34 Cooking Moments When You Know You've Nailed It
There comes a moment in every cook's life when you know you got it right. The butter's ideally melted, the steak's expertly charred, and the skin on that fish filet is ever-so-crispy. Ever wanted to know how to know? Check out these examples of the exact moment we got it right so you can too. Every single time.
Gentl and Hyers1/33Crispy Chicken Cutlets
These parmesan chicken cutlets achieve peak crispiness. If you cut the chicken into smaller pieces before breading, they’re nuggets—the guilt-free kind.
3/33The Brittlest Brittle
Here, a coarse sea salt like fleur de sel or sel gris plays a few important roles: It tempers and cuts the richness of the nuts and butter, it adds a concentrated crunch—and it makes the brittle look divine. Break this vibrant salted pistachio brittle on top of ice cream or crumble it over rice pudding. Or, do what we do, and eat it straight off the baking sheet.
Julian Broad9/33Fall-Apart-Moist Brisket
No one will fault you for seasoning brisket with salt and pepper, braising it in beer, and calling it a day. But follow chef Lee's method—which calls for a bath of stout, bourbon, and soy sauce; a glaze made with peach jam; and a side of easy homemade pickles if you'd like—and you're on the path to savory-and-sweet nirvana.
10/33Shattering Brûlée
This Brûléed Bourbon-Maple Pumpkin Pie pie has every holiday ingredient imaginable: spices, maple syrup, pumpkin, chocolate, and (of course) booze. It also has a crackable shell of sugar on top.
