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Courtesy Mark Bittman; Aya Brackett; Burcu Avsar and Zach DeSart
When summer rolls around, it can sometimes feel like a bit of a jolt — if you live in the Northeast, like I do, it can happen so fast that I’ll find myself peering into my closet in disbelief that I was actually wearing that hoodie just a couple days before — the horror!
That being said, I’m a fan of summer. I feel the cold weather in my bones, and I’m always happy for a chance to thaw out. Especially when that opportunity brings endless vegetable options along with it. For me, there’s little better than rummaging through a fridge packed with seasonal fruits (oh, the fruit!) and vegetables, which right now means strawberries, beets, asparagus, lettuce, tons of herbs, peas, radishes — I could go on. It’s been a while since we’ve had these kinds of options.
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The air feels different, the sun — for better or worse — isn’t shying away; so, yes, it’s time for the best eating season there is. (We’re even seeing some very early tomatoes — from greenhouses, of course, but still, it’s starting!) Today’s Menu for Two aims to get us into that celebratory summer spirit — a very easy task, for me.
This dinner will take a little time, so I recommend it for a weekend or a weekday when you don’t have a ton going on; but none of it is difficult as long as you’re comfortable frying, and you won’t believe the seasonal happiness it’ll evoke.
Double-Dipped Fried Chicken and Waffles With Peach Butter
These Double-Dipped Fried Chicken and Waffles with Peach Butter are worth the wait.
Aya Brackett
Makes: 2 very generous servings (eat the leftovers at a picnic!)
Time: At least 24 hours, largely unattended
You’ll be licking your fingers while you eat, no matter how much time this takes to cook. When I go all out to fry, I start with an overnight buttermilk soak, double-dredge the chicken for extra crunch, and deep-fry in plenty of oil. Once you go that far, fluffy waffles and peach butter make perfect sense.
Ingredients
1½ to 2 pounds of skin-on chicken parts, trimmed of excess fat
Salt and pepper
2 cups buttermilk
1 fresh rosemary sprig
2½ cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 egg, separated
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, 4 softened and 2 melted
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
1½ teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ cup chopped very ripe peach, or thawed frozen
Good-quality vegetable oil, for frying
Hot sauce, for serving (optional)
Directions
Put the chicken in a large bowl and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Add 1 cup buttermilk and the rosemary, and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 24.
When you’re ready to eat, make the waffles: combine 1 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, the sugar, and baking soda in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup buttermilk and the egg yolk. Mix in the melted butter and the vanilla if you’re using it. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry. Beat the egg white with a whisk or electric mixer until it holds soft peaks. Fold the beaten egg white gently into the batter.
Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil. Put the remaining 1½ cups flour, the paprika and cayenne in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper; whisk to combine. Working in batches, take a few chicken pieces out of the buttermilk mixture, let the excess drip off, then coat in the flour mixture; put on the prepared baking sheet. Once all the chicken has been breaded, work in batches to again dip the chicken in the buttermilk mixture, then coat in flour, and return the pieces to the baking sheet. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Heat the oven to 200°F; heat your waffle iron. Put the stick of softened butter and chopped peach in a small bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mash with a fork until incorporated and mostly, but not entirely, smooth.
Put 2 to 3 inches of oil in a large pot over medium heat and bring to 350°F. The pot should be deep enough so that there’s several inches of space above the oil. Put a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. When the oil is ready, carefully add the chicken pieces, one at a time, working in batches so as not to crowd them or overflow the oil. Cook, undisturbed, but adjusting the heat so the oil bubbles without smoking, until a crust begins to form, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn the pieces as they’re ready to cook on the other side. Continue to fry, turning a couple more times, until the chicken is golden all over and cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes more. (To check for doneness, cut into a piece close to the bone; the juices should run clear.) As the pieces finish, transfer them to the wire rack, sprinkle with salt, and keep them warm in the oven.
Spread only enough batter onto the waffle iron to barely cover it; close the lid and bake until the waffle is cooked through and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes, depending on your iron.
Transfer to the platter in the oven while you cook the remaining batter. Serve the waffles right away, topped with the warm chicken, and pass the peach butter and hot sauce (if you’re using it) at the table. —Recipe from Dinner for Everyone
Watermelon and Tomato Salad
This light Watermelon and Tomato Salad is both visually stunning and refreshing.
Burcu Avsar and Zach DeSart
Makes: 2 servings
Time: 15 minutes
This is a quintessential summer dish. Beautifully ripe tomatoes and sweet, juicy watermelon are musts for this salad. Use variously colored heirloom tomatoes for an outrageous presentation.
Ingredients
2 medium tomatoes, cored and thickly sliced crosswise
⅛ watermelon, seeded, peeled, and cut similarly to the tomato slices
Salt and pepper
2 ounces fresh goat or feta cheese, crumbled
Extra virgin olive oil as needed for drizzling
Directions
Alternately stack or fan the tomato and watermelon slices on a large plate or platter, sprinkling each layer with a tiny bit of salt and pepper. Crumble the goat cheese over the top and drizzle with olive oil. Serve immediately. — Recipe from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: Completely Revised Tenth Anniversary Edition
Frozen Yogurt With Raw Strawberry Sauce
For dessert, whip up this easy Frozen Yogurt With Raw Strawberry Sauce.
Burcu Avsar and Zach DeSart
Makes: About 1 quart
Time: 5 minutes, plus time to chill and churn
With just two ingredients and hardly any prep work, this is one of the easiest desserts there is. Whole-milk yogurt produces the creamiest results. (Greek yogurt, which is much thicker, often becomes too hard in the freezer but is an excellent complement to fruit compotes and salads.)
Ingredients
3½ cups yogurt
¾ cup granulated or superfine sugar
Directions
Whisk together the yogurt and sugar until combined. Chill for 30 minutes, then churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Serve or transfer to an airtight container and freeze. —Recipe from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian
Raw Strawberry Sauce
Makes: About 2 cups
Time: 5 to 10 minutes
This sauce is no work at all, and it gives you pure, straightforward flavor and a very saucy consistency. It works well with any soft fruits or berries.
Ingredients
2 cups strawberries, washed, dried, and chopped
Confectioners’ sugar
Fresh orange or lemon juice or fruity white wine (optional)
Directions
1. Purée the strawberries in a blender.
2. Add confectioners’ sugar to taste. If necessary, thin with a little water, orange juice, lemon juice, or fruity white wine. Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days. — Recipe from How to Cook Everything: Completely Revised Twentieth Anniversary Edition
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