High summer is the ideal time for a cold supper, especially this year, with the temperatures soaring out of control.
Even in extreme heat, you still want to eat well, but keep the cooking simple, even when you have friends coming over. Thinking about the menu and the season, I was leaning toward traditional picnic fare — deviled eggs, shrimp cocktail, potato salad — but I wanted them all to be just a bit zippier than usual.
Credit…Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
Everyone loves deviled eggs, right? They’re a little fiddly but worth the effort, and these have a nice kick and plenty of flavor. You must have hard-cooked eggs. I find lowering eggs into rapidly simmering water for 10 minutes, before plunging them into ice-cold water to halt the cooking, to be just right.
Once they’re cooled, I also crack each egg all over against the countertop and put it back into the water for a few minutes. The theory is that this lets water seep between the shell and the egg, allowing for easy peeling and smooth firm whites. I have found the method works well 99 percent of the time, though I always cook an extra egg or two just in case.
Halving the eggs, take care to remove the cooked yolks so you don’t damage the cooked egg white “boat.” Then, mash the yolks in a small bowl with the seasonings: Dijon mustard, serrano chile, lime zest and juice, and chopped dill, mint or tarragon. I often replace the traditional dollop of mayonnaise with softened butter. This adds a creamy texture and makes the filling a bit firmer, without the worry of leaving the mayo out in warm weather. Though the stuffed eggs look fine simply sprinkled with snipped chives, they are spectacular with a few bright marigold petals on top (or calendula or nasturtium).
Credit…Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
For the main course, a pile of cold shrimp and a big bowl of potato salad fit the cold-supper bill perfectly.
Do take the trouble to cook your own shrimp, which will be fresher tasting and cheaper than store-bought cooked shrimp. I usually get frozen large wild-caught shrimp, which are thawed, peeled and deveined — ask someone to help if it seems daunting, but the work goes quickly.
A chef friend turned me on to the trick of quick-cured shrimp tossed with kosher salt and bit of baking soda. The shrimp get 20 minutes in this mixture and a rinse before a brief hot bath enhanced with lemon slices and bay leaves. With this method, once cooled, the shrimp are firm and juicy.
There’s nothing wrong with a horseradishy spicy tomato-based red cocktail sauce, but I came up with a bright green version, made with broiled tomatillos, cilantro and jalapeño, and it was a hit.
Credit…Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
I love a good potato salad, but I’m more inclined to make one with a vinaigrette rather than a mayo-based dressing. This one is a gorgeous turmeric-hued yellow. So pretty, I thought it needed yellow or orange cherry tomatoes, too, to add juicy texture and to emphasize the color. Cumin, nigella seeds and scallions add depth. You boil and peel the potatoes, cut them into slices or wedges and dress them, letting them marinate at cool room temperature. Add the cherry tomatoes closer to serving, along with Thai basil or mint leaves.
Credit…Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
To me, blackberries are synonymous with late summer. I just adore them, especially the wild ones picked straight from the brambles. Cultivated blackberries from the farmers’ market or backyard plot are great, too, and I love the elongated cousin called olallieberry.
I especially like combining summery blackberries with lemon and cream. An easy way to get there is by pairing a bowl of juicy berries with lemon sorbet and blob of whipped cream. But, if you’re up for it, a festive blackberry Napoleon is relatively easy and fun to assemble, using store-bought puff pastry. Once the components are ready — the pastry, the lemon curd, the whipped cream and the berries — it takes only a few minutes and is basically a dessert sandwich. Scattered with juicy berries and topped with another pastry layer, it’s a dreamy finale for a fine cold supper.
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