Weeknight Kitchen with Melissa Clark American Public Media

In this episode, Melissa explains why the sheet pan is a game-changer for home cooks with a simple recipe for Harissa Chicken with Leeks, Potatoes & Yogurt.

Melissa comes home to an empty refrigerator save for eggs, scallions and some sad sage, and ends up showing us an amazing recipe and technique for Olive Oil Fried Eggs with Scallions, Sage and Turkish Red Pepper.

Who doesn’t need another weeknight salmon recipe? Melissa has a fresh take on the world's most popular fish with her version of a classic, Vietnamese Caramel Salmon. Thirty minutes start to finish. Plus, the way to get the fishy smell off your fingers and how to tell if a jalapeño pepper is hot, before you taste it.

Melissa brings us her Herbed Parmesan Dutch Baby, a delicious golden cloud of a pancake that comes puffed and fragrant from the oven. It’s great for breakfast of course, but Melissa's twist? She serves it as an hors d’oeuvre with cocktails. What a way to kickstart an evening. Plus, how to really measure flour. And people — put down the pre-ground pepper!

Melissa’s friend and Top Chef judge Gail Simmons stops by to work through a recipe she first tasted in Bali. Her Shrimp and Grapefruit Salad with Ginger-Chili Dressing is simple and absolutely delicious. Plus, the secret to super-flavorful poached shrimp, how to make a grapefruit multitask, and the importance of an ice bath. Gail’s latest book is Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes From a Life of Adventurous Eating.

Melissa tells us how to change our weeknight chicken game with one technique, spatchcocking, and puts it to work with her recipe for Chicken and Grapes with Sherry Vinegar. Also, to rinse or not to rinse your raw chicken, why you should be excited about gizzards and necks, how to help get crispy skin, and an essential lesson in how to make a pan sauce. Equipment Used in This Episode: Heavy Duty Kitchen Shears, Marble Mortar and Pestle Set, Nordic Ware Sheet Pans, Silicone Oven Mitts.