YURA’S MEALS-TO-GO

Here are some highlights from this week’s Meals-to-Go:

The secret behind Poached Asian Sea Bass is the gentle poaching broth itself, a fusion of our house-made dashi and chicken stocks. That broth goes on to become Shiitake-Scallion-Ginger Sauce, seasoned with tamari and a touch of rice vinegar. In a contrast of cooking methods, Sesame Roasted Bok Choy and Sweet Peppers are the product of a short time in a high oven. The bridge between the two is simple brown Japanese Sushi Rice.  

This meal is a testament to Buddy’s Upstate upbringing, where winter hunkering and eating well weren’t mutually exclusive. While root cellar fare might have become wearisome to others, he found romance in Rosemary-Roasted Potatoes and Carrot-Parsnip-Celery Root Puree, alluring. What better main course to anchor all this winter bounty than Country Meatloaf—a vehicle for one more cold-storage conquest, Caramelized-Onion Gravy.

We dredge chicken in a Louisiana spice mix that would make Paul Prudhomme proud, and skillet-fry the pieces, leaving all those seasoned browned bits collecting in the pan. They become a flavor bomb fundamental to Chicken-Andouille Sausage Gumbo’s rich gravy, along with a creole mirepoix of bell peppers, celery and onions. And woo-hoo what about that toasty, nutty roux—so essential for the alchemy transforming chicken stock into a plush velouté. This dish wants no more than aromatic Green Onion Rice. Sprinkle it with those Cracklings that come on the side!

Dress your home table with a basket of peasant bread and fragrant olive oil for dipping, because there’s no restaurant in the city you’ll get better Greek Pastitsio than this. It’s an icon of tubular pasta, aromatic meat sauce, topped with a thick layer of nutmeg-flecked béchamel—and Wednesday’s deep-dish MTG. The macaroni-layer of each statuesque square is made using bucatini, that otherwise unwieldy whipper-snapper of a pasta, cut down to size.

We’ve crushed tomatoes through a sieve, and fried them with garlic, onions, ginger and shallots, to make a simple Silky Tomato Sauce with coconut milk and finished with scallions and cilantro. It brings brilliant flavor to Oven-Baked Salmon, and colorful contrast to Snow Peas and Green Beans with Shallot Crumble. Served with ultra-moist Creamy Coconut Rice. Melt that dollop of Cilantro Butter right into it!