Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 or 5 small yellow onions, cut in half through ends
• 8 ounces frozen/defrosted puff pastry dough
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• Kosher salt
• 8 ounces mushrooms, preferably a mix, such as chanterelles, king trumpet and oyster, stemmed, rinsed well and chopped if large
• 1/2 cup walnut halves
• 6 ounces blue cheese, preferably Cabrales

Preparation

Heat the oil in a 9-inch, heavy, ovenproof skillet (not nonstick) over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, arrange the onion halves around the pan, cut sides down, with their stem ends pointing toward the center. Place one at the center of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low; cook for about 20 minutes, until softened and colored slightly on the bottom.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Unfold the puff pastry dough and roll out between two sheets of wax paper or parchment paper to a thin, 10-inch round; it’s okay if a foldover seam is showing or if the dough is not completely smooth.

Sprinkle the brown sugar around the pan with the onions, then season lightly with salt. Once the brown sugar looks like it is melting into the oil, distribute the mushroom pieces and walnuts around, using them to fill in nooks and crannies. Remove from the heat.

Follow suit with the pinches of the blue cheese, dotting the pan with them.

Discard the top parchment from the puff pastry dough. Invert the dough over the contents of the pan, pressing and tucking the dough around the edges in the pan. Transfer to the oven; roast (middle rack) for 25 to 35 minutes, turning the pan from front to back halfway through to promote even pastry browning.

The pastry should look flaky and nicely browned, with a mixure underneath that you can hear sizzling. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes, then invert a serving plate over the pastry.

Carefully invert the pan to reveal the tarte tatin; if some pieces do not quite make the transfer, just pop them back into place, straightening up the onions etc, as needed. The mixture should be nicely caramelized; if not, slide the tarte tatin onto a foil-lined baking sheet and roast for another 5 minutes or so.

Cut into wedges; serve warm.

WaPo/BBC

Ingredients

• 450 grams (1 pound) veal cut into cubes
• 1 medium onion
• 100 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
• Nutmeg (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)
• Coriander (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 100 ml (1/2 cup) white wine
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 200 grams (1 cup) rice
• 3 bay leaves
• Salt (to taste)

Preparation

Season the meat with salt, nutmeg, pepper, paprika, two chopped garlic cloves, white wine, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaf. Let marinate for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, place 50 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil and one chopped garlic clove in a saucepan and saute over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and season with a little salt. Stir and fry the rice for 1 minute. Pour the water (twice the rice volume) and boil over medium high heat. When starts boiling, reduce to low heat and cook for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.

In a frying pan, place the remaining olive oil, a chopped onion and saute over low heat until the onion start to turn golden brown. Add the meat together with the marinade and fry over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the rice to the frying pan, mix everything nicely and turn off the heat. Sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve.

Food From Portugal

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced shallots (about 1 large)
• 1 Granny Smith apple, finely diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
• 2 thyme sprigs
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 pounds mussels, scrubbed
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 pound skinless cod fillets—bones removed, fish cut into 2-inch chunks
• Crusty bread, for serving

Preparation

Soak the porcini in the boiling water until softened, 10 minutes. Strain the mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid, and rinse to remove any grit. Finely chop.

In a large pot, heat the oil. Add the shallots, apple, garlic, curry powder, thyme sprigs and porcini and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the shallots are softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the mussels and toss. Add the wine. Bring to a boil, cover and cook over high heat until the mussels have opened, 3 minutes. Add the cream and 1/2 cup of the porcini soaking liquid, stopping before you reach the grit. Bring to a simmer. Nestle the cod in the broth, cover and cook until the fish lightly flakes, 4 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs. Transfer the cod and mussels to large bowls and spoon the broth on top. Serve with crusty bread.

Food & Wine

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites and 2 egg yolks from 4 large eggs, separated and chilled
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 6 tablespoons cake flour
• ¼ cup milk, chilled
• ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• Unsalted butter, for greasing and serving
• Maple syrup, for serving
• Confectioners’ sugar, whipped cream and fresh berries, for serving (optional)

Preparation

Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer or a medium bowl; set aside. Place egg yolks in a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, the vanilla and baking powder to egg yolks and whisk until blended. Add flour and milk; whisk until fully combined.

Add lemon juice and salt to egg whites. Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a hand mixer, whip mixture on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Continue to whip over medium while gradually sprinkling with remaining 5 tablespoons granulated sugar. Turn speed to high and whip until stiff, glossy peaks form and mixture doubles in size, about 1 minute. Take care not to overbeat meringue.

Heat a lidded nonstick skillet over the lowest heat setting and set the lid aside.

Using a rubber spatula, scoop about 1/3 of meringue into egg yolk mixture and gently fold almost combined. Repeat with half the remaining meringue until almost combined, then fold in the remaining meringue just until no streaks remain.

Carefully grease the warm skillet and the inside of four 3-inch-wide pastry rings (they should be at least 1 1/2 inches tall) using the butter. Check the heat of the pan by sprinkling a bit of water in it: Droplets should steam off the surface, but not dance or sputter. Place the greased pastry rings in the warm pan and ladle a scant 1/2 cup batter into each ring. Place lid on top of skillet and cook pancakes on very low heat until they start to rise and a few small bubbles start to form on top, 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove lid, carefully slide a flat spatula underneath each pancake and position another spatula on top, then gently flip pancakes in their rings. Immediately replace lid and cook until pancakes are cooked through and spring back to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer cooked pancakes to a platter, grease the skillet and pastry rings and repeat to make 4 additional pancakes.

Top pancakes with a pat of butter and drizzle with maple syrup; serve immediately. Serve with any combination of confectioners’ sugar, whipped cream and berries, if desired.

NYT

Ingredients

All-Butter Crust

• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup ice
• egg white glaze (1 egg white whisked with 1 teaspoon water)

Black Bottom Oatmeal Pie Filling

• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (we use 70%), chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup dark corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 4 large eggs

Preparation

For the crust:

Stir the flour, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the butter pieces and coat with the flour mixture using a bench scraper or spatula. With a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture, working quickly until mostly pea-size pieces of butter remain (a few larger pieces are okay; be careful not to overblend).

Combine the water, cider vinegar, and ice in a large measuring cup or small bowl. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the ice water mixture over the flour mixture, and mix and cut it in with a bench scraper or spatula until it is fully incorporated. Add more of the ice water mixture, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, using the bench scraper or your hands (or both) to mix until the dough comes together in a ball, with some dry bits remaining. Squeeze and pinch with your fingertips to bring all of the dough together, sprinkling dry bits with more small drops of the ice water mixture, if necessary, to combine. Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight, to give the crust time to mellow.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to form a round that is 2 to 3 inches larger than your pan, and about 1/8 inch in thickness. Transfer dough to pie pan and trim overhang to 1 to 1 1/2 inches. Transfer to freezer for 20 minutes. Position racks in bottom and middle racks and preheat over to 425°F. When crust has been in freezer for 10 minutes, remove and line it tightly with aluminum foil.

Pour the pie weights or beans into the pan and spread them so they are concentrated more around the edge of the shell than in the center. Place the pan on the preheated baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, until the crimped edges are set but not browned. Remove the pan and the baking sheet from the oven, lift out the foil and pie weights, and let the crust cool for a minute. Use a pastry brush to coat the bottom and sides with a thin layer of egg white glaze to moistureproof the crust. Return the pan, on the baking sheet, to the oven’s middle rack and continue baking for 3 more minutes. Remove and cool completely before filling.

For the filling:

Reduce the oven to 350°F. Spread the oats on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

To make the ganache layer, bring the heavy cream just to a boil over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Remove from the heat and pour in the chocolate pieces. Swirl the cream around to distribute and cover the chocolate; let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk gently until smooth. Scrape the ganache into the cooled pie shell and spread evenly over the bottom. Place the shell in the freezer to set the ganache while making the filling.

In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, ginger, salt, and melted butter. Add the corn syrup, vanilla, and cider vinegar and whisk to combine. Add the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. Stir in the cooled oats.

Place the ganache-coated pie shell on a rimmed baking sheet and pour in the filling. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for about 55 minutes, rotating 180 degrees when the edges start to set, 30 to 35 minutes through baking. The pie is finished when the edges are set and puffed slightly and the center is slightly firm to the touch but still has some give (like gelatin). Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, 2 to 3 hours. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Epicurious

Ingredients

• 200 gm (1 cup) green lentils, washed
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger, finely chopped
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 750 ml (3 cups) water
• 1/2 tsp salt, to taste
• 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper, to taste

Preparation

Add enough water to the lentils to cover, and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then drain. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the onions for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add garlic, ginger, and turmeric, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the lentils and the water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for approximately 30 minutes, until the lentils have softened, adding more water if needed. (You can adjust the consistency of the final dish by adding more water and cooking longer.) Adjust seasoning and serve.

Browsers Grazers

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 c. finely diced onion
• 8 oz. fresh chorizo sausage (Mexican)
• 1 tsp. tomato paste (double-concentrated, or 1 tbsp. normal)
• 8 oz. swiss chard, washed but not dried, each leaf cut into 4 or 5 pieces
• 2 15– or 16-oz. cans white beans, drained and rinsed (around 3 c.)
• 1/2 c. medium-bodied red wine

Preparation

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring once or twice, for 2 to 3 minutes, until it has softened, then add sausage. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the sausage is lightly browned but not cooked through; use a spatula or wooden spoon to break up any large chunks.

Add the tomato paste, stirring to mix well; cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the Swiss chard; if the cut pieces are not very wet, add a few tablespoons of water, as needed, to help create steam. Reduce the heat to medium; cover and cook for 2 minutes, until the chard starts to wilt. Add the beans and the red wine; use tongs to fold the ingredients together. Cover and adjust the heat as necessary so the liquid in the pan is bubbling slightly. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the chard is tender.

Remove from the heat; taste and add salt, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

WaPo

Ingredients

• 1 lg. fennel bulb, trimmed, cored
• 3 limes
• 2 green onions
• 3 avocados
• 250g baby cucumbers, cut into ribbons with a peeler
• 200g (1 bunch) radishes, trimmed, washed, thinly sliced
• 400g smoked salmon
• olive oil
• crème fraîche, for serving
• salmon roe, for serving
• fresh dill, for serving
• crackers or bread, for serving

Preparation

Use a mandoline to thinly slice the fennel lengthwise. Place in a large bowl with the juice of 1 lime. Add a large pinch of salt, toss to combine, and set aside to pickle.

Cut green onions into 8cm lengths, and thinly slice lengthwise. Place in a bowl of cold water for 2–3 minutes or until lightly curled. Drain well.

Mash the avocados in a bowl, and add the juice of the last two limes. Combine and season with salt and pepper.

Drain the fennel. Arrange the avocado in a heaped circle around the edge of a large plate. Arrange fennel, cucumber, radishes, green onions, and salmon over the top. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with pepper. Dollop on crème fraîche and salmon roe. Scatter with dill. Serve immediately with bread or crackers.

Taste.com.au

Ingredients

• 1 small butternut squash, halved
• 3 small leeks, cut into rings
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 slices bacon, diced (optional)
• 1 1/4 c. risotto rice
• 1 c. heavy cream, plus extra if needed
• 1/2 c. Parmesan, grated, plus extra for serving
• 4 c. vegetable stock, warm
• 1/4 c. white wine
• 3 springs thyme
• 6-10 sage leaves
• olive oil (can be flavored, e.g. thyme)

Preparation

Add squash halves to a dish, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes at 375F, or until the squash is soft.

Meanwhile, add the bacon to a pot and render on medium-low heat until crispy. Reserve the bacon bits. Alternatively, replace with oil to make the recipe vegetarian. Fry the sage leaves in oil until crispy, about 1 minute. Set aside.

Add the leeks and cook for 5 minutes, then garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add rice and thyme, and cook for 2–3 minutes. Deglaze with the wine. Add the vegetable stock, one ladle at a time, making sure that it is mostly absorbed before adding more. Cook until no stock remains, stirring often.

Scoop out the flesh of the squash and add to a food processor with the cream. Blend until smooth and season with more salt and pepper.

When the risotto is almost ready, add the squash and the parmesan. Season again, and add more cream if needed to thin the risotto. Serve topped with sage, bacon, more parmesan, and olive oil.

Nudo

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lb. bone-in pork loin, excess fat removed (preferably marinated overnight)
• 2 lb. or 5 c. dry white beans (in the US, Great Northern beans)
• 1/2 lb. fresh pork rind or salt pork rind
• 6-8 sprigs parsley
• 4 unpeeled cloves garlic
• 2 cloves
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 lb. fresh, unsalted, unsmoked lean bacon (or very good, lean salt pork simmered for 10 minutes in 2 qt. water, drained)
• 1 c. sliced onions
• 2–2 1/2 lb. boned shoulder or breast of mutton
• 4–6 tbsp. fresh pork fat, pork-roast drippings, goose fat, or oil
• 1 lb. cracked mutton or lamb or pork bones
• 2 c. minced onions
• 4 cloves mashed garlic
• 6 tbsp. fresh tomato purée, or tomato paste, or 4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and juiced
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cups dry white wine or 2 cups dry white vermouth
• 1 qt. brown stock or 3 cups canned beef stock with 1 cup water
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 lb. saucisse de Toulouse or other garlic-forward sausag
• 2 c. dry white bread crumbs mixed with 1/2 c. chopped parsley
• 3–4 tbsp. pork roasting fat or goose fat

Preparation

Bake the pork loin to an internal temperature of 175–180 degrees, and set it aside to cool. Reserve its cooking juices.

Place the beans into an 8 quart pot containing 5 quarts of water at a rolling boil. Boil for two minutes. Remove from heat and let the beans soak for 1 hour. The rest of the cooking should proceed as soon as possible after the soaking is completed.

While the beans are soaking, place the pork rind in a saucepan and cover with 1 qt. cold water. Bring to a boil and boil for one minute. Drain, rinse, and repeat the process. Then, with kitchen shears, cut the rind into 1/4" strips, and cut the strips into small triangles. Cover the rind again with 1 qt. water, bring to a simmer, and simmer slowly for 30 minutes. Set the saucepan aside.

Tie the parsley, garlic, cloves, thyme, and bay leaves in cheesecloth. Place the unsmoked bacon (or blanched salt pork), onions, the pork rind and its cooking liquid, and the herb bouquet into the kettle with the soaked beans. If you did not use salt pork so far, add 1 tbsp. salt. Bring to a simmer. Skim off any fat which might rise. Simmer, uncovered, for about 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are just tender. Add more boiling water during cooking, if necessary, to keep the beans covered. Season to taste near the end of the cooking process. Leave the beans in their cooking liquid until you are ready to use them, then drain, reserving the cooking liquid. Remove the bacon or salt pork and set aside. Discard the herbs.

Cut the lamb or mutton into chunks roughly 2" square. Dry each piece in paper towel. Pour a thin layer of fat into a heavy, 8-quart, fireproof casserole and heat until almost smoking. Brown the meat, a few pieces at a time, on all sides. Set the meat aside. Brown the bones and add them to the meat. If fat has burned, discard it and add 3 tbsp. more. Lower the heat and brown the onions lightly, about 5 minutes.

Return the bones and the lamb to the casserole and stir in the garlic, tomato, thyme, bay leaves, wine/vermouth, and stock. Bring to a simmer and season to taste with salt. Cover and simmer slowly, or in a 325-degree oven, for 1 1/2 hours. Then remove the meat to a dish; discard the bones and bay leaves. Remove all but 2 tbsp. fat and carefully correct the seasoning of the cooking liquid.

Pour the cooked and drained beans into the lamb cooking liquid. Stir in any juices you may have from roasting the pork. Add bean cooking liquid, if needed, until the beans are covered. Bring to a simmer and simmer 5 minutes, then let the beans stand in the liquid for 10 minutes. Drain the beans when you are ready for final assembly, again reserving the liquid.

Brown the saucisse de Toulouse, cut into lengths between 1/2" and 3" long (depending on size/preference) and drain on paper towels.

Cut the roast pork into 1 1/2–2" serving chunks. Slice the bacon or salt pork into serving pieces 1/4" thick. Arrange a layer of beans in the bottom of your cassoulet dish, then continue with layers of lamb, roast pork, bacon slices, sausage, and beans, ending with a layer of beans and sausage. Pour on the meat cooking juices, and enough bean cooking juice so that liquid comes just to the top layer of beans. Spread on the bread crumbs and dribble the fat over the top. You can set this aside until you’re ready for final cooking (about 1h).

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Bring the casserole to a simmer on top of the stove. Set it in the upper level of the oven. When the top has crusted lightly, after about 20 minutes, turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Break the crust into the beans with the back of a spoon, and baste with the liquid in the casserole. Repeat this process several times, as the crust re-forms, but leave a final crust for serving. If the liquid in the cassoulet becomes too thick, add a spoonful or two of bean cooking liquid. It should bake for about one hour.

Variations

You could use goose confit instead of the roast pork. Scrape the fat off, and cut it into serving portions, then brown it lightly in some of the fat from the package. Then arrange it directly in the final step.

If you have fresh goose, duck, turkey, or partridge, you can roast or braise it, carve it into serving pieces, and use it with or instead of the roast pork.

Ham hock or veal shank can be added to the simmer with the beans, then cut into serving pieces and added at final assembly.

Julia Child