Night Kitchen
The recipe book
Night Kitchen’s recipe book holds 175 real dishes, and a plate that matches one gets its name, a little forgiveness from the guest and an extra coin. These are notes on 40 of them: where each dish comes from, how its flavors balance and what it takes to cook it at the pass.
How a plate becomes a dish
Every dish in the book has key cards, an exact set of techniques (or none, for a raw dish) and sometimes a flavor it has to reach, such as a French onion soup that must taste sweet enough. Send a plate that meets all three, with at most one extra ingredient, and the guest names it. A named dish is forgiven two points of miss, because the guest knows what it is meant to taste like.
The book starts empty. A dish you have not found yet is listed as Not found yet in its course, with a hint from one of the regulars when one of them knows it: tonight’s special is always one of those, and its cards arrive with the delivery. For how each flavor pulls against the others, see the flavor guide.
Soups
- French onion soupFranceOnions cooked down until mahogany, simmered in stock, under a lid of bread and melted Gruyère.
- New England clam chowderNew England, United StatesClams, potatoes and onion in a creamy broth, the white chowder of the New England coast.
- Miso soupJapanMiso stirred into hot broth with soft tofu and scallions.
- GazpachoAndalusia, southern SpainCold Andalusian soup of raw tomatoes and cucumber, sharpened with vinegar.
- AvgolemonoGreeceGreek chicken soup thickened with egg and lemon.
- PhoNorthern VietnamVietnamese beef and rice noodle soup, its broth built on charred ginger and warm spices.
- Tom kha gaiThailandThai chicken soup in coconut milk, soured with lime.
- CongeeChina and across East and Southeast AsiaRice simmered until it breaks down into a silky porridge, with ginger and scallions.
Small plates
- CevichePeru and the Pacific coast of Latin AmericaRaw fish firmed in lime juice, with onion and chili.
- PotstickersNorthern ChinaPork and cabbage dumplings browned on the bottom and steamed on top.
- HummusThe LevantChickpeas blended smooth with tahini and lemon.
- Patatas bravasMadrid, SpainFried potatoes under a hot tomato sauce, a Spanish bar staple.
- Garlic shrimpSpainShrimp sizzled in oil with garlic and chili, the Spanish gambas al ajillo.
- Scallion pancakesChinaFlaky pan-fried flatbreads laced with scallions.
- GravlaxScandinaviaSalmon cured under salt, sugar and dill, sliced thin.
- Smashed cucumber saladChinaCucumbers cracked open and dressed with vinegar and garlic.
Mains
- Chicken adoboThe PhilippinesFilipino chicken braised in vinegar, soy sauce and garlic.
- ShakshukaNorth Africa, especially TunisiaEggs poached in a spiced tomato and pepper sauce.
- Mapo tofuChengdu, Sichuan, ChinaSoft tofu and pork in a fiery Sichuan sauce.
- BibimbapKoreaKorean rice bowl with greens, an egg and red pepper paste, crisped in a hot bowl.
- Spaghetti carbonaraRome, ItalyRoman pasta in a silky sauce of egg, cheese and crisp pork.
- Chana masalaNorth India and Pakistan, especially PunjabChickpeas in a spiced tomato and onion gravy.
- TonkatsuJapanA breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet, served with shredded cabbage.
- Roast chicken with lemon and garlicHome kitchens everywhereChicken roasted with lemon and garlic until the skin crackles.
Sides
- ColcannonIrelandIrish mashed potatoes with cabbage and a well of butter.
- ColeslawThe Netherlands, by way of the United StatesShredded cabbage and carrot in a sharp dressing.
- PolentaNorthern ItalyCornmeal simmered soft, finished with butter and Parmesan.
- Gratin dauphinoisThe Dauphiné, southeastern FranceThin potatoes baked slowly in garlicky cream.
- CornbreadThe United States, from Native American cookingA quick bread of cornmeal and milk, baked in a hot pan.
- RatatouilleProvence, France, especially NiceProvençal stew of eggplant, tomatoes and onion.
- MujadaraThe Levant and the wider Arab worldLentils and rice under a heap of deeply browned onions.
- Cucumber raitaThe Indian subcontinentCool yogurt with cucumber and toasted cumin.
Desserts
- Panna cottaPiedmont, northern ItalySweetened cream set softly and served cold.
- Crème brûléeFrance, with English and Catalan cousinsBaked custard under a crackling lid of burnt sugar.
- Tarte tatinLamotte-Beuvron, FranceApples caramelized in the pan, baked under pastry and turned out upside down.
- PavlovaAustralia and New ZealandA crisp, soft-centered meringue piled with cream and berries.
- Rice puddingMany kitchens worldwideRice simmered slowly in sweet milk.
- FlanSpain, Latin America and the PhilippinesBaked milk custard turned out in its own caramel.
- Sticky toffee puddingEnglandA date sponge soaked in toffee sauce.
- Lemon possetEnglandCream boiled with sugar and set by lemon juice alone, served cold.