Restaurant-inspired dishes to make at home

This past week, the L.A. Times’ annual list of the 101 best restaurants in Los Angeles came out. Our restaurant critic, Bill Addison, works tirelessly for months (all year long, really) to narrow down all the restaurants in Southern California into a succinct list for our readers. It’s an unenviable task because there are so many great restaurants to choose from; I would never be able to pick only 101. As you flip through his list, I hope you’ll be surprised by some places you’ve never heard of and pleasantly reassured that your favorites also make his list. I know I was.

But between all those restaurant meals that you’ll inevitably be planning to get to at all the spots you want to try out, you’re going to need to cook at home at least a few nights in between. But why not keep the restaurant excitement going? To quell that hunger, here are some of my favorite recipes from our archives that come directly from Los Angeles restaurants, showing that, even when you’re cooking at home, you can still be inspired by the great chefs of this city.

If you’ve got a holiday party coming up, try serving up Jitlada’s Nam Prik Goong, a bright shrimp, garlic and chile dip perfect for serving with lots of cold, crunchy vegetables. Or, set out a pan of Somni’s Gambas al Ajillo, a dish of gently cooked shrimp sizzled in fragrant toasted garlic oil and perked up with sherry and lemon juice.

For a quick and easy dinner to balance all the holiday richness, I love Campanile’s Crispy Flattened Chicken, a spin on the ubiquitous brick chicken — you weight chicken breasts with a brick, or a heavy pan, to ensure its skin evenly renders and browns and the meat cooks evenly — with small slivers of garlic tucked under the skin to give the meat exceptional flavor.

And for some holiday baking projects, try making the now-closed Auburn restaurant’s Pan-Roasted Honey Brioche, a lavish sweet bread literally basted in honey butter until it’s soft and pillowy inside and sticky-sweet outside. Surprise your family with these over the holidays and you won’t need to get them presents.

And for a simpler baking project, Sqirl’s Sourdough Scone recipe can’t be beat. Honey, sourdough starter and orange zest add dimension to the scone dough, which is meant to be a template for whatever spices, jams or fresh fruit you have on hand and want to incorporate. Make a batch and freeze them so you can pop a few scones in the oven over the holidays as you want them and get that warm fresh bakery scone without ever having to leave the comfort of your couch.

Nam Prik Goong

Funky, salty and shrimpy, this dipping sauce comes from Jazz Singsanong of Jitlada restaurant. It’s meant for serving with cool, raw vegetables but works as a condiment for noodles, rice or other Thai dishes too. The recipe, as Singsanong makes it, turns out a pretty fiery dip; use fewer chiles for a milder option.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 20 minutes.

(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)

Gambas al Ajillo

This recipe uses sherry to round out the flavors of this classic Spanish dish. You can double the quantities below for a larger serving; just be sure to use a larger pot as well to avoid overcrowding the shrimp.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 15 minutes.

(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)

Crispy Flattened Chicken

Originally published in “The Food of Campanile” in 1997, this recipe for chicken breasts cooked under a weight yields perfectly cooked, moist chicken. The slivers of garlic under the skin flavor the meat and help the separated skin to render well and become crisp.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 35 minutes.

Pan-Roasted Honey Brioche

This caramel-coated brioche has the yeasty depth of sourdough, buttery richness and an almost custardy eggyness. The main technique requires serving the brioche right away and works best if you’re making just one to four at a time simultaneously.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 3 hours, plus 3 days proofing.

(Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)

Sqirl’s Sourdough Scones

This scone dough was created as an all-purpose base for whatever seasonal fruits, spices and other flavorings you want. The whole-grain spelt flour and sourdough starter add wonderful nuttiness and tanginess to the baked scones.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 1 1/2 hours.

(Ben Mims / Los Angeles Times)