the stuffing isn't — a likely scenario — take the turkey out of the oven to rest, transfer the stuffing to a casserole dish and put it back in the oven until it reaches the proper temperature. Do not leave the turkey in the oven while the stuffing catches up, temperature-wise; the bird could easily overcook in those extra minutes. If you don't stuff your turkey, you really don't need to truss it. Allowing untrussed wings and legs to have hot air circulating around them helps them cook faster, so the white and dark meat will all be done at the same time. I stopped trussing my unstuffed birds years ago and my turkeys are the better for it. If you do stuff your bird, trussing, or at least tying up the drumsticks, helps keep the stuffing in its proper place, especially when you are moving the bird from the roasting pan to the cutting board. Here's the simplest way to do it. Place the turkey breast-side up on the rack in the roasting pan. Criss-cross the legs and use a piece of butcher's twine to tie them together at the ends, just above the joint. Wrap the twine twice around the legs to make sure they are secure. Take a long piece to twine and loop it around the body of the bird, so that the wings are pressed against the breast. Tightly tie the twine in a knot or bow at the top of the breast. The trussed turkey is now ready to roast. For all the attention we lavish on Thanksgiving turkeys, the truth is more work does not necessarily yield a better bird. That's right: You can skip brining, stuffing, trussing and basting. Instead of a messy wet brine, use a dry rub (well, technically a dry brine) — a salt and pepper massage that locks in moisture and seasons the flesh. No stuffing or trussing allows the bird to cook more quickly, with the white and dark meat finishing closer to the same time. And if you oil but don't baste your turkey, you'll get crisp skin without constantly opening the oven. By The New York Times Cooking You've bought, defrosted and seasoned your turkey, which means you're more than halfway to a golden, glorious centerpiece for the feast. Here are answers to the most frequently asked turkey-roasting questions, so you can put the bird in the oven with confidence. 9 to 11 pounds: 2½ hours 12 to 14 pounds: 3 hours 15 to 17 pounds: 3½ hours 18 to 20 pounds: 4 hours 21 to 23 pounds: 4½ hours 24+ pounds: 5+ hours To add flavor to both the turkey (and the gravy, if you're using pan drippings), you'll want to add aromatics to the turkey cavity and to the bottom of the pan. Some combination of herbs, peeled garlic cloves, quartered onions and lemons, apples, mushrooms, celery, carrots and bay leaves can be used in both places. Then cover the bottom of the pan with a ¼ inch of liquid (wine, cider, beer, broth, water) so the drippings don't burn. Some people swear by basting, but I never baste anymore. Every time you open the oven door to baste, you let the heat out. Basting also gives you a less crisp skin. Instead of basting, rub fat (butter, olive oil or coconut oil, for example) all over the bird just before you tuck it into the oven. Then leave it alone until it's time to check for doneness. Start taking the turkey's temperature at least 15 minutes before you think it might be done. To check its temperature, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh and under the wing, making sure you don't touch any bones. Your bird is done when its internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Don't be alarmed if the thigh meat near the bone still looks pink. Some turkeys are naturally pinker than others and a fully cooked bird will often have that color. Once your turkey is cooked, let it rest out of the oven, covered loosely with foil, for 20 to 30 minutes before carving. You're almost done. There's just one more, very important step to go: carving. This video will show you the easiest and most efficient route to take. By The New York Times Cooking
New York Times
27-01-2025
- Lifestyle
- New York Times
14 Easy Healthy Breakfasts to Make on Repeat
Start the day right with these can't-miss recipes. Lidey Heuck's easy, one-bowl baked oatmeal is graciously adaptable. Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Published Jan. 27, 2025 Updated Jan. 27, 2025 A good healthy breakfast should fill you up without making you sluggish and provide a base line of nutrients that your body needs to function at its peak. That may sound intimidating, but it doesn't need to be. The recipes below will get you on the right track, whether you want produce-filled smoothies that require little more than five minutes of your time before you dash out the door or make-ahead egg dishes that can take you and your family through a week of hectic mornings. Each and every recipe is guaranteed to work, and all are as delicious to eat as they are easy to make. Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Prop Stylist: Megan Hedgpeth. The grass green of this fan favorite from Veggies Natural Juice Bar & Cafe in Brooklyn, adapted by Ali Slagle, may come from kale and spinach, but it couldn't feel less like drinking a salad. Banana and agave give it a round sweetness, and fresh ginger a bit of a kick. View the recipe. David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Yewande Komolafe's combo of refried beans, scrambled eggs and Monterey Jack (reduced fat cheese works here) is warm, hearty and — a note for busy moms — can be eaten with one hand. If you'd like, use vegetarian refried beans or make them yourself. And don't forget the avocado. View the recipe. David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Giving uncooked oats a lengthy soak in milk softens them without imparting any of the gumminess sometimes associated with cooked oatmeal. In Genevieve Ko's recipe, just five minutes the night before will give you five days' worth of breakfasts. Add a few nuts just before eating for some last-minute crunch. View the recipe. David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. While Genevieve Ko's tender, fluffy whole-wheat muffins are wonderful out of the oven, these moist banana muffins are ideal for making ahead and keep well at room temperature. They're also incredibly simple — no mixer necessary. If you're a long-term planner, freeze a batch to keep on hand at all times. View the recipe. Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Lidey Heuck encourages you to tweak this easy, one-bowl oat-filled breakfast bake. Use any kind of fruit, fresh or dried; nuts or seeds or none at all; milk, dairy or plant-based. Whatever you choose, it will feed you all week long. View the recipe. Craig Lee for The New York Times The title of Mark Bittman's veggie-heavy meal is pretty self-explanatory. What's left unsaid: You can have this on the table in 30 minutes, and it's great for using up that forgotten broccoli or handful of greens from the back of your fridge. View the recipe. Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. The caramel-like sweetness of dates and dairy tang of buttermilk nudges Sohla El-Waylly's smoothie recipe in the direction of an iced spiced cinnamon bun. Banana and flax seed provide body, and a swirl of Greek yogurt a bit of flair. View the recipe. Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Hetty Lui McKinnon coaxes leftover rice into a savory breakfast. It's bolstered with butternut squash and is comforting and fortifying all at once. Using precut squash speeds along the process. View the recipe. Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Why spend your money on an overpriced smoothie bowl filled with sad, underripe fruit when you can make Naz Deravian's gorgeous açaí bowl in 15 minutes flat? The frozen purée is the key — keep it on hand for whenever the craving strikes. You'll save money and start your day with a fruity flourish. View the recipe. Linda Xiao for The New York Times Some say that eggs are the perfect food, but sometimes they can be less than exciting. Not the case with Ali Slagle's frittata: It's chock-full of chewy grains, spiked with chile and accented with tons of herbs. A bit of fish sauce adds an extra hit of umami. But the most exciting part? It's ready in about 20 minutes. View the recipe. Marcus Nilsson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks. Words that don't usually go together but should: breakfast and pudding. Sean Sherman's chia pudding is a play on textures — silky, creamy chia with pops of crunch from amaranth and bursts of juiciness from fresh berries. Use the sweetest fruit you can find, and you probably won't need the full amount of agave nectar. View the recipe. Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Prop Stylist: Megan Hedgpeth. My colleague Alexa Weibel, who has impeccable taste, says this granola recipe, adapted by Sam Sifton from the Manhattan fine-dining restaurant, 'gets me out of bed in the morning.' And if that's not enough to encourage you to make it ASAP, then maybe the 6,500 five-star ratings will. Use it to accent plain yogurt or munch on a handful for a midmorning pick-me-up. View the recipe. Kate Sears for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. These perfectly silken, custardy eggs from Eric Kim are breakfast in 10 minutes, without the need to turn on the stove. Dashes of soy and maple add depth and sweetness to this cozy breakfast for two or protein-packed meal for one. View the recipe. Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. There's no cooking required in Ifrah F. Ahmed's efficient pairing of two breakfast stalwarts and matcha lovers will be thrilled to have another use for the beloved tea powder. In addition to the oats, chia seeds add protein and fiber. They thicken to a creamy consistency to make a buoyant base for your favorite fruits. View the recipe. Follow New York Times Cooking on Instagram , Facebook , YouTube , TikTok and Pinterest . Get regular updates from New York Times Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice .
