As restaurants shift into takeout-only mode, I’m seeing leftovers as novelty ingredients for completely new dishes
You may be cooking more than ever, but that doesn’t mean you need to cook everything from scratch. Now that restaurants have been forced to go to take-out only mode and I’ve been bringing home every piece of a meal I would’ve otherwise devoured on-location, I’ve been seeing my leftovers in a new light: as novelty ingredients for a completely new dish.
Reusing leftovers is not a new phenomenon, but it has become increasingly relevant as access to our favorite restaurants are halted, grocery supplies are not restocked at the same frequency, and lines for both grow ever longer. Tried-and-true leftovers like a bone-in roast chicken or fried rice continue to prove useful, and now joining their ranks are the tidbits that may have been cleared away while dining in: a few spoonfuls of chile oil at the bottom of a bowl, the aromatics leftover from a hearty stir-fry, the last swoosh of hummus from a mezze plate. A true story from my editor: She turned that remaining hummus into a whole new sauce with the addition of some fresh garlic, za’atar, and some boiling water. And those tricks aren’t too difficult to dream up, should you keep the following in mind:
Figure out what you actually like having around
To help you make the most of your leftovers, I first pose the question: What makes for good leftovers in your home? The most important metric of versatility is how well it integrates into what you already like to eat. From there, you can develop a framework of picking cross-functional takeout dishes that serve as a great meal and provide a foundation for tomorrow’s dinner.
For me, that comes primarily in the form of bone-in meats. I drink a lot of soup (as in, no meal is complete without soup) so when I’m able, I’ll opt for a bone-in dish to extract some bones for stock. For many others, it’s all about the sides of bread — pitas, toasts, dinner rolls can all be upcycled into options like panzanella, French toast, or bread pudding while eliminating the need to purchase another grocery item. There’s an entire category of fancy tartines you can integrate into your at-home lifestyle with a half loaf of day-old bread — just add anything quick-pickled in your fridge (like onions or radishes) with some eggs, sautéed greens, or cured meats for an elegant lunch.
Outsource the difficult stuff
A great followup question is: What do you not like to make yourself? Opting for items that can serve double duty should strategically also reduce your headache while prepping and cooking at home. I personally have a very lazy attitude towards marinades — I know they can be magical, but I just don’t like to split up the cooking process with a long wait in the middle. As a result, I often employ any oil-based sauces I have collecting at the bottom of takeout quart as a marinade base; spruce it up with some more salt, vinegar, umami (my favorites being fish sauce and Yondu), and sweetener, and it easily brings the flavor of a dish I already know I enjoy into a new protein. (Thinner broths can also serve as a hands-off brine for tougher, more economical cuts of meat.) Sauces are often another source of frustration, which can be resolved by thickening extra soup, or even blending leftover stews. Pulse a scoop of leftover saag paneer with more herbs and cheese, plus flavorful stock for quick, creamy accompaniment to chicken breast and pasta.
If you can, order some extras
If you are able to order a little extra food, consider what dishes can star as the main ingredient of what you’re making next. Extra larb is fantastic turned into a Bolognese-style sauce or stuffed into bell peppers, added to a stir-fry, or combined with beans and wrapped in a tortilla. Wilted greens, sautéed root vegetables, and other vegetable sides make for a mean frittata or omelet, or when pureed can also serve as a special new dip. Even desserts can be repurposed well: chocolate tortes chopped up, thinned out and turned into a new ganache or a drippy sauce; bits of sweet fillings from cheese to fruit reused for hand pies; neutral mashed sides like potato and cauliflower formed into fluffy donuts.
In our current world, maximizing the utility of every trip outside the house is integral to keeping us safe and also sane — and that goes for both grocery trips and restaurant pickups. Leftovers may not feel sexy the way a new bottle of harissa does (for me pre-COVID, that came in the form of premium milled black sesame powder), but they can absolutely become a secret power in your fridge. The next time you’re ordering takeout this week, ask yourself what you’re in the mood to eat tonight — and tomorrow.
Jenny Dorsey is a professional chef, writer and artist specializing in fusing food with art, technology and social impact.
Photo credits: Takeout container, viafilms/Getty; calendar, Sean Locke/EyeEm/Getty; pita bread, Westend61/Getty; stack of condiment containers, SpalnicRib/Shutterstock; takeout container, photominer/Shutterstock
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