Skillet

In my flurry of experimenting, I found that virgin coconut oil had a deep coconut flavor that persists even after cooking. Refined coconut oil, which has been processed enough to raise the temperature at which it begins to smoke, lacks the same coconut profundity, but supposedly works better for stir- and deep-frying. In my recipe testing, however, the smoke point of virgin coconut oil was not a problem.

Some cooks struggle with undercooking scallops, even when they have been sliced in half, so they would cook even more quickly. Even with whole scallops, by the time the deep brown caramelization envelops the scallop; they are well on their way to medium. With an additional 30 seconds in the pan, letting residual heat do its thang, they’re perfect.

One-pot meals are low maintenance, easy to clean up, and offer lots of great flavors in one vessel. You can make something stewy on top of the stove, or layer everything in a handsome baking dish and use the oven. Here, haddock or cod is roasted with tomatoes, onions, and potatoes tossed with olive oil, oregano, and herbs. Before you cook it, marinate the fish in the herbs. While that sits, layer yellow potatoes, a chopped Spanish onion, and tomatoes in the baking dish. Roast until fork tender.