21 Most-Loved Melissa Clark Recipes From Food & Wine

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Prolific cookbook author, recipe developer and food writer Melissa Clark has produced an extraordinary 40-plus cookbooks during her career to date, with no indication that she plans to slow down. She entered the profession as a Columbia MFA student, after attending a class led by the sharp-tongued food writer and memoirist Betty Fussell. The two share some stylistic traits: both are forthright and unpretentious. Although Clark has been a staff writer at the New York Times since 2012, Food & Wine has featured dozens of recipes from her cookbooks over the years.

In my home, where certain Clark recipes are made annually and others monthly - or even more often - we simply call her “Melissa”. When we put one of her dishes in front of dinner-party guests, we say, “It’s a Melissa Clark recipe,” as though that tells them all they could possibly need or wish to know. Across her extensive and diverse body of work, one common thread stands out to me: bold flavour and contrast. I have never cooked one of her recipes, whether sweet or savoury, that was remotely bland; nor are her methods either overly fussy or dependent on shortcuts. She asks only for the amount of work a dish truly needs, and the finished result is invariably worthwhile. It is little wonder that we are such devoted fans.

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Spiced Pork Chops with Buttery Peas, Radishes, and Mint

Clark browns spice-coated pork chops in butter, before adding peas, radishes and herbs to the pan. As this one-pan meal finishes roasting in the oven, the vegetables absorb the delicious browned juices.

Vanilla-Roasted Peaches

At summer’s height, Clark roasts halved ripe peaches in a fragrant vanilla syrup, leaving them soft around the edges but bright in the middle. Serve warm alongside vanilla ice cream.

Puffy Spoonbread with Corn, Crab, and Roasted Red Peppers

Suitable for breakfast, lunch or supper, this spoonbread begins with a buttermilk and cornmeal batter that rises and sets into a savoury custard. Sweetness and colour come from fresh corn, jumbo lump crab, roasted red peppers, spring onions and coriander.

Pumpkin Cream Pie in a Chocolate Crust

Clark bakes a smooth pumpkin custard in a crisp biscuit crust for a Thanksgiving-suitable pudding that highlights the appealing contrast of bittersweet chocolate and warming spices.

Quinoa Egg Bowl with Pecorino

Drawing inspiration from Caesar salad, Clark combines warm quinoa with crisp-tender greens, sugar snap peas and a soft egg with a runny yolk. A garlicky lemon dressing, generously enriched with Pecorino, brings the bowl together.

Marseille-Style Prawn Stew

For this knife-and-fork stew, Clark simmers jumbo prawns with fennel, onion, white wine, tomatoes, clam juice and saffron. Toast spread with speedy rouille is the ideal tool for mopping up its brothy, garlic-rich sauce.

Roasted Kabocha with Maple Syrup and Ginger

Clark oven-roasts kabocha wedges with maple syrup, olive oil, fresh ginger and thyme, until the squash is deeply tender and its edges have caramelised. This straightforward make-ahead side is equally good at room temperature.

Mashed Potato Casserole with Sage and Fontina

Clark boosts mashed potato with crème fraîche, butter, parsley and sage, then stirs through Fontina for extra melt and stretch. Once baked, a generous topping of Parmesan-flecked breadcrumbs forms a pleasingly crisp crust.

Cuban Flank Steak

Clark marinates flank steak in citrus, oregano, garlic and cumin, before grilling it until juicy and lightly charred. She reserves some of the marinade for a lively sauce to serve with sweet mango, along with lime wedges for squeezing.

Speedy Ratatouille with Goat Cheese

Rather than simmering all the ingredients slowly in one pan, Clark quickly cooks the aubergine, courgette, squash, onion and pepper in batches, allowing each vegetable to retain its identity. Tomatoes soften into a loose sauce, while crumbled mature goat’s cheese scattered over each bowl provides tangy creaminess.

Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil

Clark marinates thin chicken escalopes in lemon, garlic and thyme, grills them, then nestles them in slim bread rolls with mozzarella and tomato.

Buckwheat Salad with Mushrooms and Parsley Oil

Taking inspiration from her grandmother’s kasha varnishkes, Clark leaves out the pasta and focuses on earthy buckwheat with mushrooms and fennel. Vibrant parsley oil, balsamic vinegar and lemon keep the salad fresh-tasting.

Chicken Quesadillas with Blue Cheese and Caramelised Onions

Clark fills tortillas with shredded grilled chicken, slowly caramelised onions and crumbled blue cheese, then bakes them until the outside is toasted and the centre is molten.

Chicken Dijon

Clark braises chicken drumsticks into a mustard-led stew, thickening its sauce with tangy crème fraîche. Tarragon, coriander and crusty bread served alongside complete this comforting meal.

Creamy Spinach-and-Prawn Dip

Clark blends spinach, coriander, spring onions, jalapeño, mayonnaise, cream cheese and lime, then pulses through chopped cooked prawns to create a party-ready spread that is briny and bright. Chill it before serving, allowing the peppers, herbs and citrus to meld.

Red Pepper, Garlic, and Pecorino Gougères

Clark incorporates strained red pepper purée into choux pastry, resulting in light gougères with gentle sweetness and a faint rosy colour. They are excellent served hot, warm or at room temperature.

Mustard and Rosemary Roast Turkey

Clark roasts the turkey in separate pieces - dividing the dark meat from the white - to ensure it all cooks evenly and remains succulent. A Dijon and rosemary rub scents the bird, while a make-ahead port-and-black-pepper gravy means you are practically finished once it reaches the carving board.

Asparagus Carbonara

Clark applies carbonara’s signature flavours - pancetta, egg yolk and Parmesan - to vivid green asparagus spears. It delivers much of the classic pasta dish’s flavour, alongside the snap and sweetness of the spring vegetable.

Sweet Potato–Coconut Soup with Thai Curry

Clark makes a fragrant purée from sweet potatoes, Thai red curry paste, ginger and garlic. Three forms of coconut - coconut oil, coconut milk and toasted coconut flakes - add layers of richness, while lime juice keeps each bowl lively.

Poached Salmon in a Fresh Herb and Spring Pea Broth

Clark gently poaches salmon in a strained broth made with white wine, herbs, aromatics and lemon zest, adding the peas at the final stage to preserve their vivid colour and sweetness.

Fresh Corn Risotto

Clark stirs a traditional risotto until it is creamy, then incorporates fresh corn kernels for sweetness and a crisp pop. Parmesan and butter add savoury depth, while the corn leaves the entire bowl tasting bright and seasonal.