136 dark recipes

A tropical rum cocktail blending dark rum, coconut rum, banana liqueur, and fresh fruit juices with a splash of grenadine and honey. Island vibes in every sip.

Cantonese roast duck rubbed with hoisin, five spice, sherry, and brown bean sauce, then slow-roasted until the skin turns lacquered and crackling. A Chinatown classic at home.

Whole chicken pieces baked in a sticky brown sugar and orange juice glaze, finished with plump dark sweet cherries. A fruity, golden one-pan dinner for eight.

Hot Hunan hoagies pile garlic-ginger marinated steak on toasted Kaiser rolls with a sesame-soy relish of mushrooms, peppers, and scallions. Asian-fusion sandwich with serious bite.

Chinese red-braised beef (hong shao niu rou) with dark soy, sherry, star anise, and ginger. Slow-simmered chuck cubes glazed in a glossy mahogany sauce.

Country ham simmered in apple cider with ginger and peppercorns, then finished with an applesauce-mustard-brown sugar glaze. Southern holiday centerpiece that feeds 25.

Thai-style broiled pork rib strips marinated in soy sauce, whiskey, galangal, Szechuan peppercorns, and warm spices. Broiled until crispy-edged and brushed with sweet chili sauce.

Buttery spice cookies with crystallized ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and a dusting of powdered sugar. Pressed thin and baked until light golden, these make-ahead cookies keep for a week or freeze for a month.

Another favorite recipe, courtesy of Grandma. Serve over hot cooked rice and topped with chow mein noodles.

Rich gluten-free chocolate cake with almond meal, raw cacao, and coconut sugar. Includes chocolate ganache topping for 15 servings.

Beer and cheddar onion soup made with deeply caramelized onions, dark beer reduced by half, and sharp cheddar blended into a velvety smooth broth with a hint of nutmeg.

Parchment wrapped chicken: tender chicken strips marinated in ginger-soy, tossed with bean sprouts, scallions, and walnuts, folded into parchment parcels and steamed. A classic Chinese restaurant appetizer made at home.

Chinese halibut grills thick steaks marinated in fresh ginger, scallion, light and dark soy, rice wine and toasted sesame oil. Charcoal-grilled in under 15 minutes for clean, smoky-savory weeknight fish.

Ginger barbecue chicken baked in a homemade sauce of tomato paste, fresh ginger, dark brown sugar, soy sauce, and liquid smoke. Sweet, tangy, and smoky.

Semur banka: Indonesian braised beef in dark soy sauce with tamarind, molasses, ginger, garlic, and nutmeg. Low and slow for 2 hours until fork-tender and saucy.

Oven barbecued brisket with a spiced shallot rub and tangy tomato-brown sugar sauce. Braised low and slow until fork-tender. No smoker required for deep, slow-cooked flavor.