Innehållsförteckning för March/April 2023 från Cook's Illustrated

Niki Segnit, author of The Flavor Thesaurus (2012), has a fresh take on combining the bounty of the sea with that of the land: “Surf ‘n’ turf is all very well, but fish goes best with ingredients that truly taste of turf, not just graze on it …” The French duo of buttery salmon and gently braised lentils, with its deeply comforting textures and rich, savory flavors, proves that she was onto something. That said, my first attempt missed the mark. A fan of efficiency, I was drawn to an en papillote scenario: Combine drained canned lentils with vegetables on a sheet of foil, perch a salmon fillet on top, enclose the lot, and roast it in the oven. But freed from its steamy packet, the salmon was pallid and…

The merger of sour and spicy flavors is canonical in parts of China, particularly Sichuan province. One of the cuisine’s 23 official flavors, suan la wèi (literally “sour and hot flavor,” but com monly phrased in English as “hot and sour”) combines malty black Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar (also called Chinkiang vin egar) and/or fermented vegetables with heat supplied by dried chiles, chile oil, or white pepper. Its profile, which skews more acidic than hot and tends to be balanced by salty and sweeteleements such as soy sauce and sugar, is the crux of preparations such as suan la bai cai (sour and hot napa cabbage); suan la tang (sour and hot soup); and the aromatic dressing that’s drizzled over suan la chaoshou, Sichuan’s meat-filled wontons. In fact, its pungency and…

What would you get if Amatriciana, carbonara, and a whole bunch of sausage and onions eloped in the Roman countryside? Some might say you’d get a big mess—and they wouldn’t be wrong. “Pasta alla zozzona means ‘dirty pasta,’” Luca Pappagallo, an Italian chef and author of the cookbook Benvenuti a Casa Pappagallo (2021), explained via a translator. “But in a nice way!” Born in the southeastern countryside just a few miles outside the city, zozzona is rustic tavern fare made for chasing with a glass of wine. The over-the-top dish defies nearly every convention of Roman pasta. While the recipes of the city’s signature quartet (carbonara, Amatriciana, cacio e pepe, and gricia) coax big flavor from minimal ingredients, their countryside cousin takes more of a kitchen sink approach, featuring Italian…

What gives sticky rice its signature cohesion? It’s all about amylopectin. Amylopectin and amylose are the two types of molecules that make up starch, and different varieties of rice contain different amounts and ratios of each molecule. When rice is cooked, its starch granules break apart and release amylose and amylopectin onto the surfaces of the grains of rice. Sticky rice contains high amounts of amylopectin, a bushyshaped molecule with many branches. This shape makes the molecules stick to each other like Velcro. Rice varieties such as basmati and jasmine, on the other hand, contain more amylose, which is a straight chain rather than a sticky branching molecule. This makes these varieties cook up as distinct grains.…

When you’re cooking or defrosting food in the microwave, here are a few ways to get better, more even results. USE A LOWER-PERCENTAGE POWER SETTING Try a lower power setting to allow heat to spread through and cook food more slowly without scorching it. STOP AND STIR AND/OR FLIP FOOD The top and edges of food warm up quicker than the interior, and the underside gets hotter than the top. Stir and flip food to redistribute heat. PLACE YOUR FOOD OFF-CENTER Food positioned at the center of a microwave’s turntable does not move at all relative to the magnetron. Put food off-center on the turntable, so it passes steadily through both heavier and lighter regions of microwave radiation to prevent hotspots. LET IT STAND When you are done microwaving your food, let it…

A Ribeye Is Two Steaks. Treat It Accordingly The next time you cook a ribeye, here’s a little chef’s tip that will make you appreciate the steak even more: Separate the eye from the cap and slice each part separately. Why? The cap is a muscle called the Spinalis dorsi that curves around the eye, the Longissimus dorsi muscle. Because the cap is thinner than the eye and separated from it by a band of fat and silver skin, it may look less desirable. In truth, it’s more marbled and rich-tasting than nearly any cut on the cow. When you eat a slice that contains both muscles, you can’t appreciate its delectable qualities quite as much. That’s where our slicing trick comes in. After your steak has rested, separate the…

Air-Fryer Liners Air-fryer liners are designed to protect air-fryer baskets from cooked-on messes by containing grease and crumbs, thereby reducing the need for heavy cleaning. Parchment liners are disposable, whereas silicone models are reusable and generally dishwasher-safe. We tested both types, focusing on those whose size was most compatible with our winning air fryer’s basket. Regardless of material, some liners had holes or gaps to promote airflow, while others didn’t. Some models were flat, while others were shaped like pie plates or square baking dishes. The surfaces of some silicone models were e lined with ridges or spikes to allow air to flow under food and ensure even cooking. We used the liners while cooking frozen french fries, greasy cheeseburgers, and salmon with a sticky orange marmalade glaze. Most models…

Matzo balls weren’t always so spherical and fine-textured, or so widely made. They’re descendants of knödel, knobbly boiled dumplings that central and eastern European cooks cobbled together from whatever bread crumbs or potato they had on hand. And they were made only during Passover, from homemade or locally produced matzo that was cracked or otherwise unsuitable for the seder, so the size of the crumbs varied widely. Only when big matzo companies such as Manischewitz and Streit’s mass-produced the unleavened bread did an iconic dumpling develop. Their machinery made a consistent product that was available year-round. As a by-product, they produced their own matzo meal too. “Packaged matzo meal was an absolute gamechanger in terms of making it very easy to produce matzo ball soup,” said Jonathan D. Sarna, university…

Bite into a vegetable that’s been cut up and submerged in cold water, and you’ll enjoy remarkable juiciness and crunch. That’s because the slices have gained water weight: When we put 1½ pounds of shaved vegetables on a scale before and after a chilly soak, we found that after 2 hours, they had absorbed 1 ounce of water; after 16 hours, they had soaked up almost three times that amount. The extra liquid restores and increases turgor—the water pressure within the vegetables’ es’ cell walls—that is released when the produce is cut. Vegetables that are turgid with water are crispy, juicy, and rigid; ice-cold water further enhances nces the crunch because chilling causes their pectin to firm up.…

The 200-plus varieties of mangos grown in Thailand are essential to the country’s cuisine. Supremely versatile, mangos are eaten raw and cooked and used in both savory and sweet applications. Green, crunchy, and tart fruits are commonly served sliced with a sprinkle of salt, chili flakes, and sugar as a snack; shredded into a salad; or alongside the sweetened fish sauce dip nam pla waan. Others, such as the two favorites for khao niaow ma muang, Nam Dok Mai and Ok Rong, are only consumed fully ripe, boasting a candylike sweetness; velvety flesh; and distinct, floral musk.…

Microwave ovens have a solid place in our kitchens today. While they’re great for reheating leftovers, increasingly we’ve used them for tasks that they can do easier and faster than traditional methods, including frying shallots, blooming spices, removing excess moisture from raw mushrooms or eggplant, par-cooking potatoes or squash before grilling, steaming corn, toasting nuts, and melting chocolate—functions well beyond “zapping” tepid coffee. Microwave ovens can be installed, but countertop models are the top sellers. Though prices range upwards of $1,000, we chose models priced from about $77 to nearly $250. We put them through core tests and assessed which features were worthwhile. Our goal: to find the best, most easy-to-use oven. How Microwaves Work Microwave ovens are powered by a vacuum tube called a magnetron that uses electric current…

I grew up on the border of Wisconsin, so there’s always cheddar in my fridge. Even so, I was an adult with a new job as a cheesemonger when I realized how vast the world of cheddar is. When I cut into Cabot Clothbound Cheddar for the first time, I realized it was covered in strips of fabric that had to be peeled away. Clothbound means “wrapped in fabric,” but I’d never seen anything like it. The cheese’s caramel sweetness and earthiness were also eye-opening. What Exactly Is Artisanal Cheddar? Cheddar is available in a variety of shapes, sizes, flavors, textures, colors, and ages. For this story, I focused on artisanal cheddars—those that are made by hand—so I went to Shelburne Farms in Vermont to shadow the head cheesemaker, Helen Cowan.…

For muffins with rich, buttery cornmeal flavor and a tall, domed structure, we used twice as much cornmeal as is typical. For a truly savory muffin, we also drastically reduced the large amount of sugar found in most recipes. To help make up for the moisture that sugar normally provides, we used a mix of milk, butter, and sour cream for the right amount of water and fat. Finally, in order to get extra liquid into the batter, we precooked a portion of the cornmeal with additional milk to make a polenta-like porridge. Heating the milk precooked the starch granules so that they could soak up nearly twice as much fluid. –D.S. SMALL-BATCH SAVORY CORN MUFFINS MAKES 6 MUFFINS TOTAL TIME: 50 MINUTES We used Quaker Yellow Corn Meal for…

“There’s an emotional response you get when eating this dish.”–Michael Solomonov, Israeli-born chef and restaurant owner If you’ve eaten much matzo ball soup, you know there’s a sacredness to it. The richness of the broth and the way it sits full-bodied on the spoon. How the matzo balls, saturated just enough to be plush but resilient, dole out the concentrated liquid they’ve absorbed with each bite. The meaty shreds of chicken and chunky vegetables, both reminders that this is cozy, nourishing home cooking. And the way, when you’re hunched over a bowlful, inhaling the savory steam, you can tell that someone fussed over this. That they distilled meat, vegetables, and aromatics down to this golden, schmaltz-anointed elixir; seasoned, formed, and poached the dumplings just so—and you are the beneficiary. It’s…

Rendering chicken skin and fat to produce schmaltz has been done for centuries. Though it can be purchased at many supermarkets, it’s well worth making your own. All you do is cook chopped skin and fat in a nonstick skillet very gently and slowly—it takes roughly an hour—and then strain it. The golden fat can be used for anything from enriching matzo balls to sautéing vegetables or frying potatoes. Plus, it rewards you with outrageously good chicken cracklings. Eat them by the handful, or chop and sprinkle them on soup, salads, or noodles, or anything that could use a crunchy, savory burst. SCHMALTZ AND CRACKLINGS MAKES ABOUT ½ CUP SCHMALTZ; ⅓ CUP CRACKLINGS TOTAL TIME: 55 MINUTES, PLUS 30 MINUTES COOLING One 4-pound chicken should yield ¾ to 1 cup…

There was a stretch of time, several years ago, when a group of America’s Test Kitchen staffers made a monthly pilgrimage to FuLoon, a (now sadly shuttered) Sichuan restaurant in the Boston suburbs, after work. We’d settle in at a table, pour tea, and flip through the huge menu to strategize our order. Inevitably, a double order of suan la bai cai was on the list. The napa cabbage stir-fry, prepared in the sour-hot style (“suan” means sour; “la,” spicy) that is iconic in Sichuan and northern Chinese cuisines, was the most unassuming part of the spread but would disappear almost as soon as it hit the table. Its combination of malty black vinegar backlit with aromatics, savory sweetness, wok hei, and dried chile heat was beguiling. The glossy sauce…

In 2020, my recipe for poulet au vinaigre became a runaway hit. It’s the best kind of food—simple, satisfying, pure in flavor—and easy as can be: Pan-sear bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs to render fat from the skin and then remove them from the skillet. Add aromatics and seasonings, deglaze with chicken broth and vinegar, and return the thighs to the pan skin side up. After that, it’s just a matter of transferring the pan to the oven, where the thighs turn meltingly tender and the piquant braising liquid reduces into a luxurious ready-made sauce. The recipe has been so well liked that I circled back to create a trio of variations. My first recipe celebrates citrus and poultry—a match made in heaven—with a sunny mix of lemon juice and zest,…

BUY THE BEST Sourcing shrimp is a complicated topic, and package labels can be confusing. Seeking out the following qualities will help guide you to the best option. For more information about domestic and international options, check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch (seafoodwatch.org). WILD Wild shrimp, which can be sourced domestically or internationally, tend to be sweeter than farm-raised, and the algae in their diet contains precursor compounds that convert to flavorful bromophenols reminiscent of iodine and the sea. ADDITIVE-FREE In an effort to prevent water loss during thawing, some manufacturers add salt or chemicals such as sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), which we’ve found compromise the meat’s texture and flavor. To see if shrimp is saltor STPP-treated, ask the fishmonger or check the package label: “Shrimp” should be the…

For cookbook author and writer Leela Punyaratabandhu, the scent of mangos still has the power to transport her back to springtime at her great-grandparents’ home in Bangkok. There, as the days grew warmer and longer, she and her family plucked the fruits from their garden’s trees, collected them in baskets, and organized them on their kitchen shelves. As the fruits grew softer and sweeter, their musky, floral perfume permeated the entire house. “It’s one of the olfactory memories from my childhood that I associate with warmth, happiness, and abundance,” Punyaratabandhu wrote in an email. Once a fruit had reached peak saccharine softness, it was time to make Thailand’s most famous dessert: khao niaow ma muang. Consisting of thick, golden slices of mango; subtly sweet, coconut-flavored sticky rice; a salty coconut…

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When cows eat a lot of grass, which is rich in beta carotene, the orange-hued plant pigment tints their milk yellow. Cheesemakers can also add annatto, which is derived from the seeds of the achiote tree. When used in small quantities in cheesemaking, annatto is flavorless. It may have once been used to alter the color of cheese made from low-fat milk and/or milk from cows that ate very little grass. Now, however, color is added because people have strong geographical preferences for different hues. Especially in Wisconsin and on the West Coast, it’s common to use enough annatto to make deep, rich orange cheddar. In the Northeast, people prefer white cheddar with no or very little annatto added.…

Baking spray ensures that elaborate baked goods such as madeleines or Bundt cakes emerge from their pans intact, but it’s a bit pricey and the empty spray can eventually winds up in a landfill. If you do a lot of baking, you might want to consider making your own pan release. Use a pastry brush to apply the mixture in a thin, even coating. –A.G. BAKING PAN RELEASE MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP TOTAL TIME: 10 MINUTES To prevent the pale mixture from leaving a whitish film on darker baked goods such as chocolate cake or gingerbread, tint it with ½ teaspoon of cocoa powder per tablespoon of pan release. The shortening helps keep the flour evenly dispersed and gives the refrigerated mixture the proper consistency for brushing onto the pan,…