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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

16 Apple Turnovers

11 Green Beans with Bacon and Onion

7 Sliders

15 Bagel Bread

5 Pork Carnitas

28 Slow-Cooker Cocktail Meatballs

19 Corn Pudding

27 Stufed Chicken Breasts for Two

24 Three-in-One All-Butter Pie Dough

RC Bucatini with Eggplant and Tomatoes

12 Brandy Chicken with Onions

13 Pan-Roasted Pear Salad

26 Mashed Sweet Potatoes

8 Pasta e Fagioli

21 Amish Potato Filling

RC Sausage with Broccoli and Barley

19 Boneless Turkey Breast with Gravy

9 Steak Milanese

21 Cajun Rice Dressing

32 Ranger Cookies

11 Cast Iron Oven-Fried Chicken

RC Stir-Fried Beef and Bok Choy

RC Chicken with Greens and Beans

23 Make-Ahead Pumpkin Pie

29 Chili with Cornmeal Dumplings

KING OF SANDWICHES Stufed with ham and cheese, the croque monsieur is a big-city café staple for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Our recipe brings the comfort home. P A G E 6 Apple Turnovers Season’s Sweetest Treat Oven-Fried Chicken Cast Iron Weeknight Winner Carnitas at Home Chicago-Style Pork Perfection Roast Turkey Breast The Best of the Thanksgiving Bird Make-Ahead Pumpkin Pie Up to a Month in Advance Step-by-Step All-Butter Pie Dough No More Soggy Bottom Packaged Stuing Taste Test Which Box Is Best?

Old-School Sliders Ready to Party Brandy-Braised Chicken Elegant Weeknight Meal

O CTO B E R / N OV E M B E R 2 0 1 8 $ 5. 9 5 U.S. / $ 6. 9 5 CA N A DA

D I S P L AY U N T I L N OV E M B E R 5, 20 1 8

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Chief Executive Oicer David Nussbaum Chief Creative Oicer Jack Bishop Editor in Chief Tucker Shaw Executive Managing Editor Todd Meier Executive Food Editor Bryan Roof Deputy Editor Scott Kathan Senior Editors Morgan Bolling, Ashley Moore Associate Editor Cecelia Jenkins Photo Team & Special Events Manager Tim McQuinn Lead Cook, Photo Team Dan Cellucci Test Cooks Alli Berkey, Natalie Estrada, Matthew Fairman Test Cook, Photo Team Jessica Rudolph Assistant Test Cooks, Photo Team Sarah Ewald, Eric Haessler, Devon Shatkin Senior Copy Editor Jill Campbell Copy Editor Rachel Schowalter Contributing Editor Eva Katz Senior Science Research Editor Paul Adams Hosts & Executive Editors, Television Bridget Lancaster, Julia Collin Davison Executive Editor, Tastings & Testings Lisa McManus Deputy Editor, Tastings & Testings Hannah Crowley Managing Editor, Tastings & Testings Briana Palma Senior Editors, Tastings & Testings Lauren Savoie, Kate Shannon Associate Editor, Tastings & Testings Miye Bromberg Assistant Editors, Tastings & Testings Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm, Carolyn Grillo, Emily Phares Executive Editor, Web Christine Liu Managing Editor, Web Mari Levine Associate Editor, Web Ashley Delma Creative Director John Torres Photography Director Julie Cote

favorite things about cooking is the thrill of the unknown. It’s so easy and safe to settle into the predictable processes of cooking (you know what you’re going to get when you boil a pot of noodles, for example), and there’s certainly nothing wrong with the tried-and-true. But when a new proposition presents itself? That’s when things get exciting.

Take, for instance, our recipe for Bagel Bread on page 15. Have you ever heard of it? I hadn’t until a coworker mentioned it. Once she did, I realized that I’d always demurred from making sandwiches on bagels because they can be so unwieldy and hard to eat. But all the qualities of a bagel, baked into a sliceable loaf of bread suitable for, say, a BLT or a tuna sandwich? I saw the promise.

I think that when you see a photograph of this beautiful bread, complete with its “everything” topping, you’ll know what I mean. But I wouldn’t blame you for having doubts when you read through the recipe. After all, it instructs you to take an entire loaf of raw bread dough and drop it into a pot of boiling water for a minute or so before transferring it to a pan and baking it of in the oven. This process, which helps set the exterior and create a bread that has all the chewiness of a beautiful brown bagel (also boiled before baking for exactly the same reason), feels completely weird. But if you’re game to try it, you’ll be rewarded. This bread delivers, and it will quickly become a new family favorite.

Leaps of faith are the very best way to gain more knowledge and confidence in the kitchen. Take them! What’s the worst that could happen?

Art Director Susan Levin

NE OF MY

Senior Staf Photographer Daniel J. van Ackere Staf Photographers Steve Klise, Kevin White Photography Producer Meredith Mulcahy Director, Creative Operations Alice Carpenter Senior Editor, Special Projects Christie Morrison Imaging Manager Lauren Robbins Production & Imaging Specialists Dennis Noble, Jessica Voas Test Kitchen Director Erin McMurrer Assistant Test Kitchen Director Alexxa Benson Test Kitchen Manager Meridith Lippard Test Kitchen Facilities Manager Kelly Ryan Senior Kitchen Assistant Shopper Marissa Bunnewith Senior Kitchen Assistant Receiver Heather Tolmie Lead Kitchen Assistant Ena Gudiel Kitchen Assistants Gladis Campos, Blanca Castanza, Amarilys Merced, Arlene Rosario Chief Financial Oicer Jackie McCauley Ford Senior Manager, Customer Support Tim Quinn Senior Customer Loyalty & Support Specialist Rebecca Kowalski Illustration: Ross MacDonald

TUCKER SHAW

Associate Art Director Maggie Edgar

Customer Loyalty & Support Specialist J.P. Dubuque Chief Revenue Oicer Sara Domville Director, Sponsorship Marketing & Client Services Christine Anagnostis Director, Integrated Partnerships & Business Development Eric Wynalek Senior Director, Events & Special Projects Mehgan Conciatori Partnership Marketing Manager Pamela Putprush Event Coordinator Michaela Hughes

Editor in Chief Chief Digital Oicer Fran Middleton Marketing Director, Social Media & Content Strategy Claire Oliverson Social Media Manager Morgan Mannino Social Media Coordinators Charlotte Errity, Sarah Sandler

COOK ALONG WITH US! The Complete Cook’s Country TV Show Cookbook Discover our foolproof methods for making more than 400 kitchen-tested recipes from all 11 seasons of our TV show, along with the origins and inspiration behind many of the dishes. A comprehensive shopping guide lists the ingredient and equipment winners featured on the show, as well as dozens more that have earned the coveted America’s Test Kitchen seal of approval. Order your copy at CooksCountry.com/TVcookbook.

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Find us on Facebook facebook.com/CooksCountry Find us on Instagram instagram.com/CooksCountry Follow us on Pinterest

Development Colleen Zelina Human Resources Manager Jason Lynott Director, Public Relations & Communications Brian Franklin Public Relations Coordinator Madeleine Cohen Photography Keller + Keller Food Styling Catrine Kelty

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On the cover: Croque Monsieur

2 ASK COOK’S COUNTRY 3 K I TC H E N S H O RTC U TS P R O D U C T TA S T I N G

Egg Noodles

America’s Test Kitchen is a real test kitchen located in Boston. It is the home of more than 60 test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes until we understand exactly how and why they work and eventually arrive at the very best version. We also test kitchen equipment and supermarket ingredients in search of products that ofer the best value and performance. You can watch us work by tuning in to America’s Test Kitchen

17 G E T T I N G T O K N O W

Gravy

24 C O O K I N G C L A S S

All-Purpose Pie Dough 26 F I V E E A S Y

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

(AmericasTestKitchen.com) and Cook’s Country from America’s Test Kitchen (CooksCountry.com) on public television, and you can listen to our weekly segments on The Splendid Table on public radio. You

can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

27 C O O K I N G F O R T W O

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29 O N E PA N

30 P R O D U C T TA S T I N G

16

5

Carnitas

13

Croque Monsieur

14

Easy Homemade Sliders Cooking these iconic two-bite burgers at home is almost as quick and easy as pulling up to the drive-through.

8

16

32 H E I R L O O M R E C I P E

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Bagel Bread Apple Turnovers Two convenience items—apple butter and frozen puf pastry—make bakery-quality turnovers a breeze to whip up at home.

Pasta e Fagioli “Pasta fazool,� the hearty pasta and bean soup, is Italian American comfort food at its best.

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We were looking for a bagel optimized for a sandwich.

What we found was even better.

This big-city favorite takes grilled cheese to new heights.

7

31 E Q U I P M E N T R E V I E W

There’s nothing wrong with a perfect, juicy pear by itself.

But we wanted something more.

It took 86 pounds of meat (and 26 pounds of lard) to crack the deceptively simple code.

6

Pan-Roasted Pear Salad

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18

Roast Turkey Breast with Gravy Our goal this year: an elegant all-white-meat roast. With gravy.

9

10

Steak Milanese How do you make an inexpensive, underused cut of beef feel special? Pound it, bread it, and fry it.

19

Cast Iron Oven-Fried Chicken

20

Just say no to canned corn and boxed corn muin mix.

Green Beans with Bacon and Onion

21

Brandy Chicken Could a bit of booze elevate a humble chicken dinner to something special?

Cajun Rice Dressing Amish Potato Filling Creamy mashed potatoes combined with classic bread stuing? Say what?

The secret to this superlavorful side? Staggering the cooking.

12

11

You never know where you’ll ind your new Thanksgiving favorite.

Could we ind a way to replicate the crunchy exterior and juicy meat of deep-fried chicken in the oven?

11

Corn Pudding

22

Make-Ahead Pumpkin Pie What we wanted: a pumpkin pie we could freeze whole.

What we got: an excellent pie, frozen or not.

PLUS Don’t Destroy Your Pretty Pie with a Subpar Pie Server

Cook’s Country magazine (ISSN 1552-1990), number 83, is published bimonthly by America’s Test Kitchen Limited Partnership, 21 Drydock Avenue, Suite 210E, Boston, MA 02210. Copyright 2018 America’s Test Kitchen Limited Partnership. Periodicals postage paid at Boston, MA, and additional mailing oices, USPS #023453. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40020778. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to P.O. Box 875, Station A, Windsor, ON N9A 6P2. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Cook’s Country, P.O. Box 6018, Harlan, IA 51593-1518. For subscription and gift subscription orders, subscription inquiries, or change of address notices, visit AmericasTestKitchen.com/support, call 800-526-8447 in the U.S. or 515-237-3663 from outside the U.S., or write to us at Cook’s Country, P.O. Box 6018, Harlan, IA 51593-1518. PRINTED IN THE USA.

28

ASK COOK’S COUNTRY

by Morgan Bolling

Pie in the Sky I’m traveling for Thanksgiving.

Can I fly with a pie? Any tips?

–Izzy Sandoval, Iowa City, Iowa The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has a list of food items it allows in carry-on and checked bags.

And we should all be thankful that pie has a green light as one of the permissible items.

To get a feel for how this works, we did what we do best: We tested it. Over the 2017 Thanksgiving holiday, we gave six stafers a total of 12 diferent pies

(pumpkin, pecan, and apple) to transport on their flights home. And every single pie made it through security.

After all the travel, the pies that arrived in the best shape were those that we sent in our winning pie carrier, the Prepworks Collapsible Party Carrier. But pies without tall crusts also fared well in transit when we put them in clean pizza boxes (for small pizzas). One pie that was covered in plastic wrap and carried in a plastic grocery bag arrived at its destination a little dinged up, but it was nothing some whipped cream couldn’t fix.

An important caveat is that pies with gelled or creamy fillings may be subject to TSA regulations that limit the amount of liquids passengers can bring on planes. And TSA rules can change without warning, so call your airline and/or airport before your flight to be sure. Or use AskTSA, a service available on Facebook Messenger and Twitter where you can send in photos of items you’re unsure about.

T H E B O T T O M L I N E : We had success flying with pies over Thanksgiving, especially when they were packed in our winning pie carrier.

PROVE N PIE PROTECTO R Our winning carrier can protect carry-on pie.

Can You Freeze Cake Layers?

O N E LE MON Y I E LDS 1 TABLESP OON O F ZEST

ONE ORANGE Y I EL DS 11⁄2 TABL ESPOONS OF ZEST

ON E LIME YIE LDS 2 TE ASP OONS OF ZEST

Pack the Peel?

When measuring the grated citrus zest that’s called for in a recipe, should I pack it into a measuring spoon or keep it loose?

–Ann Clapsaddle, Bozeman, Mont.

Citrus zest has a diferent, more intense flavor than citrus juice; it adds a bright, bold, fragrant pop to all manner of sweet and savory recipes.

Our preferred tool for removing the zest from lemons, limes, oranges, and even grapefruits is a rasp-style grater (our favorite is made by Microplane).

To measure zest, we’ve found it best to go lightly. Simply add the grated zest to the measuring spoon and press

down slightly to eliminate any large air pockets. The measuring spoon should be filled to the brim but not overflowing. Do not pack the zest in tightly, as you’ll end up with too much zest.

How much zest does a piece of fruit yield? There are obviously many variables, but we go by the approximate yields listed on the fruits above. These figures come from standard-size citrus and account for us taking care to grate only the flavorful colored zest while leaving the bitter white pith behind.

T H E B O T T O M L I N E : When measuring grated citrus zest, be sure not to pack it into the measuring spoon. Instead, press it down lightly to eliminate any large air pockets.

USE A LIGHT TOUCH ON ZEST When measuring zest, don’t pack it down into the measuring spoon, as you’ll end up with too much. Instead, just lightly press on it to eliminate large air pockets.

2 COOK’S COUNTRY • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018

I just bought a birthday cake at a fancy bakery, and I saw them pulling cake rounds out of the freezer in the back of the shop. Is this just for convenience, or does freezing do something good for the cake?

–Wanda Lovering, Chesterland, Ohio Being able to make a cake ahead of time and freeze it sounds pretty convenient, especially around the holidays. But to find out if freezing negatively afects cakes, we baked, wrapped, and froze individual cake layers that we made from boxed mix and with our White Layer Cake recipe. We also made, wrapped, and froze our Easy Pound Cake. After one week, we pulled the cakes from the freezer and thawed them at room temperature for 4 hours. A few tasters actually preferred the frozen-then-thawed white cake layers, noting that they were more tender. But in the other tests, tasters had a hard time distinguishing between the samples and thought all were acceptable.

To see if the same held true for frosted cakes, we froze a fully assembled layer cake (frosting and all!) and thawed it at room temperature. Compared to a fresh cake, this whole cake felt slightly gummy and a little “tired.” We still ate it—cake is cake, after all—but we wouldn’t serve it for a special occasion.

T H E B O T T O M L I N E : Baking and freezing cake layers is a convenient option for having cake at the ready. Make sure to tightly wrap individual cake layers in plastic wrap before freezing them for up to one week and to let the layers fully thaw at room temperature before frosting and assembling the cake.

Temperature Control I get a little anxious cooking for family during the holidays—especially when it comes to making sure the turkey is not overcooked. How can I be certain my digital thermometer reading is accurate?

–Robert Hess, Worcester, Mass.

The test kitchen strongly recommends that every home cook be equipped with a digital thermometer. Our go-to model is the Thermapen Mk4 from ThermoWorks ($99).

But even the best thermometers should be periodically checked for accuracy (and recalibrated if necessary).

To check your thermometer’s accuracy, fill a glass completely with ice. Add just enough cold water to fill in most of the gaps in the ice (you don’t want to add so much water that the ice floats). Stir

the ice mixture and let it sit for 60 seconds for the temperature to even out. Then submerge the probe 2 to 3 inches into the ice water and hold it in place for 60 seconds.

The probe shouldn’t touch the sides or bottom of the glass during this time. Your thermometer should read between 31 and 33 degrees. If it doesn’t, refer to manufacturer instructions on how to recalibrate it, or contact the manufacturer.

T H E B O T T O M L I N E : To periodically check your thermometer’s accuracy, make sure it reads between 31 and 33 degrees when submerged in ice water.

:Dİ H :L]

K I TC H E N S H O RTC U TS

–Rosemary Hogan, Nashville, Tenn.

For a fun spin on breakfast, I use refrigerated

Compiled by Cecelia Jenkins

cinnamon roll dough to make fast, easy “wales” for my kids. I heat the wale iron, lightly grease it, and place individual portions of the dough in the four quadrants of the iron. Minutes later, the “wales” are cooked through and golden brown. I

Roasted Garlic at the Ready

then spread on the frosting, which melts into the

–Nancy DiSalvo, Mesa, Ariz.

indents for a delicious treat made in no time!

I put sweet roasted garlic in salad dressings and pasta dishes and spread it on sandwiches. To make sure I always have some around, I throw a head or two of garlic in the oven whenever I’m roasting something else. My method for roasting garlic is to lop of the top of the head, place the head in a ra-

Hot Water Cleaning

mekin, drizzle some olive oil over it, and pop it into

–Jeff McDonald, Latham, N.Y. To make sure my cutting boards are really clean,

generally needs to roast for about 40 minutes at

I boil water in the kettle and pour it over my

400 degrees, but I’ve found that I can adjust the

wooden and plastic boards when I wash them. The

timing depending on the oven temperature and still

hot water inhibits bacteria and works wonders

get great results. To store it, I refrigerate it in an air-

on things like beet stains and lingering garlic and

tight container for up to a week. I have three heads

onion odors.

of roasted garlic in my refrigerator right now.

Tasting Egg Noodles

RECOMMENDED

TASTERS’ NOTES

Our Favorite

Because your chicken noodle soup deserves the very best. by Lauren Savoie

Pennsylvania Dutch Wide Egg Noodles (also sold as Mueller’s)

Our tasters loved the “rich,” “ultraeggy” lavor of these “big, wide spirals” that were “perfect for catching sauce.” “The perfect egg noodle,” summarized one taster.

noodles in soups, casseroles, and as a base for dishes such as beef stroganof. They difer from “regular” dried pasta by PRODUCT virtue of their TASTING deeper yellow color and slightly savory flavor from the addition of eggs. They are most commonly found in a broad, loose corkscrew shape.

We tried seven top-selling products, selecting “wide” or “broad” noodles when available, since that’s what our recipes call for most often. We sampled the noodles boiled and tossed with butter, in chicken noodle soup, and in tuna-noodle casserole.

Ultimately we can recommend all the noodles, but there were some factors that set our favorite apart. The first was shape. Though all the noodles are sold as “wide” or “broad,” our lineup ran the gamut from thin, wispy corkscrews to long, thick, flat planks. Some noodles were too long; in the casserole, tasters thought longer noodles made the dish less cohesive—the lengthy strands didn’t hold the other ingredients together very well—and when we ate WE LOVE EGG

Illustration: Traci Daberko

the oven next to whatever else I’m cooking. Garlic

them in soup, the long noodles slipped of our spoons. The ones we liked best were a thick corkscrew shape, about ½ inch wide and 1½ inches long when dry. Once cooked, these noodles were easy to scoop up with a spoon or pierce with a fork.

The factor that had the biggest impact on flavor was the amount and type of egg used. While yolk-free noodles were almost indistinguishable from yolk-rich products in tuna-noodle casserole, yolk-free products fell short when we tasted them plain or in soup; tasters described them as “neutral” and “bland.” Our favorite products embraced fatty yolks—tasters said those noodles tasted richer and heartier.

Finally, while most egg noodles are made with only durum flour, our winner, Pennsylvania Dutch Wide Egg Noodles (also sold as Mueller’s), also uses semolina, which is coarser and gives the noodles more grip. These thick noodles had a relatively high amount of fat and held on to sauce well.

If you’re on the West Coast, where our winner is available only by mail order, we recommend our runner-up, Manischewitz Wide Egg Noodles.

Price: $2.50 for 12 oz ($0.21 per oz)

Manischewitz Wide Egg Noodles Price: $2.99 for 12 oz ($0.25 per oz)

Manischewitz Yolk Free Wide Noodles Price: $2.99 for 12 oz ($0.25 per oz)

Light ’n Fluffy Wide Egg Noodles (also sold as Skinner, American Beauty, and Creamette) Price: $3.24 for 12 oz ($0.27 per oz)

No Yolks Noodles, Broad Price: $2.99 for 12 oz ($0.25 per oz)

Essenhaus Homestyle Wide Egg Noodle Price: $3.65 for 16 oz ($0.23 per oz)

While these noodles were a little thinner than our winner, tasters still liked their “substantial” texture and “savory” lavor.

We thought these yolkless noodles were great in the casserole and soup but a little “too plain” when eaten on their own.

These noodles lived up to their name; a few thought they were too light. They were especially good in soup, where they “loated efortlessly” and tasted great.

These noodles were great in soup but a little small to easily wrangle when eaten plain. Their “neutral” lavor bordered on bland, but we liked their “chewy” bite.

These long, thin noodles had a “savory” lavor, “like homemade pasta.” But their length made them hard to eat in soup and “unusual” in the casserole.

RECOMMENDED WITH RES ERVATIONS Mrs. Miller’s Old Fashioned Noodles Price: $4.15 for 16 oz ($0.26 per oz)

OCTOBE R / NOVE MBE R

These long, wide noodles ate like “pappardelle.” While we liked their “hearty” texture, their shape made them a little hard to eat.

201 8

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COOK’S

COU NTRY

3

ON THE ROAD

NOCENCIO CARBAJAL

at a massive cauldron of bubbling lard, stirring in sheets of pork skin with a darkened wooden paddle. Another cook reaches into a second pot of lard with a stainless-steel meat hook to retrieve racks of deeply browned pork ribs, pork shoulders, and finally a few slabs of pork belly. The small kitchen is cramped, and the air is thick with a low-hanging cloud of vaporized pork fat.

Everyone in the kitchen moves with focus and intent while the radio blares out a chorus of Mexican trumpets in the background. Three men stand scoring sheets of pork skin, quietly and quickly. It seems impossible that this tiny kitchen could sell 8,000 pounds of pork each week.

Inocencio opened Carnitas Uruapan in 1975; it was one of the first Hispanic-owned businesses in Pilsen, a neighborhood just west of downtown Chicago. He came to Chicago in the late 1960s to work in the S TA N D S

Clockwise from top left: Carnitas Uruapan owner Inocencio Carbajal tends to a huge pot of simmering pork; the restaurant’s exterior in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago; Inocencio’s son, Marcos, has carnitas in his blood; stacks of cooked pork ready to be chopped.

To see more photos of our trip to Chicago, go to CooksCountry.com/chicago.

4 COOK’S COUNTRY • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018

meatpacking industry, part of a wave of immigration that helped establish Pilsen as a regional hub of Mexican culture and food in Chicago.

Inocencio’s son, Marcos Carbajal, grew up in this shop and used to trade his carnitas for other kids’ school lunches. The family business helped him pay for school, including an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Northwestern. After working in finance for several years, Marcos returned to the restaurant to help his father.

He explains that carnitas is a specialty of Uruapan, a city in the Mexican state of Michoacán. Styles vary from region to region; the Uruapan style is distinctive in that it is tender and juicy, not crisp. “There should be no sharp shards of crispy meat if you’re going after the Uruapan style,” he tells me, adding that the recipe comes from Inocencio’s father and uncle, who owned a famous butcher shop in Uruapan.

“My dad grew up working there in the ’50s and learned how to make the carnitas.

The original dish, and the way we present it, is ribs, shoulder, belly, and skin, or a mix of all of the above.”

In the yellow-tiled dining room, which is big enough to hold only a half-dozen formica-topped tables, people filter in and out, and everyone is greeted like family.

Inocencio is known to his friends and customers as El Güero, “the fair-skinned one,” and the nickname is so ingrained that most people don’t even know his real name. Squirt bottles of salsa are stationed on the tables, and waiters deliver chopped onions, cilantro, and pickled jalapeños along with caddies of warm tortillas to accompany your meal.

As the lunch rush picks up, Marcos leans in and tells me, “This food is by and large a big weekend staple. If you’re in Mexico, you get up, go to church, and then you buy carnitas afterward. That’s the routine.” As in Mexico, so in Chicago.

Illustration: Ross MacDonald

Text by Bryan Roof; photos by Steve Klise

PORK CARNITAS

Serves 8 to 10

It took 86 pounds of meat (and 26 pounds of lard) to crack the deceptively simple code.

by Morgan Bolling

restaurant menus may lead you to believe, “carnitas” is not a catchall term for any pork taco filling. The chefs at Carnitas Uruapan in Chicago brought this into sharp focus on our recent visit, showing us their cooking technique, which makes use of an ingredient common in many traditional recipes: lard (see “Forty-Plus Years of Pork Perfection”).

The rendered and clarified pork fat perfumed the air with a savory aroma and produced beautiful results.

At Carnitas Uruapan, cooks submerge chunks of well-marbled pork in a vat of hot lard. The heat from the bubbling fat gently cooks the interiors of the chunks while it lightly fries the exteriors. The result is soft, rich pork with an unparalleled meaty flavor.

As a lover of all things pork, I was eager to re-create these carnitas at home.

In my research, I found that many recipes for carnitas called for flavorings such as garlic, cumin, or citrus. But I wanted a laser-sharp focus on the pork flavor—no distractions. And that meant cooking the pork in lard with no extra seasonings or spices.

The cooks at Carnitas Uruapan use a combination of pork butt or shoulder, pork ribs, and pork belly for their carnitas. But for the sake of convenience I wanted to use one cut, not three. So I nixed ribs and belly in favor of pork butt, which packs a robust pork flavor and is easy to find. I started by simmering chunks in 2 pounds of melted lard (enough to cover all the pieces). My pot bubbled until the meat was golden and crisp, which took about 2 hours.

While no tasters were turning down the tacos I made with this first batch, the meat had emerged tougher and drier than I’d hoped. In several stovetop tests, I noticed that a tiny diference in the position of my heat dial could produce surprisingly diferent results. So I decided to move the carnitas operation to the more controlled heat of the oven. At 300 degrees, the pork cooked evenly and was tender, except for the corners of pork that poked above the surface of the fat, which browned into beautiful, faintly crisp edges. Once chopped and stirred together, this pork was a mix of lightly contrasting textures. And it tasted incredibly savory and meaty.

D E S P I T E W H AT M A N Y

Vegetable and peanut oils are perfectly fine options here, delivering satisfying carnitas. But in side-by-side tests, we found that the lard contributed significant depth of flavor that simply couldn’t be beat (see “Advocating for Lard”).

I think these carnitas are best when chopped into bite-size pieces and wrapped in warmed corn tortillas, and serving them as tacos meant I needed a salsa. After auditioning a few, I settled on a simple, tangy tomatillo-based salsa, to which I added a stemmed, seeded, and chopped jalapeño; some fresh cilantro; a minced garlic clove; and fresh lime juice. The tanginess from the tomatillos and lime juice provided an excellent counterpoint to the rich, meaty pork. A sprinkling of cilantro leaves, a bit of diced onion, and a spritz of fresh lime juice finished of the dish.

We developed this recipe using Morrell Snow Cap Lard, but you can substitute 4 cups of peanut or vegetable oil. Pork butt roast is often labeled Boston butt in the supermarket. The pork doesn’t need to be cut into perfect 2-inch pieces; a little variation in size is fine. Serve with Quick Tomatillo Salsa (recipe follows), if desired.

4 pounds boneless pork butt roast, cut into 2-inch pieces Kosher salt 2 pounds lard, cut into 8 pieces 24 (6-inch) corn tortillas, toasted Finely chopped onion

2. Remove pot from oven and let stand for 30 minutes. Using spider skimmer or tongs, transfer pork to carving board; chop into bite-size pieces. Transfer pork to bowl and season with salt to taste.

Divide pork among warm tortillas and garnish with onion and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Q UICK TO MATILLO SALSA

Makes about 2 cups

We developed this recipe using a 28-ounce can of tomatillos, but they are also available in 26-ounce cans. If you can find only a 26-ounce can, there’s no need to buy a second can to make up the extra 2 ounces. For more heat, reserve and add the jalapeño seeds.

Coarsely chopped fresh cilantro Lime wedges

1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatillos, drained

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

position and heat oven to 300 degrees.

Sprinkle pork with 1½ tablespoons salt.

Melt lard in large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add pork, increase heat to medium-high, and cook until bubbling vigorously all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer to oven and cook, uncovered, until pork is tender, about 2½ hours.

1 small onion, chopped ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves 1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and chopped 3 tablespoons lime juice (2 limes) 1 garlic clove, minced Salt ½ teaspoon sugar

1 . Adjust oven rack 6 inches from

broiler element and heat broiler. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Toss half of tomatillos with 1 teaspoon oil and transfer to prepared sheet. Broil until tomatillos are spotty brown and skins begin to burst, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer tomatillos to food processor and let cool completely.

2. Add onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, garlic, ¾ teaspoon salt, sugar, remaining tomatillos, and remaining 2 teaspoons oil to processor. Pulse until slightly chunky, 16 to 18 pulses. Season with salt to taste. Serve. (Salsa can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

Advocating for Lard Many home cooks think that lard—which is simply rendered and clariied pork fat—is an antiquated, unhealthy cooking medium. We’ll leave the health debate up to the professionals (many of whom claim that lard has more health beneits than butter, by the way) and unashamedly declare that lard produces great results in the kitchen. While you can cook our Pork Carnitas in vegetable oil and they’ll taste great, the meat is more deeply savory when cooked in lard.

Like frying oil, lard can be strained, refrigerated, and reused once or twice before being discarded.

We pile our ultrasavory carnitas onto warmed corn tortillas with just a few garnishes.

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This big-city favorite takes grilled cheese to new heights. by Bryan Roof with Matthew Fairman

The madame is topped with a fried egg.

Some Assembly Required Construction details here are key—they ensure a bit of cheese, sauce, bread, and ham in every bite.

GRUYÈRE

PARM ESAN MORNAY SAUCE TOAST MORNAY SAUCE

FOL D ED HAM

MORNAY SAUCE TOAST A sandwich topped with two kinds of cheese plus cheese sauce calls for a knife and fork.

béchamel turns it into a Mornay sauce).

Getting the perfect ratio of ingredients for a spreadable but not runny consistency took some testing, but after a few rounds, the best formula revealed itself: 2 tablespoons each of flour and butter, cooked together briefly, and then 1 cup of whole milk stirred in along with 1¼ cups of shredded and grated cheeses—Gruyère, of course, plus a bit of Parmesan to add even more savoriness. A pinch of nutmeg (a classic addition) lent a mysterious warmth and complexity.

Choosing the ham was an easy task.

Black Forest ham sliced to order (very thin) from the deli is tender, flavorful, and miles ahead of the presliced, packaged ham rectangles you get from the supermarket cooler. Delicately folding the ham over itself before laying it on the sandwich, rather than simply stacking it in flat sheets, made the sandwich easier to eat; no big sheets of ham came sliding out when we took a bite.

A bit more cheese sauce spread over the top of this sandwich and a final sprinkling of Parmesan and Gruyère before a trip under the broiler to meld it all together created a gorgeous, bubbly-browned top. The result was a sandwich worth savoring with a knife and fork: grand, satisfying, and worthy of the title “monsieur.”

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For the best results, be sure to use a good-quality Gruyère here.

to oven and bake until golden brown on second side, about 3 minutes. Reserve 4 slices for sandwich tops; evenly space remaining 4 slices on sheet.

SANDWICHES

3. F O R T H E M O R N AY S A U CE :

CRO Q UE MO NSIEUR Serves 4

8 slices hearty white sandwich bread 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 12 ounces thinly sliced Black Forest deli ham ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese 4 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (1 cup) M ORNAY SAUCE 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose lour 1 cup whole milk 4 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (1 cup) ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper Pinch ground nutmeg

1 . F O R T H E S A N D W I CH E S : Adjust

oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with vegetable oil spray.

2. Brush bread on both sides with melted butter and place on prepared sheet. Bake until light golden brown on top, about 10 minutes. Remove sheet from oven and flip slices. Return

Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk and bring to boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and quickly whisk in Gruyère, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until smooth.

4. Spread 1 tablespoon Mornay on each slice of toast on sheet. Then, folding ham slices over themselves multiple times so they bunch up, divide ham evenly among slices of toast. Spread 2 tablespoons Mornay on 1 side of each reserved slice of toast and place slices Mornay side down on top of ham.

5. Spread 2 tablespoons Mornay evenly over top of each sandwich, making sure to completely cover toast, including edges (exposed edges can burn under broiler). Sprinkle sandwiches with Parmesan, followed by Gruyère.

6. Bake until cheese on top of sandwiches is melted, about 5 minutes. Turn on broiler and broil until cheese bubbles across tops of sandwiches and edges are spotty brown, about 5 minutes. Serve.

CRO Q UE MADAME

Top each sandwich with a fried egg.

Illustration: Traci Daberko

croque monsieur (loosely translated from French as “Mr. Crunch”) as a grilled ham-and-cheese sandwich is to vastly understate it.

This big bistro favorite—two slices of butter-brushed bread toasted up crisp and layered with sweet, salty ham; creamy white sauce; and plenty of nutty Gruyère cheese—is beautiful to behold and so rich, runny, and substantial that it requires a fork and knife to eat.

The traditional method calls for griddling the sandwiches individually, topping them with cheese, and then sliding them under a broiler to finish, but we wanted four sandwiches all at once. And we wanted to keep the crunch in the croque and not allow the sauce to turn everything soggy.

All good sandwiches start with good bread, and after auditioning baguette, sourdough, and others, we chose eight slices of white sandwich bread, which stayed tender while also taking on plenty of crunch. After brushing each slice evenly on both sides with melted butter, we lined them up on an oiled baking sheet and slipped them into the oven to toast.

Most recipes for croque monsieur call for a simple white sauce (a béchamel, which is common in many macaroni and cheese recipes) as well as grated Gruyère. To simplify things, we decided to combine the two into a cheesy sauce (adding cheese to a TO DEFINE THE

Cooking these iconic two-bite burgers at home is almost as quick and easy as pulling up to the drive-through.

by Ashley Moore

T H E M I N I AT U R E B U R G E R S

known as sliders (popularized by the White Castle hamburger restaurant chain) satisfy a lot of cravings in just a few bites. Tender, beefy burger?

Check. Soft, steamy roll? Check.

Gooey melted cheese and sweet browned onions? Check and check.

So why don’t more people make sliders at home?

It might be the perceived bother of shaping and cooking lots of little burgers versus fewer larger ones.

Since the burgers are so small, it’s extra-important that they’re all the same size to prevent any runts from overcooking. To eiciently and precisely portion and shape the patties, I used three common kitchen tools—a digital scale, a zipper-lock plastic bag, and a clear pie plate. After weighing out a dozen 2-ounce balls of ground beef (1½ pounds of meat) on the scale, I cut through the sides of a heavy quart-size plastic bag, placed a single beef ball between the layers, and used the pie plate to push the beef into an even, tidy 4-inch-diameter patty. Easy.

On to the cooking.

Classic sliders come topped with browned onions—they’re part of the signature flavor. The trick, I discovered, was to sprinkle some finely chopped onion on top of the patties when they first hit the skillet and then press the onion into the meat with the back of a spatula. After I flipped the patties to brown them on the onion side, I topped each with American cheese and the bun top.

These sliders tasted fine but weren't quite perfect: The onion had too much crunch, the cheese was barely melted, and the bun was a little stif.

I thought back to the classic sliders I’d devoured at many fast-food restaurants and remembered how soft the buns had been. One colleague suggested I add some water and cover the skillet for the last bit of cooking (with the bun tops on the sliders) to achieve a similarly soft, steamy texture. Genius. The steam not only softened the buns but also helped

finish cooking the finely chopped onion and fully melted the cheese.

Excited by these successes, I made another batch of sliders—this time with the bun bottoms slathered with an easy stir-together burger sauce— and eagerly called my team to taste.

Our corner of the kitchen became eerily quiet before a colleague finally said, “I feel like I should be eating these out of a sack in the back seat of my mother’s station wagon.” That’s just about the best compliment a slider can get.

S LI D E RS

Makes 12 sliders

Plan ahead: This recipe moves quickly, so be sure to have everything ready before you begin cooking. We recommend using Martin’s Dinner Potato Rolls in this recipe.

SAUCE ¼ cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons ketchup 1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar 1 teaspoon pepper S L I D E RS 1½ pounds 85 percent lean ground beef 12 (2½-inch) slider buns or soft dinner rolls, halved horizontally 6 slices deli American cheese (6 ounces) 1½ teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon pepper 2 teaspoons vegetable oil ½ cup inely chopped onion

Seared beef. Melted American cheese. Grilled onion. Soft buns. Special sauce. Sliders up!

¼ cup water

1. FOR T H E SA UC E : Whisk all

ingredients together in bowl; refrigerate until ready to use.

2. FOR T H E SL ID E R S: Cut sides of 1-quart zipper-lock bag, leaving bottom seam intact. Divide beef into twelve 2-ounce portions, then roll into balls. Working with 1 ball at a time, enclose in split bag. Using clear pie plate (so you can see size of patty), press ball into even 4-inch-diameter patty. Remove patty from bag and place on baking sheet. Cover sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook. (Patties can be shaped up to 24 hours in advance.)

3. Divide sauce evenly among bun bottoms. Arrange bun bottoms, sauce side up, on platter; set aside.

Stack American cheese and cut into quarters (you will have 24 pieces).

Combine salt and pepper in bowl.

4. Sprinkle both sides of patties with

Slider Assembly Line

salt-pepper mixture. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until just smoking.

Using spatula, transfer 6 patties to skillet. Sprinkle ¼ cup onion evenly over tops of patties and press firmly into patties with back of spatula.

5. Cook patties, uncovered and without moving them, for 2 minutes.

Flip patties and top each with 2 pieces American cheese; add bun tops. Add 2 tablespoons water to skillet (do not wet buns), cover, and continue to cook until cheese is melted, about 90 seconds longer.

6. Transfer sliders to prepared bun bottoms and tent with aluminum foil.

Wipe skillet clean with paper towels.

Repeat with remaining 1 teaspoon oil, 6 patties, ¼ cup onion, American cheese, bun tops, and 2 tablespoons water. Serve immediately.

With burgers this small, consistent cooking is dependent on consistent sizing. To that end, we weigh each portion of beef before pressing it under a pie plate to form a patty.

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“Pasta fazool,” the hearty pasta and bean soup, is Italian American comfort food at its best.

by Katie Leaird

This thick, hearty soup features gentle, comforting flavors in perfect balance.

PASTA E FAGIO LI

1 . Process 1 can of beans and water

Serves 4 to 6

in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions, carrots, celery, pancetta, salt, and pepper and cook until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.

3. Add tomato paste, garlic, and pepper flakes, if using, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth, remaining can of beans, and pureed bean mixture. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors have melded, about 10 minutes.

4. Increase heat to medium and bring to boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente, about 12 minutes. Of heat, stir in Parmesan and basil. Serve, drizzled with extra oil and passing extra Parmesan separately.

You can use any small pasta shape, such as tubettini, elbow macaroni, or small shells, in place of the ditalini. To make this soup vegetarian, omit the pancetta and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth. If you do not have a food processor, you can use a blender to process the beans and water in step 1.

2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed 1 cup water 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil,

Texture Trick This soup features creamy cannellini beans loating in the thick broth but also where you can’t see them: pureed with water into a mixture that helps thicken and lavor the soup base. In both cases, we drain and rinse the canned beans before using them. Our favorite canned cannellini beans are made by Goya; our tasters loved their “big and meaty,” “ultracreamy” texture and “earthy,” “well-seasoned” lavor.

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plus extra for drizzling 2 onions, chopped ine 2 carrots, peeled and chopped ine 1 celery rib, chopped ine 2 ounces pancetta, chopped ine ¾ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons tomato paste 4 garlic cloves, minced ¼ teaspoon red pepper lakes (optional) 4 cups chicken broth 4 ounces (1 cup) ditalini 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup), plus extra for serving ½ cup inely chopped fresh basil

TO MAKE A HEAD: At end of step 3, let soup cool completely. Refrigerate soup for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Let frozen soup thaw completely in refrigerator before reheating. To serve, bring soup to boil and continue with step 4.

Illustration: Ross MacDonald

I moved on to the tomatoes. Diced W H E N I W A S a kid, my family tomatoes were too chunky, so I chose always celebrated milestone moments whole canned tomatoes and crushed or special occasions with dinner at Il them by hand. We liked the flavor, but Villaggio. This Italian American resthe soup tasted too acidic. To create taurant, which was discreetly tucked a sweeter, full-bodied tomato flavor, into a northern New Jersey strip mall, I turned to tomato paste, taking time might not have been well-known to brown it with the vegetables before beyond my hometown, but its rendiadding liquid. Oh, and about that tion of pasta e fagioli (or as we called liquid—adding only chicken stock left it, “pasta fazool”) made me swoon. It me with a thin bean soup. To build was deeply but gently savory, thick body, I pureed half the cannellini beans and hearty, and studded with creamy into a creamy paste and added it to the beans and soft little pieces of pasta— soup with the remaining whole beans. so good that I used to order one bowl This technique provided just the right as an appetizer and a second bowl for amount of thickening. my entrée.

Many recipes call for cooking the In Italy, every region has its own pasta separately and then adding it to version of this pasta and bean soup, the soup at the last minute. I underand versions vary greatly in America, stand the logic behind this: Pasta can too. Variables include pasta (fresh or easily overcook and bloat (soaking dried; long noodles or short shapes), up the soup’s broth) if kept in liquid beans, vegetables, meat, tomato, and for too long. But I really general thickness/brothididn’t want to get out ness. Having a specific an extra pot and boil version in mind—thank Tiny Tubes water while I had a you, Il Villaggio—guided Ditalini is just the right perfectly bubbling soup my choices in creating size to add heft while right in front of me. my own version. still being easy to eat.

So I added one of my Even though it didn’t favorite small pastas, dihave any chunks of meat talini (small elbows work in it, I remember Il Vilgreat, too), right to the laggio’s pasta e fagioli pot and cooked it until just al dente. tasting rich and porky. So I started by I stirred in some grated Parmesan sautéing chopped onions, celery, and cheese for extra richness and seasoning carrots with pancetta, Italy’s flavorand a big handful of fresh basil for a ful unsmoked bacon. Four cloves of blast of fragrant freshness. The soup minced garlic rounded out the savoriness and added a hint of sweetness, and was really, really good, perfect for a light supper or filling lunch—or your a pinch of red pepper flakes provided a own special occasions. lively spark.

How do you make an inexpensive, underused cut of beef feel special?

Pound it, bread it, and fry it. by Alli Berkey T H E A M E R I C A N FAV O R I T E

chicken-fried steak has a crunchy coating similar to that of, well, fried chicken. But steak Milanese, its more refined cousin, has a crunchy bread-crumb coating that’s more akin to that of chicken Parmesan. (The term Milanese—meaning “from Milan”— covers a broad range of foods that are breaded and fried.) To take it over the top, this quick-cooking entrée is often served with a bit of lemon and a tangy butter sauce. I set out to develop a recipe for this crunchy, meaty, satisfying dish that would be fast enough for a weeknight.

I started with the steak, visiting a local butcher shop to sort through all the options. I filled my cart with every cut I could envision pounding and frying: eye round, flap meat, top round, rib eye, and cube steak. Back in the test kitchen, I pounded them all and learned a valuable lesson in the process: Leaner cuts of meat are much harder to pound thin than those with a bit of fat. So lean cuts from the round were out. And while the expensive, beautifully marbled rib eye was easy enough to pound, it seemed a bit like overkill here because its best attribute—supremely beefy flavor—was buried beneath breading and sauce.

In the end, I settled on flap meat, a flavorful cut from the bottom sirloin butt (steak tips are also cut from flap meat) that has enough fat so that it’s easy to pound thin and plenty of flavor to stand up to sauce. As a backup, cube steak works here, too, but we preferred the richer flavor of flap.

Some recipes call for simply coating the pounded steaks in flour, but the flour doesn’t create a crust with real crunch. Bread crumbs were the way to go here, but which kind? I tested fresh (made from sandwich bread that I’d buzzed in the food processor) against regular store-bought crumbs and panko. Panko provided the loudest crunch and emerged the clear winner.

To bump up the flavor of the panko, I stirred in some grated Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and lemon zest along with salt and pepper. Now the flavor was really popping.

A meaty fried steak needs a burst of acidity to cut the richness and balance

the dish; many versions accomplish this by simply serving the steak with lemon wedges to squeeze over the top. But I wanted something better. While the cooked steaks were resting, I made a buttery cherry tomato sauce brightened by briny capers, garlic, oregano, and fresh basil. While my Steak Milanese is fast and easy enough for a weeknight, it has the look—and taste—of something much more special.

ST E A K M I LA N ESE

Serves 4

Flap meat, which is also sold as steak tips or sirloin tips, can be packaged as whole steaks, cubes, or strips. For this recipe, we prefer to buy a whole 1-pound flap meat steak and butcher it ourselves. If you can’t find flap meat, you can substitute four 4-ounce cube steaks that have been pounded to a ¼-inch thickness. You can substitute vegetable oil for the extra-virgin olive oil, if desired. ½ cup all-purpose lour 3 large eggs 1½ cups panko bread crumbs 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup) ¼ cup chopped fresh basil 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest Kosher salt and pepper

Our sharp cherry tomato “sauce” balances the richness of the breaded-and-fried beef.

1 (1-pound) lap meat steak, trimmed 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil 4 tablespoons unsalted butter ¼ cup capers, rinsed, plus 2 tablespoons brine 4 garlic cloves, sliced thin 1 teaspoon dried oregano 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved

1. Place flour in shallow dish. Beat

eggs in second shallow dish. Combine panko, Parmesan, 2 tablespoons basil, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¾ teaspoon pepper in third shallow dish.

2. Cut meat with grain into 4 equal strips. Flip strips onto cut side, cover with plastic wrap, and pound each with meat pounder to even ¼-inch thickness. Pat steaks dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

3. Working with 1 steak at a time, dredge steaks in flour, shaking of excess; dip in eggs, allowing excess to drip of; and coat with panko mixture,

pressing gently to adhere. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet.

4. Set wire rack in second rimmed baking sheet and line rack with triple layer of paper towels. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Carefully place 2 steaks in skillet and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.

Transfer steaks to prepared wire rack.

Return oil to just smoking and repeat with remaining 2 steaks.

5. Discard oil and wipe skillet clean with paper towels. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat.

Add capers, garlic, and oregano and cook until fragrant and capers are sizzling, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and caper brine and cook until tomatoes begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Of heat, stir in remaining 2 tablespoons basil and remaining 1 tablespoon butter.

Serve steak with sauce.

A Cut Above We tested several cuts of beef before deciding on a 1-pound lap meat steak, which we cut into four pieces and pounded thin. We chose this cut for three reasons: It has big beefy lavor and a loose grain, and it has enough marbling to make it relatively easy to pound thin. If you can’t ind a lap meat steak, you can substitute pre-tenderized cube steaks.

F L A P ME AT STE A K This cut, which comes from the bottom sirloin butt, is also sold as steak tips.

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Could we ind a way to replicate the crunchy exterior and juicy meat of deep-fried chicken in the oven? by Ashley Moore part of the fabric of Cook’s Country. Between all the regional styles, the recipes passed down through generations, and the memories of gathering around a table with loved ones and fighting over the drumsticks, fried chicken has a cultural and emotional resonance few foods can match. But, for better or for worse, many of us crave fried chicken more often than we’re willing to put in the time and efort to make it. I wanted to find an easier way to get that crunchy, deeply seasoned exterior and juicy meat we all love—without deep frying.

This meant using the oven instead of the stovetop.

Many oven-fried chicken recipes (including some of our own) instruct the cook to coat the chicken pieces in bread crumbs before baking them.

This makes for good eating, but the crumb coating has a diferent texture than the crispy exterior of chicken that’s coated in seasoned flour and fried in hot oil. I wanted something closer to the genuine article and thus settled on coating my chicken in seasoned flour.

Knowing that I’d need plenty of heat to transform that flour coating into a crisp crust, I grabbed a 12-inch cast-iron skillet (cast iron is great at FRIED CHICKEN IS

holding on to heat), tossed the chicken pieces in flour that I’d seasoned with salt and pepper, poured a few tablespoons of vegetable oil into the skillet, and baked the chicken in a hot oven.

What a disaster that was. The flour coating got soggy, and the chicken was totally overcooked and bone-dry by the time it picked up any exterior color.

That result made me take a new approach. If I wanted chicken that tasted like it had been cooked in a good amount of hot oil, logic said I’d have to cook it in a good amount of hot oil.

Through a series of tests over a period of several days, I came up with the following method: Preheat the skillet in a 450-degree oven. When the skillet is nice and hot, pour in ½ cup of vegetable oil (it should measure roughly ⅛ inch deep), slip the floured chicken in skin side down, bake the chicken until the skin side is crisp and golden brown (which takes about 15 minutes), and then flip the chicken. Fifteen minutes later, the chicken is cooked through but still moist, with a crisp coating that crunches like deep-fried chicken. As a bonus, it makes your kitchen smell amazing.

With my basic cooking method down pat, I could polish up the details.

This chicken crackles when added to the hot oil, just like it does when fried on the stovetop.

To season the flour, I added paprika, granulated garlic, cayenne pepper, salt, and plenty of black pepper (freshly ground is best). To make sure the flour adhered, I dipped the chicken pieces in beaten egg before coating them and used my fingers to press the coating onto the pieces. And to create an extra-crunchy coating, I added some water to the seasoned flour and rubbed it with my fingers until little shaggy

pieces formed; these pieces added extra physical mass to the coating that, when fried, became very crunchy.

Is this oven-fried chicken absolutely indistinguishable from true deep-fried chicken? No. But because it is fried in just ½ cup of oil, it is quite a bit easier to make and has excellent crunch. For me, this means I can make—and happily eat—fried chicken at home each and every week.

3. ADD CHICKEN Carefully place the chicken, skin side down, in the hot oil and return the skillet to the oven.

4. FLIP After 15 minutes, lip the chicken and continue to cook until the chicken is done, about 15 minutes longer.

How to Mimic Stovetop Frying in the Oven

1. HEAT SKILLET Place the cast-iron skillet on the middle rack in a 450-degree oven so it gets nice and hot.

2. ADD OIL Once the skillet is heated through, carefully remove it from the oven and add 1⁄2 cup of vegetable oil.

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CAST IRON OV E N - F RI E D C HI C K E N

Serves 4

To fit 3 pounds of chicken pieces, you will need a 12-inch cast-iron skillet for this recipe. Note that the cast-iron skillet should be preheated along with the oven in step 1. One 4½- to 5-pound whole chicken will yield the 3 pounds of parts called for in this recipe.

3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half crosswise, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmed Salt and pepper 3 large eggs 2 cups all-purpose lour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon granulated garlic 1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 3 tablespoons water ½ cup vegetable oil

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position.

Place 12-inch cast-iron skillet on rack and heat oven to 450 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and line half of rack with triple layer of paper towels.

Season chicken with salt and pepper.

2. Lightly beat eggs and 1 teaspoon salt together in medium bowl. Whisk flour, baking powder, paprika, granulated garlic, cayenne, 1 tablespoon pepper, and 1½ teaspoons salt together in second medium bowl. Add water to flour mixture; using your fingers, rub flour mixture and water until water is evenly incorporated and shaggy pieces of dough form.

3. Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, dip in egg mixture, allowing excess to drip of; then dredge in flour mixture, pressing firmly to adhere. Transfer coated chicken to large plate, skin side up.

4. When oven temperature reaches 450 degrees, carefully remove hot skillet from oven (skillet handle will be hot).

Add oil to skillet and immediately place chicken, skin side down, in skillet.

Return skillet to oven and bake for 15 minutes.

5. Remove skillet from oven and flip chicken. Return skillet to oven and continue to bake until breasts register 160 degrees and drumsticks/thighs register 175 degrees, about 15 minutes longer.

6. Transfer chicken, skin side up, to paper towel–lined side of prepared wire rack to blot grease from underside of chicken, then move chicken to unlined side of rack. Let chicken cool for about 10 minutes. Serve.

The secret to this superlavorful side?

Staggering the cooking.

by Ashley Moore

looking for new vegetable side dishes—especially around the holidays. So when a friend recently made me dinner, I paid particular attention to the green beans she served. The tender beans were lightly browned and draped with soft, sweet caramelized onions, with crunchy bits of bacon sprinkled over top. After just a few bites, I knew two things. One: This green bean dish would be making an appearance on my holiday table. Two: I wanted to develop a recipe for it so it could appear on your table, too.

I scrounged up a few recipes for green beans with onions and bacon and cooked them for my hungry colleagues, who were far from impressed. And with good reason(s): Leathery green beans, crunchy onions, and flabby bacon were hallmarks of these versions. Making this dish work was going to take some finesse.

After testing, I learned one vital truth: Cooking the components individually and sequentially was key.

I began by crisping the bacon, which I had cut into bite-size pieces, and then removed it from the skillet to drain on paper towels. Next I got some thinly sliced onion going in a bit of the rendered bacon drippings, adding brown sugar to enhance the onion’s natural sweetness and encourage browning. Only then did I add my 2 pounds of green beans (along with some water) and cook them, covered, until they were tender. Then I removed the lid and watched as the last of the water evaporated and the beans and onion began to sizzle and brown in the bacon fat. I found that adding some thinly sliced garlic along with the beans greatly bolstered the dish’s flavor.

I transferred the tender green beans and caramel-colored onion to a platter, sprinkled them with the reserved crispy bacon, and called my team to taste. This time, they were impressed. Looks like we all will be making these green beans this holiday season.

I A M A LW A Y S

A little brown sugar coaxes the sweetness out of the onion and green beans.

GREEN B EANS WITH BACO N AND O NIO N Serves 4 to 6

To trim the green beans quickly, line up a handful so the stem ends are even, and then cut of the stems with one swipe of the knife.

6 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces 1 onion, halved and sliced thin 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar Salt and pepper 2 pounds green beans, trimmed ½ cup water 2 garlic cloves, sliced thin

1 . Cook bacon in 12-inch nonstick

skillet over medium heat until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel–lined

plate. Pour of all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet.

2. Add onion, sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper to fat left in skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.

3. Add green beans, water, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt and increase heat to medium-high. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until water has nearly evaporated and green beans are bright green, about 8 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook until water has completely evaporated and green beans are just spotty brown, 2 to 4 minutes longer.

Transfer to serving platter and sprinkle with bacon. Serve.

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Could a bit of booze elevate a humble chicken dinner to something special?

B RANDY CHICKEN WITH O NIO NS

Serves 4 to 6

The choice of brandy is important to the success of this recipe. We recommend using a brandy that you’d be happy drinking. For a nonalcoholic version of this recipe, substitute ½ cup of water for the brandy in step 3 and omit the 1 tablespoon of brandy in step 5. Serve with crusty bread.

by Matthew Fairman

ago I heard a friend of mine wax nostalgic about her grandmother’s brandy-braised chicken.

It was a wet, cold day; I was hungry, and all her talk about this “heavenly” dish was torture. When I asked her for the recipe, she said she didn’t have one, just memories. When I pressed her, she could only repeat, “There was crispy-skinned, succulent chicken in a lovely brandy sauce with garlic, caramelized onions, and thyme.” Seeing her plaintive look, I knew what she was asking: Could I help?

Determined to help my friend and resurrect this lost dish, I prepared a few promising recipes for my kitchen colleagues to taste. The results were disappointing: soggy skin; dry, stringy meat; and almost none of the sweet, perfumed complexity of brandy in the sauce. But still, I saw a glimmer of hope. I set to work.

To achieve crispy skin, I began by searing bone-in, skin-on thighs (a flavorful and forgiving cut, just perfect for this comforting dish) skin side down in an ovensafe nonstick skillet. After a few minutes I transferred them to a plate to make room in the skillet to start creating that “lovely brandy sauce with garlic, caramelized onions, and thyme.”

Because a low-and-slow method for caramelizing onions can take forever, I opted for a favorite test kitchen shortcut: adding some liquid, covering the skillet, and steaming the onions over relatively high heat to break them down more quickly. After about 5 minutes, I uncovered the skillet to cook of any residual moisture so that the sugars from the onions could caramelize freely.

The liquid I used for the onions was, naturally, brandy, which lost most of its alcoholic bite during cooking, leaving behind satisfying layers of sweet, subtle, complex flavor and aroma.

I added garlic and thyme with the brandy and onions so they could perfume the entire dish. I then returned the chicken thighs to the skillet (skin side up and on top of the onions and sauce so the skin would continue to crisp) and popped the whole thing into a 350-degree oven.

NOT TOO LONG

8 (5- to 7-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed Kosher salt and pepper 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 onions, halved and sliced thin ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon brandy 6 garlic cloves, minced 3 sprigs fresh thyme 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces and chilled 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 . Adjust oven rack to upper-middle

This dish features moist meat, crispy skin, and a complex, lightly sweet brandy-onion sauce.

After about 20 minutes in the oven, the chicken was cooked through and tender. Another bonus: The flavor of the onions had benefited greatly from the juices that the chicken released during cooking. I reached for a bite and, to my delight, found juicy chicken, crispy skin, and nicely browned, sweet onions.

But something was missing. The dish still didn’t really have the clear note of brandy I’d expected and was also missing a bit of richness. So I transferred the thighs to a plate to rest and stirred a few of pats of cold butter and a splash of brandy into the skillet. I tasted it again and confidently rushed it over to my friend. She took a bite, smiled, and with an excited look of recognition, said, “This is it! My grandma’s chicken!”

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A Spirited Spirit While brandy can be distilled from any fermented fruit juice, it is most commonly made from wine. Brandy can be as elegant and reined as cognac and Armagnac or as casual as applejack.

This spirit lends a rich, complex lavor and aroma to the onion sauce, giving this dish an old-fashioned, comforting feel.

position and heat oven to 350 degrees.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat oil in 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook until well browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate, skin side up.

3. Pour of all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet. Of heat, add onions, ½ cup brandy, garlic, thyme sprigs, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper to skillet. Bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until brandy has evaporated and onions have started to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring often, until onions are well browned, 3 to 5 minutes longer.

4. Of heat, add chicken to skillet, skin side up, along with any accumulated juices. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until chicken registers 175 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer chicken to clean plate; let chicken rest for 5 minutes.

5. Discard thyme sprigs. Place skillet over medium heat (skillet handle will be hot) and stir in butter and remaining 1 tablespoon brandy. Cook until butter is melted and sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Return chicken to skillet, skin side up. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

There’s nothing wrong with a perfect, juicy pear by itself. But we wanted something more.

PAN-ROASTED PEAR SALAD

Serves 6 to 8

For the best texture, try to buy pears that are just shy of fully ripe; they should yield slightly when pressed.

by Morgan Bolling

a juicy, ripe pear plain out of hand, but I find them more enticing when they’re roasted until they’re tender and creamy inside and lightly caramelized outside—the browning enhances the fruits’ floral essence.

I wanted to create a salad built around the sultry appeal of roasted pears.

After spending a few hours researching recipes in our cookbook library, I assembled five promising versions of roasted pear salad and presented them to my colleagues. These recipes were fine, but none of them blew us away.

Also, they all used the oven to roast the pears. But since the oven can be in high demand around the holidays, I wanted to see if I could achieve the same result in a skillet on the stovetop.

Through trial and error, I found that cutting the pears into quarters was ideal for allowing their exteriors to brown without overcooking the centers. As for the type of pear, I tried a few varieties.

I settled on Bosc pears because they seared well and I didn’t have to peel them. I tossed the quartered pears with 2 teaspoons of sugar before searing to intensify their sweetness and deepen the browning. Pears that were fully ripe started to break down in the skillet; ripe-but-firm fruit was the best choice.

I tested every lettuce available at the supermarket, finally choosing mild, crunchy romaine. As for the dressing, my tasters thought that creamy dressings overwhelmed the pears, while simple vinaigrettes let the pear flavor shine. We also liked dressings with a little sweetness to echo that quality in the fruit, so I started with a simple mix of extra-virgin olive oil and fruity cider vinegar and tested sugar, honey, apple jelly, and maple syrup for the sweet component. Maple syrup’s rich caramel flavor won my tasters’ favor.

Chives contributed a subtle onion flavor and looked beautiful in the salad.

To bring it all home, I added bits of crispy bacon and plenty of crumbled blue cheese for bold, salty counterpoints to the sweet pears and dressing. This salad looks and tastes festive enough for the holiday table, but it’s easy enough for any day of the week.

4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into

I L O V E E AT I N G

½-inch-wide strips 3 slightly underripe Bosc pears, quartered and cored 2 teaspoons sugar 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ¼ cup cider vinegar 3 tablespoons maple syrup Salt and pepper 2 romaine lettuce hearts (12 ounces), cut into 2-inch pieces ¼ cup chives, cut into 1-inch pieces 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (1 cup)

1 . Cook bacon in 12-inch nonstick

The dressing’s sweetness—from maple syrup—complements the salty bacon and cheese.

skillet over medium heat until crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel–lined plate. Discard fat and wipe skillet clean with paper towels.

2. Toss pears and sugar together in bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Cook pears, cut sides down, until well browned, 2 to 4 minutes per side, redistributing as needed for even browning. Transfer pears to large plate and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.

3. Whisk vinegar, maple syrup, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and remaining ¼ cup oil together in large bowl. Add lettuce and chives and gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving platter and top with blue cheese, bacon, and pears. Serve.

Perfecting the Pear Prep

1. Halve each pear, and then scoop out the core and seeds.

2. Halve each half to make quarters; we like to keep the peels on.

3. Sear the quartered pears in a skillet until they’re well browned on the cut sides.

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We were looking for a bagel optimized for a sandwich. What we found was even better.

by Morgan Bolling and Katie Leaird

than a fresh bagel—a dense but soft interior surrounded by a chewy exterior. But many bagels fall short on two important physical challenges: fitting into a toaster and creating a sandwich that you can actually fit into your mouth. We set out to find a work-around and, after a few clicks online, came across the idea of bagel bread.

The promise was simple: a sliceable loaf with all the qualities of a fresh bagel, including that signature chewy exterior. The versions we saw were adorable, like a stack of bagels turned sideways. And following existing recipes, which called for boiling separate chunks of yeasted, risen dough (boiling is a necessary step to create the chewy texture and firm exterior of a great bagel) and then lining those up on their sides in a loaf pan to bake, gave us great-looking results.

But as the saying goes, you can’t always judge a book by its cover. The bread was certainly camera-ready, but when we sliced into it, we discovered that its texture ranged from bready (good) to pasty and gray (not good) at the seams where the separate chunks met. We wanted the good looks but a more consistent crumb all the way through the loaf.

We started back at the beginning, with a basic bagel dough made with bread flour (its higher protein content helps with that chewy texture) and a bit of corn syrup (which helps yeast do its leavening work more quickly than sugar does). What’s more, to develop the gluten we needed for chewiness, we kneaded the dough in the stand mixer for a full 10 minutes. Next, we shaped the dough into a loaf and let it rise for an hour.

And then, rather than pinch of individual chunks of dough and boil them separately, we did something shocking: We boiled the entire loaf. Yes, it felt weird, but it got us the exterior “skin” we needed. This boiling step also gently sets the exterior so that when the bread continues to rise in the oven, it rises

THERE’S NOTHING BETTER

This loaf has the tight, chewy crumb and glossy exterior of a bagel. We like it sliced and slathered with cream cheese or butter.

into a tighter, chewier crumb. After several days of tests, we settled on 1½ minutes in boiling water bolstered with baking soda and corn syrup to help the loaf achieve a lovely brown exterior.

Postboil, the loaf looked absurd— mangled and odd. But once it was tucked into a loaf pan (with the help of a pair of slotted spoons or a spider skimmer), we said a short prayer and slid it into the oven. The loaf quickly recovered its dome, rising in the oven’s heat to create a classic sandwich-bread loaf shape. Tasting the baked-and-cooled bread assured us we

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were on the right track: The bread was chewy and just dense enough, with an even texture throughout.

But it lacked that handsome appearance we’d fallen in love with. To achieve it, we decided to slash the loaf between boiling and baking to create a series of peaks and valleys across the top. Just shallow slashes since they would grow deeper during that oven-spring moment.

Bonus: This slashing step wasn’t just for the sake of good looks; it also created more surface area to catch our “everything” topping: sesame seeds,

poppy seeds, dried minced garlic, dried onion flakes, and kosher salt.

A simple egg wash, which we applied before the loaf went into the oven, helped the toppings stick; we also dusted the pan with more of the topping mixture for complete coverage (some of it stuck to the pan, but we were willing to sacrifice a few seeds if it meant 360-degree coverage).

The final tests: slicing, toasting, and building sandwiches. Tasters agreed: This bread had all the flavor of a first-rate bagel as well as the flexibility of a sandwich loaf.

Four Steps to Perfect Bagel Bread

1. Shape the dough into a loaf, pinch the seams to seal, and roll the dough into an 8-inch log.

2. After letting the dough rise, boil it in a solution of baking soda and corn syrup; this creates the chewy exterior texture.

3. Let the boiled dough cool slightly and transfer it to a pan coated with the topping mixture. Don’t fret if it’s misshapen.

4. Make slashes in the top of the dough so that steam can escape from the bread as it bakes and expands in the oven.

BAGEL B READ

dough edges under so top is smooth.

Flip dough smooth side down.

4. Pat dough into 6-inch square and position parallel to edge of counter.

Fold top edge of dough down to midline, pressing to seal. Fold bottom edge of dough up to meet first seam at midline and press to seal. Fold dough in half so top and bottom edges meet; pinch together to seal. Flip dough seam side down and roll into 8-inch log.

5. Transfer to prepared pan, seam side down. Spray top of dough lightly with oil spray, then cover loosely with plastic. Let sit in warm place until dough rises to lip of pan, about 1 hour.

6. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line large plate with clean dish towel. Bring 2 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven.

Once boiling, add baking soda and remaining 2 tablespoons corn syrup.

7. Gently tip dough out of pan onto counter. Lift dough, gently lower into boiling water, and cook for 45 seconds per side. Using spider skimmer or 2 slotted spoons, transfer dough to prepared plate. Fold dish towel over dough gently to wick away excess moisture on top. Let sit until cool enough to handle, about 2 minutes.

8. Respray now-empty pan with oil spray. Add 2 tablespoons topping to pan and shake until bottom and sides of pan are evenly coated. Transfer dough to prepared pan, seam side down, pushing it in at edges to fit if necessary.

9. Using paring knife, make six ¼-inch-deep slashes crosswise along surface of dough, about 1 inch apart.

Brush dough with egg, then sprinkle with remaining 4 teaspoons topping.

Bake until golden brown and loaf registers at least 200 degrees, about 45 minutes. Let bread cool completely in pan, about 2 hours. Remove from pan, slice, and serve, toasted if desired.

Makes 1 loaf

THE AMERICAN TABLE According to a 2008 article in The New Yorker, Long Island entrepreneur David Gussin invented the “everything bagel” around 1980. It came in a lash of inspiration as he was cleaning up seeds and toppings that had fallen of other bagels—sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion, garlic—at the Howard Beach, New York, Theory of Everything bakery where he worked. He told the magazine, “I swept them into a bin and said, ‘Charlie, let’s make some with these!’” Soon thereafter, author Seth Godin refuted this story, recalling his own experience baking everything bagels in a factory in 1977. More recently, New York restaurateur Joe Bastianich claimed that he was behind the invention, telling another magazine, “I deinitely invented the everything bagel. There’s no doubt. It’s undeniable truth. It’s one of those things that’s 100% true, 50% of the time.” Will we ever know the real story?

We prefer bread flour here; its higher protein content gives this loaf a chewy yet light texture. We developed this recipe using King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour, but Gold Medal Bread Flour will also work. The test kitchen’s preferred loaf pan measures 8½ by 4½ inches; if you use a 9 by 5-inch pan, start checking for doneness 5 minutes early.

TOP PING 2 teaspoons sesame seeds 2 teaspoons poppy seeds 2 teaspoons dried minced garlic 2 teaspoons dried onion lakes 2 teaspoons kosher salt B READ Vegetable oil spray 3 cups (16½ ounces) bread lour 2¼ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast ¼ cup light corn syrup 1½ tablespoons kosher salt 1½ teaspoons baking soda 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Illustration: Ross MacDonald

1. FO R T H E T O P P I N G : Combine

all ingredients in bowl; set aside.

2. F O R T H E B R E A D : Spray 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan with oil spray. Whisk flour and yeast together in bowl of stand mixer. Fit mixer with dough hook. Add 1¼ cups (10 ounces) water and 2 tablespoons corn syrup. Mix on medium-low speed until dough comes together and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes. Turn of mixer, cover bowl with dish towel or plastic wrap, and let dough stand for 10 minutes.

3. Add salt to dough and knead on medium speed until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Turn out dough onto clean counter and form into ball by pinching and pulling

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APPLE TURNOVERS

Serves 8

We prefer Granny Smith apples here, but other apple varieties can be used. To thaw frozen puf pastry, let it sit either in the refrigerator for 24 hours or on the counter for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Two convenience items—apple butter and frozen puf pastry— make bakery-quality turnovers a breeze to whip up at home.

3–4 Granny Smith apples, peeled ¼ cup (13⁄4 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons sugar 1⁄8 teaspoon salt 2 (9½ by 9-inch) sheets puf pastry, thawed

by Alli Berkey

½ cup apple butter ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

an apple turnover is equally as good with a warm cup of cofee and your morning newspaper as it is alongside a scoop of ice cream for dessert. These handheld pastries have a ton of appeal—puf pastry dough folded over sweet apple filling and baked until golden brown, flaky, and crisp. I wanted to create a recipe for apple turnovers that were as easy to make as they were to eat.

I got my bearings by preparing a few not-so-easy recipes that required making puf pastry from scratch. While the homemade pastry was great, it was way too much work—especially because we know that supermarket frozen puf pastry dough is really good. It bakes up with flaky, crisp layers every time. It was an easy choice to use this convenient dough. On to the apple filling.

We often turn to tart Granny Smith apples for baking because of their supremely appley flavor, and after trying bushels of diferent apples, my tasters preferred them here, too (although you can use other varieties if you like).

Grating the apples on the large holes of a box grater was an easy way to get fine, tender shreds. I tried seasoning the filling with cloves and nutmeg, but cinnamon was the only spice that passed muster with my tasters. Still, we wanted more apple oomph. I made a batch where I added applesauce to the filling, but it made the filling too runny. Apple butter, which is more concentrated in both flavor and texture, was a better choice, but the filling was still a little too wet.

Needing to drive of some of the moisture from apples before baking isn’t a new problem. Some recipes try to solve it by precooking the apples, but I found that it was better to toss the grated apples with a little sugar and salt, both of which not only season the fruit but also draw out moisture.

Once drained, the apples were easy to work with.

Shaping turned out to be easier than I thought it would be. Most boxes of

W H E N D O N E R I G H T,

1. Grate apples on large holes of box

This geometrical arrangement does more than look cool: It helps the turnovers cook evenly.

puf pastry come with two large sheets inside. I unrolled them and used a rolling pin to stretch them out just a tad more before cutting each into four squares. I dolloped some filling in the center of each square, painted the edges with the appley liquid I’d extracted from the grated fruit, folded the squares over to form triangles, and then crimped the edges with a fork.

After cutting a few vents to allow steam to escape, I briefly chilled the turnovers, a step that helps them hold their shape in the oven. For a final flourish, I painted the tops with more of the extracted apple liquid (why throw away that flavor?) and sprinkled each with cinnamon sugar before baking.

This recipe puts fantastic homemade turnovers within reach of even inexperienced bakers. How do you like them apples?

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Avoiding

Explosions

We want the tasty illing in our mouths, not on the baking sheet (above). To avoid exploding turnovers, gently cup the illing to center it within the pastry (below). This technique helps prevent leakage.

grater set inside bowl until you have 3 cups shredded apples. Add ¼ cup sugar and salt to apples and stir to thoroughly combine. Let sit for 5 minutes.

2. Unfold puf pastry sheets onto lightly floured counter and roll each into 10-inch square. Cut each sheet into four 5-inch squares.

3. Drain apples in fine-mesh strainer set over bowl and press gently with rubber spatula to extract about ⅓ cup juice (do not extract more than ⅓ cup juice or volume of apples will decrease too much). Set aside juice.

4. Transfer apples to now-empty bowl.

Add apple butter to apples and stir to combine. Mound 3 level tablespoons of apple mixture in center of each dough square. Brush edges of each dough square with some of reserved juice.

Fold each square from corner to corner, forming triangle. Cup your hands around apple mixture and gently press on dough triangle to seal. Using tines of fork, crimp outer ½-inch edge of each triangle. Using tip of paring knife, cut two 1-inch slits in center of each triangle. Place turnovers on 2 large plates and freeze until firm, about 20 minutes.

5. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine cinnamon and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in bowl. With turnovers still on plates, brush tops of turnovers with remaining reserved juice and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Transfer turnovers to prepared sheet and bake until well browned, 22 to 24 minutes. Let turnovers cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.

TO MA KE A HEAD

At end of step 4, transfer turnovers to zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Freeze juice separately. When ready to bake, thaw juice completely, then proceed with recipe from step 5 (do not thaw turnovers—baking time will not change).

GETTING TO K N OW WHAT’S IN A NAME? Sorry, New Jersey: We’re not talking about long-cooked tomato sauces here.

At its most basic, gravy is a thickened sauce of stock, meat juices, and drippings. Simple as it may be, few foods are as profoundly comforting or have such great potential to turn a ho-hum meal into something extraordinary. by Scott Kathan Test Kitchen Technique for Basic Poultry Gravy

1. Make stock You can either make a stock with a carcass or enhance store-bought broth with aromatics and the neck and wingtips.

Keys to Rich, Dark Gravy When we want a dark gravy, we either add a little tomato paste with the lour or cook the roux until it darkens. Both of these techniques add deeper lavor to the gravy.

Roux is always cooked to a speciic shade that can range from white to blonde to peanut butter–like and beyond. In simple terms, a roux is just lour whisked into an approximately equal volume of butter or oil and cooked for a minute until the lour loses its raw taste. Roux intensiies in lavor and darkens as you keep cooking it, but it also loses thickening power.

LAY IT ON THICK Flour-thickened sauces such as gravy must be boiled to fully activate the lour’s thickening properties.

Avoid These Products IT’S ALL IN THE ROUX! The color of the inished gravy comes from the color of the roux.

2. Cook roux Make a roux by whisking lour into poultry fat or butter and cooking until light brown.

Gravies at a Glance Roast Beef or Pork Gravy

Illustration: Traci Daberko

• Remove meat from roasting pan and pour fat and juices into fat separator.

• Heat fat in saucepan, stir in equal volume of lour (and some tomato paste, if desired), and cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly.

• Add defatted juices from roast and broth and bring to boil; simmer to thicken, and serve.

Simple Cream Gravy 3. Whisk stock into roux Slowly whisk the stock into the roux and bring to a boil. Simmer until slightly thickened (5 to 10 minutes), strain, and serve.

• Melt butter and stir in equal volume of lour; cook until golden.

• Whisk in equal parts broth and milk.

• Season with salt and pepper, bring to boil, and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve.

Timesaving Tips Gravy keeps well for months in the freezer; we suggest freezing gravy in either a zipper-lock bag (with the air forced out before sealing) or an airtight food storage container. Upon defrosting the gravy, you’ll likely ind that it has separated. Don’t fret; you can easily re-emulsify it by bringing it to a full boil and whisking it vigorously.

While homemade turkey or chicken stock is the best option to use when making gravy, sometimes store-bought stock can be a worthwhile convenience—if you buy the right one.

Our taste test winner is Swanson Chicken Stock, which our tasting panel praised for its “rich,” “meaty” lavor. Lesser stocks can make for bland gravy.

We’ve tried “gravy-enhancing” products such as Kitchen Bouquet and Gravy Master, and we’re not fans— the best of them are too sweet, and the worst have odd and of-lavors. As for canned gravy: Don’t do it. It typically contains loads of chemicals and other nasty ingredients and tastes tinny or worse. Homemade gravy is worlds better.

No Lumps And nobody wants to serve (or eat) lumpy gravy. To avoid lumps, make sure to whisk vigorously when adding the stock and to strain the gravy before serving.

Flip to page 19 for our Boneless Turkey Breast with Gravy recipe.

Our goal this year: an elegant all-white-meat roast. With gravy.

We tie two turkey breasts together (with seasoning in between) to create one boneless roast.

by Morgan Bolling

WHEN IT COMES

to eating the Thanksgiving turkey, my family has a preference for white meat. That suits me fine, as it means there’s always plenty of rich, silky dark meat for me. But this year I decided to put my own preferences aside and roast just two turkey breasts for the family. The turkey breasts would be a breeze to carve, and I wouldn’t have to face the usual challenge of bringing the white and dark meat to perfect doneness at the same time.

The white meat of a turkey breast is less flavorful than the dark meat, so I’d need to crank up the flavor. And since it’s lean, I’d have to take care in the cooking to not dry it out. I was confident I’d be able to clear these hurdles, but I was worried about the gravy. How the heck do you make a superflavorful gravy with minimal turkey drippings and no turkey neck? Lastly, even though I knew my roasts wouldn’t present like a classic Norman Rockwell bird, I wanted them to look worthy of a holiday.

Now, you can buy boneless, skinless turkey breasts, but I ruled them out from the start because I wasn’t willing to forgo crispy turkey skin. That left me with bone-in, skin-on breasts, which are sold both individually and as pairs sharing the same breastbone. But the single breasts I was getting were inconsistent in size; it was better, I found, to eliminate the size variable and buy one bone-in double breast.

Eyeing the big double breast on the counter, I had a thought: What if I

took both breasts of the bone and used that bone to make a flavorful stock for the gravy? I removed the breast meat from the bone, taking care to leave the skin intact. I then roasted the bone until it was well browned (to make a deeply flavorful stock), which took about an hour, and simmered it with carrot, onion, celery, and herbs. After straining this rich stock, I used a roux of butter and flour to thicken it into a silky gravy. Even better, the stock and gravy can be made a day ahead.

With the gravy taken care of, I turned to roasting the now boneless but skin-on turkey breasts. After experimenting, I found that the juiciest meat was cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees in a low 275-degree oven, which took about 2½ hours.

Roasting at such a low temperature ensured that it cooked evenly. With 15 minutes of resting time, the meat was perfect but somehow bringing two roasted breasts to the table felt less than festive. I needed a proper centerpiece.

After a bit of trial and error, I found that I could tie the breasts together with the skin sides facing out before roasting them. To make the joining easier, a clever coworker suggested I use a loaf pan to hold the breasts together while I tied them (see “Key Steps for Making Roast Turkey Breast and Gravy”). And to add more intense seasoning and flavor, I sprinkled the breasts liberally with a mixture of salt, pepper, and rosemary before tying them together. Refrigerating the rubbed, tied turkey for at least a few

3. Roast the breastbone in a 450-degree oven until it is well browned (browned bones make for a more lavorful stock).

4. Make the turkey stock with the roasted bone, water, and aromatics; use the inished stock for the gravy.

Key Steps for Making Roast Turkey Breast and Gravy

1. Use a sharp knife to slice down along both sides of the breastbone to remove the meat, keeping the skin intact.

2. Use a loaf pan to keep the two breasts in a compact, manageable shape when you tie them together.

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hours ensured that the seasoning penetrated deep into the meat. And to render the extra fat in the skin and give the exterior a photo-worthy bronzed hue, I found that a quick stovetop sear in a skillet before roasting was just the thing.

Listen, as a dark-meat lover, I admit that I was skeptical about roasting only the breasts. But this recipe quickly won me over. The tender, deeply seasoned meat; crispy skin; and rich gravy look and feel special on the table—and, if you’re lucky, in sandwiches a few hours later.

BONELESS TURKEY BREAST WITH G RAVY Serves 8 to 10

Plan ahead: The salted turkey needs to be refrigerated for at least 2 hours before cooking. We prefer a natural (unbrined) turkey breast here, but both self-basting and kosher also work well. Omit the salt in step 1 if you buy a self-basting or kosher turkey breast. You can make soup with the excess turkey stock, if desired.

TUR K EY 1 (5- to 7-pound) bone-in turkey breast, trimmed 1 tablespoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary ½ teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon vegetable oil TUR K EY STO C K 1 onion, chopped 1 carrot, peeled and chopped 1 celery rib, chopped 6 sprigs fresh rosemary 1 bay leaf GRAV Y 4 tablespoons unsalted butter ¼ cup all-purpose lour 1⁄3 cup dry white wine Kosher salt and pepper

1. FOR THE TURKEY: Position

turkey breast skin side up on cutting board. Using sharp knife, remove each breast half from bone by cutting through skin on top of breast on either side of center bone. Continue to work knife along bone until each breast half is removed. Reserve breastbone for stock. Combine salt, rosemary, and pepper in bowl. Sprinkle breasts all over with salt mixture.

2. Lay two 24-inch pieces of kitchen twine crosswise in middle of 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan, about 1 inch apart.

Arrange 1 breast half skin side down in pan on top of twine. Position remaining breast half over first, skin side up, with thick end over tapered

end. Tuck turkey into edges of pan to fit if necessary. Tie twine tightly to secure. Remove turkey from pan and continue to tie at 1-inch intervals.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

3. FOR T H E T UR K E Y ST OC K :

Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place reserved breastbone on prepared sheet and roast until well browned, about 1 hour. Let sit until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes.

4. Place breastbone in large saucepan (if necessary, use kitchen shears to break down bone to fit). Add onion, carrot, celery, rosemary sprigs, and bay leaf. Add water to cover by 1 inch and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 hour. (Bone should remain covered with water throughout simmer.)

5. Discard breastbone. Strain turkey stock through fine-mesh strainer set over large bowl. Using spoon, press on solids to extract liquid; discard solids. Reserve turkey stock to make gravy when ready.

6. Three hours before serving, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add turkey and cook until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer turkey to prepared wire rack. Roast until turkey registers 160 degrees, 2¼ to 2¾ hours. Transfer turkey to carving board and let rest for 15 minutes.

7. FOR T H E G R AV Y: Meanwhile, melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking frequently, until peanut butter–colored, about 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in 3 cups turkey stock until no lumps remain.

(Remaining stock can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months.) Whisk in wine, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened and reduced to about 2½ cups, 8 to 10 minutes. Of heat, season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and keep warm.

8. Slice turkey ½ inch thick, removing twine as you slice. Serve, passing gravy separately.

A recipe for Lemon-Thyme Boneless Turkey Breast with Gravy is available to our Web subscribers at CooksCountry.com/nov18.

This savory, gently sweet casserole makes a great holiday side dish.

CO RN PUDDING

Serves 6 to 8

Just say no to canned corn and boxed corn muffin mix. by Alli Berkey

Note that the corn is divided after being microwaved. You can substitute 1 pound of fresh corn kernels (from about four cobs) for the frozen corn, if desired. To double this recipe, bake the pudding in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish and increase the baking time to 45 to 50 minutes.

1 pound frozen corn

a kid, my mom made corn pudding every Thanksgiving. This rustic, soufflé-like casserole highlights the gentle flavors of corn and cream.

But her recipe relied on corn muin mix and canned creamed corn. I wanted something fresher.

My first move was to kick the cans to the curb and use frozen corn, which is still convenient but tastes better than canned (when fresh corn is in season, this dish is all the better for using it).

Buzzing some of the corn kernels with cream in a blender made a silky, sweet, corny base. To replace the corn muin mix, I combined cornmeal, flour, salt, sugar, and a touch of baking soda to help with the puf. Plenty of sour cream and butter, plus an egg for structure, gave me the best combination of rich, corny flavor and light, silky texture.

The sweet spot for baking turned out to be about 35 minutes in a 400-degree oven—this was just enough time to set the pudding without drying it out.

Watching the casserole puf as it browned in the oven brought me back to the Thanksgivings of my youth. And when I tasted the cooled pudding, I knew I’d honored our family tradition by making a good thing great.

W H E N I WA S

¾ cup heavy cream ½ cup (2½ ounces) all-purpose lour 1⁄3 cup (12⁄3 ounces) cornmeal ¼ cup (1¾ ounces) sugar 1¼ teaspoons salt ¼ teaspoon baking soda 1 cup sour cream 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 . Adjust oven rack to upper-middle

position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 8-inch square baking dish. Combine corn and ¼ cup water in microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave until corn is tender, about 7 minutes. Drain corn in colander.

2. Combine cream and 1½ cups corn in blender and process until coarse puree forms, about 30 seconds. Whisk flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in large bowl. Whisk sour cream, melted butter, egg, pureed corn mixture, and remaining corn together in separate bowl. Whisk sour cream mixture into flour mixture until combined. Transfer batter to prepared dish.

3. Bake until edges of pudding are lightly browned and top is slightly pufed, about 35 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

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You never know where you’ll ind your new Thanksgiving favorite.

by Bryan Roof with Heather Tolmie E V E R Y O N E ’ S FAV O R I T E part of the Thanksgiving meal is the

This uncommon dish is made by stirring rice into a bold, spicy meat sauce.

side dishes. But rather than stick to the tried-and-true options, I like to throw a couple of curveballs to keep things interesting. This year, it’s an intensely flavorful side dish that I first encountered at the annual Cochon de Lait Festival in Mansura, Louisiana, six months before Thanksgiving (see “Bayou Bash”).

Cajun-style rice dressing is a meaty, superflavorful side dish made year-round in Louisiana and served at small, homey dinners and big gatherings alike. The recipe details change from kitchen to kitchen, but the basics—rice, ground meat, and chicken livers—stay the same. (Don’t worry.

This dressing doesn’t taste strongly of liver; this ingredient simply adds a signature savoriness.) I knew that this dish would bring a fresh, energetic note to the Thanksgiving table, perfect for waking up the tastebuds after all those mashed potatoes.

As so many great Louisiana dishes do, this one stands on the shoulders of the Cajun/Creole trinity: onions, celery, and green bell peppers. Garlic, scallions, and thyme round out the flavor base along with bacon and butter.

Once the vegetables are softened, they welcome a pound of ground pork to the pot (some recipes call for both beef and pork, but I decided to streamline here and stick to pork) along with some chopped chicken livers, which are easy to find at the grocery store. Finding the right ratio of chicken livers to ground pork took a few experiments,

but I eventually found the sweet spot for sharp but restrained savory flavor: 1 pound pork to 8 ounces chicken livers.

A few more seasonings then join the meats, and the mixture cooks until it takes on some color and flavorful browned bits begin to stick to the bottom of the pot.

Almost there. Three cups of chicken broth help release the fond—and its lovely flavor—into the mixture, and 6 cups of cooked rice bring it all together. Once everything’s combined and warmed through, the dressing is ready for the table: No oven time is necessary, which, on Thanksgiving, is welcome. That oven is working hard enough already.

The final test: tasting this side with roasted turkey. Its savory, spicy, meaty bayou flavors created a lively counterpoint to the relatively mild-tasting turkey meat. Welcome to the Thanksgiving table, Cajun Rice Dressing.

Secret Ingredient We use 8 ounces of chopped chicken livers to give this dish a rich backbone of savory, meaty lavor. While many of us love these little livers sautéed or blitzed into pâté, they are one of those powerhouse ingredients (like anchovies and ish sauce) that can add big background lavor without being identiiable—or, in this case, without tasting like liver.

On the second day of the Cochon de Lait Festival in Mansura, Louisiana, I weave through a sea of Cajun cooks to a group of men wielding stainless-steel canoe paddles over a gigantic iron kettle. Jimmy ON THE ROAD Armand is focused on tending to a mixture of ground meat, vegetables, and rice that is heavily perfumed with bacon grease and pungent with pork liver—the foundation for Cajun rice dressing. He seems to be in charge of the operation and explains, “All them ingredients are having a marriage right now.”

Armand says that the mixture, which he calls “yum-yum sauce,” needs to be in perfect balance before the rice is stirred in. He ofers me what he calls a “pocket sandwich,” spooning some of the “yum-yum” onto a slice of white bread and folding it in half. He looks me over and I nod in approval. Armand smiles. “Yum-yum?” It certainly is.

To find out more about the Cochon de Lait Festival, which takes place each May, visit CooksCountry.com/cochondelait.

by Bryan Roof, photo by Steve Klise 20 C O O K ’ S C O U N T R Y • O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8

Making the Cajun rice dressing at the Cochon de Lait Festival is a group effort.

Illustration: Ross MacDonald

Bayou Bash

CAJUN R ICE D R ESS I N G

Serves 8 to 10

Two cups of uncooked long-grain white rice will yield about 6 cups once cooked. You can find chicken livers in the refrigerated meat section of your supermarket or at your local butcher shop. If you prefer, you can use a food processor to chop the chicken livers; it will take about six pulses to finely chop them.

For a spicier dish, use the larger amount of cayenne pepper.

6 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 slices bacon, chopped 2 green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped ine

Creamy mashed potatoes combined with classic bread stuffing?

Say what? by Cecelia Jenkins

2 onions, chopped ine 1 celery rib, chopped ine 12 scallions, cut into ½-inch pieces 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme Salt and pepper 1 pound ground pork 8 ounces chicken livers, trimmed and chopped ine 1 tablespoon paprika 1½ teaspoons granulated garlic ½ teaspoon celery salt ¼–½ teaspoon cayenne pepper 3 cups chicken broth 6 cups cooked long-grain white rice Hot sauce

Illustration: Ross MacDonald

1. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in

Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add bacon and cook until almost crispy, about 3 minutes.

2. Add bell peppers, onions, celery, half of scallions, garlic, thyme, 1 teaspoon pepper, and ¾ teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables have softened, about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add pork, chicken livers, paprika, granulated garlic, celery salt, cayenne, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cook, breaking up meat with spoon, until mixture begins to fry in its own fat and fond develops on bottom of pot, 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Stir in broth, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in remaining scallions and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly reduced, about 15 minutes.

5. Of heat, add rice, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and stir until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with hot sauce.

thinking stuing was a combination of mashed potatoes and bread. Yes—double the starch. Perhaps not surprisingly for such a thrifty, clever dish, that version has Pennsylvania Dutch and Amish roots.

I was able to collect a handful of recipes for this dish, which is fittingly called Amish potato filling (not stuing).

When we sampled the full range of recipes I’d found, one thing was clear: Too much potato could overwhelm the dish, making the bread soggy and muting the other flavors. I wanted a creamy potato filling with browned, crunchy bread on top for satisfying textural contrast.

Most of these existing recipes called for leftover mashed potatoes, but I wanted my recipe to start from scratch.

Grabbing a saucepan, I got the potatoes simmering (Yukon Golds, which we’ve found make a creamy, flavorful mash) while I cut sandwich bread into cubes.

I toasted the bread on a rimmed baking sheet in the oven until the cubes were lightly crisp, golden brown, and eager to drink up the flavors of the stuing.

I drained and mashed the potatoes and then stirred in half-and-half and butter. In the now-empty saucepan, I sautéed onions and celery with some poultry seasoning. When the vegetables were tender, I stirred them into the potatoes and then folded in the toasted bread.

This filling was OK, but it was a bit thick and lacked richness. Chicken broth was the answer. Just 1¼ cups was enough to loosen the filling’s texture and provide a boost of savory richness.

Dotting the top with butter gave the filling a crunchy crust and made it truly holiday-worthy. Buttery, crunchy, and soft, this potato filling combines two traditional side dishes to create more room on your holiday plate.

I GREW UP

This buttery mash-up of mashed potatoes and stuffing is a satisfying holiday twofer.

A M I SH POTATO FILLING

Serves 8 to 10

For the best results, be sure to use a hearty white sandwich bread here. We prefer Yukon Gold potatoes in this recipe, but russet potatoes will work in a pinch. We developed this recipe using Bell’s poultry seasoning. Do not smooth the top of the filling before baking the casserole; the uneven surface will brown as it bakes and create a crunchy texture that contrasts nicely with the smooth filling below it.

12 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 pound hearty white sandwich bread, cut into ½-inch pieces 2½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced ½ inch thick Salt and pepper 1 cup half-and-half 2 onions, chopped 2 celery ribs, chopped 2½ teaspoons poultry seasoning 1¼ cups chicken broth 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position

and heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 13 by 9-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Place bread on rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry and golden brown in spots, about 22 minutes, stirring halfway through baking.

Set aside. (Cooled bread can be stored in zipper-lock bag for up to 2 days.)

2. Meanwhile, place potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt in large saucepan and cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until tender and paring knife slips easily in and out of potatoes, about 12 minutes.

3. Drain potatoes and transfer to large bowl. Using potato masher, mash potatoes until smooth and no lumps remain. Stir in half-and-half, 6 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¾ teaspoon pepper until butter is melted. Set aside.

4. In now-empty saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, poultry seasoning, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables are softened, 7 to 9 minutes, stirring often. Add broth and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits, then remove from heat.

5. Add broth mixture to mashed potatoes and stir until combined (mixture will be wet). Add toasted bread and stir until all bread is evenly coated with potato mixture. Transfer filling to prepared dish and distribute evenly but do not pack down or smooth top. Cut remaining 2 tablespoons butter into 8 pieces and distribute evenly over top of filling.

6. Bake until surface is well browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve.

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What we wanted: a pumpkin pie we could freeze whole. What we got: an excellent pie, frozen or not.

by Cecelia Jenkins

I L O V E M A K I N G pies of all kinds.

For that reason, I volunteer to make some of my favorites every Thanksgiving for my family’s big gathering. And every Thanksgiving I find myself scrambling at the last minute to get the pies made. Sure, sometimes I’m organized enough to make the pies a day ahead, but let’s face it: The day before Thanksgiving isn’t exactly devoid of other tasks to accomplish. What if I could make a pumpkin pie, baked and all, a week or more ahead?

Many friends and coworkers said it couldn’t be done because homemade custards tend to split into mush once thawed. Store-bought frozen pies, on the other hand, use industrial-strength emulsifiers and stabilizers that prevent the custard from splitting but make the texture weird and spongy. Freezing the parts individually to bake of later wasn’t my goal—all I wanted to do on Thanksgiving Day was take the pie out of the freezer and let it thaw. Also, it needed to have a velvety-smooth filling and crisp crust that were just as good as in a fresh pie.

I started my experimenting with a traditional custard of pumpkin puree, cream, eggs, sugar, and spices cooked in a saucepan. I froze this filling in a plastic container and thawed it, and sure enough, it was chunky and weepy-wet.

With some investigation, I found that ice crystals were to blame. Eggs are mostly water, and pumpkin puree also contains a lot of water. When that water freezes, it expands and forms sharp ice crystals that damage the protein structure of the egg. Then when the filling thaws, the custard can no longer hold the water in place, so it leaks out. Without eggs, I’d lose structure and richness (bad) but decrease water (good).

I needed something that could do the structural work of the eggs and decrease or at least trap or suspend any excess water. Gelatin has helped with these challenges in the past, so I tried it again here. Bonus: If I used gelatin instead of eggs, I wouldn’t need to cook the custard.

Do you really need the maple-cinnamon whipped cream topping? Yes!

I crossed my fingers and dissolved a tablespoon of gelatin in heavy cream (which I hoped would help replace some of the richness lost when I ditched the eggs). I then zapped this mixture in the microwave for a minute to help it along and let it rest for a few minutes before stirring it into a warmed mixture of pumpkin puree, sugar, and spices. Sure enough, this filling set up beautifully—without baking.

But would it freeze? Only one way to find out. I spooned it into an

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already-baked pie shell, wrapped it carefully, and after 24 hours, thawed it out, watching carefully for weeping. I saw none, nor any other obvious damage. When I cut into the pie, I was rewarded with a pumpkin filling that was smooth and silky, with no traces of trouble. Score!

About that prebaked pie shell: I used our new Three-in-One All-Butter Pie Dough recipe and then fully baked the crust (see page 24). This method kept the crust crisp and flaky even after I

added a wet filling and even after I froze and thawed the pie. As I carefully sliced into the frozen-and-thawed pie, I could hear the crunch of the crust; it remained remarkably crisp and flaky.

Topped with an outrageously delicious maple-cinnamon whipped cream (which can also be made ahead), this pie, according to my tasters, was “luxurious,” “creamy,” “festive,” and “a total holiday game changer.” To me, that last comment was the most gratifying of all.

Don’t Destroy Your Pretty Pie with a Subpar Pie Server by Emily Phares

In most American home kitchens today, pumpkins come around relatively infrequently. But during the early days of the Plymouth Colony in present-day Massachusetts, pumpkins (and other squashes, often called “pumpkins” regardless of type) were a basic staple with a long season. “We have pumpkins in the morning and pumpkins at noon/If it were not for pumpkins we would be undoon,” went one 1630s poem.

MA KE-A H EA D PU M P K I N P I E WITH M A PLE-C I N N AM O N WH IPPED CR E A M

Serves 8 to 10

For the best flavor, use a good-quality maple syrup. For the best results, we recommend using our Three-in-One All-Butter Pie Dough (page 24).

PIE 1 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon unlavored gelatin 1 (15-ounce) can unsweetened pumpkin puree ¾ cup (5¼ ounces) sugar ¼ cup maple syrup

4. Pour filling into crust. Gently shake pie so filling spreads to edges of crust; let cool for 10 minutes. Spray sheet of plastic wrap with vegetable oil spray and gently press onto filling.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

5. FOR T H E T OPPING : Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip all ingredients on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. (Topping can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)

6. Spread topping evenly over pie.

Serve.

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 fully baked 9-inch pie crust, completely cool TOP P I N G 1 cup heavy cream, chilled

KEY

TO MAK E AHEAD

At end of step 4, pie can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and frozen for up to 2 weeks. To serve, completely unwrap pie and let thaw at room temperature for 5 hours.

Make topping while pie thaws and spread over pie just before serving.

Good +++

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Our Favorite OXO SteeL Pie Server

1½ teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon salt

is essentially a pointed spatula designed to cut, remove, and transport pie slices. We previously tested pie servers, but with new models on the market, we decided to retest. We selected six, including our previous winner from OXO, and sliced nearly 40 pies to find the best model.

A pie server’s blade design determined how efectively it EQUIPMENT cut and removed slices. One dull-edged model couldn’t easily TESTING slice into thick crusts or the firm, nutty top of a pecan pie. A model with a nylon blade bowed outward instead of driving straight down into a pie. The best servers had rigid stainless-steel blades with serrated edges.

But cutting slices is only half the equation. Next we had to remove them, and it wasn’t always easy. Two servers were too long (5 to 7 inches) to deftly navigate a standard 9-inch pie plate, and one of these was also too narrow, so slices felt unsteady as we tried to maneuver them. Our top performers were short (approximately 4 to 4½ inches long) and wide (2½ to 3 inches across at the base); they were easy to slide under pies and held slices securely. We also preferred handles that were grippy and ofset, which made them comfortable to grasp and allowed us to get the blade under slices more easily.

In the end, our previous winner kept its top spot. The OXO SteeL Pie Server ($9.99) has a short, wide blade with serrations on both sides, so it worked well for both right- and left-handed testers. However, if you’re using a nonstick pie plate and are concerned about scratching it, consider our runner-up, also from OXO. Its nylon blade sometimes struggled to cut through thick crusts, but its flexibility made it easy to remove intact, attractive slices. Our top four models are shown below.

A P I E S E RV E R

THE AMERICAN TABLE

Model: 53081 Price: $9.99 Blade Dimensions: 4½ in long, 2½ in at base Comments: Our winning pie server felt “remark-

Fair ++

CRITERIA Cutting Ability +++ Removal and Transport +++ Comfort +++

ably comfortable” and “balanced” in our hands, and testers liked its rubbery grip. This server’s sharp serrated blade was able to slice through all types of pie (even tough pecan pie) with ease, and it slid neatly under wedges, making removal quick and tidy and producing picture-perfect slices.

CO MFO RTA B L E HANDLE S H A RP S E RRATIO N S

¼ cup maple syrup ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon Pinch salt

Illustration: Ross MacDonald

1. FO R THE PIE: Whisk cream and

gelatin in microwave-safe bowl until all gelatin looks wet (mixture will be slightly lumpy). Let mixture sit until it looks like loose cottage cheese, about 5 minutes.

2. Microwave gelatin mixture until gelatin has melted, about 1 minute, whisking halfway through microwaving. Whisk until smooth and syrupy and no lumps remain. (If lumps persist, microwave in 10-second intervals, whisking after each, until smooth.)

3. Whisk pumpkin, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in large microwave-safe bowl until combined. Microwave pumpkin mixture until heated to 110 degrees, about 2 minutes, stirring halfway through microwaving.

Immediately add gelatin mixture to pumpkin mixture and whisk to thoroughly combine.

Plastic First, Then Foil With this recipe, our aim was to create a pie that we could freeze and thaw with no ill efects (broken custard, soggy crust, etc.). Impossible? Actually, not at all: This pie, once assembled, chilled, frozen, and thawed, is likely the best pumpkin pie you’ll ever eat. To freeze the pie, irst wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then double down by wrapping it in aluminum foil, taking care not to crush the crimped edges. Wrapped this way, the pie can be frozen for up to two weeks.

Poor +

RECOMMENDED OXO Good Grips Nylon Flexible Pie Server

Cutting Ability ++ Removal and Transport +++ Comfort +++

Model: 1064984 Price: $6.95 Blade Dimensions: 45⁄8 in long, 3 in at base Comments: Our runner-up’s wedge shape “mimics the shape

of a nice slice of pie” and gave us the “best-looking pieces.” This server’s superlexible blade struggled to cut through some crusts.

ORBLUE Flatware Pie Server Stainless Steel Cake Cutter

Cutting Ability +++ Removal and Transport +++ Comfort ++

Model: ORB-PIE-SRVR-FBA Price: $10.07 Blade Dimensions: 43⁄8 in long, 2½ in at base Comments: This server gave us neat pie slices with minimal efort.

The serrated stainless-steel blade cut crusts with ease—no second passes necessary—and slices were easy to remove intact.

RECOMMENDED WITH RES ERVATIONS Cuisinart Stainless Steel Pie Server

Cutting Ability ++ Removal and Transport ++ Model: CTG-07-PI Comfort +++ Price: $13.32 Blade Dimensions: 3¾ in long, 23⁄8 in at base Comments: We liked this server’s comfortable rounded handle,

and its wedge-shaped head was good for serving. But the dull nonserrated blade had diiculty cutting through some crusts.

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COOKING CLASS

It took us more than 80 attempts, but we created a recipe for a tasty all-butter pie dough that is actually easy to work with. by Cecelia Jenkins TH R E E-IN-O N E A LL-BUTTE R P I E D O U G H

Makes enough for one 9-inch pie This recipe was developed in a metal pie plate, but it will work in a glass pie plate and even a disposable pie plate. Do not use this dough in a deep-dish pie plate or a plate without a lip around the edge.

When fully baking this dough, we prefer to use granulated sugar in place of pie weights, but raw rice, dried beans, or ceramic pie weights will also work. The sugar can be stored and reused for baking future pie doughs. Chilling the dough for 2 hours is important; even if you plan on freezing this pie dough for later use, do not skip this step.

1½ cups (7½ ounces) all-purpose lour 1 tablespoon sugar, plus about 5 cups to use as pie weight ½ teaspoon salt 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled 6 tablespoons ice water 1. Process lour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and

salt in food processor until combined, about 3 seconds. Scatter butter over top and pulse until irregular large chunks of butter form with some small pieces throughout, about 5 pulses. Add ice water and process until little balls of butter form and almost no dry lour remains, about 10 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl after 5 seconds.

2 . Turn out dough onto clean counter and gather into ball. Sprinkle dough and counter generously with lour and shape dough into 6-inch disk, pressing any cracked edges back together. Roll dough into 13-inch circle, relouring counter and dough as needed.

3. Loosely roll dough around rolling pin and gently unroll it onto 9-inch pie plate, leaving at least 1-inch overhang around edge. Ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with your hand while pressing into plate bottom with your other hand. Trim overhang to ½ inch beyond lip of plate.

4. Tuck overhang under itself; folded edge should be lush with edge of plate. Crimp dough evenly around edge of plate using your knuckles. Push protruding crimped

edge so it slightly overhangs edge of plate. Pierce bottom and sides of dough all over with fork, about 40 times. Wrap dough-lined plate loosely in plastic wrap and refrigerate until dough is very irm, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. (After being refrigerated for 2 hours, dough-lined plate can be wrapped tightly in plastic and frozen for up to 1 month. Let dough thaw at room temperature for 25 minutes before using.)

5A. FO R A F IL L-AN D-BAK E PIE : Fill chilled pie shell and bake according to recipe instructions.

Unbaked

Pa r t i a l l y Ba k e d

5B. FO R A PART IAL LY BAK E D C RUST:

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line chilled pie shell with aluminum foil and, while pressing into plate bottom with 1 hand to keep foil lush with bottom of plate, work foil around crimped edge with your other hand. Fill foil to lip of plate with sugar.

Transfer plate to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and bake until edges are dry and pale, about 45 minutes. Remove foil and sugar, rotate sheet, and continue to bake until center of crust is light golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Let cool before proceeding with recipe.

5C. FO R A F UL LY BAK E D C RUST:

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line chilled pie shell with aluminum foil and, while pressing into plate bottom with 1 hand to keep foil lush with bottom of plate, work foil around crimped edge with your other hand. Fill foil to lip of plate with sugar.

Transfer plate to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and bake until edges are dry and light golden brown, about 1 hour.

Remove foil and sugar, rotate sheet, and continue to bake until edges of crust are peanut butter–colored and center is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes longer.

Let cool completely before illing.

Key Ingredient: Time We don’t chill the dough before rolling; rather, we roll it immediately and let it rest in the refrigerator later. The rest lets the dough fully hydrate and relax before baking. Don’t skip the rest, or the crust will be tough.

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Fu l l y B a k e d

Step by Step

1. Make dough Process the dry ingredients. Pulse the butter until irregular chunks form. Add the water and process until almost no dry lour remains.

Why? Because we roll the dough immediately after making it, we take care not to overwork it so it bakes up tender, not tough.

2. Press dough into disk Use your hands to shape the dough into a 6-inch disk.

Why? Preshaping the dough makes rolling it into a tidy circle easier.

3. Roll out dough into circle Working on a loured counter, immediately use a rolling pin to roll the dough into an even 13-inch circle.

Why? The dough is the perfect temperature to work with, so we roll it out now and let it rest (so it fully hydrates) later, after shaping.

4. Transfer to pie plate Roll the dough around a rolling pin and unroll it onto a 9-inch pie plate, leaving at least a 1-inch overhang.

Lift the edges to ease the dough into the corners of the plate.

Why? The pin helps support the dough so it doesn’t stretch out of shape during transfer.

5. Trim overhang Use kitchen shears to trim overhanging dough to an even ½ inch beyond the edge of the plate lip.

Why? Leaving just ½ inch of overhanging dough ensures that there is the right amount of dough to crimp into a decorative edge.

6. Fold excess dough under Tuck the overhanging dough under itself so it is lush with the pie plate lip.

Why? Creating a thicker edge makes crimping a breeze.

7. Crimp edge Use your knuckles to evenly crimp the edge around the perimeter of the plate.

Why? A crimped edge looks pretty. Using your knuckles (instead of your ingertips) creates a slightly thicker crimp that is less apt to be dented or crushed.

8. Adjust crimped edge Push the crimped edge away from the center of the pie and push the tips of the crimped points slightly downward over the lip of the plate.

Why? This move ensures that the crimped edge sits evenly and helps anchor the top of the crust to the pie plate so it doesn’t slump.

9. Dock dough Using a fork, pierce the bottom and sides of the dough 40 times.

Why? Docking creates holes that allow steam to escape during baking; this prevents the bottom of the dough from puing or becoming misshapen. (Your pie illing won’t leak through.)

10. Chill before baking Wrap the dough-lined plate loosely in plastic wrap and chill it for at least 2 hours before baking.

Why? Letting the shaped dough rest allows it to hydrate fully so it is tender when baked. Chilling also helps it hold its shape in the oven.

It’s Time to Bake

Williams Sonoma Goldtouch Nonstick Pie Dish ($18.95)

The Baking Setup

Baking Options

We bake the pie shell on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Why? The wire rack elevates the pie plate so that hot air can circulate freely and evenly. Without the elevating rack, the bottom of a pie baked on a rimmed baking sheet will burn (below). Our favorite pie-baking gear is listed at left.

After the pie dough has chilled in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, it is ready to be baked (or frozen).

There are three scenarios for baking the rolled-out dough—a ill-and-bake pie (such as apple, blueberry, peach, and other fruit pies), a partially baked crust (for custard pies that inish in the oven), and a fully baked crust (for cream or gelatin-set pies such as the pumpkin pie on page 23); the speciics for each method are covered in step 5 of the recipe.

Subscribers to our website can access hundreds of sweet and savory pie recipes at CooksCountry.com.

Libertyware Half Size Sheet Pan Cooling Rack ($17.00 for set of 2)

Nordic Ware Baker’s Half Sheet ($14.97)

AVOID THE BURN

A Sweet Pie Weight Alternative Most bakers use ceramic pie weights (or dried beans, rice, or pennies) to weigh down pie dough when parbaking it to help it retain its shape; cookbook author Stella Parks recommends using plain old granulated sugar—a full 5 cups of it—instead, so we tried it. The small grains of sugar provide compact, even pressure against the dough, keeping it latter than other pie weights. We like to reserve sugar just for this purpose; after three or four bakes, it turns a light gold color and tastes gently caramelized. We like it stirred into cofee or sprinkled on berries.

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FIVE EASY

We didn’t want to mask the unique, earthy lavor of sweet potato. We wanted to highlight it.

by Ashley Moore

I F S W E E T P O T AT O E S sometimes get a bad rap, one reason is that cooks often combine them with cloying ingredients (such as brown sugar or marshmallows) that intensify this tuber’s natural sweetness—there’s no need to clobber something sweet with more sweetness. I wanted to create a simple recipe for mashed sweet potatoes where the potatoes’ earthy flavor shared center stage with their sweetness. And while I was at it, I wanted to come up with some flavor variations that would suit any mood or occasion.

The test kitchen has developed several recipes for mashed sweet potatoes over the years; aside from the classic boiling, a few even call for cooking the potatoes in the oven or microwave. But for the sake of simplicity, I’d stick to developing a stovetop method.

My tasters loved the mashed sweet potatoes that I steamed in a small amount of butter and cream, preferring them to the sweet potatoes that I’d boiled in water. What’s more, this steaming method saved me from having to drain the potatoes; the cream and butter simply get mashed into the potatoes at the end. But as good as this recipe was, I wanted even more sweet potato flavor.

Through several tests, I learned that I could concentrate the potatoes’ flavor by swapping out the rich cream in favor of water—just 6 tablespoons.

Aside from a little salt and pepper added to the mash for baseline seasoning, the only other ingredient I added was a teaspoon of granulated sugar; this small amount didn’t make the mash much sweeter, just deeper and more complex.

I was pleased with my base recipe, and set out to make some variations.

For the first, I spiced things up, stirring in smoky chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chives, and lime zest. Next, I created a complex profile with curry powder, golden raisins, and fresh cilantro. For the third version, which was a big crowd-pleaser, I mixed in spicy jalapeño, fresh garlic, and sliced scallions. To my fourth and final version, I added bright orange zest and maple syrup plus some heady thyme.

M AS HE D SW E E T POTATOES Serves 4

This recipe can be easily doubled and prepared in a Dutch oven; increase the cooking time to 40 to 50 minutes.

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1⁄4 inch thick 6 tablespoons water 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces 1 teaspoon sugar Salt and pepper

1. Combine potatoes, water, butter,

sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until potatoes crumble easily when poked with paring knife, 25 to 30 minutes.

2. Remove from heat. Using potato masher, mash potatoes thoroughly until smooth and no lumps remain. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

A teaspoon of sugar brings out the complexity of sweet potatoes.

M ASHE D SW E E T POTATOES W I T H C HI POT LE A N D LI M E

Add 2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce to saucepan with potatoes in step 1. Stir 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives and 1 teaspoon grated lime zest into potato mixture after mashing in step 2.

M ASHE D SW E E T POTATOES W I T H CU R RY A N D G OLD E N RA I S I N S

Add 2 teaspoons curry powder to saucepan with potatoes in step 1. Stir ½ cup golden raisins and 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro into potato mixture after mashing in step 2.

MAS H E D SWE E T POTATO ES WITH C H IPOTL E A N D L IME

MAS H E D SWE E T POTATO ES WITH JA L A PE Ñ O, GA RL IC, A N D SCA L L IO N S

MAS H E D SWE E T POTATO ES WITH MA PL E A N D O RA N G E

MAS H E D SWE E T POTATO ES WITH CURRY A N D G O L D E N RA IS IN S

M ASHE D SW E E T POTATOES W I T H JALAPEÑO, GARLIC, AND SCALLIONS

Add 1 stemmed, seeded, and minced jalapeño chile and 2 minced garlic cloves to saucepan with potatoes in step 1. Stir 2 thinly sliced scallions into potato mixture after mashing in step 2.

M ASHE D SW E E T POTATOES W I T H M A PLE A N D ORA N G E

Omit sugar. Stir 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme, and ½ teaspoon grated orange zest into potato mixture after mashing in step 2.

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COOKING FOR TWO

Illustration: Jay Layman

Adding a lavorful illing can be a great way to make mild chicken breasts seem special.

But could we make it easy enough for a weeknight supper for two? by Ashley Moore STUFFED BONELESS, SKINLESS

M OZZA R E LLA-A N D -PESTO-ST U FFE D

chicken breasts should be fantastic, but they’re often not. The filling usually tastes steamy, and the chicken itself tends to be dry and flavorless. In creating a recipe for stufed chicken breasts for two, I wanted to overcome these challenges and make a tasty dinner that was worth the efort.

I made a few versions that were stufed with deli meats, cheeses, and combinations of punchy ingredients such as mustard, olives, pickles, and even sauerkraut. All these fillings were fine, but I really wanted to keep things simple, and one idea kept popping into my head: pesto. Besides being easy to make, it would provide bright flavor and beautiful color to the dish.

I started by making a thick pesto of fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic, and a little olive oil blitzed in a food processor. Pine nuts are a traditional binder in pesto, but their delicate flavor wasn’t coming through here. I decided to omit them and use panko bread crumbs instead to add texture and hold the pesto together.

The pesto tasted great, but my tasters clamored for more creaminess, and that meant more cheese. After testing various kinds, I chose melty, gooey mozzarella. I tried diferent types and landed on an unlikely winner: mozzarella sticks! They were just the right size for stuing into the chicken breasts, and they melted beautifully.

The rest of the details came together quickly. Cutting pockets into the breasts wasn’t much work and contained the filling much better than butterflying and rolling did. Seasoning the raw chicken inside and out not only helped with flavor, but the salt (paired with careful cooking) helped keep the meat juicy. Tying each stufed breast with twine ensured that the filling stayed put. And browning the breasts on one side on the stovetop, flipping them, and then cooking them through in the oven provided the best balance of good exterior browning (for flavor) and tender, moist meat.

I made what I hoped was a final batch and called my tasters. I sliced through the juicy chicken to reveal bright green pesto that tasted like sunshine and oozy cheese that pulled and stretched in strings as if it were auditioning for a pizza commercial. Success.

C HI C KE N BR E ASTS FOR T WO

If you wash your basil, make sure to dry it well before processing it. Some string cheese products are longer than 4 inches, so be sure to measure and cut accordingly to avoid a blowout.

Reserve the chicken tenderloins for another use. You will need kitchen twine for this recipe.

2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenderloins removed, trimmed Salt and pepper ¾ cup fresh basil leaves ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs 1 small garlic clove, minced 2 (4-inch-long) sticks mozzarella string cheese

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position

and heat oven to 400 degrees. Working with 1 breast at a time and starting at thick end of breast, cut 3½-inch-long horizontal pocket along side, stopping ½ inch from interior edge and 1 inch from tapered bottom. Wiggle tip of knife inside pocket to increase pocket’s length to about 4 inches to accommodate cheese. Season breasts inside and out with salt and pepper.

2. Process basil, Parmesan, 2 tablespoons oil, panko, garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in food processor until smooth, about 10 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

3. Place 1 mozzarella stick in center of each breast. Pack 2 tablespoons pesto inside each breast, encasing mozzarella and leaving ¼-inch border along cut edge. Tie each breast with 3 evenly spaced pieces of kitchen twine to enclose filling.

4. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in 10-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add breasts, smooth side down, and cook until well browned, about 3 minutes. Flip breasts, transfer skillet to oven, and bake until thickest part of filling registers 160 degrees, 15 to 17 minutes. Transfer breasts to cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.

5. Remove twine, then slice chicken ½ inch thick. Serve.

Tying the stuffed breasts with kitchen twine holds the filling in place during cooking.

How to Create and Stuf the Pocket

1. Starting at thick end, cut 3½-inch-long pocket in breast, stopping ½ inch from interior edge and 1 inch from tapered bottom. Wiggle knife to widen pocket length (but not opening) to about 4 inches.

2. Place 1 mozzarella stick in center of each breast. Pack 2 tablespoons pesto inside each breast, encasing mozzarella and leaving ¼-inch border along cut edge.

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SLOW COOKER

A recipe for happy party guests: homemade cocktail meatballs in a sweet, bold glaze.

by Matthew Fairman

of the saucy, flavorful mini meatballs called cocktail meatballs. These bold little treats are often made in (and served from) a slow cooker to feed a hungry crowd. The best ones are sweet, spicy, savory, and fun to spear and eat with a toothpick at a party—preferably with a favorite beverage in your other hand.

But many versions of these meatballs disappoint. This became apparent to my test kitchen colleagues when I prepared and presented six slow-cooker versions that led to comments such as “rubbery,” “way too sweet,” and “cue sad trombone noise.”

The worst of these initial test recipes called for just three ingredients: frozen beef meatballs, grape jelly, and barbecue sauce. No wonder these meatballs underwhelmed with their rubbery texture and lack of freshness and vitality. And the rest of the recipes I tried weren’t much better. I was now suitably motivated to develop my own version of tender, intensely flavored slow-cooker cocktail meatballs.

Since cocktail meatballs are usually party fare, I knew they had to be able to withstand several hours in the slow cooker without drying out and becoming tough. This meant using a panade, a paste of bread and liquid that helps meatballs (and meatloaf) stay moist. I saw no reason to deviate from the oft-used test kitchen formula of

I ’ M E S P E C I A L LY F O N D

Sizing Up the Meatballs

Make your meatball . . .

. . . the size of a Ping-Pong ball.

A cocktail meatball should be sized so that it is easy to spear with a toothpick and eat in one bite. As you can see, ours are about the size of a Ping-Pong ball. You can portion the meatballs with a tablespoon measure, but a #60 scoop (which bakers sometimes use to portion cookie dough) works great, too. Make sure to moisten your hands with water before rolling the meatballs.

crushed saltines (which we preferred in this recipe to bread and other crumbs for the light texture they provided) and milk, which I stirred together and let sit for 5 minutes before adding the ground beef. A healthy dose of grated Parmesan and a little garlic powder gave the mixture a savory boost. And since I was making roughly 70 meatballs, I found it easiest (and quickest) to portion them with a small scoop.

As for cooking the meatballs, I was hoping to avoid the work (and mess) of batch-searing them on the stovetop before adding them to the slow cooker.

The ease of dumping the raw meatballs into the slow cooker was tempting, but it turned out to be a trap. When I tried it, the meatballs came out mushy; they also leached out fat and goo that turned the sauce cloudy and greasy. Instead, I settled on searing the meatballs via a quick stint in a 450-degree oven, arranging them on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet so the fat could drain away. The oven sear not only drove of the excess grease but also added flavorful browning, and it was far easier than stovetop searing.

For the sauce, I wanted an easy stir-together glaze with a balance of bold sweet, tangy, sour, and savory flavors. Most recipes call for fruit preserves to both sweeten and thicken the sauce. But my tasters preferred hot pepper jelly for its one-two punch of heat and sweetness. A bit of soy sauce added deep, salty intensity, and plain white vinegar (which we preferred to cider and wine vinegars) provided a direct and clean tang.

Finally, I added a bit of cornstarch for the perfect sauce consistency. But since we know that cornstarch can lose its thickening power when cooked for too long, I reserved a portion of my sauce, whisked in some cornstarch, and gave it a quick spin in the microwave to thicken up before stirring it into the slow cooker just before serving.

When I called together my kitchen teammates for this tasting, they remained huddled around the slow cooker munching on meatballs long after we had declared the recipe a success. Apparently, the party was just getting started.

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Hot pepper jelly adds sweetness and heat and cooks down into a sticky, glazy sauce.

S LOW-CO O KER GLAZ ED CO CKTAIL

3. Add beef, Parmesan, garlic powder,

MEATBALLS Serves 10 to 12

salt, and pepper to saltine mixture and mix with your hands until thoroughly combined. Divide mixture into about 70 (1-tablespoon) portions. Roll portions between your slightly wet hands to form meatballs and evenly space on prepared wire rack. Roast meatballs until beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer meatballs to slow cooker.

4. F O R T H E S A U CE : Whisk jelly, water, soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic together in bowl. Pour half of sauce (about 1½ cups) over meatballs in slow cooker. Cover and refrigerate remaining sauce until needed. Cover slow cooker and cook until meatballs are tender, 3 to 4 hours on high or 4 to 6 hours on low.

5. Whisk cornstarch into reserved sauce. Microwave until sauce is bubbling and has consistency of thick jam, about 6 minutes, whisking halfway through microwaving. Add sauce to slow cooker and gently fold with rubber spatula until meatballs are thoroughly coated. Serve. (Meatballs can be held in slow cooker on low or warm setting, partially covered, for 2 to 3 hours.)

A #60 scoop or a tablespoon measure will make quick work of portioning the meatballs. To make shaping the meatballs easier, wet your hands slightly.

MEATBAL LS 22 square saltines 1 cup milk 2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup) 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper SAUCE 1 cup hot pepper jelly 1 cup water ½ cup soy sauce 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons cornstarch

1. F O R T H E M E AT B A LLS : Adjust

oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Set wire rack in aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet and spray rack evenly with vegetable oil spray.

2. Place saltines in large zipper-lock bag, seal bag, and crush fine with rolling pin (you should end up with 1 cup). Combine saltines and milk in large bowl and let sit for 5 minutes to soften. Mash with fork until smooth paste forms.

TO MAKE A HEAD: After roasting

meatballs in step 3, let meatballs cool completely. Transfer cooled meatballs to 1-gallon zipper-lock bag and refrigerate for up to 24 hours or freeze for up to 1 month. To serve, transfer meatballs to slow cooker and proceed with recipe from step 4. Cooking times will not change.

ONE POT

Timesaving ingredients make this lavorful chili-cornbread combo easy to prepare—and its bold, bright lavors make it easy to eat. by Cecelia Jenkins cornbread’s subtle sweetness complements the punchy flavors of white chicken chili. Could I create a straightforward recipe for white chicken chili with cornbread— cooked in one pot—that was fast and easy enough for a weeknight?

We have developed several versions of white chicken chili over the years, so I had a good idea of the basic framework of the recipe. I started my testing with the chicken, pitting bone-in chicken thighs that I seared, braised, and shredded against meat picked from a supermarket rotisserie bird. My tasters didn’t have a preference, so I went with the rotisserie chicken for convenience. To build a savory base of flavor, I softened chopped onion and poblano chile in a Dutch oven and then stirred in garlic and cumin. Next I added chicken broth, a can of creamy cannellini beans, and a can of pleasantly chewy, ultracorny hominy.

One of white chicken chili’s signature ingredients is tomatillos, those little green cousins of tomatoes that grow inside papery husks. But fresh tomatillos can be hard to find, and they take some time to prep and cook.

Instead, I tried adding canned tomatillos to my chili; tasters agreed that they were OK but not nearly as good as a cup of jarred green salsa, which, in addition to roasted tomatillos, contains green chiles, onions, and cilantro for even more flavor. When the salsa had warmed through in the pot, I stirred in the shredded chicken.

On to the cornbread. Taking inspiration from chicken and dumplings, I had the idea to try to drop cornmeal biscuits on top of the chili. I made a test kitchen recipe for cornmeal drop biscuits (flour, cornmeal, leavener, buttermilk, salt, and butter), spooned mounds of the batter over the simmering chili, and then transferred the pot to a preheated oven so the dumplings could rise and cook through. But these dumplings were too squat and wet.

Pulling back on the amount of buttermilk fixed the problem. Now the dumplings baked up tall, round, and flufy on top of the chili.

Chili and cornbread on a Tuesday?

No problem.

I LOVE HOW

ON E-POT C HI C KE N C HI LI W I T H COR N M E A L D U M PLI N G S

Serves 6 to 8

Do not rinse the hominy after draining it; its residual starch adds body to the chili. Be sure to chill the buttermilk and cool the melted butter so the butter clumps when the two are combined. We developed this recipe using Quaker Yellow Cornmeal and Frontera Tomatillo Salsa.

C H I LI 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped 1 poblano chile, stemmed, seeded, and chopped 3⁄4 teaspoon pepper 1⁄2 teaspoon salt 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 teaspoons ground cumin 5 cups chicken broth 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed 1 (15-ounce) can white or yellow hominy, drained 1 cup jarred green salsa 1 (21⁄2-pound) rotisserie chicken, skin and bones discarded, meat shredded into bite-size pieces (3 cups) 1⁄2 cup chopped fresh cilantro DU MPLI NGS 11⁄2 cups (71⁄2 ounces) all-purpose lour 1⁄2 cup (21⁄2 ounces) cornmeal

Look for hominy in the Latin section of the supermarket. It adds flavor and bulk to the dish.

3 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda 3⁄4 teaspoon salt 1⁄2 cup buttermilk, chilled 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1. FOR T H E C H IL I: Adjust oven

rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.

Add onion, poblano, pepper, and salt and cook until vegetables have softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

2. Increase heat to medium-high.

Stir in broth, beans, hominy, and salsa and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until flavors have blended, about 10 minutes.

3. F O R T H E D U M P LI N G S :

Ring o’ Dumplings

Meanwhile, whisk flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl. Stir buttermilk and melted butter together in second bowl until butter forms clumps.

Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and stir with rubber spatula until incorporated.

4. Add chicken and cilantro to chili and stir until incorporated. Using greased ¼-cup dry measuring cup (and using spoon as needed to free dough from cup), drop 8 level scoops of dough around perimeter of pot and 1 level scoop of dough in center, spacing scoops about ½ inch apart.

5. Bake, uncovered, until tops of dumplings are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

To ensure proper coverage, drop eight portions of dumpling dough around the perimeter of the pot and inish with one in the middle. It’s OK—even encouraged—to break up the dumplings when serving this stew.

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P R O D U C T TA S T I N G

In just 10 minutes, you can have a side dish for your holiday meal or a weeknight dinner.

But will it be any good? by Kate Shannon R E A L LY G O O D H O M E M A D E

stuing isn’t particularly diicult to make (we’ve developed many recipes here in the test kitchen), yet Americans still spend $258 million on packaged versions each year. Part of the appeal is speed—it can be ready in minutes— and the rest is nostalgia.

To find out which store-bought stuing is best, we identified six top-selling brands, focusing on products made with white bread or a mix of white and whole wheat. Each company sells several flavor options, so we held preliminary tastings to identify a favorite from every brand. Our final lineup included two chicken-flavored stuings and four “traditional” or “seasoned” options, priced from $1.65 to $4.14 per package ($0.21 to $0.41 per ounce).

We prepared each on the stove according to the package directions and asked panelists to rate them all on flavor, texture, and overall appeal.

We were surprised at how much the stuings varied—and at how much some missed the mark. A few were bland, tasting only of bread and salt.

The rest were intensely seasoned.

Tasters liked both “chicken-y” and “herby” stuings, but even the best from each category had an “artificial” quality. Tasters thought they seemed “chemically designed to taste savory,” more like a “premade soup packet” or “instant ramen” than real stuing.

The products also varied in texture and moisture. One product was so dry that a taster asked, “Is this plain bread cubes?” Another was very “wet” and “mushy,” and a third was “moist in some spots and dry and crouton-like in others.” Worse, some had a weirdly “gluey,” “slimy” quality. Our favorites struck a balance between wet and dry, with visible pieces of bread that clung together to form a “cohesive” texture.

After reviewing our tasting results, we compared the package instructions.

Most required heating butter and water to a simmer, stirring in the stufing, and letting it sit for a few minutes.

Two lower-ranking products replaced the water with broth and called for first softening diced celery and onion in the butter. Neither addition made for better or more flavorful stuing, and some tasters thought the vegetables “overwhelmed” the mild bread.

As it turned out, the higher-scoring stuings already contained plenty of

flavor boosters. All six products had a fair amount of sodium, from 263.5 to 530 milligrams per serving; our top two were in the middle of that range with 390 milligrams. The best also had slightly more sugar per serving. Most important, our favorites contained a slew of additives to amp up their umami, or savoriness, including hydrolyzed soy protein, monosodium glutamate (MSG), disodium guanylate, and autolyzed yeast extract. Their dry mixes also contained dried chicken, chicken broth, vegetables, and herbs. Our least favorite stuings, deemed “bland,” had fewer umami-enhancing ingredients and no dried chicken broth or meat.

There were two more big variables: the amount of butter and the amount of liquid. Although stuings rehydrated with more butter generally scored better, one butter-heavy product landed at the bottom. The amount of liquid, however, showed a clear trend.

Our top two products called for the same amount: ¼ cup of water for 1 ounce of stuing. The stuing that had been “almost pudding-y” in consistency called for more water. And the dry ones contained much less water.

It’s no surprise that more liquid makes for wetter stuings and less makes for drier stuings; the best were right in the middle.

We tried to improve low-ranked stuings by tweaking the amounts of butter and liquid, but it wasn’t that simple. With a bit less water and butter, the wet stuing was less soggy, but one dry stuing actually got worse when we added slightly more water and butter.

It didn’t rehydrate evenly, so the cubes stayed firm on the inside and became unpleasantly soggy on the outside, like marshmallows softening in hot chocolate. Although most could probably be improved with some fiddling, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to achieving the perfect texture. We also think that a convenience product such as packaged stuing should have reliable instructions and be at its best without any tweaking.

We’re able to fully recommend just one product: StoveTop Stuing Mix— Chicken ($2.29 for a 6-ounce box) beat the competition with “good, moist texture” and intensely “meaty,” “savory” flavor. It probably won’t convert people who are used to homemade stuing, but if you like the ease and familiarity of the packaged stuf, this is the one to buy.

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Stuing Styles Texture matters with stuing. Some stuings were wet and mushy; others were dry and cottony. Our winner hit the sweet spot in the middle.

A L ITTL E TO O D RY Cottony, like plain bread cubes

J UST RIG H T Moist but not gummy

A L ITTL E TO O WE T Mushy, slimy, and gluey

RECOMMENDED StoveTop Stuing Mix—Chicken Price: $2.29 for 6-oz

package ($0.38 per oz) Sodium: 390 mg Sugar: 2 g Comments: This iconic packaged stuing was the runaway favorite.

It had “classic stuing lavor” and tasted intensely “savory.”

RECOMMENDED WITH RES ERVATIONS Betty Crocker Homestyle Stuing—Chicken Price: $1.65 for 6-oz

package ($0.28 per oz) Sodium: 390 mg Sugar: 2 g Comments: Our runner-up also had “a good amount of moisture”

and wasn’t too mushy or too irm.

NOT RECOMMENDED Bell’s Traditional Stuing Mix Price: $2.99 for 14-oz

package ($0.21 per oz) Sodium: 530 mg Sugar: 2 g Comments: We liked the “herby” lavor but not the “too mushy” texture,

which some tasters compared to “porridge.”

Mrs. Cubbison’s Cube Herb Seasoned Stuing Price: $4.14 for 10-oz

package ($0.41 per oz) Sodium: 263.5 mg Sugar: 0.8 g Comments: The bread mix was a little “bland,” and the lavors of the

fresh celery and onion called for in the instructions dominated.

Pepperidge Farm Cube Herb Seasoned Stuing Price: $2.99 for 12-oz

package ($0.25 per oz) Sodium: 401.1 mg Sugar: 1.5 g Comments: Prepared with chicken broth and sautéed celery and onion,

this stuing still tasted “bland” and “lavorless.”

Arnold Premium Seasoned Stuing Price: $2.99 for 12-oz

package ($0.25 per oz) Sodium: 408.3 mg Sugar: 1.2 g Comments: One taster asked, “Is this plain bread cubes?” We could detect

a little salt, but “no herbs or spice came through.”

EQUIPMENT REVIEW

We spent 66 hours at the stove and cooked 700 eggs to ind the best small nonstick skillet.

by Hannah Crowley KEY

8 Skillets 8 Tests • Fry consecutive eggs with no fat until they stick—up to 50 eggs • Make French omelets • Make scalloped potatoes • Have three users make scrambled eggs • Heat to 400° on the stove, and then plunge into an ice bath • Bang on a concrete ledge three times • Scrape a metal spatula across the surface 50 times • Repeat the dry egg challenge

skillet might look like a toy next to a 10- or 12-inch version, but these pans are perfect for making two fried eggs or an omelet and for toasting nuts, spices, seeds, bread crumbs, and garlic.

We studied the market and chose eight pans to test, including one made

by OXO, the maker of our winning 12-inch nonstick skillet. Our lineup featured two kinds of nonstick coating: traditional PTFE, or polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon is the most well-known brand name), and ceramic, which has become popular in recent years as a result of concerns about the safety and environmental impact of PTFE. We tested each pan, starting and ending with a test in which we cooked up to 50 eggs in succession with no fat. We also made omelets, scalloped potatoes, and scrambled eggs in each pan, intentionally beating them up along the way.

We noticed diferences between the two styles of nonstick coating immediately. In the first egg test, only one pan failed to cleanly release all 50 eggs; it was ceramic. A few days later, the coating started flaking of two pans—both ceramic. And at the end of testing, the fourth ceramic model was the most scratched-up of all. Meanwhile, the PTFE pans were relatively unscathed.

But what exactly is ceramic? In the realm of nonstick cookware, it refers to a hard material that’s a relative of beach sand. A single layer of a substance called “sol-gel” made with silicon (the element—not silicone, the soft, rubbery material) is typically sprayed onto the pan and secured by a one-step baking process. Traditional nonstick coatings are made from PTFE, which is one of a class of compounds called fluoropolymers; they’re sprayed onto the pan or

AN 8-INCH NONSTICK

Good +++

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Our Favorite

Poor +

CRITERIA Model: CW000958-003 Price: $29.95 Style: PTFE nonstick Ovensafe to: 430°F Capacity: 4.4 cups

OXO Good Grips Hard Anodized Pro Nonstick 8-Inch Fry Pan

Fair ++

Nonstick Ability Ease of Use Capacity Durability

+++ +++ +++ +++

Comments: This little pan came out on top because of its superior nonstick ability, its comfortable handle, and its nicely shaped body. It passed both egg tests with lying colors.

RECOMMENDED The dry egg test: frying with no fat.

spread on with rollers. Multiple coats are typically applied and there are several oven-curing stages. One of the reasons manufacturers usually tout ceramic pans as “green” is their shorter production process relative to PTFE pans.

According to research done by our science editor, ceramic coatings are less tolerant of temperature changes, so they develop microscopic surface flaws during normal use. And the more flawed a ceramic nonstick surface gets, the less nonstick it becomes. PTFE, which is a type of plastic, is comparatively malleable and therefore more resilient.

These diferences bore out in our testing, as the ceramic pans wore down faster and the coatings on two of them flaked of in pieces after we subjected them to thermal shock. All four PTFE pans emerged intact; although they had some minor scratches, all were able to release 50 eggs in a row at the end of testing. So while the process of making a ceramic pan may save energy, the pans don’t last as long and need to be replaced sooner, rendering the “green” claim suspect. We’ll stick with PTFE pans for now. To make sure we’re using PTFE pans safely, we never heat them empty, as they can release harmful fumes at 600 degrees or above.

Nonstick coatings aside, there were small diferences that made some of the pans pleasant to use, such as capacity.

One pan, from T-Fal, was too small.

As for handles, a few were uncomfortable to grip. A brushed-steel finish or a grippy silicone sleeve was a nice bonus.

Our winner, the OXO Good Grips Hard Anodized Pro Nonstick 8-Inch Fry Pan ($29.95), has a durable PTFE nonstick surface and a comfortable handle. This skillet would be a small but mighty addition to any kitchen.

Top-Rated Induction-Compatible Model

Nonstick Ability Ease of Use Capacity Durability

All-Clad Stainless Steel Nonstick 8" Fry Pan Model: 4108NS Price: $109.95 Style: PTFE nonstick Ovensafe to: 500°F Capacity: 4.4 cups

+++ ++1⁄2 +++ +++

Comments: This pricey pan worked well, but some users didn’t like its “uncomfortable” handle.

Le Creuset 8" Nonstick Fry Pan Model: TNS2200-20 Price: $99.95 Style: PTFE nonstick Ovensafe to: 500°F Capacity: 3.8 cups

Nonstick Ability Ease of Use Capacity Durability

+++ ++1⁄2 +++ +++

Comments: Downgraded only for its long, heavy handle, which threw of the balance.

T-Fal Professional Total Nonstick Thermo-Spot Heat Indicator Fry Pan, 8-Inch, Black Model: E93802 Price: $17.99 Style: PTFE nonstick Ovensafe to: 400°F Capacity: 3.2 cups

Nonstick Ability Ease of Use Capacity Durability

+++ ++1⁄2 ++ +++

Comments: Durable, with a good handle, but a bit too small for some tasks.

RECOMMENDED WITH RES ERVATIONS Scanpan Classic 8" Frypan Model: 20001200 Price: $47.95 Style: Ceramic Ovensafe to: 500°F Capacity: 3.8 cups

Nonstick Ability Ease of Use Capacity Durability

+++ ++1⁄2 +++ +1⁄2

Comments: This ceramic pan’s handle was too short, and the pan got scratched up, but there are no rivets inside, which facilitates cleaning.

NOT RECOMMENDED Bialetti Ceramic Pro 8-Inch Sauté Pan

Cuisinart GreenGourmet Hard Anodized 8" Skillet

Copper Chef 8-Inch Round Frypan

Model: 07400 Price: $39.95 Style: Ceramic Ovensafe to: 400°F Capacity: 4 cups

Model: GG22-20 Price: $17.47 Style: Ceramic Ovensafe to: 500°F Capacity: 4.4 cups

Model: 8RP Price: $16.99 Style: Ceramic Ovensafe to: 850°F Capacity: 4.4 cups

OCTOBE R / NOVE MBE R

201 8

•

COOK’S

COU NTRY

31

HEIRLOOM RECIPE

Ranger Cookies My great-aunt often used breakfast cereal in her baking.

I love the light crunch these little bite-size cookies get from the crisped-rice cereal.

—ELIZABETH SWEET,

Dallas, Texas

RA NG E R CO O K I ES

Makes about 48 cookies

Regular old-fashioned rolled oats work best in this recipe. Do not use extra-thick rolled oats.

1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose lour 1 cup (3 ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats 1⁄2 cup (11⁄2 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda 1⁄4 teaspoon baking powder 1⁄4 teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1⁄2 cup (31⁄2 ounces) granulated sugar 1⁄2 cup packed (31⁄2 ounces) brown sugar 1 large egg 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup (1 ounce) crisped-rice cereal 3⁄4 cup (41⁄2 ounces) mini semisweet chocolate chips

1 . Adjust oven racks to upper-middle

and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk flour, oats, coconut, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in bowl; set aside.

2. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until pale and flufy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture, and mix until combined, scraping down bowl as needed. Add cereal and chocolate chips and mix until just combined.

3. Working with 1 tablespoon dough at a time, roll into balls and evenly space on prepared sheets, 24 cookies per sheet. Using bottom of greased measuring cup, press dough balls into ½-inch-thick disks, about 1½ inches in diameter.

4. Bake until edges of cookies are just beginning to brown, 10 to 12 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Let cookies cool completely before serving. (Cooled cookies can be stored in zipper-lock bag at room temperature for up to 5 days.)

RECIPE INDEX Main dishes Boneless Turkey Breast with Gravy 19 Brandy Chicken with Onions 12 Bucatini with Eggplant and Tomatoes RC Cast Iron Oven-Fried Chicken 11 Mozzarella-and-Pesto-Stufed Chicken Breasts for Two 27 One-Pot Chicken Chili with Cornmeal Dumplings 29 Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Warm Lentil Salad RC Pan-Seared Steak Tips with Roasted Potatoes and Horseradish Cream RC Paprika Chicken with Garlicky Greens and White Beans RC Pasta e Fagioli 8 Pork Carnitas 5 Sesame-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Celery Salad RC Sheet-Pan Italian Chicken Sausage with Broccoli and Barley RC Steak Milanese 9 Stir-Fried Beef and Bok Choy RC Sweet Chili Salmon with Caulilower and Lime RC

FIND THE ROOSTER! A tiny version of this rooster has been hidden in a photo in the pages of this issue.

Write to us with its location, and we’ll enter you in a random drawing. The first correct entry drawn will win our favorite 8-inch nonstick skillet, and each of the next five will receive a free one-year subscription to Cook’s Country. To enter, visit CooksCountry.com/rooster by November 30, 2018, or write to Rooster ON18, Cook’s Country, 21 Drydock Avenue, Suite 210E, Boston, MA 02210. Include your name and address.

WEB EXTRAS Available online for our Web subscribers at CooksCountry.com/nov18 Lemon-Thyme Boneless Turkey Breast with Gravy Tasting Egg Noodles

Side dishes Amish Potato Filling 21 Cajun Rice Dressing 21 Corn Pudding 19 Green Beans with Bacon and Onion 11 Mashed Sweet Potatoes 26 with Chipotle and Lime 26 with Curry and Golden Raisins 26 with Jalapeño, Garlic, and Scallions 26 with Maple and Orange 26

Tasting Packaged Stuing Testing 8-Inch Nonstick Skillets Testing Pie Servers

Sandwiches Croque Monsieur 6 Croque Madame 6 Sliders 7

Salad We’re looking for recipes that you treasure—the ones that have been handed down in your family for a generation or more, that always come out for the holidays, and that have earned a place at your table and in your heart through many years of meals. Send us the recipes that spell home to you. Visit CooksCountry.com/recipe_submission (or write to Heirloom Recipes, Cook’s Country, 21 Drydock Avenue, Suite 210E, Boston, MA, 02210) and tell us a little about the recipe. Include your name and mailing address. If we print your recipe, you’ll receive a free one-year subscription to Cook’s Country.

COMING NEXT ISSUE Winter’s coming to Cook’s Country, but never fear: We’ve got a full menu of holiday recipes and cold-weather favorites to keep you warm. Our Bacon-Wrapped Filets Mignons and Cheesy Potato Gratin will amaze your dinner party guests. And to indulge your sweet tooth, how about Chocolate Fudge, Amish Cinnamon Bread, and St. Louis–Style Gooey Butter Cake Bars.

Pan-Roasted Pear Salad 13

Bread Bagel Bread 15

Desserts Apple Turnovers 16 Caramel Apple Cake INSIDE BACK COVER Make-Ahead Pumpkin Pie with Maple-Cinnamon Whipped Cream 23 Ranger Cookies 32 Three-in-One All-Butter Pie Dough 24

Starter Slow-Cooker Glazed Cocktail Meatballs 28

Accompaniment Quick Tomatillo Salsa 5

Join us!

RC = Recipe Card 32 C O O K ’ S C O U N T R Y • O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8

READ US ON IPAD Download the Cook’s Country app for iPad and start a free trial subscription or purchase a single issue of the magazine. All issues are enhanced with full-color Cooking Mode slide shows that provide step-bystep instructions for completing recipes, plus expanded reviews and ratings. Go to CooksCountry.com/iPad to download our app through iTunes.

GREAT AMERICAN CAKE

For an awesome autumnal dessert, we sandwiched lightly salted, bittersweet caramel between layers of warmly spiced applesauce cake. Frosting the cake with caramel buttercream tied the lavors together. A simple adornment of roses crafted from apple slices provides high visual impact.

by Katie Leaird

For the best results, use a mandoline to slice the apples paper-thin.

TO MAKE THIS CAKE, YOU WILL NEED: 24 tablespoons (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 3 cups (12 ounces) confectioners’ sugar 2 tablespoons heavy cream 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1⁄8 teaspoon salt 1 recipe Salted Caramel Filling*, cooled 2 (9-inch) Applesauce Cake Layers* 2 Fuji, Gala, or Pink Lady apples, cored, quartered, and sliced very thin 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice

*The full recipe, including the recipes for Salted Caramel Filling and Applesauce Cake Layers, is available for free for four months at CooksCountry.com/ caramelapplecake.

FOR THE FROSTING : Using stand mixer itted with whisk attachment, whip butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Reduce speed to low and slowly add confectioners’ sugar, cream, vanilla, and salt. Whip until sugar is moistened, about 1 minute. Scrape down bowl and add ½ cup caramel illing.

Whip on medium-high speed until light and lufy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.

TO ASSEMBLE:

Place 1 cake layer on plate or pedestal.

Spread remaining ½ cup caramel illing evenly over top, leaving ½-inch border around edge. Spread ¾ cup frosting evenly over caramel, right to edge of cake. Top with second cake layer, press lightly to adhere,

then spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate cake until frosting is irm, about 20 minutes.

TO DECORATE:

Toss apples, granulated sugar, and lemon juice in bowl until all slices are coated; let sit until apple slices are lexible, about 5 minutes. Shingle 5 apple slices lengthwise in straight line on cutting board.

Starting at 1 end, roll up slices to form rose shape; place rose in center of cake. Repeat, arranging apple roses close together, until you have 5-inch-wide bunch of roses atop cake. Arrange remaining apple slices, overlapping with lat side facing down, around bottom edge of cake. Serve.