Two weeks ago, I paused the publication of this edition in the wake of a truly terrible, horrific thing that happened in my country. It feels somehow histrionic, even sensational, to mention it now, 14 days later - especially on the heels of these two sorrowful and frustrated editions, and especially when so many additional shitty things have happened in the U.S. since - but: shouldn’t we still be angry? Shouldn’t we still be heartbroken? This is not a political publication, but I find it impossible to separate my humanity from this passion project. Butter is a tiny part of the dialogue of the universe, and just as the presence of even a few healthy cells can increase the health of a sick a body, so too can this humble space contribute value to the conversations of the world. Butter continues to be free to readers; if you find anything in today’s issue to be helpful or worthwhile to you, I ask that you mentally assign a dollar value to that worth and donate it here, or maybe instead that you match the time spent reading this newsletter by writing to your congresspeople imploring that they pass intelligent and effective gun safety laws. Thank you.
The -EST Dinner.
I try to avoid hyperbole in food writing, largely because I hate hyperbole in food reading - “The Ultimate One-Pot Dinner,” “World’s Best Meal Hack,” “The Absolute Best Way To Cook An Egg.” Woof. There’s so much nuance to cooking, so much intimacy and individuality to enjoyment, that it’s hard to accept the premise that a tip or trick will be everything to everyone (unless it’s, maybe, “use more salt”). And what’s more: how depressing, right?, to think that in our culinary lives we might have peaked - to think that there’s no room for improvement. Here’s a noodle recipe, and this is as good as it gets! Conceptually, that totally sucks, you know?
BUT SOMETIMES there’s just no escaping the truth, and the truth is that this thing I’m going to share with you today is pretty, pretty special. It’s going to sound boring, at first, but bear with me and be rewarded; today’s issue should only take you about 6 minutes to read (a little longer if you’re really into the Reader Q.), do even if “fish with rice” doesn’t excite you, don’t give up.
This week’s recipe isn’t a very specific one, but it’s the method that you should focus on: there is so much that you can do with this to make it suit your palate, your preferences, your pantry. There are a few rules to follow, so don’t ignore the Notes, but beyond that your options are limitless. I’m rarely a fan of recipes that tout their one-pot-ness, because I find that they’re often heavy and wet and gummy, or else full of ingredients that ought to have been cooked separately and at different temperatures for different times (but weren’t), or else they’re just obvious (congrats, you made chili in a single pot?), but this method actually opens up a world of meals, for one person or several, with components that are perfectly cooked every single time, using really and truly only one pot, and it all takes less than 30 minutes. Every. Single. Time. Let’s do it. xo.
Recipe: The -EST Dinner.
Fastest, easiest, tastiest, usefull-est.
Again, this isn’t a traditional recipe: it’s a method. A technique. A means to an end. It is simple, but remarkable. It serves one, or two, or four. Ostensibly, this recipe is for fish, but it is infinitely customizable - especially if you read the notes. And it always, always works, perfectly. I know it doesn’t make sense yet but just keep reading.
General Instructions:
Prepare some rice (again, this a technique, not a recipe: use the type, and the amount, that suits you) using either a rice cooker, an Instant Pot, or a heavy cast-iron Dutch oven. Just follow the package and the manufacturer’s instructions, respectively.
While the rice cooks, prepare one 4-6oz filet of fish: skin it if needed, rinse and pat dry, and season well with salt and anything else you’d like. Set it aside.
Prep some tender veggies, too: snappy pencil-thin asparagus, some snow or snap peas, fresh spinach or chard.
When the rice is done, open your selected cooking vessel and, without fluffing the rice, lay the fish and the vegetables on top. Then close the lid back up (turn off the stove if you’re not using an electrical appliance for this; unplug it, if you are)) and walk away for ten minutes.
Trust the process. Do not open the lid. Do not.
Return after ten minutes and marvel: your fish is perfectly cooked without a hint of dryness (and, if you care: it has reached safe cook temp of 145F), your veggies are soft and steamed but not overdone, and the rice beneath is hot and fluffy and even lightly seasoned.
If you’re still not excited by this - and it’s just fish with rice, so I get it - then seriously, still, keep reading.
Notes:
» This works by way of residual heat: it cooks gently and efficiently by taking advantage of all of the heat that’s trapped in the insulated cooking vessel and in the dense cake of undisturbed rice. Once we remove the heat source, though, the temperature slowly starts to drop: meaning that you run almost zero risk of overcooking your fish and veg. I’ve left this for up to 20 minutes and results are still excellent.
» It’s important not to disturb the rice until serving time: you want to maintain the density of the finished grains, and to retain all of the heat trapped down there.
» Don’t like rice? Weirdo. (I tease!) (But really.) Still, you can do this with other things: farro, quinoa, tiny black or French lentils, all kinds of couscous. And if you do like rice, it works with all kinds.
» Don’t like fish? This method also works with shrimp and with sliced or cubed tofu - just keep the portion size the same. There is not enough heat here to safely and/or desirably cook other proteins (no one really wants a steamed steak), BUT, if you have some already cooked from a previous meal, this is an excellent way to reheat them: just add some sliced steak or grilled chicken thighs, cold, as you would the fish. It will be perfectly juicy and hot without any rubberiness or chewiness.
» You can use any tender, delicate veg, here: asparagus, broccolini, snow or snap peas, any leafy green, fresh corn kernels. Longer cooking, harder vegetables like yams, potatoes, carrots, and squashes won’t soften via this method, but again, it’s an excellent way to reheat leftovers: you can add cold roasted or sauteed vegetables and mushrooms (even thawed frozen veg, if that’s your speed) and they’ll reheat perfectly.
» This scales up or down as you’d like it to: you are limited only by the size of your vessel. The only rules you need to follow are that no raw protein should be added frozen (thaw first), the rice/grains should not be fluffed until serving time, and nothing should be added on top of the rice in an overlap: add your goodies in a single layer (a pile of greens, of course, is totally fine; just don’t stack two fish filets on top of one another).
» This can be dinner on 30 minutes notice, which is great for last-minute and late-night things, but it can also be a quick, hands-off, no-mess lunch (science bonus: the low cook-temp means NO sulfurous, fishy smell - so you can even do this at the office with a portable rice maker).
» Don’t forget the seasoning! This is customizable, right?, so it’s up to you to make it taste good. Add salt and spices to your cooking liquid, or use stock or broth; flavor your protein well with ground spices or quick marinades or homemade sauces. Dress your finished rice bowl with salsa, aioli, dressings, yogurt sauce, pickles, sour cream, kimchi, some wedges of fresh lemon. Use whatever you have and like in whatever combination sounds good to you to make your one-pot grain bowl all your own.
» Need some more ideas? Want a specific recipe? I recently published this method over here, and if you can slog through my piece about cooking for one, you’ll be rewarded with two recipes that rely in this technique to deliver fast, tidy, one-pot goodness. Enjoy.
Reader Q.
Question: “Trader Joe’s haul, please?” - G.M., Denver
Answer: Sure! I am happy to oblige because, frankly, it’s very self-serving: hopefully I can encourage you to go buy these delicious, favorite things of mine, and then TJ’s won’t stop stocking them. Together, we are doing the lord’s work. We get most of our proteins and produce elsewhere, but I’m glad to share this week’s haul of stock-up favorites.
Clockwise from top right, sort of.
» Big Soft Pretzels. I’m not a huge fan of a lot of the TJ’s baked goods but these freezer pretzels are a solid exception. They’re chewy and pillowy and crispy, the ingredients statement isn’t too bad, they’re crazy cheap, and they take minutes to make. Great panic-button snack if you guests over, and a fun swap for toast during brunch or for biscuits or cornbread or whatnot with soups and chili.
» Vegan Creamy Dill Dressing. As a rule, IMO, perishable/refrigerated dressings are always better than the shelf-stable ones, and this is no exception. Herby and pleasantly tangy, it’s great on sandwiches or roasted veggies, on fish, as a dressing for slaw; think beyond salad! It’s not “great for a vegan dressing;” it’s great, period.
» Hold The Dairy! Hold The Cones. I am not a vegan and I don’t seek out vegan products, but neither do I shun them just because they’re vegan. These are DELIGHTFUL: they’re neither overly heavy nor overly sweet (which the regular Hold The Cones are, to my palate), are deeply chocolatey, and are a perfect two-bite treat (which is all I ever really want or need). The serving size is actually six cones, though, so if you’re more the “go HAM” type, by all means.
» Truffle Marcona Almonds. Pretty straight-forward. Super salty, which I love. I keep a bag in my car for emergency snacking.
» Carb Savvy Mini Tortillas. Like the vegan stuff, I don’t seek out diet- or low-carb foods, but I don’t turn away from them if they’re tasty and they don’t have an ingredients statement that’s full of garbage. These are heavy on the preservatives, but they’re loaded with fiber, really silky and soft, and the perfect size for tacos, mid-day snack wraps, or kiddo quesadillas. Nothing compares to a freshly made flour tortilla, but for packaged, these are my favorites.
» Avocado Oil Spray. The only cooking spray I’ll use when I make cakes or muffins. No propellants, no anti-foaming agents, no cheap or inflammatory oils. It’s a much smaller can than your PAM, but the price is right.
» Fresh Baby Corn. OK. If you hate canned baby corn, I hear you. This is nothing like that. These are tiny, delicate, starchy-sweet ears - no metallic, acidic, “canned” taste or weird textures. Simmer them in some stock or other flavorful cooking liquid for 10-15 minutes and they get the meaty-crisp texture of blanched asparagus with a creamy salty-sweet flavor that is reminiscent, I swear, of seafood: of lobster or poached shrimp.
» Hearts of Palm “pasta.” Not a TJ’s exclusive product but a lot cheaper than brand-name Palmini noodles. I don’t think this is a good substitute for pasta, but I do think it’s good, period. I’ll add it to pasta, or just saute it with shrimp and veggies. I love the vegetal texture.
» Sweet Corn, Burrata, and Basil Ravioli. TJ’s fresh ravs (they make a dozen+ flavors and shapes, some seasonal, some not) are all hits with my kids and my picky husband, but these are a hands-down favorite. Sadly only available in the summer. I puree fresh corn kernels to make a really silky sweet-corn alfredo sauce to dress them.
» Instant Cold Brew. A staple for traveling, for days when I’ve forgotten to brew my cold stuff the night before, and a secret weapon in baking.
» Dill Pickle Mini Falafel. These are new and they are the shit. Really tasty, great protein and fiber content, quick cooking (perfect fodder for your air-fryer). I love the size, too. I’m on my third bag in two weeks.
» Cornichon. Some of the best cornichon you can get, actually. Very well balanced. My favorite late-night snack is a weird combination of these, TJ’s triple-cream brie cheese, and wasabi-flavored rice crackers. Whatever.
» Organic Polenta. A TJ’s classic and long-time fave. Just slice it, add some oil and seasoning, and grill or griddle or broil. Shelf-stable, too, which is a bonus.
» Cuban Citrus Garlic seasoning. Another current addiction, along with the falafels. I love it on fish and vegetables, which make up the bulk of my diet; also great on avocados, eggs, and any kind of potato.
» Vegan Nacho Dip. Listen. Just try it. Just. Try. It. Unless you hate things that taste like cheese and joy.
» Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce. If you’re a fellow Pitt alum, you need to know that this tastes exactly like Scottie’s. IYKYK.
» Ground Black Garlic. This has a really nice, mellow flavor, and a great texture: it’s not a powder, but more nubbly, like dried onion. When I’m not using fresh garlic, this is my go-to.
» And Cream yogurt cups. I buy these “for my kids.” They have sugar in them and some stabilizers, but whatever: they sell four different flavor-combo packs, and they are the most delicious little yogurts on the market. They’re almost dessert.
» Hatch Chili Salsa. TJ’s sells the best jarred salsas out there: a dozen varieties, all winners. This is my favorite.
» Not pictured from this trip: the Truffle Ketchup, which is back for the summer (!!) and which I love and which I dropped and broke; two boxes of Poffertjes (tiny Dutch pancake balls that are addictively buttery and sweet - like a perfect pancake breakfast in a single bite); and one CHOMPS brand turkey jerky stick that I housed in the car on the way home.
Butterpat.
We are starting to see fresh corn in markets, here in PA (though it’s still not PA corn, just yet), so it felt apropos to nudge you back to where this all began: Issue One. That corn recipe really can not be made out of season - canned and frozen have their places, but just don’t compare to the fresh stuff - so I’m excited to welcome this one back into the rotation for a few short months. Join me.