You’ve watched so many cooking shows now while socially distancing, isolating, and trying to keep yourself and your family sane, maybe it’s time to take your cooking skills to the next level. And we mean “Best Miami Restaurants” next level. Push aside the endless pizza, hamburgers and mashed potatoes. Because even though plenty of Miami restaurants are offering takeout and delivery during lockdown, nothing beats the satisfaction of recreating your favorite dishes, in your own kitchen – especially if you get them right the first time!

So, if you’re up for the challenge, we’ve got the recipes to best-sellers from some of Miami’s most cherished kitchens. Yes, these chefs were generous enough to share their secrets for some easy-to-cook to you-need-skills kind of dishes to take on that do-it-yourself attitude in your home test kitchen. So get ready, roll up your sleeves, don that apron, and whip out your inner Top Chef as these are nine damn good recipes from favorite Miami restaurants to try at home right now.

Breakfast

Café Bastille – Benjamin Amsallem

French Toast – A fancy pick-me-up for breakfast, brunch, or an evening snack, straight from your very French, Downtown Miami cafe. Don’t forget with your choice of bubbly and your favorite berries. Serves 4.

Ingredients

1. Batter

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 beaten eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

2. Toast and Topping

• 1 brioche loaf
• Berries (or other fruit)
• Maple syrup (or another favorite sauce)
• Powdered sugar

DIY

• Mix all dry batter ingredients together (sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg)
• Whisk remaining batter ingredients together (milk, heavy cream, eggs)
• Blend both dry and wet batter mixtures together slowly, set aside
• Cut brioche loaf into 1-inch slices, dip each slice into the batter mix
• Cook in a hot pan with butter until dark honey-colored on both sides
• Top with sliced fruit of choice, powdered sugar, and maple or other syrup

Best served with berries, chocolate syrup, or even bacon bits plus a chilled glass of juice

Lunch/Dinner

Coyo Taco – Scott Linquist

Chilaquiles con huevos - Leave to this creative Wynwood (Brickell and Coral Gables, too) taco joint to come up with an easy-to-make alternative to crispy tacos; little chefs can join in to help, too. Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 8 eggs (scrambled or sunny side up)
• 8 oz of tortilla chips
• 12 oz jar of salsa verde
• 4 oz of Mexican crema or sour cream
• 16 oz grated cheese (white cheddar or Monterey Jack)
• 8 oz refried black beans
• 4 oz pico de gallo
• Guacamole (optional)
• 4 tbsp cotija cheese
• Chopped cilantro to sprinkle a pinch on each serving

DIY

• Add chips, salsa, sour cream, and half the grated cheese into a large bowl
• Toss until all chips are evenly coated with the sauce, cream, and cheese mix
• Place mixture in a large baking dish, top with remaining cheese
• Bake in a 350-degree preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until cheese is fully melted and chips lightly browned
• Place spoonful of warm black beans in the center of each serving bowl
• Add a layer of chilaquiles to each
• Top with eggs and spoonful of sour cream
• Add a sprinkling of cotija cheese and pico de gallo
• Garnish with cilantro
• Top off with sliced avocado or guacamole (optional)

Best served with cooked chorizo, shredded chicken, or browned ground beef for a filling meal.

Zuma

Grilled Sake Glazed Chicken Wings - An easy and soulful Asian treat for so-called adults that’s one of the most-ordered dishes from Downtown Miami’s most-coveted restaurants. 

Ingredients

• Medium-sized chicken wings (flats only)
• Bamboo skewers (presoaked in water for 5 min.)
• Sake
• Mirin
• Kosher salt
• Maldon sea salt
• Lime

DIY

• Cut off quarter-inch of wing ends to slightly reveal bone (optional to reduce cooking time and make easy to eat)
• Skewer the chicken, piercing between bone and skin – place only two wings per skewer, keep a separation of an inch-and-a-half
• Rub/spray generous amount of sake on skewered wings
• Season both sides of chicken with a generous amount of salt
• Place chicken skin-side down on elevated rack above grill or grill pan
• Cook on medium-high heat
• Cook skin-side down until crispy and slightly blistered (approx. 6-7 minutes)
• Flip meat-side down, cook for additional 4-5 minutes
• Spray both sides with mirin, cook until golden brown, crispy and blistered (approx. 1 minute) – little charing acceptable
• Serve with a squeeze of lime juice and a sprinkling of sea salt to taste

Best served with a side of Sake for that extra kick

Lido Bayside Grill at The Standard Spa and Hotel

Scallops with Aji Amarillo Potatoes and Huacatay BBQ - A fine reminder of what nights out on the town used to look like, bayside view and all on the Venetian Islands; gathering ingredients could be challenging.

Serves 3-4.

Ingredients

1. Aji Amarillo Potatoes

• 6 Yukon gold potatoes (about 2lbs)
• 3 tbsp aji amarillo paste
• 1/2 lb butter
• 1 tsp salt

2. Huacatay BBQ

• 2/3 cup huacatay paste
• 1-1/2 cup agave
• 5 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp squid ink

3. Scallops

• 12-14 scallops
• 1-2 tbsp grapeseed oil
• Salt and white pepper to taste

DIY

• Peel and boil potatoes until soft
• Blend together aji amarillo paste, butter, and salt in a food processor
• Drain cooked potatoes, push through sieve or ricer to puree
• Fold together pureed potatoes and paste from the food processor
• Blend all huacatay barbecue ingredients on high, set aside
• Pat dry raw scallops on a towel
• Place a sauté pan on medium-high heat
• Add grapeseed oil to the hot pan, wait for smoke to rise
• Season scallops with salt and white pepper, place carefully in heated oil
• Sear scallops until golden brown on both sides (around 2 minutes per side)
• Serve with mashed potatoes and barbecue sauce

Best served with Chardonnay

Sawa

Seafood Risotto – An easy-to-follow recipe for a rich, Italian crowd-pleaser from this Coral Gables restaurant blending Japanese and Mediterranean cuisines. Serves 2.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cup vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 6 extra jumbo shrimp (size 16/20), cleaned and deveined
• 4 oz calamari, cleaned and cut into thin rings
• 1 Maine lobster tail (8 oz)
• 1/2 cup plum tomatoes, peeled, crushed, and seeded
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/2 tsp garlic, chopped
• 4 oz olive oil
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 tbsp salt and freshly ground black pepper

DYI

• Warm vegetable stock over medium heat in small saucepan
• Warm olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat
• Add onions to large saucepan and sauté
• Stir occasionally to allow onions to sweat for around 5 minutes
• Add rice to large saucepan and stir 5 minutes
• Wait for rice and onions to turn translucent, do not let them turn any darker
• Add wine and cook till fully absorbed
• Add 3/4 cup of vegetable stock to large saucepan and simmer
• Cook rice until al dente, keep stirring occasionally (approx. 10-12 minutes) - if rice is too hard, add more vegetable stock
• Add garlic, shrimp, calamari, lobster, tomatoes, salt, and pepper to al dente rice
• Continue stirring occasionally until seafood is cooked (approx. 5-7 minutes)
• Remove risotto from heat
• Add Parmigiano-Reggiano and butter
• Stir well to release starches until creamy
• Garnish with chopped parsley
• Serve immediately

Best served with a side of garlic bread, baked asparagus or crunchy salad and a pairing of Sauvignon Blanc

Katsuya Brickell – Chef Rangel Suarez

Crispy Brussels Sprouts - A healthy, Asian delicacy packed with protein and other nutrients from this Brickell favorite.

Ingredients

• 3 oz Brussels sprouts (could use frozen)
• 9 oz mirin sauce
• 7.5 oz sake
• 9 oz soy sauce
• 3.5 oz sugar
• 4 oz balsamic vinegar
• Shaved almonds
• Scallions

DYI

• Cut out the core of Brussels, deep fry until dark golden brown
• Combine balsamic vinegar, sugar, sake, mirin and soy sauce over heat until sugar is dissolved to make a balsamic vinegar reduction – leftover reduction can last a month in the refrigerator
• Place fried sprouts in a mixing bowl, toss with an ounce of balsamic vinegar reduction
• Serve with a topping of almonds, chopped scallions, and additional balsamic vinegar reduction to taste

Best served with a dry riesling or sake

Society BBQ – Chef Richard Hales

Plant-based Beyond Beef Burnt Ends – A low-cholesterol, vegetarian delight rich in iron and protein.

Ingredients

• 1 package frozen Beyond Beef ground "meat"
• Store-bought Kansas City barbecue sauce
• 1 oz kosher salt
• 1 oz coarse ground black pepper
• 1/2 oz smoked paprika
• 1 oz brown sugar

Method

• Combine kosher salt, pepper, and paprika in a bowl to make spice mix, set aside
• Make 16 one-ounce nuggets from Beyond Beef and place on a sheet tray for burnt ends
• Sprinkle spice mix liberally, brown sugar, and store-bought KC BBQ sauce on nuggets
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees or if using smoker, heat to 285 degrees with oak wood
• Cook burnt ends for 30-35 minutes or until tender and fully cooked
• Transfer to serving dish, serve with onions and pickles

Best served with a Cabernet Sauvignon

Dessert

Sagrado Café – Taciana Kalili

Brazilian Fudge Balls or Brigadeiro - From the Brazilian cafe in Downtown Miami comes an easy to recreate, three-ingredient, bite-sized delicacy that gets those little chefs to join in the fun, too. Makes two dozen balls.

Ingredients

• 1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
• 4 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
• 2 tbsp butter, plus some extra for rolling balls
• Pinch of salt
• Chocolate sprinkles (or any other flavor of sprinkles)

Prep time: 30 minutes 

Method

• Combine sweetened condensed milk, cocoa powder, salt, and butter in a small saucepan, heat over medium-low flame
• Stir constantly to prevent burning
• Cook mixture until thickened – run wooden spoon or spatula through the middle of mixture to check consistency, should take a while to move through
• Take mixture off the heat once desired consistency is reached, let cool at room temperature
• Place sprinkles on a plate or in a bowl
• Grease hands with butter, take half a tablespoon of cooled-off mixture and roll into balls – balls can be rolled to desired shape and size, bigger or smaller than suggested size
• Coat brigadeiro balls with sprinkles of choice by rolling through
• Serve on platter

Best served in paper or foil candy cups for that professional touch

Quinto la Huella

Volcan Dulce de Leche – Another easy-to-cook, four-ingredient, delectable craving-buster from Brickell’s East Miami hotel.

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 2 yolks
• 400 gr of Dulce de leche
• 2 tbs flour

Method

• Beat egg with yolks to double the volume
• Add dulce de leche and mix well
• Add flour 1 tbsp at a time, beating until smooth and perfectly blended
• Coat six, 100 ml custard or muffin molds evenly with butter and flour
• Fill coated molds with dulce de leche mixture – do not fill to top
• Preheat oven to 200 degrees
• Place molds on baking tray and cook 8-10 minutes
• Take molds out of the oven to see if cooked – surface should be soft to touch and easily detachable from the edges
• Unmold on serving plate to serve

Best served with banana ice cream and fresh fruit

On a side note, if none of these recipes work out for you, don’t fret! Simply pick up the phone or car keys and get down to one of these restaurants, since most of them are open for delivery and/or takeout. 

Cover photo courtesy of ZUMA. Recipes sourced from Miami New Times | Dining Out Miami | Forbes.com.