26 Stellar Suzanne Goin Recipes

Victor Protasio
Victor Protasio
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Suzanne Goin is a California chef through and through. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Goin interned at the legendary Ma Maison while in high school and spent time in the kitchen of Alice Waters' Chez Panisse after graduating college. Her work as executive chef at Campanile put her on the culinary map in Los Angeles and laid the groundwork for Lucques, the restaurant she co-founded in 1998. Food & Wine named Goin a Best New Chef in 1999, and in 2006 she received the James Beard Award for Best Chef: California.

Goin's food defines an inimitable Southern California style, reflecting her passion for seasonal cooking, ever-changing menus, and artfully presented dishes bursting with colors and flavors that embrace the beauty and decadence of California farms. These fantastic recipes illustrate just that — including her famous open-face prosciutto, egg, and cheese sandwich; salads built on farmers market finds; and vibrant, fruit-forward desserts. Whether you've had the pleasure of dining at Lucques and A.O.C. or not, you'll definitely want to cook your way through this collection of fresh dishes from Suzanne Goin.

Brioche with Prosciutto, Gruyère, and Egg

© Johnny Miller
© Johnny Miller

"I love a good frisée salad," says Suzanne Goin. "And of course I love toasted, buttery bread, with big slabs of melted cheese and prosciutto and an egg on top." Her sumptuous open-face sandwich, a staple at her A.O.C. wine bar since the place opened in Los Angeles in 2003, combines all her favorite things.

Get the Recipe

Mustard-Crusted Lamb

© Tina Rupp
© Tina Rupp

Suzanne Goin accents leg of lamb by slathering it in a mixture of Dijon mustard, shallots, vermouth, and herbs, then coating it in breadcrumbs combined with brown butter and even more fresh herbs.

Get the Recipe

Chestnut Stuffing with Fennel

© John Kernick
© John Kernick

When Suzanne Goin was a child, making stuffing for the holidays was one of her first forays into cooking. "My mom always used store-bought crumbs, and it became my job to doctor them up," says Goin. "I'd just raid the spice cabinet and the first batches were a little [wild]. But I figured out what I liked best." This chestnut-laced stuffing with pancetta and fennel is adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques. The crispy olive oil-soaked bread cubes on top are especially delectable.

Get the Recipe

Italian Almond Tart

© John Kernick
© John Kernick

This rustic dessert is from the Lombardy region of northern Italy, where it's called sbrisolona. It's crumbly, buttery, and nutty; Suzanne Goin thinks of it as a cross between biscotti and shortbread. She recommends dipping chunks of it into the Champagne-spiked sabayon, an airy dessert sauce made with whipped egg yolks.

Get the Recipe

Roasted Veal Loin with Pickled Golden Raisins

© John Kernick
© John Kernick

Suzanne Goin covers this veal roast with herbs and butter before cooking to get extra-rich pan juices. They're delicious spooned over the exceptionally tender meat and served with the sweet roasted garlic cloves.

Get the Recipe

Tangelo Creamsicles

© Reed Davis
© Reed Davis

Suzanne Goin's refreshing take on a creamsicle is as easy as one-two-eat. It's kind of like a root beer float but with citrus juice as the liquid. All you need is a cup, a spoon, vanilla ice cream, and tangelo juice — but orange juice works just as well.

Get the Recipe

Fregola with Grilled Red Onions and Pine Nuts

© Reed Davis
© Reed Davis

Also known as Italian couscous, fregola is made from semolina flour; grains of the medium variety are about the size of small capers. You can find it at specialty food shops and Italian markets.

Get the Recipe

Lima Bean Puree with Olives and Shaved Pecorino

© Reed Davis
© Reed Davis

Frozen lima beans can be used in place of fresh ones to make this excellent dip.

Get the Recipe

Goin's Grilled Steak with Tomato Bread Salad

© Maura McEvoy
© Maura McEvoy

Suzanne Goin's tender steak needs to marinate overnight, so plan accordingly. You can cut the cherry tomatoes in half for extra juiciness.

Get the Recipe

Summer Fruit Salad with Arugula and Almonds

© Reed Davis
© Reed Davis

Suzanne Goin typically makes this savory and sweet salad with whatever fruit looks best at the market. Ripe green or black figs are some of her favorites and a couple of crushed ones can be used as the base for the vinaigrette, in place of the nectarine.

Get the Recipe

Serrano Ham and Arugula Salad with Pomegranate Salsa

© John Kernick
© John Kernick

This vibrant dish, layered with arugula, bright white slices of ricotta salata, and strips of salty serrano ham, is the sort of composed salad that Suzanne Goin uses to showcase seasonal ingredients. Another of her favorite winter salads is made with blood oranges, dates, and Parmesan cheese.

Get the Recipe

Sweet Sausage, Onion, and Pepper Skewers

© Reed Davis
© Reed Davis

These sausages are wonderful with the intense dark-red condiment harissa. Almost any sausages can be used in this recipe; spicy lamb merguez are especially tasty.

Get the Recipe

Cheesy Baked Pasta with Sweet Potatoes and Radicchio

© Peggy Wong
© Peggy Wong

This indulgent recipe, adapted from Suzanne Goin's 2013 A.O.C. Cookbook, combines thick, tubular torchio pasta with a cheesy sauce, sweet potato chunks, radicchio slices, pecans, and even more cheese.

Get the Recipe

Bratwurst with Mustardy Fried Potatoes and Braised Cabbage

© Peggy Wong
© Peggy Wong

"I don't usually love potato salad," says Suzanne Goin. "But I adore the way the fried potatoes soak up the mustardy vinaigrette." It's great with bratwurst as well as almost any sausage.

Get the Recipe

Green Garlic Soubise

Victor Protasio
Victor Protasio

This green garlic soubise is the perfect complement to wine-braised beef. Think of it as a risotto in reverse — loads of melted, tender onions and green garlic are suspended in a rice-thickened cream sauce. It adds a contrasting richness to any braise.

Get the Recipe

Winter Citrus with Frozen Yogurt and Pistachios

Victor Protasio
Victor Protasio

Suzanne Goin, the chef at the famed Lucques in Los Angeles, marked 20 years of business in 2018 with a dinner that celebrated her now-classic blend of French cuisine and California produce. This light winter dessert celebrates citrus and dresses it up with browned butter, frozen yogurt, and sbrisolona.

Get the Recipe

Grilled King Salmon with Meyer Lemon Relish

Victor Protasio
Victor Protasio

Floral and lightly acidic salsa brings out the buttery, rich flavors of grilled king salmon. Salmon is meaty enough to stay intact on a grill and gets meltingly tender as it cooks. Serve leftover salsa with grilled lamb, chicken, or pork.

Get the Recipe

Persimmons, Pomegranate, and Purslane with Pepitas

Victor Protasio
Victor Protasio

Goin refers to this salad as "The 4 Ps" and thinks of it as a persimmon salad with an arugula garnish, rather than the other way around.

Get the Recipe

"Ode to Zuni" Roast Chicken with Fennel Panzanella

© Peggy Wong
© Peggy Wong

When Suzanne Goin makes this homage to the legendary chicken at Zuni Café in San Francisco, she confits the whole chicken in duck fat. For this simplified version, she brushes the bird with the duck fat before roasting.

Get the Recipe

Soft Polenta with Mixed Mushrooms and Gremolata

© Peggy Wong
© Peggy Wong

Suzanne Goin adores the straightforward flavors in this vegetarian dish: the sautéed mushrooms and greens, and the tangy mascarpone that melts into the creamy polenta.

Get the Recipe

Roasted Carrots with Beet Puree, Goat Cheese, and Hazelnuts

Victor Protasio
Victor Protasio

These carrots, roasted and topped with a tangy beet puree, goat cheese, and toasted hazelnuts, are a celebration of produce and flavor. If Spanish Monte Enebro is not available, substitute French Ovalie Cendrée or fresh chèvre.

Get the Recipe

Strip Steak Sandwiches

© Rick Lew
© Rick Lew

For this sandwich, Suzanne Goin marinates meat in olive oil blended with lemon zest, rosemary, and crushed red pepper before she grills it to medium-rare perfection. Thinly sliced strips are layered onto toasted crusty rolls with juicy tomatoes and homemade olive relish.

Get the Recipe

Grilled Pork with Coconut Rice and Lemongrass Sambal

© Peggy Wong
© Peggy Wong

After eating sambal in Bali, chef Suzanne Goin created a version to serve with pork that's fragrant with lemongrass and makrut lime.

Get the Recipe

Lemony Halibut Skewers with Charmoula

© Reed Davis
© Reed Davis

These skewers are based on one of Suzanne Goin's favorite dishes at her wine bar A.O.C. — grilled yellowtail with Meyer lemon and charmoula, a cilantro-based Moroccan marinade and condiment traditionally served with fish.

Get the Recipe

The Farmer's Plate

© Peggy Wong
© Peggy Wong

Suzanne Goin calls this "a vegetable antipasto through a Southern California lens." It features roasted vegetables, burrata, and the Middle Eastern walnut dip muhammara.

Get the Recipe

Beer-Steamed Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce

© David Malosh
© David Malosh

This recipe comes courtesy of Suzanne Goin and her husband, David Lentz — he’s been cooking beer-steamed shrimp for his family for years. It’s easily scaled up to serve even more people.

Get the Recipe

For more Food & Wine news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Food & Wine.