Homemade ravioli

Grilled octopus with fennel, chickpeas, and Calabrese chile butter

Panisse

Neapolitan Pizza

steamed and baked barbecue buns

fried chicken

comes topped with pesto, chicken, bacon, onion, broccoli, tomato, cheddar, and mozzarella

Jimmy Legs

beef rib

pastrami

sliced brisket

sweet potato pie

stewed oxtails melting off the bone

juicy, shattering fried chicken

duck breast in black garlic soubise

citrus-touched crab ravioli

whole branzino baked in a salt crust

gnocchi rolled with mesquite flour

wood-roasted octopus with chorizo

On a clean work surface, combine the all-purpose flour and semolina flour into a mound. Make a large well in the center. Crack the 4 eggs and 1 egg yolk into the well, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Using a fork, gently whisk the eggs, gradually drawing in flour from the inner wall until a shaggy dough forms.

Mix and form dough

When the dough roughly comes together, use your hands to knead it for 8–10 minutes until smooth, elastic and slightly tacky. If too dry, add up to 15 ml cold water; if too wet, dust lightly with extra flour. Shape into a ball.

Knead

Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap or place in a sealed container and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. This relaxes the gluten and makes rolling easier.

Rest

Bring a small pot of water to a boil and blanch the spinach for 30–45 seconds until wilted. Drain and immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. Squeeze out as much water as possible using your hands or a clean towel, then finely chop the spinach.

Prepare spinach

In a bowl, combine the ricotta, grated Parmesan, chopped spinach, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg. Mix until homogeneous and taste; adjust seasoning if necessary. The filling should be fairly thick—if too loose, chill for 15–20 minutes or strain excess whey from ricotta.

Mix filling

Divide rested dough into 4 portions. Keep portions covered while you work. Lightly flour your surface and roll or use a pasta machine to roll each portion into long thin sheets about 1.5–2 mm thick (pasta setting 6–7 on many machines). Aim for sheets roughly 20–25 cm wide.

Roll dough

Place teaspoon-sized mounds (about 12–15 g) of the ricotta filling in rows about 3–4 cm apart across one pasta sheet. Brush a small amount of water or lightly beaten egg around the filling mounds on the dough to help seal.

Portion filling

Carefully lay a second sheet of pasta over the filled sheet, pressing gently around each mound to remove air and seal edges. Use a ravioli cutter, wheel, or knife to cut individual ravioli, pressing the edges to ensure they’re sealed. Dust with a little flour to prevent sticking and place on a floured tray. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

Seal and cut

Allow assembled ravioli to rest, uncovered on the tray for 10–15 minutes to dry the seams slightly; this helps them hold shape when cooking.

Rest before cooking

In a wide skillet over medium heat, add the unsalted butter. Let it melt, swirling occasionally. Continue cooking until the butter foams and then turns golden-brown with a nutty aroma and small brown bits on the bottom (3–5 minutes). Watch closely to prevent burning.

Brown the butter

Stir in the fresh sage leaves and cook for 30–45 seconds until crisp and fragrant. Remove from heat, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Keep warm.

Finish sauce

Bring 4 liters of water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add 2 tablespoons coarse salt so the water tastes like the sea.

Boil water

Gently add ravioli to the boiling water in batches to avoid overcrowding. Fresh ravioli will cook quickly—about 3–4 minutes—until they float to the surface and the pasta feels tender. Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked ravioli directly into the skillet with the warm brown butter sage sauce. If needed, reserve 60–120 ml of pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce.

Cook ravioli

Toss ravioli gently in the brown butter sauce to coat. If the sauce seems tight, add a splash of reserved pasta water. Plate the ravioli, spoon any remaining brown butter and crisp sage over them, and finish with 30 g grated Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Toss and serve

all-purpose flour

semolina flour

large eggs

egg yolk

extra-virgin olive oil

fine sea salt

cold water

whole-milk ricotta

freshly grated Parmesan

fresh spinach (trimmed, wilted, squeezed)

freshly grated nutmeg

freshly ground black pepper

unsalted butter

fresh sage leaves

fresh lemon juice

coarse sea salt

grated Parmesan (for serving)

large pot water

coarse salt for pasta water

all-purpose flour (for dusting)

If the octopus has a beak, remove it by turning the head inside out and cutting it out. Rinse the octopus well. (If the octopus is frozen, thaw completely in the refrigerator — freezing helps tenderize.)

Prepare and tenderize

In a large pot, combine 2 liters water, white wine, halved onion, chopped carrot, celery, bay leaf, peppercorns and 1½ tablespoons kosher salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat so the liquid is at a low simmer (not a rolling boil). Submerge the whole octopus, tentacles down, and simmer gently, uncovered, for 35–45 minutes for a 2–2.5 lb octopus, or until a thick part of a tentacle slides easily off a fork (tender but not falling apart). Start checking at 30 minutes. If needed, simmer up to 60 minutes for larger octopuses.

Poach octopus

Turn off heat and let the octopus cool in the cooking liquid for 20–30 minutes to firm slightly and absorb flavor. Remove octopus and reserve 120 ml (½ cup) of the poaching liquid for the chickpeas/fennel dressing if desired. Pat the octopus dry with paper towels. Separate the head from the tentacles if you prefer smaller portions; keep tentacles whole for grilling.

Cool in broth

While the octopus poaches, make the chile butter. In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with a fork until smooth. Stir in 2 tsp Calabrese chile paste, lemon zest, lemon juice, chopped parsley and ½ teaspoon salt. Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer to plastic wrap, form into a log if desired, and refrigerate until needed so it firms slightly, or keep at room temperature if you plan to finish immediately.

Prepare the dressing: whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar, minced garlic, ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Taste and adjust acidity or salt.

In a medium bowl, combine drained chickpeas and thinly sliced fennel. Pour the dressing over them and toss to coat. Stir in chopped fennel fronds. Let the salad sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes to allow flavors to meld; if the reserved poaching liquid was saved, add 1–2 tablespoons to loosen the dressing and add depth.

Preheat grill: set up a grill for medium-high heat (around 400°F / 200°C). If using a grill pan, heat it over medium-high and brush with oil.

Prepare octopus for grilling: brush the poached, dried octopus tentacles lightly with 1–2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with smoked paprika and a little extra salt. This helps get good char and flavor.

Grill octopus: place tentacles on the hot grill and sear 2–3 minutes per side until you get a good char and blistering spots. Rotate to get char on multiple faces; total grilling time should be about 6–8 minutes depending on thickness. The goal is a smoky exterior while keeping the interior tender.

Finish with chile butter: remove octopus from the grill and immediately brush generously with the Calabrese chile butter so it melts onto the tentacles. Alternatively, slice tentacles and dot with small pieces of butter to melt over warm slices.

Plate and serve: arrange a bed of chickpea–fennel salad on each plate, place grilled octopus tentacles on top, drizzle any remaining chile butter over them, and scatter microgreens or baby arugula if using. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing and a final grind of black pepper.

whole octopus, cleaned (about 2–2.5 lb / 900–1150 g)

water

white wine

yellow onion, halved

carrot, roughly chopped

celery stalk

bay leaf

black peppercorns

kosher salt (for poaching)

unsalted butter, softened

Calabrese chile paste or chopped Calabrese chiles in oil

lemon zest

lemon juice

finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

salt (to taste)

canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

fennel bulb, thinly sliced (reserve some fronds)

fennel fronds, chopped

red wine vinegar

garlic clove, minced

salt

black pepper, freshly ground

extra-virgin olive oil (for brushing)

smoked paprika

lemon wedges

microgreens or baby arugula (optional, for plating)

In a medium bowl whisk together 2 cups chickpea flour and 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt until evenly combined and free of lumps.

Mix dry ingredients

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan or skillet (2.5–3 qt) whisk the dry mixture into 5 cups cold water gradually to avoid lumps. Whisk until smooth. Add 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper and 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves if using.

Combine with water

Place the pan over medium heat. Add 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil. Cook, stirring constantly with a whisk or silicone spatula to prevent sticking, until the mixture thickens to a very thick, polenta-like paste and pulls away from the sides—about 12–18 minutes. You should be able to draw a line through the batter with the spatula that holds its shape.

Cook the batter

Lightly oil an 8x8-inch (or similar) baking dish or line it with parchment. Pour the cooked batter into the prepared dish and smooth the top with a spatula to an even thickness (about 3/4–1 inch thick). Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate until fully set, at least 2 hours or overnight for best texture.

Set the panisse

When the panisse is firm, unmold onto a cutting board and cut into shapes: rectangles, sticks, or rounds about 3/4 inch thick. Pat the pieces dry with paper towel to remove surface moisture for better browning.

Prepare for frying

Pour about 1 cup vegetable or light olive oil into a large skillet to come up roughly 1/8–1/4 inch. Heat over medium-high until shimmering but not smoking (about 350°F / 175°C if using a thermometer).

Heat the oil

Working in batches without overcrowding, add the panisse pieces to the hot oil. Fry until golden brown and crisp on the bottom, about 3–4 minutes, then flip and brown the other side 2–3 minutes. Adjust heat as needed so they brown evenly without burning. Use tongs or a spatula.

Fry the panisse

Transfer fried panisse to a wire rack set over a sheet pan or to paper towels to drain briefly. While still warm, sprinkle with about 1 tsp coarse sea salt (or to taste).

Drain & season

Serve immediately with lemon wedges for squeezing and a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley if desired. Panisse can also be served at room temperature alongside salads, charcuterie, or as part of a bistro-style tasting.

Serve

chickpea (garbanzo) flour

fresh thyme leaves (optional)

vegetable oil or light olive oil (for frying)

coarse sea salt or flaky salt

fresh lemon wedges (for serving)

fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)

In a large mixing bowl, combine 4 cups 00 flour and 1.75 cups lukewarm water. Stir until just combined and no dry flour remains. Cover and rest 20 minutes (autolyse) to hydrate the flour.

Autolyse and mixing

After autolyse, sprinkle 2 tsp salt around the dough (not directly onto the yeast) and add 0.25 tsp instant yeast. Add 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil. Fold and knead in the bowl for 5–7 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and slightly elastic. You may complete kneading on a lightly floured surface for 2–3 minutes if needed.

Add salt and yeast

Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise at room temperature (about 70°F / 21°C) for 1.5–2 hours, performing 2 sets of stretch-and-folds at 30-minute intervals: lift one side of the dough and fold into the center, rotate, repeat until all sides folded (about 1 minute each set).

Bulk rise and stretch-and-folds

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 4 equal portions (about 250–270 g each). Shape each portion into a tight ball by tucking edges underneath and rolling against the surface to build tension. Place dough balls in a tray, cover airtight and refrigerate for 18–48 hours for cold fermentation (develops flavor). If short on time, allow final proof at room temperature for 2–4 hours.

Divide and cold ferment

On the day of baking, remove dough balls from fridge 1.5–2 hours before baking and keep covered so they come to room temperature and relax, making them easier to stretch.

Bring to room temperature before baking

Pour the 14 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes into a bowl. Crush the tomatoes by hand or with a fork until relatively smooth but still slightly chunky. Add 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, and tear in about 4 fresh basil leaves if using. Do not cook the sauce — Neapolitan style uses raw tomato crushed and seasoned. Taste and adjust salt. Keep chilled until ready to use.

Preheat your oven as high as it will go (500–550°F / 260–290°C) at least 45 minutes before baking. If using a pizza stone or steel, place it on the top third or middle of the oven while preheating.

Lightly dust a pizza peel or baking sheet with 1–2 tbsp semolina or cornmeal to prevent sticking. On a lightly floured surface, take one dough ball and press from the center outward with your fingers, leaving a 1/2–3/4 inch rim for the crust. Stretch the dough into a roughly 10–11 inch circle by hand—do not use a rolling pin (keeps airy rim).

Spoon about 3–4 oz (roughly 1/3 to 1/2 cup) of the crushed tomato sauce onto the center of the stretched dough and spread gently with the back of the spoon, leaving the rim free. Tear or slice 2 oz fresh mozzarella and distribute evenly on the sauce (about half of the cheese per pizza). Scatter 2 fresh basil leaves.

Drizzle a few drops (about 1/4–1/2 tsp) of extra-virgin olive oil over the top and sprinkle a pinch of fine sea salt to taste.

Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone or steel and bake 5–8 minutes at the highest oven temperature, rotating once halfway through if necessary. Baking time will vary: thinner/warmer oven ~5 minutes, cooler/heavier oven ~7–8 minutes. Look for leopard-spot char on the crust and a puffed, slightly blistered rim.

Remove pizza from oven. Immediately top with 2–4 fresh basil leaves (they will wilt slightly). Let rest 1–2 minutes, slice, and serve hot. Repeat assembly and baking for remaining dough balls.

If desired, finish with an additional drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a small sprinkle of sea salt before serving. Serve each pizza immediately for best texture.

00 flour (or all-purpose flour)

Water (lukewarm, about 95–105°F / 35–40°C)

Salt

Instant dry yeast

Extra-virgin olive oil

Canned San Marzano tomatoes (whole, peeled)

Fresh basil leaves (optional; torn)

Fresh mozzarella (whole milk or fior di latte), sliced or torn

Fresh basil leaves

Extra-virgin olive oil (for finishing)

Fine sea salt or kosher salt (to taste)

Semolina or cornmeal (for dusting peel)

Whisk warm water (about 105–115°F / 40–46°C), warm milk and 1 tablespoon sugar in a bowl. Sprinkle the instant dry yeast over the liquid and let sit 5–8 minutes until foamy.

Activate yeast and mix

In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and salt. Make a well in the center.

Combine dry ingredients

Pour the foamy yeast mixture into the flour well along with the softened butter. Mix with a wooden spoon or dough hook until the dough comes together and leaves the sides of the bowl, about 4–6 minutes by mixer or 8–10 minutes by hand.

Form dough

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 3–5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 60–90 minutes depending on room temperature.

Knead and first rise

Gently deflate the dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces (about 60–70 g each). Cover with a towel and let rest 10 minutes to relax the gluten before shaping.

Deflate and rest

Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté 20–30 seconds until fragrant. Add the finely chopped pork shoulder and cook until lightly browned and cooked through, about 3–4 minutes, breaking up any lumps.

Prepare filling

Stir in the char siu sauce, hoisin, light soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar. Mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water to make a slurry, then add to the pan. Cook 1–2 minutes until sauce thickens and coats the pork. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped green onion. Let the filling cool to room temperature (important so it doesn't soften the dough).

Season and thicken

Once cooled, divide the filling into 10 equal portions (about 1.5–2 tablespoons each) and set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, flatten each rested dough piece into a 4–5 inch round, thicker in the center and thinner at the edges. Place one portion of cooled barbecue pork filling in the center. Gather the dough edges up around the filling and pinch to seal, forming a tight bun. Place each bun seam-side down on a small square of parchment (2.5 x 2.5 inches). Repeat for all buns. Let the shaped buns rest, covered lightly, for 15–20 minutes (slight puff).

Shape buns

Prepare a steamer with boiling water. Arrange buns (on their parchment) in the steamer basket leaving space for expansion — steam in batches if needed. Cover and steam over medium-high heat for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, turn off the heat but keep the lid on and let buns sit in the steamer for 3 minutes (carryover cooking). Remove and let cool slightly on a rack for 10 minutes.

Steam

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly brush the tops of the steamed buns with the egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon water. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds if using. Arrange buns on a baking sheet lined with parchment, leaving 1–2 inches between them. Bake for 6–8 minutes just to set and lightly brown the glaze and add a subtle roasted finish. Watch closely to avoid over-browning.

Egg wash and finish baking

Transfer baked buns to a cooling rack and let rest 5 minutes. Serve warm as dim sum — these are best the day they are made. Reheat gently by steaming briefly (2–3 minutes) or warming in a 300°F oven for 5–7 minutes.

Cool and serve

instant dry yeast

granulated sugar

warm whole milk

warm water

pork shoulder, finely chopped

char siu (barbecue) sauce

hoisin sauce

light soy sauce

sesame oil

sugar

cornstarch

vegetable oil

minced garlic

finely chopped green onion

black sesame seeds (optional)

In a large pot or bowl, combine 6 cups water, 3 tbsp kosher salt, 2 tbsp sugar, peppercorns, bay leaves, and smashed garlic. Stir to dissolve salt and sugar over medium heat just until warm; do not boil. Remove from heat and add 1 cup ice to cool the brine quickly.

Once the brine is cool to room temperature, submerge the chicken pieces completely. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours (up to 6 hours for dark-meat pieces).

Homemade Ravioli

Grilled Octopus With Fennel, Chickpeas, And Calabrese Chile Butter

Panisse

Neapolitan Pizza

Steamed And Baked Barbecue Buns

Fried Chicken

Jimmy Legs

Beef Rib

Pastrami

Sliced Brisket

Sweet Potato Pie

Stewed Oxtails Melting Off The Bone

Juicy, Shattering Fried Chicken

Duck Breast In Black Garlic Soubise

Citrus-touched Crab Ravioli

Whole Branzino Baked In A Salt Crust

Gnocchi Rolled With Mesquite Flour

Wood-roasted Octopus With Chorizo