18

20

6 8

12

JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2024

2 Quick Tips 12 Cabbage Goes Glam 24 The Best Vegetable/Fruit Peelers

Quick and easy ways to perform everyday tasks, An easy steam-roasting technique transforms Why do some peelers skin produce with ease,
from seasoning chicken to cleaning up spills. this often overlooked and underestimated while others barely make the cut?
COMPILED BY ANNIE PETITO vegetable into a crisp-tender delight. BY LISA McMANUS
BY ANDREA GEARY
4 Senegal’s Bright, Sumptuous Braise 26 Premium Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Fall-off-the-bone-tender meat smothered in 14 Ground Turkey’s Great Potential Should you spend a bit more and use premium
caramelized onions, lemon, mustard, and garlic, With pantry seasonings and about 10 minutes, you extra-virgin olive oil in your kitchen? We tasted
chicken yassa is comfort food by way of the can turn this sleeper-hit protein into a juicy, tender more than a dozen products to find out.
Casamance. BY ERICA TURNER base for countless quick meals. BY LISA McMANUS
BY LAN LAM
6 Our Go-To Roast Beef 28 Ingredient Notes
A little science works magic on this less-expensive 16 Cook’s Illustrated’s House of Pancakes BY STEVE DUNN, ANDREA GEARY,
cut, rewarding you with tender, rosy slabs for Consider this one-stop shopping for everybody’s ERICA TURNER & ALYSSA VAUGHN
multiple meals. BY ANDREA GEARY favorite lazy-day breakfast: our best pancake tips
and tricks plus three of our most popular stacks. 30 Kitchen Notes
8 The Pleasure of Crispy Fried Noodles BY ELIZABETH BOMZE BY PAUL ADAMS, STEVE DUNN, ERIC HAESSLER,
A crisp, golden nest crowned with a glossy stir-fry, LAN LAM & ANNIE PETITO
Vietnam’s mì xào giòn is a banquet-dining classic. 18 A Celebratory Seafood Stew
BY LAN LAM Teeming with mussels, squid, shrimp, and cod, 32 Equipment Corner
Catalonia’s zarzuela is a quick-cooking extravaganza BY MIYE BROMBERG, LISA McMANUS &
10 Green Shakshuka of classic Spanish flavors. BY STEVE DUNN SAWYER PHILLIPS
Eggs poached in a supple, garlicky blend of
spinach and Swiss chard are at once nutritious and 20 Magnificent Macarons
luxurious. BY ANNIE PETITO These Parisian treats romance with glorious color,
form, and flavor—but they’re famously finicky. Join Our
11 Costa Rica’s Anytime Dish Here’s the path to success. BY STEVE DUNN
In gallo pinto, leftover rice and beans transform
Community of
into a lively, soul-satisfying meal. Recipe Testers
BY DOMINIQUE KHOURY Our recipe testers provide
valuable feedback on recipes
under development by ensur-
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 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
EDITORIAL STAFF
Editor in Chief Dan Souza
Editorial Director Amanda Agee
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Executive Food Editor Keith Dresser
Managing Editor Elizabeth Bomze
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Senior Editors Steve Dunn, Lan Lam, Annie Petito
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THE SMALL STUFF
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Executive Editors, ATK Reviews Hannah Crowley,
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ILLUSTRATION: JOHN BURGOYNE
T
he chef dipped the tip of the knife blade otherwise modern shape. Look a bit closer, and they
into a small bowl of water and then, with actually say a lot about how the cookies were made.
the point facing the ceiling, knocked the These feet form when macaron batter is folded to just
butt of the handle firmly on his cutting the right degree and the piped rounds are allowed
board. The vibration freed a single to dry briefly before being baked.
Steve’s impressive exploration of
drop of water from its clingy post
and I watched it cascade down the these notoriously finicky cookies
length of the cutting edge. The spans four gorgeous pages to ensure
moment the droplet completed that you get each detail right.
its journey, the chef used the knife The swooping dark lines of char
to slice a block of pressed fish and on Andrea Geary’s Roasted Cabbage
seasoned rice into pristine pieces. (page 12) lend dynamism and, dare
Last year I visited Japan with I say, sexiness to one of the market’s
friends and spent a couple weeks most humble pieces of produce.
exploring the country’s incredibly Andrea conjures this boundary-
rich and varied cuisines. That sushi pushing browning with a seemingly
dinner, along with the rest of the small technique. She brushes oil
DAN SOUZA
trip, was filled with deeply memora- directly on the cabbage wedges,
ble experiences. But it’s this 3-sec- Editor in Chief where it counts, rather than greas-
ond film that keeps playing in my ing the entire pan. That targeted
mind. The movement was so practiced I could tell application of oil means better heat transfer, rich
it was instinctual—performed so many times it had browning, deep flavor, and dramatic presentation.
transitioned from active thought to muscle memory. Lisa McManus went in search of a great vegetable
And while it impressed like theater, it was grounded peeler (page 24), and the design subtleties from
in practicality: a wetted blade meets little resistance model to model that make a big difference are fasci-
from tender-chewy sushi rice, but more than a drop nating. Lan Lam then spent days in the test kitchen
of water would have been unnecessary for the task. with our winning Y peeler and a mound of produce;
Had I been adjusting my napkin or talking to a she emerged with three distinct hand positions that
friend at that moment I would have missed it. Details tailor your peeler to the task. I’ll be paying attention
are like that: small and easily overlooked. But if you to how I use mine from now on so that I can pick
can catch them, they often tell a big story. up the different techniques.
I love how the ruffled feet that ring the base of each That is, of course, until the day I perform them
cookie shell in Steve Dunn’s technicolor Macarons without thinking—another small step forward as a
(page 20) add filigree-like ornamentation to an cook. What’s bigger than that?
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january & february 2024

1

Pit Cherries with a
Metal Straw
To pit cherries or large olives, Katie
Herrera of Hoboken, N.J., perches
the fruit atop a bottle and then
pushes the pit out with a metal
reusable drinking straw. If the pit
gets stuck in the straw, she simply
inserts a wooden skewer in one
end to push it out the other side.
A Convenient Way to
Season Chicken
Suzanne Heron of Charleston, S.C.,
liked to rub butter and seasonings
under the skin of whole chickens or
parts for added flavor, but the pro-
cess is messy. Now, she simply cuts
thin slices of cold butter, coats the
slices in seasonings, and places them
under the skin. While the chicken
cooks, the butter melts and the sea-
sonings distribute atop the meat.
QUI C K TI P S
j COMPILED BY ANNIE PETITO k
Spread with a Spoon
When Jeannene Arcuri of Baldwin,
N.Y., spreads peanut butter,
Nutella, or mayonnaise onto bread,
she uses the back of a spoon. The
spoon is better than a knife for
scooping the spread from the jar,
and its curves allow for more cov-
erage and flexibility while spreading.
Easy Cleanup Cookie Decorating
Decorating holiday cookies can be messy business—that’s why Mary Grina of
Minneapolis, Minn., works on her cookies while they’re on a rimmed baking
sheet. The sheet’s sides contain any wayward sprinkles, sugar, and glaze.
Hole Punch Produce Containers
Donna Hernandez of Carlsbad, Calif., stores items such
as berries and peppers in plastic containers with lids that
she has perforated with a hole punch. This allows air to
flow around the food, staving off mold.
Efficient Immersion
Blender Clean Up
Mary Elaine Suden of Wildwood,
Mo., has a clever tip for cleaning her
immersion blender and the vessel
she blended in at the same time: She
ILLUSTRATION: JOHN BURGOYNE
adds water and a drop of liquid dish
solution to the vessel and then turns
the blender on. The whirring liquid
quickly washes the food off the
blade and the walls of the container.
SEND US YOUR TIPS We will provide a complimentary one-year subscription for each tip we print. Send your tip, name, address, and tele-
phone number to Quick Tips, Cook’s Illustrated, 21 Drydock Avenue, Suite 210E, Boston, MA 02210, or to QuickTips@AmericasTestKitchen.com.
cook’s illustrated
2
Clean Up Spills with Salt
When Sheila Doyle of Friday
Harbor, Wash., has spilled oil or
raw eggs on the floor, she has found
that sprinkling the area with kosher
salt contains the mess by absorbing
the moisture so that it can easily be
wiped up.
A Pantry
Clean-Out System
Kristin Dolan Peek of
Charleston, S.C., has
found that miscellaneous
ingredients tend to pile up
and get forgotten in her
pantry. So, every month or
so, she goes through the
pantry and writes those
ingredients down on a
piece of scrap paper along
with a recipe idea for using
each item, sticking the
paper to the pantry door.
This way, she has plenty
of meal ideas at the ready
and uses for each of her
surplus ingredients.
Cocktail Shaker Turned Biscuit Cutter
Adam Bremer-McCollum of Three Oaks, Mich., has found that, in a pinch, the lid
of a cocktail shaker makes a good substitute for a biscuit or
round cookie cutter. The metal edges of the lid are
sharp enough to easily cut dough or sliced
bread to make egg-in-a-hole.
Grease Baking Dishes
with a Spatula
When Ophelia Hadley of New Haven,
Conn., is making a recipe that calls for
greasing a baking dish with oil or melted
butter, she uses a rubber spatula to
spread the fat. It’s less wasteful than
using a paper towel, and the
spatula will get dirty while
transferring food into
the dish anyway.
The
Best Way
to Pack
Salad Dressing
When Robin
Grantner of
Montreal, Can.,
packs a salad for
work, she uses
a small funnel to
decant her vin-
aigrette into an
empty mini alco-
hol bottle with a
resealable screw cap. They’re the
ideal size for a small portion of
dressing.
A Homemade Tablet
Holder
Seth Madej of Long Beach, Calif.,
likes to cook recipes using his tablet,
but the device takes up precious
counter space. His solution was to
place adhesive hooks onto one of
his cabinet doors. The hooks hold
the tablet at eye level, and when he’s
finished cooking, he simply slides the
device out of the hooks.
 Senegal’s Bright, Sumptuous Braise
Fall-off-the-bone-tender meat smothered in caramelized onions, lemon,
mustard, and garlic, chicken yassa is comfort food by way of the Casamance.
j BY ERICA TURNER k

T
he first time I ate chicken yassa felt like
coming home. The Casamance’s iconic
braise, featuring fork-tender meat and a
sumptuous sauce sunk into a mound of
rice, stirred in me a nostalgia for the pots of stewed
chicken, gumbo, and red beans and rice that I grew
up eating in the Atlanta suburbs. Many of the dish’s
West African culinary traditions, such as simmer-
ing chicken in rich cooking liquid until it’s barely
clinging to the bone and serving it with soft braised
greens, parallel my own. And its principal flavors—
caramelized onions, bright lemon and mustard,
heady garlic—felt both familiar and special.
“It was tastes that I knew but used in a way that
I had never tasted them used before,” said Dr. Jessica
B. Harris, acclaimed culinary historian and author
of books including High on the Hog: A Culinary
Journey from Africa to America (2011), when we
spoke about what drew each of us to the dish.

“It’s just a very succulent dish.”

–Nafy Ba Flatley, chef/founder of Teranga

Most of all, yassa just tastes good. It’s flexible and

simple to prepare too. Chicken parts (or sometimes
fish or lamb) are soaked in a bracing lemon- or lime
juice–based marinade and then either grilled or
seared on the stove and braised with Dijon mustard,
hot chile, garlic, and loads of caramelized onions
that thicken and flavor the braising liquid (broth or
water). (Yassa is derived, via that Casamance creole,
from the Portuguese word “assar,” which means “to
roast”; it shares the same root as the word “asada”
in carne asada.) Some cooks add vegetables such
as bell peppers, cabbage, or olives; it’s about using
SCIENCE A Double Dose of Lemon
This recipe doubles down on yassa’s citrusy brightness
what you have. Once the meat is thoroughly tender,
with two additions of lemon juice. There’s a goodly
the bright, onion-smothered chicken and sauce are
amount in the marinade-turned–braising liquid, which
poured over rice and served family-style.
infuses the meat with citric-acid tang as it cooks. Then
It’s a simple mix, but everything has a job. Lemon
more fresh juice is added before serving to capture the
A Short, Purposeful Soak juice moistens the chicken. Its flavor, along with the
volatile lemon oil’s fruity, floral, aromatic zing.
Yassa marinade ingredients, ratios, and soaking times mustard’s, coats the chicken’s surface as it marinates
vary, so I merged what I learned from other recipes but won’t suffuse the meat until braising, and acid
with the test kitchen’s science-based methods and from both tenderizes the thighs’ exterior a bit. Salt Tangy to the Bone
came up with this: Whisk together ⅓ cup lemon does what it always does to meat, seasoning it and One big perk of searing the chicken indoors as I do,
PHOTOGRAPHY: BETH FULLER

juice, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (perhaps an influ-
ence from French colonization—sources disagree),
1½ tablespoons vegetable oil, and 1 teaspoon salt.
Toss the mixture with 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on
chicken thighs, which are tailor-made for braising
thanks to their abundant collagen and fat. Refrigerate
for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
helping it cook up juicy by preventing the proteins
from tightening up and squeezing out water. Oil
adds richness and makes the fat-soluble flavors more
accessible to our palates. The marinating time in
my recipe is brief (many cooks soak the chicken for
hours) because I found that a longer soak didn’t lead
to stronger flavor.
rather than grilling it, is that its rendered fat and
Maillard flavor–packed fond is available for caramel-
izing the onions.
Onions shrink way down as they cook, and
I wanted enough of them to really coat the chicken
once they’d caramelized. So after searing the thighs
and setting them aside, I heaped the pot with 2 full

cook’s illustrated
4
 NORTH
TERANGA IS A WAY OF LIFE ATLANTIC
OCEAN
MAURITANIA

Cooking and eating in Senegal is guided by teranga—

a Wolof word that roughly translates to “hospital-
ity” but symbolizes much more than that: inclusion,
community, and an overall embrace of others that SENEGAL MALI
permeates every aspect of the culture.
“Teranga is a way of life,” said Nafy Ba Flatley,
chef and founder of Teranga, a food and beverage
company in San Francisco. “It’s the way you treat GAMBIA

people to welcome them.” Casamance

Senegalese cooks prepare dishes such as ceebu jën (pictured here) and yassa in large quantities with the
expectation that guests will knock on the door and gather around the bowl with the family. Diners use their
GUINEA-BISSAU GUINEA
hands (or sometimes a spoon) to scoop up the food, reaching only for what is directly in front of them and using
their fingertips to pinch together mounds of the rice, fonio, or other grain with the meat or vegetables on top.
“When you’re eating with your hands, you feel the flavor,” Flatley said. “You have a connection with the food.” In the Casamance, Rice Is King
The Casamance, a lush region of Senegal that hangs
just south of the Gambia River, is famed for its rice
pounds—equal to the weight of the chicken—that CHICKEN YASSA production and consumption. The grain is integral
I’d sliced thin and seasoned with salt and let them (SENEGALESE BRAISED CHICKEN to preparations such as ceebu jën (in the Wolof
gently caramelize. Scraping and stirring the fond WITH CARAMELIZED ONION AND LEMON) language, or thiéboudienne in French), Senegal’s
into the jammy, deeply golden mass gave the onions SERVES 4 TO 6 national dish of rice and fish. (“Ceeb” means “rice”
incredible savor. TOTAL TIME: 1 ¾ HOURS, PLUS 30 MINUTES MARINATING in Wolof ). It is also the foundation for local braises
“I always say when you get them to ocher color, like yassa.
then you are really good and satisfied,” said Nafy Ba We like the mild-to-moderate heat of half a habanero “Rice has a kind of cardinal importance,” said
Flatley, Senegalese-born, San Francisco–based chef and or serrano. Make it spicier by using a whole chile Dr. Jessica B. Harris, an acclaimed author and
founder of Teranga, a food and beverage company. (poked with a fork) or milder by seeding the chile expert on the foodways of the African diaspora.
Then came braising. Into the pot went chicken before use. Braised hibiscus leaves (widely eaten in She compared its significance in this region to that
broth, crushed garlic, habanero, and—this is impor- Senegal) are a traditional accompaniment, but cooked of corn, corn mashes, or millet in other parts of
tant—the reserved marinade, the flavors of which spinach seasoned with lemon juice is a fine alternative. Western Africa. “It is the thing that is under much
would penetrate the meat during cooking. I tipped of the food.”
the thighs and their juices back in; covered the pot; ⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice (3 lemons),
and simmered it until the chicken was suffused with divided, plus lemon wedges for serving
lemony, mustardy tang and starting to separate 3½ tablespoons vegetable oil, divided 1. Whisk ⅓ cup lemon juice, 1½ tablespoons oil,
from the bone. 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard mustard, and 1 teaspoon salt together in large bowl.
I fished the thighs out of the sauce and nestled 1½ teaspoons table salt, divided Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate
them into the rice. Then I brightened the sauce with 2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
more lemon juice (and cut wedges to pass at the 2 pounds onions, halved and sliced thin 2. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in large Dutch
table) and spooned it over the rice 1⅓ cups chicken broth oven over medium heat until shimmering. Using
and chicken, finishing with parsley. 8 garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled tongs, remove chicken from marinade and drag pieces
“It’s just a very succulent dish,” ½–1 habanero chile against rim of bowl to scrape excess marinade back into
said Flatley. “It’s a party in your ¼ teaspoon pepper bowl; do not discard marinade. Transfer chicken to pot,
mouth. All these flavors come out 4½ cups cooked long-grain white rice skin side down, and cook until skin is golden brown,
SCAN FOR VIDEO and you’re like, ‘gah, this is good!’” 1½ teaspoons minced fresh parsley 6 to 8 minutes. Flip chicken and brown on second
side, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to large plate.
3. Add onions and remaining ½ teaspoon salt to
SCIENCE Smothered in Onions pot; reduce heat to medium-low; and cook, stirring
Onions don’t just flavor yassa. They’re almost a cooking medium, heaped into the pot and reduced to a richly cara- frequently and scraping browned bits from bottom
melized mass that thickens the braising liquid and envelops the protein. of pot, until onions are softened and caramelized,
“You want to have that consistency where the onion that’s falling down back into the pot will fall slowly,” said 25 to 30 minutes.
Nafy Ba Flatley, the chef and founder of the San Francisco–based food and beverage company Teranga, gesturing 4. Stir in broth, garlic, habanero, pepper, and
with her hands to show how properly full-bodied onions won’t just run off a spoon like liquid. reserved marinade and bring to simmer. Return
Achieving that body and intensity means starting with loads of onions—here, 2 full pounds, equal to the weight of the chicken and any accumulated juices to pot. Cover and
chicken. They shed water as they cook, leaving behind unctuous dissolved pectin (responsible for that full body), sulfur- simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened
containing flavor molecules, and a wealth of sugars and proteins that undergo the Maillard reaction and transform into to consistency of heavy cream and chicken is very
all kinds of savory, sweet, and tangy complexity. tender (meat should begin to fall from bone and fork
will slip easily in and out of meat), 45 to 55 minutes.
EQUAL PARTS
5. Spread rice in even layer on large platter.
ONION TO CHICKEN
Starting with 2 pounds of Arrange chicken on top of rice. Stir remaining
thin-sliced onions ensures that 2 tablespoons lemon juice into sauce and season
there will be plenty to thicken with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce and onions
the braising liquid and coat over and around chicken and rice. Sprinkle with
the chicken once they reduce
and caramelize. parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
 Our Go-To Roast Beef
A little science works magic on this less-expensive cut,
rewarding you with tender, rosy slabs for multiple meals.
Roasting the beef low and
slow ensures that it cooks
up rosy from edge to edge.
M
ost people who love a beef roast
relish it on day one, when it’s
freshly seared and the rosy center
floods your palate with savory
juices. But for me, a roast is even more appealing
on day two. The leftover beef is full of potential—
not just for a repeat of the original meal (though
that’s lovely) but for all of the vibrant salads and
sandwiches it could be a part of.
j BY ANDREA GEARY k
I’ve got just the roast for the job: a succulent,
boneless eye-round. A recipe developed years ago by
test kitchen alum David Pazmiño is a staff favorite.
Instead of relying on a primo cut such as prime rib to
deliver beefy luxury, it relies on smart science—salting
the meat and letting it sit overnight before cooking
it low and slow—to turn one of the leanest and least
expensive roasts you can buy into a tender, juicy,
beefy-tasting marvel. Plus, lean roasts make nicer
cook’s illustrated
6
SCIENCE The Low, Slow Route
to Ultratender Roast Beef
You don’t have to splurge on a spendy cut
such as tenderloin to get succulent roast beef.
Eye-round, one of the least expensive cuts you
can buy, cooks up gloriously tender and juicy if
roasted sufficiently low and slow.
The key is to take advantage of tenderizing
enzymes in the beef called calpains and cathep-
sins. Because enzymes are most active at higher
temperatures, we came up with a method that
holds the meat close to its target temperature
(130 degrees) for as long as possible to maximize
tenderness. First, we roast it in a very low
(225-degree) oven until the internal temperature
hits 115 degrees—high enough for the enzymes
to kick into higher gear. Then, we shut off the
oven and let the meat rest in the fading heat until
it crawls to 130 degrees.
The results are striking on the palate and on
paper. When we compared our method to a more
conventional one (roast at 325 degrees until the
meat hits 130 degrees), using identical roasts and
including a 15-minute rest at the end of cooking,
our roast spent nearly twice as long in a tempera-
ture range where the enzymes are extremely
active and came out markedly more tender.
Roasted at 325 degrees
High
Roasted at 225 degrees Enzymatic
Activity
135
Internal temperature (ºF)
31 minutes
125
52 minutes
115
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Elapsed time (minutes)
leftovers because there are no unpleasantly waxy
PHOTOGRAPHY: BETH FULLER
pockets of cold fat to avoid.
If you’re like me and tend to crave something
light and fresh the day after a big roast beef dinner,
try the Northeastern Thai–inspired beef salad. The
tumble of herbs, umami-rich dressing, crisp cucum-
ber slices, and toasty rice powder all emulate nam
tok. But instead of grilling or searing steak for the
salad, I toss in thin strips of the leftover roast, making

the dish a snap to put together.
Alternatively, here’s my take
on the Beef 1000—arguably one
of the world’s greatest roast beef
sandwiches. Rachel and Charles
Kelsey, also test kitchen alums,
dreamed up this stack of thin-
sliced beef, Thousand Island
dressing, cheese, and crispy
shallots for their Brookline,
Massachusetts, sandwich shop,
Cutty’s. It’s worth roasting an
eye-round just to make it.
SLOW-ROASTED BEEF
SERVES 6 TO 8
TOTAL TIME: 2 ¾ TO 3 ¼ HOURS, PLUS 18 HOURS SALTING
This recipe requires salting the roast for 18 to
24 hours before cooking. We used Diamond Crystal
kosher salt. If using Morton kosher salt, which is
denser, use only 3 teaspoons. We don’t recommend
cooking this roast past medium. Open the oven
door as little as possible and remove the roast from
the oven while taking its temperature; if you have
a remote-probe thermometer, this is a great place
to use it. If the roast has not reached the desired
temperature in the time specified in step 3, heat
the oven to 225 degrees for 5 minutes, shut it off,
and continue to cook the roast to the desired tem-
perature. For a smaller (2½- to 3½-pound) roast,
reduce the kosher salt to 3 teaspoons (2¼ teaspoons
Morton kosher salt) and pepper to 1½ teaspoons.
For a 4½- to 6-pound roast, halve crosswise before
cooking to create 2 smaller roasts. Slice the roast as
thin as possible.
1 boneless eye-round roast (3½ to 4½ pounds)
4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
2 teaspoons pepper
1. Sprinkle all sides of roast evenly with salt. Wrap
with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 18 to 24 hours.
2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat
oven to 225 degrees. Pat roast dry with paper tow-
els, rub with 2 teaspoons oil, and sprinkle all sides
evenly with pepper. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil
in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just
smoking. Sear roast until browned on all sides, 3 to
4 minutes per side (this is likely to be smoky, so you
may wish to turn on an exhaust fan or open a win-
dow). Transfer roast to wire rack set in rimmed baking
sheet. Roast until center of roast registers 115 degrees
for medium-rare, 1¼ to 1¾ hours, or 125 degrees
for medium, 1¾ to 2¼ hours.
3. Turn oven off; leave roast in oven, with-
out opening door, until center of roast registers
130 degrees for medium-rare or 140 degrees for
medium, 30 to 50 minutes longer. Transfer roast to
carving board and let rest for 15 minutes. Slice meat
crosswise as thin as possible and serve.
ROAST BEEF SANDWICHES WITH THOUSAND
ISLAND DRESSING AND CRISPY SHALLOTS
MAKES 4 SANDWICHES TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES
Use a sharp chef’s knife to slice the beef as thin as
possible. We like brioche rolls here, but any soft
bread will work. You can substitute another type of
vinegar if necessary.
Crispy Shallots
3 shallots, sliced thin
½ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar
Thousand Island Dressing
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
½ teaspoon red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 pound roast beef, sliced thin
4 brioche buns
4 thin slices cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
1. FOR THE SHALLOTS: Combine shallots
and oil in medium bowl. Microwave for 3 minutes.
If shallots have not yet begun to brown, stir and
continue to microwave 90 seconds longer. Repeat stir-
ring and microwaving in 90-second increments until
beginning to brown. Repeat stirring and microwaving
in 30-second increments until deep golden brown.
Using slotted spoon, transfer shallots to paper towel–
lined plate; dust with sugar (to offset any bitterness)
and season with salt to taste. Let drain and crisp, about
5 minutes (cooled shallots may be stored in airtight
container at room temperature for up to 2 days).
2. FOR THE DRESSING: Stir all ingredients
together in bowl (dressing can be refrigerated for
up to 2 days).
3. Spread roast beef slices on cutting board and
season with salt to taste. Open buns and spread
tops and bottoms generously with dressing. Place
4 ounces of beef on each bun bottom. Top each with
one-quarter of shallots and 1 slice cheese. Cover with
bun tops and serve.
january & february 2024
7
THAI-STYLE BEEF SALAD
SERVES 4 TO 6 TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES
Don’t skip the accompanying steamed rice (it bal-
ances the spicy, salty dressing; any long-grain white
variety is fine if jasmine is unavailable) or the toasted
rice, which is integral to the texture and flavor of the
dish. If you’re sensitive to spice, use only ½ teaspoon
of cayenne pepper and one Thai chile. If fresh Thai
chiles are unavailable, substitute ½ to 1 serrano chile.
1 teaspoon paprika
½–1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon white rice
3 tablespoons lime juice (2 limes)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 English cucumber, sliced ¼ inch thick on bias
1 pound roast beef, sliced thin and cut into
bite-size pieces
1½ cups fresh mint leaves, torn
1½ cups fresh cilantro leaves
4 shallots, sliced thin
1–2 Thai chiles, stemmed and sliced thin into rounds
Steamed jasmine rice
1. Heat paprika and cayenne in 8-inch skillet over
medium heat; cook, shaking pan, until fragrant, about
1 minute. Transfer to small bowl. Return now-empty
skillet to medium heat; add rice; and toast, stirring fre-
quently, until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Transfer to second small bowl and cool for 5 minutes.
Grind rice with spice grinder, mini–food processor, or
mortar and pestle until it resembles fine meal, 10 to
30 seconds (you should have about 1 tablespoon
rice powder).
2. Whisk lime juice, fish sauce, water, sugar, and
½ teaspoon toasted paprika mixture in large bowl
and set aside.
3. Spread cucumber slices on serving platter. Add
beef, mint, cilantro, shallots, chiles, and half of rice
powder to bowl with dressing; toss to combine.
Arrange beef mixture on top of cucumber slices.
Serve with jasmine rice, passing remaining rice pow-
der and toasted paprika mixture separately.
 The Pleasure of Crispy Fried Noodles
A crisp, golden nest crowned with a glossy stir-fry,
Vietnam’s mì xào giòn is a banquet-dining classic.
j BY LAN LAM k

I
t wasn’t until I started cooking profession-
ally that I considered the origins of the foods
of my childhood. Ethnically, my family is
predominantly Chinese, but we identify as
Vietnamese—my parents and I were born in Vietnam
and speak Vietnamese, and I attended Vietnamese
school. My parents understand Teochow, the
Chinese dialect my grandparents spoke, but aren’t
fluent; I recognize only a handful of words.
Growing up, I thus assumed the dishes my
grandmother regularly prepared—fried rice, pickled
mustard greens soup, wonton noodle soup—were
Vietnamese. I noticed the phonetic similarity between
the Vietnamese word “hoành thánh” and the Chinese
word “wonton,” but I didn’t make the connection
that, like our family, those recipes are multicultural:
They had been made and customized by Vietnamese
cooks for generations, but they contained ingredients
and techniques from China.
One such dish is mì xào giòn (pronounced
MEE-sao-YON in my family’s Southern Vietnamese
accent). The dish features a delicate tangle of golden
noodles that are dropped into hot oil in a wok, fried
until crisp, and then topped with a stir-fry of proteins
and vegetables in a glossy, umami-rich sauce. Mì xào
giòn is made across China and in Taiwan, but the
Vietnamese version tops the golden egg noodles (a
Chinese ingredient) with a stir-fry flavored with fish
sauce, a distinctly Vietnamese inclusion. sauce and 1 teaspoon of Shaoxing wine and then set Each of the dish’s components, from the noodles to
During my childhood in the Bay Area, my fam- the slices aside to marinate. the vegetables, can be prepared ahead.
ily often ate mì xào at banquet-style meals at both I wanted the vegetables to provide color and
Vietnamese and Chinese restaurants, where men in textural variety, so I chose shiitakes, red bell peppers, of textures Tran described, and I needed to fry them
crisp white shirts and black vests dropped it onto the and gai lan. Traditionally, the vegetables would be just long enough that they would maintain some
large turntable after the lighter courses. Knowing it stir-fried in batches and then tossed together with structure. Fresh thin, Hong Kong–style noodles
was at its best right out of the kitchen, we would dive the meat at the end of the recipe before saucing, but are the typical choice: After a quick blanch, I added
in, using a large serving spoon to cut through the batch stir-frying can take a long time. Instead, I simply them to a ¾-inch layer of oil I heated in my wok,
nest. The varied textures of the sauced noodles and blanched the prepped vegetables since I’d need a pot spreading the noodles evenly. After a few minutes
the myriad ingredients in the stir-fry made each bite of boiling water to cook the noodles anyway (plus of floating in the oil, the nest was just right: The
a unique treat. skipping the stir-frying allowed me to cut back on oil). outer 2 inches were crisp and golden brown, while
the center was firm but pliable.
A Simpler Stir-Fry Building a Nest
The typical restaurant version of this dish features an The noodles are mì xào’s starring component—and Crisp and Colorful
assortment of seafood and vegetables, but I decided its most particular. After assembling an ideal mì xào, Time to stir-fry. I started off by flavoring neutral oil
PHOTOGRAPHY: BETH FULLER

to pare back the ingredient list for home cooks. In lieu
of the shellfish, I used just one protein: boneless pork
loin chops, which can be found in 8-ounce portions
(with all the vegetables, I needed only a small amount
of meat to serve four). I sliced a chop thin and then
tossed the slices in a water-and–baking soda solution
to prevent the proteins in the pork from contracting
when exposed to heat. I mixed in 2 teaspoons of soy
“you have all this textural play,” Diep Tran, writer
and co-author of the Red Boat Fish Sauce Cookbook,
told me in an interview. The delicately fried noodles
should transform after they take on the sauce from
the stir-fry—they might be tender, chewy, or crunchy,
depending on when and where you take a bite.
I needed to employ thin noodles so that they
would yield to the sauce and create the symphony
with aromatics and then added the pork, stir-frying
until it lost its pink hue. After clearing the meat from
the wok, I added a little more oil and the blanched
shiitakes, resisting the urge to squeeze them dry first.
Here’s why: Blanching collapses the air pores within
the mushrooms and fills them with liquid. During
the stir-fry stage, both that liquid and the umami-rich
liquid trapped in the mushrooms’ cells are drawn out

cook’s illustrated
8

One Noodle—
For this recipe, we prefer fresh Hong Kong–style
noodles or fresh chow mein noodles (labeling will
vary depending on the manufacturer): They’re
1⁄16-inch-thick egg noodles that are nonalkaline
(as opposed to springy-textured noodles, such as
ramen, that contain an alkaline component). If you
can’t find them, look for any egg or wheat noodle
(fresh or frozen) that is between 1⁄16 and ⅛ inch
thick. Check the package to make sure they don’t
include alkalizing agents such as sodium or potas-
sium carbonates or bicarbonates.
lightly
chewy
ILLUSTRATION: JAY LAYMAN; SPECIAL THANKS TO CHRISTINE TRAN, SOCIOLOGIST AND FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE LOS ANGELES FOOD POLICY CENTER
tender
crispy
—Three Textures
When the nest of fried noodles is sauced, the
noodles take on a dynamic array of textures.
Noodles at the very center absorb the most
sauce and become tender, while those at the
outer edges of the stir-fry might be lightly chewy.
The outer ring retains its light crispness.
into the wok, creating a flavorful mushroom broth
that cooks down into an umami-rich fond. If I had
squeezed the mushrooms dry, I would have lost all
those savory juices.
I deglazed with a quick pour of Shaoxing wine and
then returned the pork and vegetables to the wok,
along with a mixture of soy, oyster, and fish sauce. By
the time the liquid came to a boil, the food was heated
through, and all that was left to add was a cornstarch
slurry to give the sauce more body.
I carefully crowned the awaiting tangle of noodles
with the stir-fry and then used my spoon to cut
through the nest. The sound of the crunch trans-
ported me straight back to childhood, and just like
when I was a 10-year-old, each bite—whether it was
a chewy noodle paired with tender pork or a crisp
noodle shard accenting gai lan and shiitake—kept
me going back for more.
MÌ XÀO GIÒN
(VIETNAMESE CRISPY PAN-FRIED NOODLES)
SERVES 4
TOTAL TIME: 1 ½ HOURS, PLUS 20 MINUTES FREEZING
We developed this recipe for a 14-inch wok, but a
12-inch cast-iron skillet can be used. Don’t throw
out the leftover frying oil; it can be reused in other
recipes that call for high-heat cooking. For serving,
kitchen shears or a large spoon work well for cutting
through the softer noodles near the center.
1 (8-ounce) boneless pork chop, ¾ to 1 inch
thick, trimmed of all visible fat
6 ounces gai lan, stalks trimmed
¼ teaspoon baking soda
4 teaspoons Shaoxing wine, divided
1 tablespoon soy sauce, divided
2½ tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1½ tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
¼ teaspoon white pepper
6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and
sliced ½ inch thick
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into
¾-inch pieces
6 ounces fresh or thawed frozen Hong Kong–style
noodles
2½ cups vegetable oil for frying
2 scallions, cut into 1½-inch pieces
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1⅔ cups chicken broth
1. Place pork chop on plate and freeze until very
firm, about 20 minutes. While pork freezes, prepare
gai lan. Remove leaves, small stems, and florets from
stalks; slice leaves crosswise into 1½-inch strips (any
florets and stems can go into pile with leaves); and
cut stalks on bias into ¼-inch-thick pieces. Set aside.
2. Stir 1 tablespoon water and baking soda
together in medium bowl. When pork is firm, use
sharp knife to shave pork crosswise as thin as pos-
sible. (Slices needn’t be perfectly intact.) Transfer
to bowl with baking soda mixture and toss until
well coated. Add 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine and
2 teaspoons soy sauce and toss to combine. Set aside.
3. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot.
While water heats, stir cornstarch and ¼ cup water
together in small bowl. Stir oyster sauce, fish sauce,
sugar, sesame oil, white pepper, and remaining
1 teaspoon soy sauce together in separate bowl.
4. Add mushrooms to boiling water and cook
until tender and pliant, about 30 seconds. Using spi-
der skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to
bowl. Return water to boil. Add bell pepper and cook
until crisp-tender, about 30 seconds. Using spider
skimmer, transfer bell pepper to second bowl. Return
water to boil. Add gai lan and cook until stems are
crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Using spider skimmer,
transfer gai lan to bowl with bell pepper. (Vegetables
can be blanched 24 hours ahead.)
january & february 2024
9
5. Return water to boil. Add noodles and cook,
stirring often, until almost tender (center of noodles
should be firm with slight opaque dot), 45 to 90 sec-
onds. Drain noodles in colander and rinse under
cold running water, tossing with tongs, until cool
to touch, about 1 minute. Drain noodles very well.
6. Line large serving plate with triple layer of paper
towels. Add oil to wok until it measures about ¾ inch
deep and heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees.
(If using skillet, add oil until it measures ¼ inch deep,
about 1¼ cups.) Carefully lower noodles into oil (oil
will bubble vigorously; do not use colander to tip
noodles into oil). Using spatula, spread noodles into
even layer. Fry until outer 2 inches of noodle disk are
crisp and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes, occasionally
rotating disk for even crisping. Using 2 thin spatulas,
transfer noodle disk to prepared plate. Carefully pour
off oil from wok into bowl. Reserve 1 tablespoon
oil (reserve remaining oil for other use) and wipe
out wok. Leaving noodle disk on plate, remove and
discard paper towels. Pour off any excess water from
cooked bell pepper and gai lan.
7. Heat now-empty wok over medium heat until
smoking. Add 1½ teaspoons reserved oil, scallions,
and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, until fra-
grant, about 15 seconds. Increase heat to high and
add pork. Cook, stirring constantly, until pork is no
longer pink, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl with
bell pepper and gai lan.
8. Add remaining 1½ teaspoons reserved oil and
mushrooms to now-empty wok and cook, stirring
constantly, until mushrooms have shrunken slightly,
about 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon
Shaoxing wine and cook, stirring constantly, until
no liquid remains in wok, about 15 seconds. Add
oyster sauce mixture and cook, stirring constantly,
until bubbling, about 15 seconds.
9. Add chicken broth, pork, and vegetables and
bring to simmer. Stir cornstarch mixture to recom-
bine; add to wok; and cook, stirring constantly,
until sauce is thick and translucent, about 1 minute.
Spoon pork and vegetables over noodles and serve
immediately. At the table, use large spoon to cut
through noodles; scoop noodles and stir-fry onto
individual serving plates.
Customize Your Stir-Fry
Fried noodles and an umami-rich stir-fry sauce com-
plement a wide range of proteins and vegetables.
Here are a few swaps you could make in this recipe.
FOR PORK: Use 8-ounce boneless,
skinless chicken breast or 8-ounce
strip steak (trim off fat cap); follow
pork preparation instructions.
FOR GAI LAN: Blanch 2¼ cups of
1½-inch broccoli florets about 20 seconds.
FOR BELL PEPPER: Blanch 1¼ cups of
⅛-inch-thick bias-cut carrot slices for
about 1 minute.
 GREEN SHAKSHUKA

Green Shakshuka
SERVES 4 TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR

If sumac, which adds brightness, is unavailable,

omit it in the steps and serve with lemon wedges
Eggs poached in a supple, garlicky blend of spinach (lemon juice may dull the color of the greens). Use
a glass lid if you have one. If not, peek at the eggs
and Swiss chard are at once nutritious and luxurious. frequently as they cook. Serve with hot sauce and
garnish with Microwave-Fried Garlic (page 29).
j BY ANNIE PETITO k
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound Swiss chard, stems sliced ¼ inch

A
few years back, I developed thick (2 cups), leaves cut into 1½- to 2-inch
a recipe for shakshuka— pieces (8 cups)
a one-skillet meal of eggs 1 onion, chopped fine
gently poached in a robust 8 garlic cloves, sliced thin
tomato–red pepper sauce. As you scoop 1 teaspoon table salt, divided
up savory mouthfuls with swaths of bread, 2 teaspoons ground coriander
the runny yolks and ruddy sauce merge in a 2 teaspoons ground cumin
delicious demonstration of how the North 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh
African dish got its name: It means “mixed parsley leaves and stems, divided
up.” Recently, I explored green shakshuka, 1 pound (16 cups) baby spinach
a veggie-filled twist on the traditional kind. 1 ounce country-style bread, cut into ½-inch
Green shakshuka trades the red sauce for pieces (½ cup), plus bread for serving
hearty greens and herbs, giving the eggs a 1¼ cups water
fresher, lighter bed in which to nest. It’s a 1½ teaspoons ground sumac, divided
terrific use for whatever leafy vegetables you 8 large eggs
have on hand (since they will be cooked, 1 ounce goat cheese or feta cheese, crumbled
they needn’t be the perkiest), but I like the (¼ cup)
interplay of earthy Swiss chard and mineral-
y (no-prep) baby spinach, along with a big 1. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over
bunch of fresh parsley. medium heat until shimmering. Add chard stems,
I started by slicing the crisp chard stems onion, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring
thin and softening them in olive oil with occasionally, until vegetables are soft and lightly
chopped onion and lots of sliced garlic. browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
Earthy cumin and citrusy coriander spiced 2. Add coriander and cumin and cook until
things up before I piled in the chopped Crispy garlic adds savory crunch to the creamy greens and eggs. fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chard leaves and
chard leaves and parsley. Once those were 2 cups parsley. Adjust heat to medium-low and
wilted, the spinach could be mounded in. After because no liquid was added, a far cry from the lush cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until greens
everything collapsed, I used the back of a spoon to sauciness of my red shakshuka. What’s more, the are just wilted but still bright green, 2 to 3 minutes.
make divots in the leafy mix, cracked an egg into each perimeter of the egg whites hadn’t fully cooked; they 3. Add half of spinach, cover, and cook until just
indentation, covered the skillet, and let remained loose and translucent. wilted. Add remaining spinach and cook, covered,
the eggs poach for about 10 minutes. To rectify things, I blended a portion of the stirring occasionally, until all spinach is wilted but
The trio of greens had a cooked greens with a little water and some of the still bright green, 3 to 5 minutes. Off heat, transfer
lovely, if slightly subdued, bread I had on hand for serving, creating a fluid, 1½ cups greens mixture to blender. Add bread,
flavor, but they seemed dry homogenous sauce. For brightness, I also sprinkled water, 1 teaspoon sumac, and remaining ½ tea-
in sumac, the citrusy, burgundy-red spice that’s spoon salt. Process until smooth puree forms, about
essential in many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean 1 minute, scraping sides of blender jar as needed.
cuisines. As soon as the eggs went into the skillet, Stir puree into skillet and smooth into even layer.
I spooned some sauce over the edges of the whites 4. Using back of spoon, make 8 shallow inden-
so that they were submerged in a mossy blanket. tations (about 1 inch wide) in surface of greens
This sauce transferred heat faster than the air in the (seven around perimeter and one in center). Crack
covered skillet had, so by the time the yolks were 1 egg into each indentation (which will hold yolk
oozy and sunny yellow, the whites were just set in place but not fully contain egg). Spoon greens
and tender. over edges of egg whites so whites are partially
To wake up the flavors and provide contrast to covered and yolks are exposed.
the silky textures, I finished with several garnishes, 5. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Cover and
starting with more sumac and parsley. I also crum- cook until yolks film over, 3 to 5 minutes, adjusting
bled goat cheese over the top for creamy, salty tang heat to maintain gentle simmer. Continue to cook,
(feta works well too) and passed hot sauce at the covered, until whites are softly but uniformly set (if
table for zesty heat. I even had time to make a batch skillet is shaken lightly, each egg should jiggle as
of crispy, roasty garlic chips. This vibrant, verdant single unit), 1 to 2 minutes longer. Off heat, sprinkle
spin had me falling for shakshuka all over again. with goat cheese, remaining 2 tablespoons parsley,
and remaining ½ teaspoon sumac. Season with
salt to taste and serve, passing bread separately.
cook’s illustrated
10
 GALLO PINTO (COSTA RICAN BEANS AND RICE)

Costa Rica’s Anytime Dish

SERVES 4 TO 6
TOTAL TIME: 1½ HOURS, PLUS 8 HOURS SOAKING

This recipe requires soaking the beans overnight.

In gallo pinto, leftover rice and beans transform Day-old rice works best; in a pinch, cook the rice
2 hours ahead, spread it on a rimmed baking sheet,
into a lively, soul-satisfying meal. and let it cool before chilling it for 30 minutes.
Worcestershire sauce can replace Salsa Lizano.
j BY DOMINIQUE KHOURY k ¾ cup dried black beans, picked over and rinsed
½ teaspoon table salt for brining

A
fter working a long night at his
Costa Rica restaurant Al Mercat
Dota, Chef Jose Gonzalez craves
gallo pinto, his country’s national
dish. Traditionally made from leftover rice
and red or black beans cooked anew with
spices, onions, garlic, peppers, and cilantro, a
bowl of gallo pinto is unpretentious, homey,
and belly-warming, everything a comfort
food should be. “[Gallo pinto] means my
roots, my childhood,” Gonzalez said during
a phone interview. “It means Costa Rica.”
Gallo pinto (whose name translates to
“spotted rooster,” a nod to the dish’s speckled
look) is often classified as a breakfast food, but
it is welcome at the table at any hour. Many
Costa Ricans enjoy it daily—the dish works
just as well as a hearty side as it does a main
course accompanied by eggs, meats, and/or
a spread of toppings. Recipes for the dish vary
widely around Costa Rica (and in Nicaragua
and the several other Central American coun-
tries in which it can be found). Some regional
Costa Rican versions are drier and toasted;
others are made brothier with coconut milk or
bulked up with chicharron, bacon, and other
meats. “The variations are infinite,” Gonzalez
said. However, most recipes follow the same
simple steps: Sauté onion, garlic, and sweet
peppers until soft; add the beans and their
liquid; and fold in the cooked rice.
If you don’t have leftovers on hand, both
the rice and beans in this dish require some
simple prep work ahead of time. The night
before I planned to enjoy my gallo pinto, I sub- and then added a quintessentially Costa Rican ingredi-
merged dried black beans in salted water (while ent: Salsa Lizano, a bottled Worcestershire-like sauce.
canned beans are convenient, the beans in this recipe I added the rice to the skillet along with the beans
need to be cooked with specific flavors, so dried is a and their reserved cooking liquid, which rehydrated,
better option). I also cooked and stored a batch of softened, and darkened the rice, infusing the whole
long-grain rice—rice firms up after cooling and rest- dish with a grounding earthiness. The resulting tex-
ing, which allows the fluffy, individual grains to soak ture was moist but not soupy, a consistency common
up new flavors without blowing out.
I kicked off the recipe the next day by cooking
PHOTOGRAPHY: BETH FULLER
A Spread with Substance
Gallo pinto can be eaten any time of day as a main course
or side dish, but it is traditionally the foundation of a hearty
breakfast. Common accompaniments include eggs, sausage,
fresh cheese, avocado, and tortillas. Top it all off with a few
drops of hot sauce or Salsa Lizano, a Costa Rican condi-
ment that is often also added to the recipe during cooking
(see “Lizano: Costa Rica’s All-Purpose Salsa,” page 29).
to versions made in central Costa Rica.
I enlivened the dish by mixing in finely chopped
30 sprigs fresh cilantro (1 bunch)
8 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil, divided
1 large white onion, chopped fine (1½ cups),
divided
6 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1¼ teaspoons table salt, divided
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and
cut into ¼-inch pieces (about 1⅓ cups), divided
1 large yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and
cut into ¼-inch pieces (about 1¼ cups), divided
3 tablespoons Salsa Lizano, plus extra for serving
3 cups cooked long-grain white rice, cold
Hot sauce
1. Combine 1 quart cold water, beans, and ½ tea-
spoon salt in bowl, and soak at room temperature for
at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.
2. Remove thick stems from cilantro sprigs and
reserve. Chop leaves and thin stems fine (you should
have about ¾ cup) and refrigerate until needed.
Using kitchen twine, tie reserved stems, thyme
sprigs, and bay leaves into bundle.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon lard in medium saucepan
over medium heat. Add half of onion, half of garlic,
1 teaspoon salt, chili powder, pepper, coriander, and
cumin, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened,
5 to 7 minutes. Increase heat to high; add drained
beans, cilantro bundle, and 1¾ cups water; and
bring to boil. Cover; reduce heat; and simmer, stir-
ring occasionally, until beans are just soft and liquid
begins to thicken, 1 to 1¼ hours. Remove from heat.
(Beans can be refrigerated in their cooking liquid
for up to 3 days.) Strain beans through fine-mesh
strainer, reserving ½ cup of cooking liquid.
4. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons lard in 12-inch
skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup red bell pepper,
1 cup yellow bell pepper, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt,
remaining onion, and remaining garlic, and cook, stir-

the beans: After sautéing alliums and spices in lard, fresh bell peppers (per a suggestion from Gonzalez, ring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned,
I added the beans, some cilantro, and 1¾ cups of who likes the freshness and crisp texture they add) 10 minutes. Stir in Salsa Lizano. Add rice and cook,
water. An hour later, the beans were just soft and and plenty of cilantro and then scooped myself a stirring constantly and breaking up rice clumps until
the liquid was slightly thickened, so I strained them portion, topping it with a few more dashes of Salsa mixture is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.
(reserving some cooking liquid) and set them aside. Lizano. The rice was fragrant and fluffy, the beans 5. Add beans and reserved cooking liquid. Gently
Then, it was time to build the dish. I softened a were yielding yet chewy, and the Lizano suffused the fold beans into rice until combined and warmed
base of red and yellow bell peppers, onions, and garlic whole dish with perfectly potent acidity. I already through, 1 to 2 minutes. Off heat, add reserved
in a skillet set over medium heat for about 10 minutes couldn’t wait for tomorrow’s bowl. chopped cilantro and remaining bell peppers. Season
with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing hot sauce
january & february 2024 and Salsa Lizano separately.
11
 Cabbage Goes Glam
An easy steam-roasting technique transforms
this often overlooked and underestimated
vegetable into a crisp-tender delight.
j BY ANDREA GEARY k
C
abbage, a member of the botanical
species Brassica oleracea, is usually
dismissed as the frumpy cousin of its
more fetching and culinarily successful
relatives brussels sprouts and cauliflower. But this
large green sphere has much to offer: It’s nutri-
tious; costs next to nothing; is readily available
year-round; can be held for long periods in the
refrigerator; and, just like its species mates, has
the potential for extreme deliciousness. Certainly
cabbage is a worthy and dependable denizen of
the crisper drawer, and I suspected that—given a
chance—it could be downright glamorous.
It was one of cabbage’s kin that inspired the
notion. Years ago, I’d developed a simple and effec-
tive method for roasting brussels sprouts: I halved
each one and tumbled them with oil and seasoning;
spread them on a baking sheet which I then covered
tightly with foil; and slid them into in a very hot
oven until the steam that built up under the foil
softened the tightly compacted buds. Then, I pulled
off the foil and roasted them further to evaporate the
excess moisture, leaving the hemispheres beautifully
browned, tender, nutty, and sweet. Cabbage, I rea-
soned, looked like a very generously proportioned
sprout. Could a similar treatment work for it too?
Simply halving a whole head of cabbage was
out; such large, dense pieces would take forever to
cook through, so I tried two other strategies: I cut
a 2-pounder straight through the core into eight
wedges and sliced a second one perpendicular to the
core into thick slabs, admiring the beauty in the
uninterrupted whorls of pale green nestled leaves.
Roasted Cabbage
with Mustard,
Bacon, and Cream
Both shapes lacked the structural integrity of the leaves profited from direct
required for the vigorous tossing I’d subjected the contact with the pan.
sprouts to, so instead I placed them on their respec- Greedy for more of that bronzed
tive baking sheets, drizzled them with oil, sprinkled drama, I tweaked my technique for
them with salt and pepper, and covered them tightly. the next go-round. Instead of hap-
Then, I steam-roasted them in a 500-degree oven hazardly drizzling the oil and
until they were tender, which took about 20 min- sprinkling the seasonings,
utes. After uncovering them, I returned them to the I applied them directly to
oven to let the bottom sides brown. Then, I turned the cut sides of the wedges
them over (a dicey maneuver with the slabs, as they before laying those cut sides
are constructed of disconnected leaves) and roasted flush against the baking
them some more. sheet. These wedges were
The slabs, which were so aesthetically pleasing stunning. The interiors
before cooking, emerged from the oven a disor- were meltingly tender
ganized jumble. But the wedges were promising. and the leaves formed
A small strip of the core had held each wedge an orderly yet organic
together, even as it relaxed into soft creaminess. arrangement of lightly
The rich, nutty sweetness was accentuated by areas crisp, caramelized ruffles.
of dramatic caramelization where the oiled edges Frumpy cousin? Never.
Roasted Cabbage
with Bread Crumbs,
Sage, and Parmesan
PHOTOGRAPHY: BETH FULLER
 SCIENCE One Species, Many Vegetables
Mark Twain wrote that “cauliflower is nothing but cabbage
with a college education.” A student of botany, he was onto
something. Cauliflower and cabbage—and kale, kohlrabi, Cauliflower
and more—are all the same species: Brassica oleracea. Brassica oleracea
From one original variety, Brassica oleracea var. oleracea, or var. botrytis
wild cabbage, which is native to the Mediterranean region
of Europe, many cultivars have been developed. Early
farmers chose wild cabbage plants with attributes that they Broccoli
liked and propagated (or, per Twain’s analogy, “educated”)
Brassica
them over generations to create new vegetables. By oleracea
selecting for flower clusters, they ended up with var. italica
cauliflower. By selecting for lateral buds,
they created brussels sprouts, and
so on. Scientists have also mixed
cultivars to make hybrids
such as broccolini (a cross
between broccoli and gai
lan). –Rebecca Hays
ROASTED CABBAGE
SERVES 4 TO 6 TOTAL TIME: 50 MINUTES
A dense cabbage, one that’s heavier
than it looks, will hold together best
when cut into eight wedges. We
developed this recipe with Diamond
Crystal kosher salt. If using Morton
kosher salt, which is denser, use only
¾ teaspoon.
1 head green cabbage (2 to 2½ pounds)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
¼ teaspoon pepper
1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle posi-
tion and heat oven to 500 degrees. Quarter
cabbage through core and cut each quarter into
2 wedges, leaving core intact. Arrange wedges,
1 flat side down, on rimmed baking sheet. Brush
Roasted Cabbage 1½ tablespoons oil on exposed cut sides of wedges
with Gochujang, and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Flip wedges
Sesame, and Scallions so oiled sides are flush with sheet. Brush second
cut sides with remaining 1½ tablespoons oil and
sprinkle with pepper and remain-
ing ½ teaspoon salt. Cover sheet
TECHNIQUE FLIPPING THE CABBAGE tightly with aluminum foil and
roast for 20 minutes.
2. Remove foil (be careful of
escaping steam) and continue
to cook until cabbage wedges
begin to brown on underside,
5 to 10 minutes. Using tongs
ILLUSTRATION: JAY LAYMAN
and thin metal spatula, flip each
wedge. Roast until edges are very
well browned and some leaves
have crisped, 5 to 10 minutes.
Transfer to serving platter, sea-
son with salt and pepper to taste,
and serve.
january & february 2024
13
Brussels sprouts
Brassica oleracea
var. gemmifera
Cabbage
Brassica oleracea
var. capitata
Wild cabbage
Kohlrabi Brassica
Brassica oleracea oleracea
var. gongylodes var. oleracea
Kale
Brassica
oleracea
var. acephala
ROASTED CABBAGE WITH BREAD CRUMBS,
SAGE, AND PARMESAN
While cabbage roasts, melt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons
chopped fresh sage and cook, stirring constantly, until
fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ¼ cup panko bread
crumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until crumbs
are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to small
bowl to cool. Stir in ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese.
Sprinkle half of topping over platter. Transfer cabbage
to platter, sprinkle with remaining topping, and serve.
ROASTED CABBAGE WITH GOCHUJANG,
SESAME, AND SCALLIONS
While cabbage roasts, stir 2 tablespoons gochujang
paste, 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar, 2 tea-
spoons water, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, and
½ teaspoon sugar together in small bowl. Drizzle
half of gochujang mixture over serving platter.
Transfer cabbage to platter. Drizzle with remain-
ing gochujang mixture, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon
toasted sesame seeds and 2 thinly sliced scallions
(green parts only), and serve.
ROASTED CABBAGE WITH MUSTARD,
BACON, AND CREAM
While cabbage roasts, cook 3 slices chopped bacon in
10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently,
until bacon is crisp and fat has been rendered, about
5 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towel–lined plate
to drain, and discard fat or reserve for another use.
Add 2 tablespoons cider vinegar to hot skillet and
stir, scraping up browned bits. Whisk in 3 tablespoons
heavy cream and 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard until
smooth. Drizzle half of mustard sauce over serving
platter. Transfer cabbage to platter. Drizzle with
remaining mustard sauce, sprinkle with 3 tablespoons
chopped fresh parsley and bacon, and serve.

Ground Turkey’s Great Potential
With pantry seasonings and about 10 minutes, you can turn this sleeper-hit
protein into a juicy, tender base for countless quick meals.
Adding a pinch of baking soda to the onions
as they cook helps them brown quickly.
G
round turkey can be your staple pro-
tein. Give it 10 minutes of your time
and a few additions that you probably
have on hand, and it’ll become a juicy,
tender, and versatile base for countless quick meals.
A few inherent perks: Ground turkey’s mild flavor
seamlessly blends with all sorts of seasonings, and
because it’s both ground and naturally tender, it
can be cooked quickly. When it’s sold in modified
atmosphere packaging (MAP), the cocktail of gasses
under its taut plastic seal stave off spoilage and discol-
oration, dramatically extending the meat’s fridge life.
The fastest way to ensure that ground turkey is
fully cooked through is to roast or sear it, which
PHOTOGRAPHY: BETH FULLER
ILLUSTRATION: JAY LAYMAN
DINNER THIS WEEK
j BY LAN LAM k
usually causes the surface of the delicate meat to dry
out by the time the middle is cooked. Here’s the
fix: Give the meat a boost of richness, savoriness,
and moisture by buzzing it with a panade of milk
and bread crumbs, shallot, butter, Worcestershire
sauce, and salt and pepper in the food processor, and
it’ll cook up succulent (see “All-Purpose Ground
Turkey Mix” for more details).
Think of it as an all-purpose base with end-
less potential. For example: patty melts topped
with sweet caramelized onions and gooey cheese;
mini-meatloaves glossed with maple-Dijon glaze;
and meatballs nestled in orzo with feta and a vibrant
green olive sauce.
cook’s illustrated
14
All-Purpose Ground Turkey Mix
This mix transforms ground turkey into a better
version of itself that cooks up tender and juicy.
GROUND TURKEY MIX
MAKES 21 OUNCES TOTAL TIME: 10 MINUTES
This mixture can be refrigerated for up to two days
or frozen for up to one month.
1 shallot, chopped coarse (⅓ cup)
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 pound 93 percent lean ground turkey
¼ cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and
cooled
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Process shallot, panko, salt, and pepper in food
processor, scraping down sides as necessary, until
shallot is finely ground, about 20 seconds. Add tur-
key, milk, melted butter, and Worcestershire and
pulse until just combined, 8 to 12 pulses. Transfer
to bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
TURKEY Ninety-three percent 93%
lean ground turkey cooks up
juicier than 99 percent lean.
PANADE Milk and bread crumbs
tenderize—milk by adding moisture and
panko by interfering with the meat’s
structure so that it can’t bond tightly.
SHALLOT Bits of minced shallot also
tenderize by breaking up the meat and
preventing it from bonding tightly. Plus, the
shallot bits shrink during cooking, leaving tiny
air pockets that reduce the meat’s density.
BUTTER Fat adds richness and
aids tenderness.
WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE This
seasoning adds both umami depth and a
boost of acidity that help balance flavor.
SALT (AND PEPPER) Salt
seasons the meat and draws out
a sticky protein called myosin that
helps the meat trap water and fat
so that it cooks up juicy.
 TURKEY PATTY MELTS
MAKES 4 SANDWICHES TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR
Melty, subtly spicy pepper Jack works well here, but
you can use any good melting cheese such as Swiss,
Muenster, or American.
1 recipe Ground Turkey Mix (page 14)
1 pound onions, halved and sliced thin
½ cup water
1 tablespoon plus 4 teaspoons unsalted butter,
divided
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Pinch baking soda
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
8 slices hearty sandwich bread
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
12 slices pepper Jack cheese (4½ ounces), divided
1. Divide ground turkey mix into 4 equal por-
tions. Shape each portion into thin patties that are
¼ inch larger than slices of bread. Place 2 patties in
12-inch nonstick skillet and cook over medium heat
until spotty brown on bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip
and cook, pressing down on patties frequently, until
second side is lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
Transfer to plate. Wipe out skillet and add remain-
ing two patties. Repeat cooking process and transfer
patties to plate, leaving fat in skillet.
2. Add onions, water, 1 tablespoon butter, salt,
pepper, and baking soda and bring to simmer. Cover
and cook for 8 minutes. Uncover and continue to
cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are well
browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in vinegar and sugar.
3. While onions cook, arrange 4 slices of bread on
cutting board. Spread 1½ teaspoons mustard on each
slice. Top each slice with 1½ slices cheese, breaking
up cheese as necessary to keep from hanging over
edge. Arrange patties on top of cheese. Divide onions
evenly over patties and top with remaining 6 slices
cheese and remaining 4 slices bread.
4. In clean, dry skillet, melt 1 teaspoon butter over
medium-low heat. Add 2 sandwiches and cook until
bottoms are well browned, 4 to 5 minutes, moving
sandwiches as needed to ensure even browning. Flip,
add 1 teaspoon butter to pan,
and continue to cook until sec-
ond side is well browned, 2 to
3 minutes. Remove sandwiches
and repeat with remaining 2 tea-
spoons butter and remaining
SCAN FOR VIDEO sandwiches. Serve.
SCIENCE Why Salt and Regrind Ground Meat?
Grinding ground turkey with salt thoroughly seasons it. More importantly, it develops myosin,
a sticky meat protein that traps water and fat, keeping it juicy. When salt mixes with water in the
meat, myosin (which is very soluble in salty water) dissolves out of the muscle and forms a sticky,
sturdy, moisture-trapping gel. In sous vide tests, we found that untreated ground turkey lost about
35 percent more moisture during cooking than turkey that was salted and reground in a food
processor before cooking—a disparity that you can really taste in the meat.
MINI MAPLE-DIJON GLAZED TURKEY
MEATLOAVES WITH ROASTED BROCCOLI
SERVES 4 TOTAL TIME: 45 MINUTES
If using whole broccoli, trim the stems from the florets
and then peel the stems and slice ½ inch thick.
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1½ teaspoons packed dark brown sugar
1 recipe Ground Turkey Mix (page 14)
1 pound broccoli florets, cut into 1½-inch pieces
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon
lemon juice
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat
oven to 400 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed bak-
ing sheet and spray rack with vegetable oil spray. Stir
mustard, maple syrup, and sugar together in bowl.
2. Divide ground turkey mix into 4 equal portions
and shape each portion into 3 by 4½-inch oval.
Arrange meatloaves in row down center of rack,
leaving about 3 inches of space on both sides for
broccoli. Brush half of mustard mixture over meat-
loaves. Toss broccoli, 1 tablespoon oil, and salt in
bowl until evenly coated. Arrange broccoli on both
sides of meatloaves. Reserve bowl.
3. Bake until meatloaves register 130 to
135 degrees, 14 to 16 minutes. Brush with remain-
ing mustard mixture and continue to cook until
meatloaves register 160 to 165 degrees, about
5 minutes longer. Let meatloaves rest for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, return broccoli to bowl and toss with
remaining 1 tablespoon oil and lemon zest and juice.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
january & february 2024
15
SKILLET ORZO WITH TURKEY MEATBALLS,
GREEN OLIVES, AND FETA
SERVES 4 TOTAL TIME: 45 MINUTES
We like Castelvetrano olives here, but any green
olive works.
1 recipe Ground Turkey Mix (page 14)
3 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon extra-virgin
olive oil, divided
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups orzo
½ teaspoon lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons
lemon juice, divided
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon pepper
⅓ cup pitted green olives
⅓ cup parsley sprigs
2 tablespoons water
4 ounces feta, crumbled (1 cup)
1. Shape ground turkey mix into twelve 1½-inch
meatballs. Heat ½ teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick
skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Cook
meatballs until well browned on 2 sides, about 3 min-
utes per side. Transfer to plate; leave fat in skillet.
2. Add broth, orzo, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, salt,
and pepper to skillet. Bring to boil over high heat.
Reduce heat to gentle simmer, cover, and cook for
6 minutes. Add meatballs and any accumulated juices,
cover, and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover and continue
to cook until orzo begins to sizzle, 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and let rest 10 minutes.
3. While orzo rests, blend lemon zest, olives, pars-
ley, water, remaining 3 tablespoons oil, and remaining
1 tablespoon lemon juice in blender until olives are
chopped and oil is emulsified, 20 to 30 seconds. Spoon
olive sauce over orzo. Sprinkle with feta and serve.
UNTREATED
Loses 35 percent
more moisture
OUR RECIPE
 Cook’s
Illustrated’s
House of
Pancakes
Consider this
one-stop shopping for BEST PRACTICES
FOR PANCAKES
everybody’s favorite From mixing to flipping, these tips will help you
lazy-day breakfast: our produce consistently lofty, golden hotcakes.
best pancake tips and 1. Weigh Your Flour 5. Wipe Away Excess Oil
tricks plus three of our Pancake loft and tenderness relies on a precise After adding oil to the skillet, wipe it out until
ratio of ingredients, which is why we recommend there is just a bare sheen remaining. Metal trans-
most popular stacks. measuring flour by weight instead of volume. fers heat better than oil, so places where oil pools
BY ELIZABETH BOMZE under the pancake will cook more slowly and be
2. Leave the Batter Lumpy relatively pale.
Mixing the batter until it’s barely combined makes
for loftier pancakes. The lumps obstruct the flow 6. Make a Test Pancake
of the batter so that it sits tall in the pan and Here’s a test to make sure that your griddle is hot
retains more air instead of spreading out. enough: Drop a tablespoon of batter in its center.
If after 1 minute the pancake is golden brown on
3. Fold In Mix-Ins the bottom, the pan is ready. If it remains blond
Folding additions such as chocolate or fresh (or burns), adjust the heat accordingly.
fruit into the batter rather than dropping
them onto the top of the portioned pan- 7. Flip Low and Fast
cakes ensures that they’re embedded in You can minimize the splatter that leads to
the fluffy crumb rather than simply sitting misshapen pancakes by sliding a thin spatula
on the surface where they’re vulnerable to underneath the pancake and flipping it in a
burning when the pancakes are flipped. smooth, quick motion, keeping the spatula close
to the cooking surface.

PHOTOGRAPHY: BETH FULLER

4. Preheat Low and Slow
Heating the pan over high heat causes hot
spots to form on the cooking surface and
the pancakes to brown unevenly. A gen-
tler, more gradual approach allows the
surface to heat evenly and the pancakes to
brown uniformly.
8. Hold Cooked Pancakes
in the Oven
To keep cooked pancakes warm while prepar-
ing the rest of the batch, transfer them to a
200-degree oven on a wire rack coated with
nonstick spray set in a rimmed baking sheet.

DON’T DITCH THE LEFTOVERS!

Whether you made too REFRIGERATE BATTER

much batter or have a It’s fine to refrigerate your batter in the large mixing
Buy the Cheapest Maple Syrup
few uneaten pancakes, bowl or measuring cup you mixed it in, covered with
In tests, we’ve found that all Grade A Amber with
save the leftovers. They’ll plastic wrap, for up to 24 hours. The baking powder in
Rich Taste (the name is an industry classification) syr-
be almost as fresh tasting the mix will give the batter enough oomph to leaven
ups taste very similar. Most producers sell their syrup
tomorrow and a lot pancakes cooked the next day, though they may be a
to large packagers that pool hundreds of different
faster to prepare. tad thinner than those made from a freshly mixed batch.
products and bottle the blends under a brand name.
 COOKING
TIP
FOR A
CROWD?
Any of these pancakes
can be cooked on an
electric griddle set between 325 and 350 degrees
(use a lower temperature in that range if cooking
pancakes in butter, which burns more easily than oil).
CLASSIC PANCAKES
SERVES 4 TO 6 (MAKES SIXTEEN 4-INCH PANCAKES)
TOTAL TIME: 45 MINUTES
2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
2 large eggs
¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided
1½ cups milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking
soda, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk eggs
and ¼ cup oil in second medium bowl until well
combined. Whisk milk and vanilla into egg mix-
ture. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and stir
gently until just combined (batter should remain
lumpy with few streaks of flour). Let batter sit for
10 minutes before cooking.
2. Heat ½ teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skil-
let over medium-low heat until shimmering. Using
paper towels, carefully wipe out oil, leaving thin
film on bottom and sides of skillet. Drop 1 table-
spoon batter in center of skillet. If pancake is pale
golden brown after 1 minute, skillet is ready. If it
is too light or too dark, adjust heat accordingly.
3. Using ¼-cup dry measuring cup, portion bat-
ter into skillet in 3 places, leaving 2 inches between
ILLUSTRATION: JOHN BURGOYNE
100 PERCENT WHOLE-WHEAT PANCAKES
SERVES 4 TO 6 (MAKES FIFTEEN 4 ½ -INCH PANCAKES)
TOTAL TIME: 45 MINUTES
If substituting buttermilk powder and water for fresh
buttermilk, use only 2 cups of water to prevent the
pancakes from being too wet.
2 cups (11 ounces) whole-wheat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon table salt
2¼ cups buttermilk
5 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil,
divided
2 large eggs
1. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking
soda, and salt together in medium bowl. Whisk
buttermilk, 5 tablespoons oil, and eggs together in
second medium bowl. Make well in center of flour
mixture and pour in buttermilk mixture; whisk
until smooth.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet
over medium heat until shimmering. Using paper
towels, carefully wipe out oil, leaving thin film on
bottom and sides of pan. Using ¼-cup dry measur-
ing cup, portion batter into pan in 3 places. Gently
spread each portion into 4½-inch round. Cook
until edges are set, first side is golden brown, and
bubbles on surface are just beginning to break, 2 to
3 minutes. Using thin, wide spatula, flip pancakes
and continue to cook until second side is golden
brown, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Serve pancakes
immediately or transfer to wire rack in oven. Repeat
with remaining batter, using remaining 1 teaspoon
oil as necessary.
Pick Fresh Flour
The little bits of germ in whole-wheat flour contain
BEST BUTTERMILK PANCAKES
SERVES 4 TO 6 (MAKES SIXTEEN 4-INCH PANCAKES)
TOTAL TIME: 50 MINUTES
2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon table salt
2 cups buttermilk
¼ cup sour cream
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and
cooled slightly
2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking
soda, and salt together in medium bowl. In second
medium bowl, whisk buttermilk, sour cream, eggs,
and melted butter together. Make well in center
of flour mixture and pour in buttermilk mixture;
gently stir until just combined (batter should
remain lumpy with few streaks of flour). Do not
overmix. Let batter sit 10 minutes before cooking.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick
skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Using
paper towels, carefully wipe out oil, leaving thin
film on bottom and sides of pan.
3. Using ¼-cup dry measuring cup, portion
batter into pan in 3 places. Cook until edges are
set, first side is golden brown, and bubbles on
surface are just beginning to break, 2 to 3 min-
utes. Using thin, wide spatula, flip pancakes and
continue to cook until second side is golden
brown, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Serve pancakes
immediately or transfer to wire rack in oven.
Repeat with remaining batter, using remaining
1 teaspoon oil as necessary.
SCIENCE What Buttermilk
Does for Pancakes

portions. If necessary, gently spread batter into
4-inch round. Cook until edges are set, first sides
are golden brown, and bubbles on surface are just
beginning to break, 2 to 3 minutes. Using thin,
wide spatula, flip pancakes and continue to cook
until second sides are golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes
longer. Serve pancakes immediately or transfer to
wire rack in oven. Repeat with remaining batter,
using remaining ½ teaspoon oil as necessary.
fats that are vulnerable to oxidation that can give Buttermilk adds dairy tang to pancakes and
the flour a bitter taste. For the best flavor, start with makes them loftier and fluffier. Its acid interacts
a freshly opened bag with the alkaline baking soda to inflate the bat-
or one that you’ve ter with carbon dioxide, and its viscous body
stored in the freezer produces a thicker batter that’s better at retain-
(where whole-wheat ing those bubbles during cooking.
flour keeps well for If you’re a pancake person, it’s worth keep-
up to a year). ing around; it lasts for weeks and freezes well.
If you need to substitute, here’s what to use—
and avoid.

 Greek yogurt: 1 part Greek yogurt to

REFRIGERATE OR FREEZE PANCAKES 2 parts water. The flavor and texture will
1. Place cooled pancakes in a zipper-lock bag, TO REHEAT PANCAKES be comparable.
separating them with pieces of waxed paper, Place pancakes on a rimmed  Buttermilk powder: This pantry staple is
parchment paper, or aluminum foil if freezing. baking sheet and heat great—but note that it makes a thinner product
2. Press on the bag to eliminate air in a 325-degree toaster than liquid buttermilk, so add a bit less water
pockets before sealing. or conventional oven to your pancake mixture than the powdered
3. Refrigerate overnight or until warmed through, package suggests. Refrigerate or freeze the
freeze for up to 2 weeks. 5 to 6 minutes. package once opened.
 Clabbered milk (milk acidulated with
lemon juice): This is thinner and will yield a
looser batter that spreads more and doesn’t
january & february 2024 retain gas well, leading to wider, flatter pancakes.
17
 A Celebratory Seafood Stew
Teeming with mussels, squid, shrimp, and cod, Catalonia’s zarzuela
is a quick-cooking extravaganza of classic Spanish flavors.
I
n Catalonia, a “zarzuela” can be one of two
things: a type of Spanish musical theater pro-
duction that involves storytelling, song, and
dance or a hearty stew loaded with seafood
in a spiced tomato broth. The latter took its name
from the former, and it’s easy to understand why:
Like a theatrical spectacular, a pot of zarzuela
is vibrant, exciting to behold, and downright
applause-worthy.
On the eastern coast of Spain, zarzuela is cobbled
together from whatever seafood is freshest at the
market that day—from monkfish to clams to prawns
to scallops—and served as a festive centerpiece for
gatherings or special occasions. An abundance of sea-
food feels undeniably celebratory,
but it presents a challenge for the
cook: When all the fish are cooked
in the same pot yet each has a
slightly different cooking time,
SCAN FOR VIDEO it’s difficult to achieve uniform,
j BY STEVE DUNN k
perfect doneness throughout the stew. In my recipe,
I’d need to be strategic about which seafood I chose
to include and how I’d cook it.
Casting a Wide Net
Zarzuelas in Catalonia typically contain either
mostly shellfish or mostly finfish, but I liked the
thought of including both to make the mix in the
pot as dynamic as possible. Sweet, briny shrimp and
a flaky white fish such as cod were the obvious place
to start; they’re easy to find at most grocery stores,
and their textures play well together. To accompany
them, I chose mussels (their ebony shells would
contrast with the ruddy broth; their brininess would
heighten the stew’s oceanic flavor) and squid (for
its striking appearance and springy texture).
The stew’s main characters cast, it was time
to fill out the supporting roles. I began by sauté-
ing onion, red bell pepper, and garlic—zarzuela’s
typical foundation—and then seasoned the mixture
cook’s illustrated
18
Manzanilla olives, paprika, almonds, and saffron give
this hearty stew its distinctive Spanish profile.
with the traditional accompanying spices: musky
sweet paprika; earthy, smoky pimentón (smoked
paprika); and delicate, grassy saffron. Catalan cooks
then usually deglaze the pot with both white wine
and a touch of an additional spirit such as sherry,
rum, or brandy. I wondered if I could eliminate the
liquor for simplicity, especially since only a couple
tablespoons are called for, but when I made a version
with brandy and one without and tasted them side
PHOTOGRAPHY: BETH FULLER
by side, it was clear that the liquor added subtle, but
necessary, complexity.
I heavily reduced the wine and brandy to concen-
trate flavor and drive off the harshness of the alcohol,
which necessitated adding more liquid to achieve the
proper volume and consistency in the broth. Two
large tomatoes, grated to a pulp on a box grater,
contributed some volume and plenty of color, but
 I still needed about 2 cups more liquid. Water was
out—it diluted the stew’s seafood flavor too much—
and I was hesitant to call for boxed seafood stock,
as its flavor varies widely among brands. I decided
to turn to a more reliable product: clam juice. Two
bottles was just enough to deepen the flavors of the
ocean in my stew.
The stew’s volume adjusted, it was time to thicken
the broth. Catalan cooks typically use a picada—a
granular mixture of nuts, olive oil–fried bread, garlic,
and often spices—to add body to soups and sauces
and amp up flavor. While I love the perky freshness
of a traditional picada, I opted to strip back the
approach in this recipe so as not to outshine the
delicate seafood flavors of the broth. A mixture of
almonds and parsley, ground together in my food
processor, thickened the broth and added subtle, but
not overwhelming, flavor.
Easy Does It
Time for my final challenge: developing a cooking
method that would bring fish, shrimp, mussels, and
squid all to the perfect stage of doneness. First, I tried
adding them to the simmering broth in stages, adding
the longest-cooking component (the mussels) first and
then adding the chunks of cod, the shrimp, and the
squid in turn. This method seemed logical on paper,
but the cod and squid were woefully overcooked in
practice. I shuffled the order in which I added them
to the pot and adjusted cooking times, but I always
overcooked the cod.
PHOTOGRAPHY: MEISAM SHARIFNEZHAD/SHUTTERSTOCK; ILLUSTRATION: JAY LAYMAN
TECHNIQUE ARRANGING AND
COOKING THE SEAFOOD
Zarzuela’s symphony of seafood requires a bit of
strategy, as mussels, cod, shrimp, and squid each
cook at different rates. To ensure that none of the
elements turn out over- or underdone, we start
by adding just the mussels, as they take the lon-
gest to cook. Four minutes later, we add the cod,
shrimp, and squid, quickly but gently stirring them
into the broth. Finally, we put the cover on the pot
and remove it from the heat—cooking seafood in
residual heat provides insurance against overcook-
ing. During a 15-minute rest, the temperatures of
the seafood and the cooking liquid equalize, gently
cooking the seafood to perfect doneness.
SCIENCE Going for Gold
Zarzuela is one of many recipes in the Spanish
canon that makes use of saffron, the delicate
hand-harvested stigmas of the Crocus sativus
flower. Saffron infuses food with a bitter, iodine-like
flavor, but its more noticeable effect is that it lends
a dramatic golden tinge to soups, stews, rice dishes,
and sauces. This color is due to the carotenoid pig-
ment crocin, a molecule that has sugars attached on
each end. Carotenoid pigments are typically oil-solu-
ble, but crocin’s sugar groups make it water-soluble
instead, which is why saffron is able to release such
vibrant color in water-based applications. Crocin is
so potent that it can perceptibly color water even at
a 1 to 1,000,000 ratio. –Alyssa Vaughn
Then, I remembered my colleague Annie Petito’s
recipe for moqueca, a Brazilian shrimp and fish stew,
in which she cooks the seafood in the hot broth
entirely off the heat, a gentle method that prevents
the seafood from overcooking. For my next test,
I gave the mussels a head start by cooking them for
a few minutes alone and then added all the rest of
the seafood, gently stirring it into the broth, put-
ting the cover on the pot, and removing it from the
heat. After a gentle 15-minute cook, I had it: plump,
briny mussels; moist, flaky cod; springy shrimp; and
tender and lightly snappy squid, each playing their
part perfectly in my harmonious zarzuela.
ZARZUELA (SPANISH SEAFOOD STEW)
SERVES 6 TO 8 TOTAL TIME: 1¼ HOURS
Haddock or other firm-fleshed, flaky white fish can
be substituted for cod. If using prepeeled shrimp,
reduce the amount to 8 ounces. Do not use shrimp
that are larger than what’s called for here as they
may not cook through by the time the other seafood
is done. If desired, substitute the contents of one
14.5-ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes that have
been drained (reserve the juice) and chopped coarse
for the fresh tomatoes. Serve with crusty bread and
a crisp green salad.
1 pound skinless cod fillets, 1 to 1½ inches thick
and cut into ¾- to 1-inch pieces
12 ounces extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per
pound), peeled, deveined, and tails removed
8 ounces squid, bodies sliced crosswise into
½-inch-thick rings, tentacles left whole
1 teaspoon table salt, divided
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons brandy
2 tablespoons lemon juice, divided, plus lemon
wedges for serving
¼ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
⅓ cup slivered almonds
½ cup minced fresh parsley, divided
2 large tomatoes, halved through equator
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped fine
january & february 2024
19
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into
¼-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
½ cup pitted green Manzanilla olives, chopped
1 pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1. Combine cod, shrimp, squid, and ¾ tea-
spoon salt in medium bowl; refrigerate until needed.
Combine wine, brandy, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and
saffron in 1-cup liquid measuring cup and set aside.
Pulse almonds in food processor until finely ground,
about 20 pulses. Add ⅓ cup parsley and process until
finely ground, about 10 pulses; set aside.
2. Place box grater in medium bowl. Rub cut
side of tomatoes against large holes of grater until
tomato flesh is reduced to pulp (skins should remain
intact). Discard skins. (You should have about
1½ cups pulp.)
3. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high
heat until shimmering. Add onion, bell pepper, and
remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring fre-
quently, until softened, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in garlic,
paprika, smoked paprika, and pepper flakes and cook
for 1 minute. Add wine mixture and cook, stirring
occasionally, until liquid has mostly evaporated, 4 to
6 minutes. Add clam juice, olives, ground almond
mixture, and tomato pulp and stir to combine.
Adjust heat to maintain vigorous simmer and cook,
uncovered, until liquid has reduced and thickened
slightly, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Add mussels, cover, and cook for 4 minutes.
Add seafood mixture and stir to evenly distribute,
making sure all pieces are submerged in liquid. Cover
and remove pot from heat. Let stand for 15 min-
utes, until shrimp, cod, and squid are opaque and
just cooked through, gently stirring once halfway
through resting.
5. Add remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice and
season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with
remaining parsley and serve immediately, passing
lemon wedges separately.

Magnificent
Macarons
These Parisian treats
romance with glorious
color, form, and flavor—
but they’re famously finicky.
Here’s the path to success.
j BY STEVE DUNN k
I
was a Grand Diplôme student at Le Cordon
Bleu in Paris when I first tried (and failed)
at making macarons (mah-kah-ROHNS).
For more than a century, these dainty con-
fections of two almond meringues sandwiched
around a luscious filling were sold only in patisser-
ies. Then, in the 1990s, chef Pierre Hermé ignited
a global frenzy over the cookie. While at the helm
of famed Paris bakeries Fauchon and Ladurée, he
tinted the meringues vibrant colors and filled them
with gloriously sophisticated flavors. (Think
rose-lychee-raspberry or grapefruit-orange-
Campari.) Suddenly, everyone from
London to Tokyo wanted to eat macar-
ons—and professionals and home bakers
alike wanted to master them. From that
point on, their allure has never abated.
It’s not hard to understand why. The perfect
specimen is a wonder: Utterly smooth, elegantly
puffed meringues (often called “shells”), with an
eggshell finish and a frilly “pied,” or “foot,” rimming
the bottom, hold a satiny filling. Take a bite, and
the wafer-thin crust gives way to the supple
chew of the meringue while the filling—per-
haps chocolate ganache, buttercream, or
fruit curd—delights with a burst of flavor.
Despite the fact that the shells require
just four ingredients—egg whites, almond
flour, granulated sugar, and confectioners’
sugar—achieving this ideal can be tricky.
If the batter is too airy, the shells may bake
up cracked, tall, or lopsided; if you deflate it
too much, they will spread flat. Baked too long
or at too high a temperature, the saturated color
will fade; baked too low, the bottoms may be sticky.
Since those days in the 15th arrondissement, I’ve
baked macarons time and time again, sometimes
creating masterpieces, sometimes not. I have never
minded the flaws too much because the process is
gratifying, the cookies can’t help but look seductive
with their vivid hues, and they’re delicious every time.
But I have always wanted to nail down a method that
would make success certain, and now I’ve come up
with a recipe that does just that. If you’re a first-timer
to macarons, a little practice may still be needed,
since a few steps require finesse, and you’ll
have to understand the idiosyncrasies of
your oven. But the payoff will be sweet.
A Process to Practice
Here’s a synopsis of the process: Sift almond
flour together with confectioners’ sugar,
which will ensure a smooth top, and then whip
granulated sugar and egg whites into a satiny
meringue (there are a couple of possible approaches
here—more in a moment). Next, add the meringue
to the almond flour mixture and stir repeatedly, in a
process called “macaronage,” to partially deflate the
batter. Pipe the batter into rounds and leave the
shells to dry so that a “skin” can form on their
tops. When the shells bake, this skin forces steam
to escape at the base, forming a well-defined, airy
PHOTOGRAPHY: BETH FULLER
 The Art of Macaronage
“It’s anathema . . . to take the air out of a
meringue,” said Jody O’Sullivan, pastry and
baking instructor at the Cambridge School
of Culinary Arts and former macaron bakery
owner, emulating his students’ reactions. But
for macaronage, he explained, that’s what
you must do. The technique is the process of
stirring meringue together with almond flour
and confectioners’ sugar (and in my recipe,
some unwhipped egg whites) until it partially
deflates and relaxes into a smooth, flowing state.
Senior Science Research Editor Paul Adams
elaborated: Macaronage, he said, selectively
removes the largest air bubbles from the
meringue and leaves the small ones intact.
As the almond flour is stirred through the
foam, the nut particles are more likely to
hit a big bubble than a small one, either
popping it or causing it to divide into UNDERMIXED PERFECTLY OVERMIXED
smaller bubbles. Both scenarios reduce A thick batter that MIXED A thin batter that
won’t flow off the Batter that flows in a flows quickly in a
the number of large bubbles to create a
spatula leads to smooth, wide stream narrow stream results
fine-crumbed interior without big hollows. tall, cracked, or for about 10 seconds in thin, flat shells.
Using a rubber spatula, stir, fold, and lopsided shells. bakes up just right.
smear the batter against the side of the
bowl. When it’s ready, it will flow in a slow,
wide stream for about 10 seconds.

can blend the batter until it is thinned to a texture that

will bake up properly. With a weaker meringue, you Baker’s Toolkit
might accidentally knock out too much air. Before you start baking, gather a few necessities.
That’s what happened when I made a French
meringue, one of the two styles commonly used for
macarons. All you do is whip egg whites with sugar, 4
which is easy but results in an unstable meringue that
doesn’t hold much air and thus produces thin, flat
shells. But an Italian meringue, the kind that many
bakers, including Bullock-Prado, favor is much more
stable: You cook sugar and water to 245 degrees
(at this “firm-ball” stage, enough of the water has 1
evaporated that the mixture is 87 percent sugar and
13 percent water) and then pour the bubbling syrup
2 3
into softly beaten whites that are whirling in a stand
mixer. Heating the whites helps set their proteins into
a more rigid, buoyant architecture that is remarkably
sturdy. After a few tests, I incorporated a touch of
cream of tartar for added stability. I also learned to
whip the whites just to the right degree, when they 1. An INSTANT-READ THERMOMETER or
drooped on the whisk in the shape of a curved bird’s a candy thermometer ensures that the sugar syrup
beak. This “bec d’oiseau” is the cue that it’s time to for the meringue hits the proper temperature.
fold in the dry ingredients and perform macaronage.
When piping the batter (I like a two-bite diameter 2. A KITCHEN SCALE that weighs in grams
of 1½ inches), I produced the neatest circles by is essential for producing a batter with the
holding the pastry bag vertically so that the batter right consistency.
flowed straight down, employing a swift flick of the
wrist at the end to cut off the batter and let it settle 3. You’ll need a LARGE PIPING BAG and
on top. Then, to burst any big air bubbles, I rapped ½-INCH ROUND TIP to pipe the shells into
the baking sheet on the counter a few times. For the neat circles and a round or star tip for the filling.
resting step, 20 minutes was sufficient to develop
a skin firm enough to force steam out of the base 4. To create shells that are identical in size, use a
during baking, creating a ruffled foot. biscuit cutter to trace circles onto PARCHMENT
PAPER or use a MACARON MAT —a silicone
mat that’s marked with guides for piping.
 Working with
Food Coloring
Whether you prefer cool pastels,
vibrant primaries, or something in
between, gel food coloring is the best
option for tinting macaron shells. The
thick, concentrated product, which has
a corn syrup or glycerin base, produces
vivid tones without loosening the batter
After weeks of honing my skills, I was now produc-
ing gorgeous macarons in a rainbow of colors and
flavors. To celebrate, I swirled sweet-tart raspberry
buttercream onto a blush-pink shell and sandwiched
another shell on top. This spectacularly chic cookie
would more than pass muster at Le Cordon Bleu.
MACARONS
MAKES 30 COOKIES

like water-based food coloring will. It can be help- TOTAL TIME: 1½ HOURS, PLUS 24 HOURS CHILLING

ful to put some dye in a bowl and use the tip of a

toothpick to add it drop by drop until you reach the
desired hue. Supermarkets sell basic colors; for a
wider variety, shop at craft stores or online.
Thanks to sifting the dry ingredients, using an
Italian meringue, and practicing macaronage, my
shells were rising uniformly and baking up smooth.
But their interiors harbored large air pockets.
Happily, the hollowness disappeared when I left a
portion of the whites unwhipped and added them
raw to the meringue along with the almond flour
mixture (à la the venerable Hermé and many other
pastry chefs). Since this resulted in less total air in the
batter, the shells were less likely to form a hollow.
Understanding Your Oven
The quality of my macarons also improved as I came
to grips with the unique characteristics of the test
kitchen ovens. Per Bullock-Prado, “sometimes you
have no idea what’s happened [with your macarons]
and the oven is usually the culprit.” Unlike many
baked goods, macaron shells should not be browned,
as this dulls their color. I had been baking mine at
325 degrees, per many recipes. At this temperature,
the colors stayed true, but the tops finished before
the bottoms, which remained sticky and hard to peel
from the parchment. Only by moving the shells to
a lower rack to hasten the cooking of their bottoms
did I finally crack the code to beautifully baked shells
in the test kitchen ovens. You’ll have to get to know
your oven too. If it heats unevenly, you may need to
rotate the pan during baking or raise or lower the rack.
There’s one more sensitivity to be aware of: If
even the slightest puff of air from an oven fan breezes
beneath the parchment paper, it may cause the shells
to rise askew. Spraying the baking sheet with veg-
etable oil spray to adhere the paper to the sheet is a
good preventative measure.
Be sure to use finely ground almond flour; Blue
Diamond or Bob’s Red Mill products work well. Do
not use liquid food coloring as it will add too much
water to the batter. Use 3 drops of gel for pastel
shades and 7 drops for more vibrant color. This
recipe involves multitasking; read it carefully, and
make sure to have your ingredients and equipment
in place before you begin.
150 grams blanched, finely ground almond flour
150 grams confectioners’ sugar
⅛ teaspoon table salt
113 grams egg whites (measure from lightly beaten
whites of 4 large eggs), divided
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
150 grams granulated sugar
60 grams water
3–7 drops gel food coloring
1 recipe filling (recipes follow)
1. Using pencil and 1½-inch round biscuit cut-
ter as guide, trace thirty 1½-inch circles on each
of 2 pieces of parchment (5 evenly spaced rows of
6 circles on each piece of parchment). Spray 2 baking
sheets with vegetable oil spray. Place templates pencil
side down on sheets and smooth to adhere. Sift flour,
confectioners’ sugar, and salt through fine-mesh
strainer into large bowl and set aside.
2. Measure 75 grams of egg whites into bowl of
stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment (reserve
remaining whites). Add cream of tartar. Start mixer
on medium-high speed and whip until soft peaks
form, 2 to 3 minutes (A). Turn mixer to lowest speed
and let run while you make sugar syrup.
3. Using heatproof spatula, gently stir sugar and
water together in small saucepan. Cook over medium-
high heat, without stirring, until sugar dissolves.
Continue to cook, checking temperature frequently,
until syrup reaches 245 degrees, 4 to 5 minutes.
6. Transfer batter to pastry bag fitted with ½-inch
round tip. Hold bag perpendicular to sheet and about
½ inch above sheet. Using template as guide, pipe
batter into 1½-inch-wide disks, keeping bag still as
batter flows from tip. To finish each disk, use quick
flick of your wrist to cut off batter stream (G). Rap
sheets firmly on counter 6 times to release air bubbles
(H). Let rest until shells form skin that can be touched
gently with your finger without marring surface, about
20 minutes (I). While shells dry, adjust oven rack to
lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.
7. Bake 1 sheet of shells for 13 minutes. To test for
doneness, place your finger gently on top of 1 shell
and move it side to side; if center feels loose and jig-
gly, continue to bake, checking every minute, until
firm. Transfer sheet to wire rack and bake remaining
shells. Let shells cool completely on sheets.
8. Gently peel shells from parchment (J). (If
shells don’t release cleanly, place sheets in freezer
for 10 minutes.) Transfer filling to pastry bag fitted
with ½-inch round or star tip. Holding 1 upturned
shell in your hand, pipe about 2 teaspoons filling
on top, leaving ⅛-inch border. Place second shell
on top of filling, pressing gently until filling spreads
to edges. Repeat with remaining shells and filling.
Arrange cookies on clean parchment-lined sheet and
wrap well. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours or up to
1 week or freeze for up to 2 months. Bring to room
temperature before serving.

A B C D
S T E P BY S T E P

MAKING THE SHELLS

Watching our recipe video will
be invaluable
when you’re
learning how
to make maca-
rons. Scan here
to watch.

cook’s illustrated
22
 RASPBERRY BUTTERCREAM
MAKES ABOUT 1 ½ CUPS TOTAL TIME: 15 MINUTES
Freeze-dried berries can be found with the dried fruit
in most markets. If desired, other freeze-dried fruits
can be used. Leftover fruit powder is great added to
yogurt or smoothies.
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1¼ cups (5 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
Pinch table salt
1 tablespoon heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup freeze-dried raspberries
1. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment,
beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about
20 seconds. Add sugar and salt; beat at medium-low
speed until most of sugar is moistened, about 45 sec-
onds. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat at medium
speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 sec-
onds; scrape down bowl. Add heavy cream and vanilla
and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about
10 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high and beat
until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down
bowl once or twice during mixing.
2. Meanwhile, grind raspberries in spice grinder until
reduced to fine powder. Sift powder through fine-mesh
strainer set over small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon powder
to buttercream and beat on medium speed until fully
incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add more raspberry
powder to taste, as desired. (Buttercream can be refrig-
erated for up to 2 days; let stand at room temperature
for 30 minutes before using.)
E F
STRAWBERRY-CARDAMOM BUTTERCREAM
Substitute ½ cup freeze-dried strawberries for rasp-
berries; add ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom with
ground strawberries.
COFFEE BUTTERCREAM
Substitute 2 tablespoons espresso powder for ground
freeze-dried raspberries; add with cream and vanilla.
PISTACHIO BUTTERCREAM
Substitute 3 ounces pistachio paste for ground
freeze-dried raspberries.
SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE GANACHE
MAKES ABOUT 1 ½ CUPS
TOTAL TIME: 10 MINUTES, PLUS 3 HOURS COOLING
9 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped fine
¾ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
Place chocolate in heatproof bowl. Bring cream
and corn syrup to simmer in small saucepan over
medium heat (do not let cream boil). Pour cream
mixture over chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes.
Stir until smooth and glossy. Let cool, stirring
occasionally, until ganache has consistency of soft
frosting, 3 to 4 hours. (Ganache can be refrigerated
for up to 2 days; let stand at room temperature for
30 minutes before using.)
G H
january & february 2024
23
PASSION FRUIT CURD
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
TOTAL TIME: 15 MINUTES, PLUS 2 HOURS CHILLING
Look for passion fruit puree with the other frozen
fruit in the supermarket.
¾ cup passion fruit puree
½ cup (3½ ounces) sugar
¼ cup (1 ounce) cornstarch
4 ounces white chocolate, chopped coarse
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into
1-tablespoon pieces
Whisk passion fruit puree, sugar, and cornstarch
together in medium saucepan. Cook over medium
heat, stirring constantly, until thick paste forms,
about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in
chocolate until melted, about 1 minute. Let cool
slightly, then whisk in butter in 3 additions, until
smooth and glossy. Press lightly greased parchment
against surface of curd and refrigerate until chilled,
about 2 hours.
J
PHOTOGRAPHY: BETH FULLER
 The Best Vegetable/Fruit Peelers
Why do some peelers skin produce with ease, while others barely make the cut?
j BY LISA McMANUS k

A
great peeler makes short work of prep-
ping vegetables and fruit. The best are
light and comfortable, with a sharp,
maneuverable blade that peels neatly
without waste and keeps its edge. There are two
main types: Y-shaped and straight. We tested
models in both styles and chose favorites in each
category. The Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler
is our top Y-shaped choice, with its smoothly
gliding, very sharp carbon-steel blade. If you
prefer straight peelers, we suggest the OXO
Good Grips Swivel Peeler, with its sharp
stainless-steel blade.
A good peeler should shave off just
enough to avoid the need for repeat trips
over the same section but not so much that
the blade digs too deeply and
wastes food. Whatever the task,
the peeler should handle bumps
and curves without clogging
or becoming dull. And when
the work is done, your hand
shouldn’t feel tired. SCAN FOR VIDEO

Find a Style That Works for You

Whether you prefer a Y-shaped or straight peeler is per- Our Top Picks
sonal. The overall shape is the biggest difference. Straight
peelers are the earliest form of vegetable peeler; they’re
SHARP BLADES
shaped like the paring knives that they were based on, BEST
Peeled smoothly and stayed STRAIGHT
with the blade extending straight out from the handle.
sharp throughout testing. PEELER
Y peelers are, well, Y-shaped, with the blade suspended OXO
between the tips of the Y. The next biggest difference GOOD GRIPS
comes down to the way you hold them: You grasp a JUST-RIGHT PEELING Swivel Peeler
straight peeler by its handle, like a knife. Y peelers are Blades dug in just enough to MODEL: 20081
usually held between the thumb and forefinger. You can peel efficiently without PRICE: $11.99
use both styles of peeler in either direction, flicking it wasting food.
away from you or pulling it toward you along the surface
of food. On both, the peeler’s dual blade operates the NEUTRAL GRIP
same way, with the first half traveling over the food, Lets you hold the peeler in various
guiding the angle of the second, which actually cuts in positions as needed, and works for
and does the peeling. On many peelers both blades are right- and left-handed cooks.
PHOTOGRAPHY: KEVIN WHITE

equally sharp, so you can reverse direction as needed.

Why do we prefer a Y peeler? The open shape gives us BEST OVERALL, LIGHTWEIGHT
an unobstructed view—and better control—of the peel- BEST Y PEELER Prevents fatigue and hand strain,
ing action. While our overall favorite is a Y peeler—don’t KUHN RIKON Original making peeling easier.
knock it till you’ve tried it!—use the shape that feels com- Swiss Peeler
fortable to you. We chose a winner in each style; they MODEL: 2779 PRICE: $8.99
share attributes we value in any well-designed peeler. To
see how to best use a Y-shaped peeler, go to page 30. Other brands we tested were GIR, Victorinox, Norpro, RSVP International, Suncraft, Mercer, Lindén,
Zyliss, and Chef ’n. For the complete testing results, go to AmericasTestKitchen.com/FEB24.

cook’s illustrated
24
 WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN SHOPPING

( LIGHT WEIGHT: Heavy peelers may feel
more “substantial,” giving the impression that they’re
higher-quality tools, but your hands will get tired. Our
favorite weighs just ½ ounce; the heaviest weighed
more than four times as much—and we noticed.
( ERGONOMIC DESIGN: Produce comes in many
shapes and textures, so we often need to change our
grip on any peeler. Our favorites let us hold them several
different ways to get the job done. They comfortably fit
most hands and also worked for left-handed users.
( SHARP BLADE IN A MANEUVERABLE
HEAD: Sharp blades are essential, but it’s equally
important that peelers have a slim, narrow head that can
slip into crannies and swivel to navigate produce’s curves.
( GOOD VISIBILITY: We like being able to see the
action while peeling.
( DESIGN THAT CONTRIBUTES TO
FASTER, SMOOTHER PEELING: We timed how
long it took to peel three medium carrots. The fastest
peeler took just 37 seconds; the slowest took 1 minute.
The time difference adds up while preparing a meal.
Designs that contributed to smoother peeling, with fewer
jams, made our work more efficient. These included
sharper blades that glided over produce and that were
set at an angle to peel just deeply enough (see top image
at right) and had sufficient space between blade and head
so that peels moved away as we worked.
( JUST-RIGHT PEELING: Some peelers removed
thick strips, others wispy ones; the best did the work
without going too deep. Peelers can look the same but
peel to very different thicknesses, so we measured typi-
cal carrot and potato peels from each. Our favorites
were just right.
( DURABLE EDGE: Toward the end of testing,
some blades began to drag; our favorites stayed sharp.
( NO CREVICES THAT TRAP FOOD: One
peeler trapped carrot around its head during our first
test—which hung on through scrubbing, soaking, and
dishwashing three times. This is unsanitary. Most peel-
ers were sold as dishwasher-safe and seemed fine after
repeated cleaning by hand and machine. (Those with
carbon-steel blades must be hand-washed and dried.)
But bear in mind: The dishwasher will shorten the life
of your peeler. Harsh detergent, being wet for hours
during washing cycles, and the potential to be knocked
against other items in the machine will dull the peeler’s
edge. We recommend hand-washing all bladed kitchen
tools and drying them promptly.
NICE TO HAVE
( POTATO-EYE REMOVERS: Little scoops that
protrude near peeler blades are for removing eyes on
potatoes and blemishes from produce. Good ones let Our winner (top) slid just under the surface, remov-
ing the peel and nothing else. Peelers that dug too
us scoop and resume peeling in seconds. Not every deep (bottom) wasted good food; they also couldn’t
model had them, and not all were well designed to peel a lemon without pith for cocktails or make intact
remove the smallest possible spot. chocolate curls.

WHAT TO AVOID WHEN SHOPPING

( HEAVY PEELERS: Weighty peelers make peeling
a tiring chore.
( DULL BLADES: Dragging a struggling peeler is mis-
erable and slightly perilous. The worst models “chunked
in,” getting stuck and then suddenly unjamming; others
never engaged with food, skidding dangerously.
( POOR VISIBILITY: One innovative model worn
like a ring and another shaped like a rubber stamp were
frustrating—we couldn’t see what we were doing.
Straight peelers with thick bridges over the backs of
blades also blocked our view.
Bigger heads on peelers (left) blocked visibility and
were hard to maneuver around curves, unlike slimmer,
narrower heads (right).
MINOR FLAWS AND QUIBBLES
( BLUNT OR UPTURNED POTATO-EYE
REMOVERS: Blunt eye removers took unsightly bites
from raw potatoes. One straight peeler’s upturned
scoop at the tip was dangerous, slashing a tester’s
hand. On straight peelers, seek scoops that point down
toward the blade.
( SERRATED BLADES: One model was called a
“universal” peeler, but its serrated blade peeled too
deeply and left grooves on foods, which testers disliked.
Serrated peelers are designed to remove the skin of
very soft fruits and vegetables, such as peaches and
tomatoes. We have a winning serrated peeler, but we
don’t prefer serrations in an all-purpose peeler.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
( CARBON-STEEL VS. STAINLESS BLADES:
Carbon-steel blades tend to arrive sharper and stay
sharper longer. However, the metal may develop a
patina and requires a little more care to maintain (see
“Frequently Asked Questions”). If you would prefer a
peeler that doesn’t need to be dried off immediately
after use, choose one with stainless-steel blades.
Frequently Asked Questions
CAN YOU SHARPEN A VEGETABLE
PEELER?
Because peelers’ dual blades are set quite close
together, it would be very difficult to reach a
blade at the correct angle and sharpen it effec-
tively. Given that our top peeler is inexpensive—
and keeps its edge for many years— it’s probably
best to recycle it and buy a new one.
HOW DO YOU CARE FOR A PEELER
WITH A CARBON-STEEL BLADE?
Our top-rated peeler has a carbon-steel blade,
which is a material used in high-end chef ’s knives
for its ability to take a very sharp edge. However,
carbon steel may rust if left wet, so wash and
dry the blade promptly; an occasional wipe with
food-safe mineral oil will keep it in top shape. If it
does rust, don’t worry: It’s not dangerous in any
way. Just lightly scrub the blade, dry it and add
a drop of mineral oil, and it’s good to go. The
metal may darken and develop a natural patina
over time, like a carbon-steel knife.

january & february 2024

25
 W
e love premium extra-virgin olive
oil to dress salads and grains and
to finish dishes—including pasta,
steak and fish, vegetables, beans
and hummus, soup, pizza, and even ice cream—
with a drizzle of flavor-enhancing goodness. While
supermarket extra-virgin olive oil can do all of
those things, we think it’s worth getting your
hands on a bottle of premium extra-virgin olive
oil, because it offers exponentially fuller, fresher,
more delightful flavor.
“People should think of olive oil the
way they think of salt and pepper;
it helps the food realize its full
potential.”– Brad Hedeman, Zingermans.com
We bought and tasted samples of nearly three
dozen premium and supermarket extra-virgin olive
oils (EVOO). While we liked supermarket oils, we
loved premium versions. Our tasters repeatedly
described the premium oils as significantly more
aromatic and flavorful, enthusiastically ranking them
higher with comments such as “vibrant,” “rounded
and smooth, rich-bodied,” “sweet and buttery at
first sip, then opens up to be grassy and fruity and
pungent. Really delightful!” “It leaves such a nice
aftertaste as I reach for more.” One taster raved:
“Holy cow, that is delicious!”
If you haven’t yet explored the world of premium
olive oil, or maybe you’ve tried some once and didn’t
like it much, it may be time for another look. If you’ve
been led to believe that all premium extra-virgin olive
oil is a huge pungent, peppery flavor explosion, we
can help you find a wide range of oils at every flavor
intensity, including the mildest, most delicate, but-
tery, nutty oils and delicious medium-fruity, bright,
sweet-tasting oils that will wow you. (And if you love
those big peppery oils, we’ve also got you covered.)
Why Is Premium EVOO More Expensive?
All that extra flavor comes at a price. Premium oils
in our lineup averaged about $1.78 per ounce, over
twice as much as the supermarket versions. It’s not
just fancy labels: Premium extra-virgin olive oil is a
fresh, seasonal product crafted to offer a huge range
of distinctive flavors that set each oil apart.
More labor-intensive to produce than supermarket
olive oil, premium EVOO is made in comparatively
small batches, under an olive-oil maker who super-
vises olive cultivation on a single estate or a group
of cooperative farms and selects the optimal time
and method for processing them. While there are
nearly 1,500 olive cultivars, even the same olives
when picked early and green make oil with dif-
ferent flavors than when picked ripe and black.
Every step has to be done quickly and carefully
to maintain the olives’ freshness, avoid flavor defects
created by delays or rough handling, and extract
the best possible oil. Often, olives for premium oils
are hand-harvested, especially from older trees in
heritage groves. By contrast, supermarket oils can
be machine-harvested, from certain cultivars of olives
cook’s illustrated
26
that can grow in hedges for easy reaping. Yields can
be much smaller for premium oil, if the oil maker
selects early-harvest olives; they contain less oil per
olive because they are underripe. Like winemakers or
perfumers, olive-oil makers use their skills to create
the best single varietal or blends, often adjusting to
fit conditions of that growing season.
Even if production went perfectly, all extra-virgin
olive oils have a limited shelf life before their extraor-
dinary qualities begin to diminish, since time, heat,
light, and air exposure all degrade the flavor—even
if the bottle hasn’t been opened. The same fac-
tors also diminish the natural presence in the oil
of antioxidants called polyphenols; these not only
Is greener olive oil better
than yellow olive oil?
Color has no relationship to olive-oil quality. An
olive oil’s color is also unrelated to
its bitterness. Professional tasters
and judges drink from dark blue
glasses to hide distracting color.
Great olive oil can range from
bright green to golden yellow, says
Alexandra Kicenik Devarenne. Its
color is largely influenced by
the variety of olive. The
only color to avoid is
brown, she says, which
indicates spoilage.
help make it taste vibrant and fresh but also have whether olives are mechanically crushed and cen- intensity, from mild to robust; a useful way to gauge
the most health benefits. Finally, this whole process trifuged to extract oil, as most modern producers how they’ll taste. To help you get started, we tagged
starts anew annually, since olives are harvested only do, or whether they use ancient systems including our three highest-ranked oils, which fortuitously
once a year. Given all of these factors, it’s not that stone-grinding and/or hand-skimming oil as it rises included mild, medium, and robust oils. We hope
surprising that premium oils cost more. to the top of the water and juices from crushed olives. you continue exploring many more.
But consider this: You might pay about the same Most premium oils are filtered to remove minuscule
for a bottle of premium EVOO and a good bottle of suspended olive particles that hasten spoilage, but For the complete tasting results, go to
wine, but you’ll be enjoying that olive oil for a few some are sold unfiltered. Despite these differences, AmericasTestKitchen.com/FEB24.
months—unlike the wine that’s gone in a day or two. there are three main flavor characteristics that experts
look for in all extra-virgin olive oil: fruitiness, bit-
How Should Premium EVOO Taste? terness, and pungency. The peppery pungency of Frequently Asked Questions
Premium extra-virgin olive oil is best used raw, since fresh, early-harvest premium olive oil, identified as
heat drives off its special volatile aromas and flavors. oleocanthal, has been linked to its anti-inflammatory WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO STORE
When you add it to a dish, premium EVOO functions properties, and—like bitterness—is a flavor enhancer. OLIVE OIL? DOES OLIVE OIL GO BAD?
in multiple ways. First, it contributes its own aroma Hedeman likes to introduce newcomers to buttery, Olive oil is a fresh, perishable product with a
and flavor, where it might taste buttery or grassy, mild olive oils made from riper olives. “Everyone limited shelf life of one to three years, but realisti-
herbal or fruity, nutty or floral, peppery or sweet or knows what it’s like to taste and cook with butter,” cally it can expire much sooner. How it’s stored
bitter to enhance or contrast with the flavors of the he said. “It’s an easy leap.” But many home cooks and handled influences its lifespan. Handled
food. Second, as a fat, it activates and spreads food’s seek bold flavors, said Alexandra Kicenik Devarenne, poorly, an oil can degrade in mere days. Think of
fat-soluble aroma and flavor compounds. Finally, author of Olive Oil: A Field Guide (2014) and director the acronym “HALT”: Heat, air, light, and time
it provides rich, silky texture. “People should think of the Extra Virgin Alliance, now the specialty olive oil will all degrade quality. Store olive oil in a cool,
of olive oil the way they think of salt and pepper,” section of the North American Olive Oil Association. dark place—away from the stove or windows!—
said Brad Hedeman, head of product selection for “Look at the sales of condiments like sriracha and and once you’ve opened the bottle, use it up
Zingermans.com. “It brings out the flavors of that chile crisp,” she said. If you prefer these bold flavors, within three months, says Devarenne.
food, and helps the food realize its full potential.” try a robust oil.
Premium extra-virgin olive oils are as distinct as
fingerprints. The region, growing conditions, type The Best Premium EVOO: Up to You IS OLIVE OIL “FAKE”?
of olive, time of harvest, blending or single varietals, We consulted experts and bought more than a Despite claims over many years, most olive oil
and other factors contribute to unique flavor profiles. dozen oils from all over the world. Our tasters sold in the United States has not been proven
Processing changes the oil’s flavor, too, including recommended them all, so we organized them by to contain oils from sources other than olives.
Much more common is when companies label
lower-grade olive oils as “extra virgin,” which is
How to Use Mild, Medium, and Robust Premium EVOOs the highest-quality olive oil.
We identified a top-ranking olive oil in three different flavor intensities. With Alexandra Kicenik Devarenne’s “A company would have to be really shady
help, we defined how you might best use them and other oils in each category: to mix a known allergen like soy, nut oil, peanut,
into olive oil,” said Joanne Lacina, president of
MILD-INTENSITY MEDIUM-INTENSITY ROBUST-INTENSITY OliveOilLovers.com. “Most common now is
Mild-intensity oils add subtle, del- Medium-intensity oils are Robust-intensity oils work best knowing a batch of olive oil doesn’t meet the
icate notes such as fruity, floral, the most versatile and are as a condiment drizzled over hot qualifications for flavor and quality and they’ll label
and lightly herbal flavors, while especially delicious in vinai- foods, such as grilled meats, fish it extra virgin anyway. Or mixing (lower-grade)
enhancing the flavors of milder grettes; for finishing pasta and vegetables, or hearty soups refined olive oil with extra virgin.”
foods where a bolder oil might and vegetable dishes to bring and beans, since, according to The North American Olive Oil Association is
overwhelm a dish, including out aromatics; or on starches Devarenne, heat tempers the working to create enforceable standards for the
salads made with tender butter such as brown rice, potatoes, perception of the oils’ bitterness, U.S., said Joseph Profaci, executive director. “That
lettuce or mushrooms, fish, and or simple toast with toppings. which could overwhelm delicate will enable us to enforce quality.”
sweeter vegetables, such They contribute herba- flavors. They work well with
as peas and carrots. ceous notes to any acidic foods such as tomatoes,
They’re a good choice dish and are great for including bold tomato-based SHOULD OLIVE OIL TASTE BITTER?
for baking and alongside dipping bread. sauces. They’re especially Bitterness is part of olive oil, just as in coffee or
citrus flavors. They’re good when dipping crusty chocolate. It’s one of three main desired traits
also delicious for dip- Favorite Medium- whole-wheat bread. (along with fruitiness and pungency) of premium
ping bread. Intensity Oil extra-virgin olive oil—and all can be present at
CASTILLO Favorite Robust- different levels in any olive oil. “Bitterness …is an
Favorite Mild- DE CANENA Intensity Oil acquired taste,” admits Devarenne. “Some bitter-
Intensity Oil Reserva MCEVOY RANCH ness is to be expected in the oil of fresh, green
CASTELINES Familiar Picual Certified Organic olives. Keep in mind that the bitterness (and
Classic AOP Vallée PRICE: $34.95 for Extra Virgin
16.9 oz pungency) of olive oil acts as a flavor enhancer.”
des Baux de Olive Oil
Contrary to rumor, the acidity percentages on
Provence Extra- PRICE:$38.00 for
Virgin Olive Oil 375 ml/12.7 oz labels are unrelated to flavor; they indicate free
PRICE: $34.95 for fatty acids present in poorly handled, defective
16.9 oz oils. All EVOOs must be less than 0.8 percent.

january & february 2024

27
 KOSTERINA
“Buttery, smooth,” “pretty mild,”
“it’s not bowling me over.”
“There’s nothing wrong, but also
BRIGHTLAND
A “grassy and green
not much to recommend this one.”
start” but “not a lot of
PRICE: $29.99 for 16.9 oz flavor impact.” “Nice, but
not particularly special.”
GRAZA PRICE: $37.00 for
Tasters loved its 375 ml/12.7 oz
bright-green color,
but several found it
“mild” and “a little
one-note.” “Meh,
except for looks.” Get to
PRICE: $19.99 Know Bright,
for 16.9 oz
Fragrant Yuzu
Yuzu is an aromatic citrus fruit originally from China that has been cultivated in Japan
for centuries. Petite with thick, bumpy, yellow skin and many seeds, yuzu looks like a
small lemon, but its flavor is quite distinct: It’s brighter, more floral, more complex,
and delightfully aromatic.
While it’s possible to find the fresh fruit stateside, bottles of juice can be eas-
Are These Instagram-Famous ily found at Japanese markets or online year-round. We recommend swapping in
yuzu juice for lemon juice in a 1:1 ratio in your favorite recipes. We tested it in a
Olive Oils Any Good? vinaigrette and in our recipe for Lemon Thins, and while we felt the yuzu flavor was
slightly muted by baking, tasters could still easily pick out its unmistakable flavor pro-
file in both applications. –E.T.
Olive oil is supertrendy right now, if such a thing can be said of a truly
ancient food.
Hot new brands have been popping up on social media with plenty of
sponsored content. Their eye-catching bottles and names such as Brightland
“Awake” and Graza “Drizzle” show up on the shelves of celebrity chefs.
Drama between these two brands was covered in The New York Times and
watched like Wimbledon.
These newcomers are working the angle that there’s something you
can’t trust about traditional olive oil. They promise their oils are supe-
rior not only in flavor and production quality but also traceability to their
sources. Brightland calls itself “Drizzled in sunshine. Dipped in truth.”
Graza’s claim is “Always fresh, never blended, (real) EVOO.” Kosterina’s
founder claims to have “discovered that the majority of the olive oils here
in the United States are not what they say they are.” And their prices are
as high or higher than many traditional premium brands—often $30.00 or
more per bottle.
Packaging and provocative claims aside, these oils have brought grow-
ing numbers of home cooks to enjoy olive oil. So we wanted to see how
they actually tasted. After we’d sampled nearly two dozen traditional olive
oil brands from around the world (see “Premium Extra-Virgin Olive Oils,”
page 26), we pitted our three favorites against three of the prominent newer
brands. We randomized the samples and assigned them three-digit codes to
prevent bias (tasters did not know the brands or the purpose of the tasting).
The upshot? Tasters rated traditional brands significantly higher. Also, the
newer brands shared a trait that several tasters noted: Their aromas were
enticing, but their flavor failed to build and bloom the way the traditional
favorites had. As one taster summed it up, these oils were: “Nice, but not
particularly special.” –Lisa McManus

For the complete tasting results, go to AmericasTestKitchen.com/FEB24.

cook’s illustrated
28

Make Crispy Garlic Chips in the Microwave
The amount of effort it takes to make golden, crisp garlic chips is tiny in compari-
son to their power to elevate your meals—with the help of the microwave, you’re
only minutes away from a savory, crunchy topping for your soups, salads, stir-fries,
burgers, or egg dishes such as our Green Shakshuka (page 10). Here’s our simple
method. –A.G.
The Ultimate Way to
Reheat a Roast
To avoid rendering a leftover hunk of roast, such as
our Slow-Roasted Beef (page 7), tough and chewy
when reheating, you need to fully warm it without
cooking it beyond its original degree of doneness.
We tested a handful of methods to achieve this,
but only one resulted in a roast nearly indistinguish-
able from a fresh-cooked one: reheating the roast
in a low oven (uncovered, to prevent the meat
from turning gray and wet) and then finishing with
a quick sear in an oiled hot skillet to recrisp the
exterior. It’s a time-consuming method, but the
tender, juicy results are worth the wait. –S.D.
A CRISP, SAVORY
GARNISH
Make it in minutes
1. Place roast, uncovered, on wire
rack set in rimmed baking sheet.
Place sheet on middle rack in
250-degree oven.
january & february 2024
29
DIY Kewpie-Style Mayonnaise
This Japanese brand of mayonnaise is beloved by chefs and home cooks alike
for its rich creaminess; deeply savory flavor; and bright, tangy finish. Unlike
American mayonnaise, which often includes whole eggs, many Japanese may-
onnaises are made with egg yolks only, lending them a thicker, more luxurious
texture. MSG and vinegar are the secrets to the increased savoriness and
brightness. Try our DIY version on sandwiches, in chicken or tuna salad, as
the base of a dip, or in any other dish that calls for mayonnaise. –E.T.
KEWPIE-STYLE MAYONNAISE
MAKES 1 ½ CUPS TOTAL TIME: 15 MINUTES
Since the oil is a major part of this recipe, use a freshly opened bottle for
the best results. This recipe was designed for a food processor; we don’t
recommend substituting other appliances.
3 large egg yolks ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons water ¼ teaspoon sugar
2½ tablespoons cider vinegar ¼ teaspoon monosodium
1½ cups vegetable oil, divided glutamate
1 teaspoon table salt
1. Gently stir egg yolks, water, and vinegar in bowl until no streaks
of yolk remain. Microwave, stirring gently every 10 seconds, until mix-
ture thickens slightly and registers 160 to 165 degrees, 1 to 2 minutes.
Immediately add ¼ cup oil, salt, mustard, sugar, and monosodium gluta-
mate; whisk to combine. (Tiny droplets of oil will float to top of mixture.)
2. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer into bowl of food pro-
cessor, stirring to help it pass through. With processor running, slowly
drizzle in remaining 1¼ cups oil in thin stream, about 2 minutes. Scrape
bottom and sides of bowl and process 5 seconds longer. Transfer to
airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 month.
2. Roast until meat registers 3. Sear roast on all sides in oiled,
120 degrees (1 to 1½ hours, hot skillet, 1 to 1½ minutes per side.
depending on size of your roast). (Do not sear cut ends.)
Pat surface dry with paper towels.
 K I TC H E N N OT E S
B Y PA U L A DA M S , S T E V E D U N N , E R I C H A E S S L E R , L A N L A M & A N N I E P E T I T O k

Spice Up Your Drip Coffee CINNAMON, CARDAMOM CHICORY

Adding spices and other flavorings to your coffee CLOVES, PROFILE: Bright, floral PROFILE: Nutty, bitter
is a simple way to make it feel different and special. ORANGE ZEST PROVENANCE: PROVENANCE: Once
Here are three of our favorite enhancements; all PROFILE: Warm, floral A common flavoring used to stretch coffee,
can be added to the basket of an automatic drip PROVENANCE: Mexico’s in coffee in Arab now a signature
machine. Brewing 1 liter of water with our recom- café de olla countries flavoring offered in
mended amounts of coffee and flavorings will yield ADD: 75 g coffee, ADD: 75 g coffee, New Orleans cafes
about four 8-ounce cups. Do not use powdered 1 crushed stick cinnamon, 7 g crushed green ADD: 50 g coffee,
spices; they will clog your drip basket. –E.H. 2 cloves, zest of ½ orange cardamom 25 g chicory granules

Make Boozy Butter—and Buttery Booze Getting a Leave-In Thermometer Exactly Where
Mixologists know that the tasty compounds in flavorful fats are soluble in alcohol. You Want It
So if you infuse such a fat with a spirit, it paves the way for all sorts of interest- When cooking a large roast such as our Slow-Roasted Beef (page 7), we like to
ing cocktails. This technique, called fat-washing, also transfers flavor in the other track its temperature with a leave-in thermometer. Unlike with an instant-read
direction: from the liquor to the fat. To capitalize on both benefits, use butter. thermometer, you do not have to open the oven door again once the probe is in
Butter-wash rum for a lightly buttery rum and Coke and use the butter in butter- place. But inserting the probe in the center of the meat is critical to ensuring that
cream. Make a Godfather with butter-washed Scotch and amaretto and add the the roast is fully cooked when you take it out of the oven. Here's how to make
butter to chocolate chip cookies. Mix up a butter-flavored mezcal old-fashioned sure that you've inserted the probe just so. –S.D.
and spread the butter over radishes. (Note: For more flavorful fat-washed alco-
hol, try bacon fat or brown butter.) –P.A. 1. Lay leave-in probe
parallel on top of
METHOD roast so that tip is
1. Grate 8 ounces of chilled butter and at its center point
place in 16-ounce jar. and/or thickest part.
2. Add about 7 ounces of liquor of your
choice, or enough to cover butter. (Don’t 2. Pinch probe
worry—you’ll get the liquor back.) between your fingers
1, 2 where it reaches
3. Cover jar and keep refrigerated for
end of roast to mark
at least 24 hours, swirling contents occa-
desired depth.
sionally. (Flavor will continue to intensify
after 24 hours but more gradually.)
3. Keeping your
4. Strain liquor and butter through thumb and forefinger
cheesecloth-lined strainer over bowl, press- in place, insert probe
ing butter with spoon to extract liquid. into center of one
5. Scrape butter from cheesecloth into an end of roast, sliding
airtight container, and reserve subtly but- it forward until your
3 fingers touch roast.
tery liquor in sealed jar or bottle.

Tips for Using a Y Peeler

Our favorite vegetable peeler has long
been a Y peeler from Kuhn Rikon, which
once again took top honors in our latest ILLUSTRATION: JOHN BURGOYNE
testing (page 24). Its ultrasharp blade and
featherlight handle make it a breeze to
maneuver around the curves and cran-
nies of produce. Many of our test cooks
even keep the peeler stowed away in an TO PARE THICKER SWATHES TO PEEL CURVED PRODUCE TO SHAVE THIN SWATHES
apron pocket to always have at the ready. For thicker-skinned produce such as For rounded produce such as potatoes For thin-skinned produce such as
If you’re new to this tool, which feels dif- butternut squash, press your thumb and or apples, wrap three or four of your carrots, grip the handle between your
ferent in the hand than a straight peeler, forefinger firmly into the grooves at the fingers around the handle while keeping thumb and forefinger and flick the
here’s how to make the most of it. –L.L. top of the handle. your thumb on the food. peeler downward over the produce.

cook’s illustrated
30
 How to Adapt
a Recipe for an
Instant Pot
Are you one of the many
readers interested in converting
favorite recipes to multicooker (or
stovetop pressure cooker) recipes?
The following guidelines will help—
but they are not hard and fast rules.
Know that with each recipe you
try to adapt, you will likely need to
tweak the process to get the
results you want. –S.D.
G E N E R A L G UI D E LI N ES
Start with the right recipe
Stick with recipes that require moist
heat and can withstand a pressure
cooker’s high temperatures: braises,
soups, stews, beans, and grains. Pass on
recipes that need crisping or dry heat.
Cook for less time
In general, a multicooker
will cut cook time by
two-thirds or even more.
Brown in more batches
Multicookers have less surface area than
a Dutch oven or skillet, so avoid over-
crowding the pan to ensure that meat
browns properly.
Monitor browning carefully
The sauté feature on a multicooker
is powerful and not easily regulated,
so watch carefully to avoid burning.
If necessary, remove the insert from the
pot for a few minutes.
S U G G E STE D C OOK T IMES AN D REL EA S E O PTI ON S
All times are for high-pressure cooking. If the food isn’t done after you’ve released
the pressure, repressurize and continue to cook as needed.
NATURAL
RELEASE
Whole beef or pork roast
Whole poultry
Ribs and shanks
Beef, pork, or lamb chunks (1 inch)
Poultry chunks (1 inch)
ILLUSTRATION: JAY LAYMAN
Poultry parts (white meat)
Poultry parts (dark meat)
Quick-cooking grains
(such as rice or quinoa)
Dried beans, whole grains, wild rice
S M A L L - B ATC H B A K I N G
Pear-Walnut Upside-Down Cake
Yellow cake is the norm for upside-down cakes, but we love the earthy taste and
light yet rustic texture that a walnut-based cake brings to this dessert. The cake is
also a little less sweet than many upside-down cakes. Bosc pears are a natural for
a cake, since their dense flesh holds its shape during baking. –A.P.
SMALL-BATCH PEAR-WALNUT UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE
SERVES 4 TOTAL TIME: 1¾ HOURS, PLUS 1½ HOURS COOLING
We strongly recommend weighing your ingredients
where a weight is indicated and baking this cake in
a light-colored cake pan with sides that are at
least 2 inches tall. Serve with crème fraîche
or lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Use less liquid Topping
Because there’s no evapo- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter,
ration during cooking, melted
decrease liquid by about ¼ cup packed (1¾ ounces)
half to avoid watery results dark brown sugar
(but make sure there’s still at least 1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ to 1 cup liquid in pot). Pinch table salt
1 large ripe but firm Bosc pear
When to cook ingredients (8 ounces)
all together
In stews and soups, if the standard Cake
recipes call for cooking vegetables, ½ cup walnuts, toasted
grains, and/or beans together with ¼ cup (1¼ ounces)
meat, it’s fine to do the same in all-purpose flour
a multicooker. ¼ teaspoon table salt
⅛ teaspoon baking powder
When to Pinch baking soda
stagger ½ cup (3½ ounces)
ingredients granulated sugar
If the standard 1 large egg
recipe staggers 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
ingredients, add- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
ing meat first and quicker-cooking items
later, do the same in a multicooker. 1. FOR THE TOPPING: Adjust
oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Grease 6-inch
round cake pan and line bottom with parchment paper. Pour melted butter
over bottom of pan and swirl to evenly coat. Combine sugar, cornstarch,
and salt in small bowl and sprinkle evenly over melted butter.
2. Peel, halve, and core pear. Cut pear halves into 3 wedges each. Arrange
pears, tapered ends pointing inward, in staggered horizontal lines in cake pan.
QUICK COOK FOR 3. FOR THE CAKE: Process walnuts, flour, salt, baking powder, and
RELEASE ABOUT baking soda in food processor until walnuts are finely ground, about 20 sec-
onds. Transfer walnut mixture to bowl.
 25% of time
4. Process sugar and egg in now-empty processor until very pale yellow,
 25% of time about 2 minutes. With processor running, add melted butter and oil in
 30% of time steady stream until incorporated. Add walnut mixture and pulse to combine,
4 to 5 pulses. Pour batter evenly over pears (some pear may show through;
 25% of time cake will bake up over fruit).
 25% of time 5. Bake until center of cake is set and bounces back when gently pressed
and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour,
 30% of time
rotating pan halfway through baking. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack
 40% of time for 15 minutes. Carefully run paring knife or offset spatula around sides of
pan. Invert cake onto wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet; discard parch-
 30% of time ment. Let cake cool for about 1½ hours. Transfer to serving platter, cut
into wedges, and serve.
 25% of time
january & february 2024
31
 E Q U I P M E N T CO R N E R
j BY MIYE BROMBERG, LISA McMANUS & SAWYER PHILLIPS g

Slow Cookers Electric Wine Openers

A well-designed slow cooker excels in covered, Electric wine openers are designed to be easier and faster than
moist-heat cooking, a technique beneficial for tough, waiter’s corkscrews and traditional twist wine openers. The best
cheap cuts of meat that tenderize through long, gentle models are simple to operate and speedy, and they easily remove
cooking and for developing deep, complex flavors in synthetic and natural corks. There are two main types of electric
soups, stews, and sauces. The best slow cookers offer wine openers on the market: manual start and automatic start.
reliable set-and-forget home cooking. Previous testing Manual models have buttons to operate the worm and release
H I G H LY
taught us that glass lids were a must for checking progress R E C O M M E N D E D the cork. Automatic openers don’t have buttons and are activated
without opening the lid, which would let heat escape once pressure is applied to the worm. These devices also auto-
and hinder cooking. Six- to 7-quart capacity was also a KITCHENAID matically release the cork once removed from the bottle. There
must—the same size as the Dutch oven we’d use for 6-Quart Slow Cooker are a few hybrid models that have an automatic start and a
with Solid Glass Lid H I G H LY
similar tasks. We chose three models as co-winners. Each manual cork release. We found that all electric wine openers R E C O M M E N D E D
PRICE: $129.99
produced delicious meals, with different features that turn and wobble a little while in use but some more than oth-
made it stand out. The KitchenAid 6-Quart Slow Cooker with Solid Glass Lid (model ers. If you’re interested in an electric wine opener because SECURA Electric
Wine Opener
KSC6223SS) remains a favorite. Its intuitive control panel made it easy to use and it you have difficulty maneuvering traditional corkscrews, it’s
PRICE: $20.99
excelled at cooking. The Hamilton Beach Temp Tracker 6 Quart Slow Cooker (model important to note that these models still require some hand
33866) also had simple controls and cooked exceptionally well; it’s a little smaller than strength. We liked manual devices with streamlined designs and sharp skinny worms
the KitchenAid but is typically less expensive, with useful features including a tempera- because they provided the most control and were easy to use. We favored relatively
ture probe and lockable lid for transport. For a lighter-weight slow cooker that allows quiet models that opened bottles in 20 seconds or less. Our top pick is the Secura
for searing directly in the crock, we like the Cuisinart 6-Quart 3-in-1 Cook Central Electric Wine Opener (model SWO-3N), which operates quickly and quietly and has
(model MSC-600). It cooks faster and hotter than the two other two co-winners, so a lightweight and sleek design that’s comfortable to hold. –S.P.
you must check for doneness on the early side of recipe ranges. –L.M.

Swedish Dishcloths
Sous Vide Machines H I G H LY Swedish dishcloths, also referred to as
The best sous vide machines allow you to cook RECOMMENDED sponge cloths, are a cross between a
any food perfectly, to the exact temperature kitchen sponge and a paper towel. They can
BREVILLE Joule
you want, and create little to no mess in the Turbo Sous Vide be used for various cleaning tasks, including
process. To use one, you fill a vessel with water PRICE: $249.95 wiping counters and appliances, washing
and insert the machine. At the press of a few dishes, scrubbing stovetops, and more. However, they H I G H LY
RECOMMENDED
buttons, the machine circulates the water at RECOMMENDED BEST dry out completely between uses and become much
the temperature you select and for the amount BUY harder and more rigid than a typical kitchen sponge. It’s SWEDEdishcloths
of time you prefer. Add your food—typically YEDI HOUSEWARE only when they’re damp that they become pliable and PRICE: $9.95 for 5 cloths
Infinity Sous Vide
enclosed in either a vacuum-sealed plastic absorbent. As a result, they’re not great for drying dishes ($2.00 per sheet)
PRICE: $99.95
pouch or a jar—and walk away. When the or shining glasses. Swedish dishcloths are typically about
cooking cycle is over, you’re left with moist, tender, intensely flavored food. Our top 8 inches long by 7 inches wide, smaller than a regular SKOY Cloth
pick, the Breville Joule Turbo Sous Vide (model BSV600), is simple to set and easy to dishcloth, and resemble flat, thin sponges. Most are com- PRICE: $7.99 for 4 cloths
($2.00 per sheet)
clip onto a variety of vessels. It heated water rapidly and kept the temperature right posed of 30 percent cotton and 70 percent cellulose, a
on target, whether we were cooking for 12 minutes or 20 hours. Everything from eggs fiber derived from plants. Most sponge cloths are biodegradable, meaning they will
to asparagus to pulled pork emerged perfectly cooked. As the smallest, most compact eventually decompose naturally. We favored standard-size Swedish dishcloths that
model in our lineup, it’s easy to store. It can only be controlled using an app, but if any- were three times thicker than our winning traditional paper towel. These character-
thing, we found the app to be more user-friendly than many of the manual controls istics made them more durable and provided enough separation between our hands
we’ve encountered. Our Best Buy is the Yedi Houseware Infinity Sous Vide (model and the surface while we performed tasks requiring pressure, such as scrubbing coun-
GV024). While bulkier to store and a bit less efficient to read with its high, flat display, ters. After testing a range of products, our co-winners are SWEDEdishcloths and the
it heated accurately and circulated water powerfully, with excellent results. –M.B. Skoy Cloth. They’re both strong, absorbent, and easy to sanitize. –S.P.

Complete results available at AmericasTestKitchen.com/FEB24.

U.S. POSTAL SERVICE STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION
1. Publication Title: Cook’s Illustrated; 2. Publication No. 1068-2821; 3. Filing date: 10/01/23; 4. Issue frequency: Bi-Monthly; 5. Number of issues published annually: 6; 6. The annual subscription price is $39.95; 7. Complete mailing address of known office of publication:
21 Drydock Avenue, Suite 210E, Boston, MA 02210; 8. Complete mailing address of headquarters or general business office of publisher: 21 Drydock Avenue, Suite 210E, Boston, MA 02210; 9. Full names and complete mailing addresses of publisher, editor, and managing
editor. Publisher, Dan Suratt, 21 Drydock Avenue, Suite 210E, Boston, MA 02210; Editor, Dan Souza, 21 Drydock Avenue, Suite 210E, Boston, MA 02210; Managing Editor, Todd Meier, 21 Drydock Avenue, Suite 210E, Boston, MA 02210; 10. Owner: America’s Test
Kitchen LP; 21 Drydock Avenue, Suite 210E, Boston, MA 02210; 11. Known bondholders, mortgages and other securities: None. 12. Tax status: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months.; 13. Publication title: Cook’s Illustrated.; 14. Issue date for circulation data
below: September/October 2023.; 15A. Total number of copies: Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 792,841 (Sept/Oct 2023: 730,601).; B. Paid circulation: 1. Mailed outside-county paid subscriptions: 649,191 (Sept/Oct 2023: 615,808);
2. Mailed in-county paid subscriptions: 0 (Sept/Oct 2023: 0); 3. Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors and counter sales. Average number of copies each issue during the preceding 12 months: 15,896 (Sept/Oct 2023: 15,769); 4. Paid distribution through other
classes mailed through the USPS. Average number of copies each issue during the preceding 12 months: 0 (Sept/Oct 2023: 0); C. Total paid distribution. Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 665,087 (Sept/Oct 2023: 631,577); D. Free or
nominal rate distribution (by mail and outside mail). 1. Free or nominal Outside-County. Average number of copies each issue during the preceding 12 months: 1,182 (Sept/Oct 2023: 862). 2. Free or nominal rate in-county copies. Average number of copies each issue
during the preceding 12 months: 0 (Sept/Oct 2023: 0); 3. Free or nominal rate copies mailed at other Classes through the USPS. Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 0 (Sept/Oct 2023: 0); 4. Free or nominal rate distribution outside the
mail. Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 1,000 (Sept/Oct 2023: 1,000); E. Total free or nominal rate distribution. Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 2,182 (Sept/Oct 2023: 1,862); F. Total free distribution.
Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 667,269 (Sept/Oct 2023: 633,439); G. Copies not Distributed. Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 125,572 (Sept/Oct 2023: 97,162); H. Total. Average number of copies
each issue during preceding 12 months: 792,841 (Sept/Oct 2023: 730,601); I. Percent paid. Average percent of copies paid for the preceding 12 months: 99.67% (Sept/Oct 2023: 99.71%).

cook’s illustrated
32
 INDEX
January & February 2024
MA IN D IS H ES
Chicken Yassa (Senegalese Braised
Chicken with Caramelized Onion
and Lemon) 5
Gallo Pinto (Costa Rican Beans and
Rice) 11
Green Shakshuka 10
Mì Xào Giòn (Vietnamese Crispy
Pan-Fried Noodles) 9
Mini Maple-Dijon Glazed Turkey
Meatloaves with Roasted
Roast Beef Sandwiches, 7 Broccoli 15 Green Shakshuka, 10

Skillet Orzo with Turkey Meatballs,

Hybrid Citrus Green Olives, and Feta 15
Many of the citrus we know and consume today can Slow-Roasted Beef 7
trace their lineage back to three wild parent species: Thai-Style Beef Salad 7
the sour, thick-pithed citron; the juicy, sweet mandarin; Zarzuela (Spanish Seafood Stew) 19
and the large, subtly bitter pomelo. Generations of
cross-breeding among these fruits and their descendants
SI DE DI S HES
have given rise to a remarkable variety of citrus hybrids.
One is the GRAPEFRUIT , descended from a pomelo and Roasted Cabbage 13
a sweet orange (which is itself a hybrid of the pomelo with Bread Crumbs, Sage, and
and mandarin). Cross a pomelo with a tangerine instead, Parmesan 13
and the result is the sweet, red-orange TANGELO . One Roasted Cabbage, 13 with Gochujang, Sesame, and Buttermilk Pancakes, 17
of the most diminutive citrus is the MANDARINQUAT , Scallions 13
a 2-inch, bell-shaped fruit that can be eaten out of hand, with Mustard, Bacon, and
peel included. Another tiny citrus is the CALAMONDIN, Cream 13
a tart fruit particularly beloved in the Philippines, where
it is used to add bracing acidity to dishes and to make
refreshing drinks. The PONDEROSA LEMON is a
SAN DW IC HE S
behemoth; the fruits can grow as heavy as 5 pounds. Roast Beef Sandwiches with
While petite KEY LIMES are named for the Florida Keys, Thousand Island Dressing and
most are grown in Mexico. LUMIA is sometimes called Crispy Shallots 7
the “pear lemon” due to its oblong, long-necked shape. Turkey Patty Melts 15
Much of the world’s supply of BERGAMOT comes
from Italy’s Calabria region; its floral, musky essential BRE A K FA S T
oils are best known for flavoring Earl Grey tea. There Macarons, 22 Chicken Yassa, 5
100 Percent Whole-Wheat
are many hybrid citrus beloved in Japanese cuisine: Two
are the pebbly skinned, yellow YUZU and the tart green
Pancakes 17
SUDACHI , both of which can be used to make ponzu Best Buttermilk Pancakes 17
sauce. –Alyssa Vaughn Classic Pancakes 17

DE S SE RT S
Macarons 22
Small-Batch Pear-Walnut
Upside-Down Cake 31

MI SC EL L AN E OU S
Gallo Pinto (Costa Rican Beans and Rice), 11 Coffee Buttercream 23 Mì Xào Giòn, 9

Ground Turkey Mix 14

Kewpie-Style Mayonnaise 29
Passion Fruit Curd 23
Pistachio Buttercream 23
Raspberry Buttercream 23
Semisweet Chocolate Ganache 23
Strawberry-Cardamom
Buttercream 23

ONLINE CONTENT at
Thai-Style Beef Salad, 7 AmericasTestKitchen.com/FEB24 Zarzuela (Spanish Seafood Stew), 19

BACK COVER ILLUSTRATED BY JOHN BURGOYNE PHOTOGRAPHY: BETH FULLER, STEVE KLISE, KEVIN WHITE STYLING: CATRINE KELTY, ASHLEY MOORE