Shrimp

There is no better use for leftover rice than chahan. A brief trip in a pan resurrects the grains and a few pantry ingredients—little more than eggs, oil, and salt—transform tired rice into a super-satisfying meal. To give the humble dish a little flair, I whip up a saucy broth filled with vegetables and shrimp and pour it on at the last minute. Of course, you can add any ingredients you like—peas or asparagus, kimchi or Japanese pickles, pork, or even, as I do at Morimoto Napa, duck confit.

Add ready-peeled shrimp to tomato sauce spiked with fennel and chiles for a fast and flavorful weeknight dinner.

Keep frozen shrimp in your freezer and a few staples like rice and coconut milk on hand and you can whip up this one-pot dinner any night of the week.

Frying ukoy the Bad Saint way is a very active process­—the fritter will blow apart in the oil before you tease it back together. Use a tall pot with plenty of extra room since the oil will bubble vigorously when the mix hits it.

This classic New Orleans-style shrimp is dipped in buttermilk then coated in cornmeal before frying for a flavorful crunchy exterior.

These dim sum–style shrimp toasts make a surprisingly simple—and utterly addictive—at-home snack. With this method, you don’t even need a deep fryer to pull them off.