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Cooking at Home: More Than 1,000 Classic and Modern Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Cooking at Home: More Than 1,000 Classic and Modern Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Cooking at Home: More Than 1,000 Classic and Modern Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
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Cooking at Home: More Than 1,000 Classic and Modern Recipes for Every Meal of the Day

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“A painstakingly thorough aid that has something to offer everyone, from the culinary novice to the seasoned home cook.”—Tom Colicchio, James Beard Award-winning chef/owner Crafted Hospitality
 
For nearly 60 years, Williams-Sonoma has connected and inspired home cooks with the best cooking equipment and kitchen-tested recipes. Cooking at Home celebrates that legacy with recipes culled from its award-winning publishing program, which was guided by Chuck Williams for more than two decades. More than just a recipe collection, the book features a wealth of informative tips, techniques, and cooking know-how.
 
Re-released and updated in celebration of Chuck Williams’ 100th birthday, Cooking at Home features over 1000 recipes from the Williams-Sonoma publishing program, which Chuck guided. In addition, the book includes 100 recipes from Chuck’s personal recipe collection. The book’s 22 chapters cover cooking topics from A-Z, making it a complete cooking reference book you can use every day, whatever you are in the mood for and whatever the occasion. Be sure to check out “Chuck’s Finds,” which highlight special merchandise that Chuck introduced in his Williams-Sonoma stores to the U.S. public.
 
“A compilation of his favorite recipes spanning decades. These dishes are classics in their own right.”—Thomas Keller, James Beard Award-winning chef/owner The French Laundry
 
“A visual and tactile treat containing a comprehensive array of eclectic cooking and prep tips (two per page) presented with a sophisticated aesthetic . . .  a book for everyone, a beautiful gift, and a practical long-term tool for the coziest room in the house.”—Publishers Weekly
LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 21, 2015
ISBN9781681880617
Cooking at Home: More Than 1,000 Classic and Modern Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Author

Chuck Williams

Chuck's life has been warmly affected by Route 66 and the 66 books that make up the Bible. Having grown up in Oklahoma and Texas along Route 66 as a child, he experienced a nostalgic renaissance of interest in America's highway in his thirties and forties. That led to many journeys and conversations along portions of the Mother Road, and, ultimately, to make the complete 2400 mile trek with his wife, Ann. Now, in semi-retirement after forty years of church leadership, Chuck and Ann reside in the Dallas area to be near their son, daughter-in-law, and grandson. They appreciate daily opportunities to enjoy the Journey and encourage others to do the same!

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    Cooking at Home - Chuck Williams

    Cooking Basics

    CHAPTER 1

    Beef Stock

    Brown Beef Stock

    Chicken Stock

    Brown Chicken Stock

    Turkey Stock

    Court Bouillon

    Fish Stock

    Vegetable Stock

    Olive Oil with Lemon and Bay Leaf

    Chile Oil

    Clarified Butter

    Roasted Bell Peppers in Olive Oil

    Preserved Lemons

    Roasted Garlic

    Toasted Bread Crumbs

    Herbed Bread Crumbs

    Corn Bread Stuffing

    Sausage, Apple, and Chestnut Stuffing

    Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Stuffing

    Basic Pizza Dough

    Potato Pizza Dough

    Cooking Basics

    When preparing meals at home, you’ll be able to cook the widest range of dishes if you start out well prepared. On the following pages, you’ll find a wealth of information on everything from how to stock your kitchen with equipment and pantry staples to how to cut and prep basic ingredients, from how to sauté, grill, and steam to how to poach, fry, and roast, from how to season dishes to how to pair food and wine.

    Outfitting Your Kitchen

    It’s rare that you’ll have all the kitchen equipment you need—or want. But even if you have a lot of gaps to fill in, don’t worry. Experienced cooks know it’s best to outfit a kitchen as the need arises, following a simple strategy.

    BUY THE BEST YOU CAN AFFORD You don’t need a matched set of cookware. In fact, different materials are often best for different types of pots, pans, and tools. The only rule is to buy the best equipment you can afford, because good-quality pieces will last longer and will make cooking easier, and your food will turn out better. This is especially true of pans: a good heavy-gauge, thick-bottomed pan will heat evenly and prevent food from burning.

    COOKWARE MATERIALS When choosing cookware, you’ll be faced with many choices of materials. For everyday pots and pans, two good choices are stainless steel and anodized aluminum. Steel heats up more slowly and less evenly than aluminum, but is more sturdy and long lasting and is nonreactive to acidic ingredients. Some steel pans have aluminum cores to help them heat quickly and evenly. Anodized aluminum has been treated to strengthen it and to prevent the aluminum from reacting with acidic foods or eggs.

    Copper is the best conductor of heat and an excellent choice for cookware, but requires more maintenance and can be costly. It will also react with acidic foods unless it is lined, usually with tin. Cast iron is used for some pans, and although it reacts mildly with acidic foods, it heats up evenly and holds heat well. Enameled cast-iron cookware is good for long-simmered dishes, and the enamel coating makes the pan nonreactive. Pans with nonstick surfaces are handy for cooking a variety of items that can easily stick, such as omelets, or when you want to reduce the amount of cooking fat in your diet.

    BAKEWARE MATERIALS The greatest advancement in bakeware over the past half century has been the development and continued improvement of materials that help keep food from sticking to the pan during baking.

    Traditional nonstick bakeware ensures the easy release of baked goods and quick cleanup thanks to coatings of synthetic chemical compounds that are so smooth and slick that food seldom sticks to it. Choose products made with two coats of nonstick finish, rather than a single one, to ensure top performance and durability, and avoid using metal utensils that could scratch the coating. A recent advance in nonstick surfaces is bakeware featuring two layers of a ceramic-reinforced nonstick coating ten times as resistant to scratching as traditional nonstick compounds. Another recent development is molded silicone, an extremely slick, rubber-based compound formed into molds for baking a variety of items, as well as pressed into textured nonstick baking mats. Silicone does not conduct heat as well as metal, however, so it’s a good idea to support silicone pans with a metal baking sheet.

    RECIPE ASSUMPTIONS

    To ensure the best results in cooking from this book, we’ve made the following assumptions, unless otherwise specified in individual recipes:

    Ingredients: Pantry

      Purchased broth is low sodium.

      Flour is unsifted.

      Nonstick cooking spray, also called cooking spray or vegetable spray, will be in the pantry, and may be called for although not listed in ingredients.

      Pepper is freshly ground just before using.

      Salt is fine sea salt. If you opt for kosher salt, you may find you need to add a bit more to suit your taste.

      Sugar is granulated.

    Ingredients: Refrigerated

      Butter is unsalted.

      Eggs are large. This is most crucial in baking recipes.

      Milk is whole.

    Following a Recipe

    A well-written recipe should be easy for a cook of any experience level to follow, but you’ll always get the best results if you approach every recipe in a simple, deliberate way.

    READ THE RECIPE It may seem obvious, but it’s worth saying anyway: before you do anything else, the first step to cooking any recipe is to read it, start to finish. This prevents unpleasant surprises—like realizing you don’t have a key piece of equipment on hand, or discovering one hour before dinnertime that the meat you planned to cook needs to marinate for two hours before you can put it on the grill.

    MAKE A LIST Review both the ingredients list and the cooking method, then make a shopping list. If you have already stocked your pantry with plenty of commonly used staples, your grocery shopping list won’t be too long. And if you’ve made sure to supply your kitchen with at least a basic range of all-purpose equipment, you will know at a glance whether you have the right pieces on hand. (Even if you don’t have all of the equipment, think creatively and you may be able to come up with a substitute.)

    Once you have all your ingredients and tools, it’s time to set up what chefs call mise en place (meez-on-plahs). This French phrase, which translates as putting in place, means preparing and measuring out all of your ingredients in advance according to the ingredients list and preparing your equipment according to the recipe method. Once all the ingredients are measured and cut as described and arranged in piles or in bowls, your oven is preheated, and your pans are greased, you’re ready to start cooking without any sudden interruptions because you are unprepared.

    PREPARING INGREDIENTS A recipe’s ingredients list usually includes information about how each ingredient should be prepared before cooking: peeled, trimmed, chopped. (Some of these fundamental techniques are explained in detail on see recipe.)

    If you read the ingredients list carefully, you’ll notice that the order of such words varies. The placement of the word chopped is as essential as the word itself. For example: 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped tells you to measure out 1 cup walnuts, then chop them finely after measuring. However, 1 cup finely chopped walnuts means that you should finely chop the nuts before you measure them. Since more of an ingredient fits into a cup after it’s been chopped, each of these hypothetical ingredient lines calls for a different amount of walnuts. And that small difference in the amount of a single ingredient can make a big difference in how your recipe turns out. Here’s another example: In a baking recipe, 1 cup all-purpose (plain) flour, sifted, and 1 cup sifted all-purpose (plain) flour are very different measurements; using the wrong one could affect the outcome of your baked goods.

    USING YOUR SENSES Some people feel more secure cooking by the numbers, paying careful attention to specific times and temperatures. Others prefer to trust their senses, judging food’s doneness by how it looks, feels, smells, tastes, or even sounds. For this reason, the recipes in this book provide information for both kinds of cooks, linking sensory cues to corresponding times or temperatures. Remember that in the end, the success of a dish lies with the person who is eating it. Get in the habit of tasting your food often. Think about how it tastes to you, and then add salt, pepper, or other flavorings in small increments according to your personal preference.

    Ingredients: Produce

      Citrus juice is freshly squeezed.

      Fresh herbs, greens, and lettuces are washed, then spun or patted dry with paper towels before use.

      Garlic, onions, and fresh ginger are peeled before use.

      Onions are yellow.

      Mushrooms are brushed clean with a damp paper towel before using.

      Vegetables are medium in size.

      Vegetables are trimmed and, when necessary, peeled before cutting.

    Cooking Instructions

      Ingredients are at room temperature before cooking begins. Food that has been refrigerated has sat at room temperature for 20 minutes to take off the chill.

      Cooking vessels are medium in size.

      When sautéing or pan-frying, the pan and the cooking fat have been heated to the specified level before adding the food to be cooked.

      Food is baked or roasted on the center rack of the oven.

      Adjust the seasonings to taste toward the end of cooking, after flavors have concentrated.

    Stocking Your Kitchen

    Having staple ingredients on hand in your kitchen will make it possible to prepare many things with minimal shopping. The modern notion of a kitchen pantry includes not just cupboard essentials such as those listed at left, but also ingredients listed opposite that are stored in the refrigerator or freezer.

    PANTRY STORAGE Many essential food items keep well for long periods at cool room temperature. These include a wide range of foods preserved in unopened cans, jars, and bottles; dried foods such as pastas, beans, and rice; baking ingredients; oils and vinegars; and even some vegetables, such as onions, garlic, and potatoes.

    Even though such ingredients present few storage concerns, smart cooks stay aware of what their pantries hold. Don’t let ingredients linger there too long. Some items, such as baking powder, for example, lose their effectiveness over time; others, like dried seasonings, diminish in flavor. Still others, such as flour or pasta, can begin to take on a stale taste. Also, dried items will get even drier and harder, taking longer to cook. This is true of beans, for example. If it helps you, write the date of purchase on a package. Rotate your canned goods, too, putting newer purchases behind the older ones so you’ll be sure you use the cans you’ve had the longest first.

    THE SCIENCE OF REFRIGERATION Storing foods in cold conditions slows down the process of spoilage by slowing down the activity of the microbes or the food’s own enzymes that cause it. Foods do continue to deteriorate in the refrigerator and even the freezer, but at a much slower rate than they do when held at room temperature.

    The reason food should be carefully wrapped before you put it in cold storage is to prevent the dry air of the refrigerator or freezer from drying out the food by depleting its moisture. Wrappers also provide the benefit of giving you a surface on which to jot down the date you purchased an item or put it into storage, to help you use ingredients in a timely way.

    REFRIGERATOR STORAGE Combined with pantry ingredients, the items you keep regularly in your refrigerator and freezer will make it easier for you to put together a square meal on short notice. Another good reason to keep a well-stocked refrigerator is because the appliance works more efficiently when full than it does empty. Cold foods help keep their neighboring foods cold, too.

    When putting things away, bear in mind that the chilliest areas of the refrigerator are usually the rear and the lowest shelf. The warmest spot is the door. Keep dairy, eggs, and meats in the coldest spots, cheeses and oils in the warmest. A refrigerator thermometer will help you make sure you are keeping foods cold enough: 35° to 38°F (2° to 3°C) is ideal.

    Although they may seem like cupboard items, nuts, whole grains, and whole-grain flours all contain oils that will eventually go rancid, so keep them in the refrigerator or freezer for longer storage.

    REFRIGERATING FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Although some people prefer the flavor of fresh produce served at room temperature, the refrigerator will keep most fruits and vegetables in optimum condition for the longest period of time. For this reason, many refrigerators include pull-out fruit and vegetable bins at the bottom, their coldest areas. Leafy vegetables should be put in plastic bags before they go into the refrigerator. Cut off the leaves of root vegetables before storing them.

    PANTRY STAPLES

    Store the items listed below in a pantry or cupboard at cool room temperature:

    Cans Beans (black, cannellini, chickpea/garbanzo); fish, canned (anchovy fillets, tuna); broth (chicken, vegetable); tomatoes (diced, paste, purée, whole).

    Bottles and jars Artichoke hearts, capers, honey, molasses (light, dark); hot-pepper sauce; vinegar (balsamic, cider, distilled white, red wine, white wine); wine (dry red, dry white); Worcestershire sauce.

    Oils Canola oil, nonstick cooking spray, olive oil (pure, extra-virgin), peanut oil.

    Baking ingredients Baking powder; baking soda (bicarbonate of soda); chocolate (bittersweet, semisweet/plain chips, unsweetened, cocoa powder); cornstarch (cornflour); extracts (almond, vanilla); flour, all-purpose (plain); sugar (brown, granulated, confectioners’/icing); yeast (active dry, quick rise).

    Dried and milled foods Beans (black, cannellini, chickpea/garbanzo, kidney, navy, lentils); bread crumbs, fine; cornmeal and polenta; fruits (apricots, dates, figs, raisins); garlic; herbs and spices (see recipe); onions; pasta; potatoes (starchy baking or russet, waxy white or red boiling); rice (long-grain white and brown), shallots.

    Resist the urge to wash produce before you refrigerate it. The added moisture from washing can promote spoilage. Instead, wash fruits and vegetables just before you eat or prepare them.

    Some fruits should not go straight into the refrigerator, however. Apricots, peaches, pears, and melons ripen best at room temperature; once ripe, they can go into the refrigerator. Tomatoes keep their flavor and texture best at room temperature; once they are fully ripe, store them as briefly as possible in the refrigerator. Bananas should never go into the refrigerator; they ripen properly only at room temperature and should be eaten soon after ripening.

    FREEZER STORAGE One of the most useful items to keep on hand in the freezer is homemade stock (see recipe). You can make your own on a free afternoon, divide it into useful portions of 1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) or 1 quart (1 l), and freeze it for up to 3 months. Some markets sell freshly made stock. Or, look for good-quality frozen stock concentrate. (If you don’t have the time or inclination to make stock, however, good-quality broth, in cans or aseptic packages, is always a reasonable substitute. Look for a product labeled low sodium, so you can more easily control the seasoning of the dish to which you are adding it. This is particularly important for long-simmered dishes in which the liquid reduces, concentrating the salt it contains.)

    Butter, meat, and poultry freeze well for longer storage. Slip these foods into the freezer—they’ll keep for 6 to 8 months—and you’ll always be able to make a satisfying pantry meal.

    If part of a loaf of bread goes stale, process it into crumbs in the food processor and freeze the crumbs for later use. If your fresh herbs are in danger of wilting, chop them and combine with softened butter in a food processor or by hand to make an herb butter. Then shape the butter into a log, wrap securely in plastic wrap, and freeze to use for flavoring meats or vegetables.

    FREEZING AND THAWING FOODS Wrap foods for freezing in freezer-weight plastic wrap or in several layers of regular plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or freezer paper. If the surface of the food is exposed to the cold air of the freezer, it will develop a condition called freezer burn, which leaves the food dry and unpalatable. This is especially true for meat and poultry. Liquids can be frozen in freezer-safe containers. Label and date the items you freeze; they may not be clearly identifiable in a few weeks.

    When a food is frozen, the water in its cells is converted to ice crystals, whose sharp edges pierce the cell walls and soften the texture of the food. This is one reason that foods should not be thawed and refrozen, because the food’s texture worsens with each freezing. To minimize further damage to the texture and in the interest of food safety, frozen foods should be thawed slowly in the refrigerator, not at room temperature or in a bowl of warm water. Thawing foods in the refrigerator may take from a few hours for chicken breasts or fish fillets to as long as an entire day for a whole roasting chicken or several days for a large turkey.

    THAWING FOODS IN THE MICROWAVE OVEN You can also use the microwave for a quick defrost of smaller food items, but the food will lose some of its moisture and must be watched carefully. Wrap the frozen food in waxed paper and microwave it on low power for 5-minute increments; let the food stand for 5 minutes after each increment, and then check to see if it has thawed. Repeat as necessary until the food is barely thawed. (Some microwave ovens include special buttons that activate helpful timed thawing functions, but you should still keep a close eye on the process from start to finish.) Always cook food thawed in a microwave oven immediately.

    REFRIGERATOR STAPLES

    Keep these regularly used items on hand in the refrigerator for easy meals:

    Condiments Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, salsa, soy sauce, tomato ketchup.

    Dairy Butter, unsalted; buttermilk; cheeses (blue, Cheddar, mozzarella, Parmesan); cream, heavy (double); eggs, large; milk; sour cream; yogurt, plain.

    Fresh herbs Basil, chives, dill, parsley, rosemary, thyme.

    Fruit Apples, citrus fruits (lemons, limes, oranges).

    Preserves Orange marmalade, apricot jam, raspberry jam, strawberry jam.

    Preserved meats, poultry, seafood Bacon, ham, pancetta, prosciutto, sausages, smoked salmon.

    Vegetables Bell peppers, carrots, celery, chiles, cucumbers, lettuces.

    FREEZER STAPLES

    Keep these essentials on hand in the freezer for longer storage:

    Breads Loaves, rolls, tortillas.

    Dairy Butter, unsalted.

    Doughs Filo, pie, puff pastry.

    Fruits Blueberries, cranberries, peaches, raspberries, strawberries.

    Meats Ground beef, chops, steaks.

    Poultry Chicken and turkey breasts and thighs.

    Nuts Almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pine nuts, walnuts.

    Vegetables Broccoli, carrots, corn, peas, spinach.

    Knife Techniques

    Knives are the most fundamental and versatile of cooking tools. With a well-made, keenly sharpened blade of the right size and shape, you can easily and efficiently complete almost any kitchen task.

    HOLDING A KNIFE Whatever the cutting task you face, begin by making sure the knife is very sharp (see left), as cutting with a dull blade can be dangerous. The knife handle should feel comfortable and secure in your grip. If desired, extend your index finger onto the top part of the blade to help steady the knife. Some cooks hold the knife a little higher on the handle, with the index finger and thumb of the cutting hand on the bottom part of the blade, a position that might be more comfortable for cutting certain foods.

    STEADYING FOOD Whenever you are cutting most foods with a downward slicing motion, use your other hand to steady the food, always taking care to curl your fingertips under to keep them safely turned away from the edge of the blade. With experience, you can move your knuckles directly against the side of the blade to help guide it and gauge the width of each cut.

    When making a horizontal cut in a piece of food, however, place your noncutting hand flat on top of the food, parallel to both the work surface and the blade itself. Keeping the fingers of your free hand outstretched from your palm will also help keep them well out of the way of the knife.

    USING A TWO-PART SLICING MOTION To create slices, cut straight down through the food you are steadying, letting the tip of the knife touch the cutting board first. Then, gently but firmly pull the knife downward and back toward you to complete the cut.

    USING A ROCKING MOTION For chopping or mincing ingredients such as fresh herbs, place your noncutting hand on the top edge of the knife blade to steady and help guide the knife. Then, rock the blade back and forth and up and down along its curved sharp edge on the cutting board as you move it over the food to cut it into smaller pieces.

    CUTTING UP VEGETABLES Cutting vegetables into relatively uniform pieces helps them cook evenly and contributes to attractive results. Begin by using a chef’s knife to cut the vegetables lengthwise into even slices, discarding or saving irregular pieces for stock. Next, stack 2 or 3 slices at a time and cut down through the stack lengthwise to make sticks that are the same width as the thickness of the slices.

    To dice vegetables: gather a few sticks at a time into a compact bundle and cut the sticks crosswise into pieces the same length as the width of the sticks. The result should be evenly sized cubes.

    To julienne vegetables: follow the process described above for cutting slices and sticks, making the initial slices very thin.

    To mince vegetables: gather julienne strips into small bundles. Then, cut the bundles crosswise into very small pieces, or mince. Since the pieces are very small, you don’t need to worry about being precise when cutting.

    CUTTING UP ROUND items Ingredients with curved surfaces can be hard to steady on a cutting board for neat, safe slicing. First, use a chef’s knife to carefully cut a thin slice from the ingredient, then place it on the flat area on the cutting board, using the fingers of your other hand to hold it steady. The ingredient can now be safely cut into smaller pieces as needed for the recipe.

    CARING FOR KNIVES

    Good knives are critical to good cooking, and they require particular care.

    Cleaning Knives

    Wash knives by hand in hot soapy water as soon as you are finished using them. Like wooden tools, they should not be soaked in water, which can cause the handles to swell and loosen.

    Storing Knives

    Store knives in a wooden knife block or hung from a magnetic strip rather than loose in a drawer, where they can be nicked and will be a danger to anyone reaching into the drawer.

    Honing Knives

    Get in the habit of honing your knives often to keep their edges sharp. The best home tool for honing is a sharpening steel, available wherever good-quality knives are sold. Swipe each side of the blade’s cutting edge across and along the length of the steel, holding the blade at about a 15-degree angle on the long metal rod. Repeat to swipe each side three times.

    Sharpening Knives

    Even with regular honing, the edge of a knife gradually dulls over time. As soon as it becomes noticeable, have the knife professionally sharpened. Check with the shop where you bought it or with a butcher shop or food-store meat department. The personnel can sometimes do it for you, or they will recommend a professional who can bring your knives back to razor sharpness at a reasonable cost.

    Basic Cooking Techniques

    Learning basic cooking tasks is an important step to recipe success. The following eight fundamental techniques are used throughout this book. Knowing them will give you increased confidence in the kitchen.

    SAUTÉING This method most classically involves moving a pan briskly back and forth while lifting slightly on the backward motion to make the contents jump from the pan’s surface. But sautéed food can just as easily be stirred as tossed, as long as it is cooked quickly, usually over medium or medium-high heat, in a small amount of fat. Foods to be sautéed should be naturally tender and cut into small pieces or fairly thin slices so they can cook quickly.

    FRYING Ordinary frying, also called panfrying, is cooking food in a pan over medium heat with a moderate amount of fat or oil. It works well for thick but tender pieces of meat and poultry, and for firm vegetables.

    In deep-frying, the food is immersed in a greater amount of fat and cooks for a shorter time, yielding crisp, golden brown results, whether the food is deep-fried plain, or coated with a batter, bread crumbs, or seasoned flour. The oil should usually be deep enough to cover the food by at least ¾ inch (2 cm). Use a heavy, relatively deep pan and never fill it more than one-third full.

    BAKING This term is used for food cooked in the dry heat of the oven. It most often refers to the cooking of breads, cakes, cookies, pastries, and pies. When making any of these baked goods, read the recipe thoroughly and then measure and otherwise prepare ingredients carefully, as success often depends on precision. Baking is also sometimes used to describe the cooking of uniform pieces of meat, poultry, or seafood with a small amount of fat or liquid in an open pan or dish in the oven. When large pieces of food are cooked alone in the oven, however, the process is usually called roasting.

    ROASTING This involves cooking foods in the dry heat of an oven using a relatively high temperature. Choose a heavy pan to keep the bottom of the item being roasted and the pan juices from burning. A metal rack will keep the food from stewing in the drippings and sticking to the pan. You can also place meat or poultry on a bed of chopped aromatic vegetables in place of a rack. Doneness is best judged by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the item not touching bone.

    BRAISING This cooking method calls for simmering food slowly in a moderate amount of liquid. Relatively tough cuts of meat and fibrous vegetables are excellent candidates. Before meat is braised, it is generally browned in fat to give it color and enhance its flavor. It is then cooked in a tightly closed pot on the stove top over medium-low to medium heat or in a moderately hot oven.

    STEWING A stew is made by slowly simmering pieces of meat, poultry, fish, or vegetables in liquid. It is similar to a braise, although stews generally use more liquid and the food is cut into smaller pieces. A stew can be cooked on the stove top, or in a low oven.

    POACHING This technique involves gently cooking foods in not-quite-simmering water or other seasoned liquid. Poaching is ideal for delicate foods that need careful treatment to avoid breaking apart or overcooking, such as eggs, fish, chicken, and fruits such as pears.

    GRILLING See two main grilling techniques on the following page.

    BASIC INGREDIENT TECHNIQUES

    You’ll find yourself using the following simple techniques again and again when preparing the recipes in this book.

    Grating Citrus Zest

    Use a rasp grater or the small holes of a grater-shredder to remove only the colored portion of the peel, leaving the bitter white pith beneath the peel behind.

    Juicing Citrus Fruit

    Press and roll the whole citrus fruit firmly against a work surface to break some of the membranes. Then, cut the fruit in half crosswise. Cup a half in one hand and, with your other hand, push and turn a handheld reamer against the flesh to extract the juice. Catch the juice in a bowl and then strain it to remove the seeds.

    Toasting Nuts or Seeds

    Toast the nuts or seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat, stirring, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer them to a plate to cool and crisp.

    Toasting Spices

    Toast spices in a dry frying pan over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant and deepened slightly in color, about 1 minute. Transfer the cooled spices to an electric spice grinder and grind.

    Pitting Olives

    Place olives in a zippered plastic bag, force out excess air, and seal. Using a meat pounder or rolling pin, gently pound the olives to loosen the pits. With your fingertips, separate the pits from the flesh. Use a paring knife to cut the flesh from the pits of any stubborn olives.

    Grilling Techniques

    While there are many models of grills on the market, there are only two basic methods for cooking on a grill: direct and indirect heat. Occasionally, a hybrid of the two methods is used. Follow these guidelines for the best results.

    STARTING A FIRE Regardless of your grilling method, the process begins with starting a fire. For a gas grill, all you need is a long match or gas wand to light the burners (some models come with built-in spark igniters), following the manufacturer’s directions.

    For charcoal grills, a chimney starter is a safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly way to start the fire. A metal cylinder with vents on the bottom and a handle on the side, it should be chosen in a size to accommodate an amount of charcoal large enough to fill your grill. A 5-quart (5-l) chimney (about 7½ inches/19 cm in diameter and 12 inches/30 cm tall) holds enough charcoal to make a medium-hot fire in a medium kettle grill. To use the chimney, stuff newspaper into the bottom to create kindling, then top with briquettes or hardwood charcoal chunks and ignite the newspaper. The flame will burn upward inside the chimney, igniting the charcoal. When the charcoal is fully ignited, pour it onto the fire bed. Add more briquettes or chunks to the bed if needed, and in about 20 minutes the fire will be ready to use.

    DIRECT-HEAT GRILLING This intense, high-heat method is used for searing and for cooking small or thin food items that are ready in 25 minutes or less. Foods are placed directly over the hot coals of a charcoal grill, or directly over the preheated heat elements of a gas grill. The surface of the food sears and caramelizes over the high heat, sealing the juices inside. Although direct-heat grilling is usually done with an uncovered grill, some cooks prefer to cover the grill to prevent flare-ups and to control temperatures. Ideal candidates for direct-heat grilling include steaks, chops, butterflied meats and poultry, pork tenderloins, burgers, sausages, boneless poultry pieces, fish fillets and steaks, small whole fish, shellfish, all types of kebabs, most vegetables, and fruits.

    INDIRECT-HEAT GRILLING Indirect heat cooks foods by reflected heat, much like roasting in an oven. This method is used for cooking larger pieces of food, such as a roast or a whole bird, that take longer than 25 minutes to cook. Indirect heat is also used for smoking and barbecuing.

    For indirect-heat grilling, the fire bed, whether charcoal or gas, is arranged underneath only part of the cooking grid, and the food is placed on the portion of the grid away from the fire, often with a drip pan beneath it in a charcoal grill. Once the grill is covered, the heat circulates inside to surround the food, cooking it slowly and evenly. The food can be left unattended for much of the time, but you may need to turn the food partway through the grilling time to ensure uniform doneness, or several times when barbecuing foods. Foods ideal for cooking by indirect heat include bone-in roasts, whole poultry, large whole fish, and large fish fillets, as well as such barbecue-style meats.

    HYBRID GRILLING Some foods benefit from using a combination of direct and indirect heat, and/or from using two or three levels of heat. This can be accomplished in a charcoal grill by creating different heat zones, or in a gas grill by setting the heat elements at different levels.

    Three levels of heat are useful for grilling very large items or for grilling two or more menu items for a single meal. For example, foods can be seared quickly over high heat. Moved to lower heat, or to the area with no heat, they finish cooking directly over lower heat or indirectly over the no-heat zone.

    ESSENTIAL SPICES

    These staples are sources of intense flavor for everyday cooking.

    Allspice

    Tastes like a blend of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

    Cardamom

    Intense, highly aromatic spice used in curries, fruit dishes, and baked goods.

    Cayenne

    Very hot ground red spice made from dried chiles.

    Cinnamon

    Highly aromatic sweet spice sold ground or in stick form.

    Clove

    Adds strong, sweet, peppery flavor to recipes.

    Coriander Seed

    Whole or ground seeds with a flavor reminiscent of lemon, sage, and caraway.

    Cumin

    Sharp, earthy spice favored in a variety of ethnic cuisines.

    Ginger

    Warm, sweetly perfumed, and peppery spice.

    Mustard

    Pungent, hot seeds used whole and ground.

    Nutmeg

    Warm, sweet, spicy flavor.

    Paprika

    Ground dried red peppers, ranging from mild and sweet, to half-sweet, to hot.

    Pepper

    Best freshly ground. White peppercorns are slightly milder than black.

    Saffron

    Gives a unique flavor and vibrant yellow color to dishes.

    Building Flavor

    A good recipe, carefully prepared, can seem like far more than the sum of its parts. With experience and knowledge, home cooks can learn to add their own subtle touches to make the dishes they cook uniquely their own.

    SEASONING TO TASTE A recipe will tell you when to season food as you cook it, but you should also learn to rely on your own judgment. Taste and season with salt, pepper, herbs, and spices at various points throughout the cooking process to achieve the deepest and most complex flavor. (Of course, exercise caution when a recipe you are following includes raw egg or raw meat, poultry, or seafood, and practice common sense when working with raw flour. Until these items are cooked through, you will want to season without tasting.)

    Much of the satisfaction of cooking comes from learning which flavors you like to bring together. Keep an assortment of spices and herbs on hand and experiment by replacing the seasonings called for in different dishes or changing the amounts. (Those seasonings listed here to the left and right are suggested pantry essentials, but they by no means exhaust the wide range of options.) Start out with a small amount of a new seasoning, and you will learn how much of it you like as you grow more familiar with it.

    Always give a dish a final taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking just before you serve it. If you watch professional cooks seasoning a dish, you may be amazed at their liberality with salt and pepper, not to mention lemon juice, vinegar, fresh herbs, and spices. Their goal, as yours should be, is to achieve a pleasing balance of flavors.

    MAKING ADDITIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS When you’re a novice cook, following ingredients lists and cooking instructions precisely can help you learn to develop your cooking skills. Once you have grown more comfortable in the kitchen, and your favorite recipes or styles of cooking have become second nature to you, you’re ready to try experimenting. At that point, feel free to add an ingredient you think might enhance a dish. Add nuts to your favorite cookie recipe, for example, or top a green salad recipe with grilled shrimp to transform it from an appetizer into a light main dish. Or, you might want to replace a distinctive ingredient in a recipe with another similar one: lime juice for lemon in a marinade, or shallot for onion in the seasoning base for a sauté or braise. Some of the recipes in this book include suggested variations to help you develop your ability to improvise.

    EXPLORING OTHER COOKING TRADITIONS Often, some of the happiest cooking discoveries come from exploring cooking traditions that may be less familiar to you. Use the recipes in this book inspired by other cuisines as a starting point for expanding your knowledge of how to build complex, pleasing flavors as you cook.

    Many French recipes, for example, begin with a mirepoix, a mixture of diced onions, carrots, and celery that flavors stocks, stews, and sauces, and also serves as a bed for roasting meat. Similarly, many recipes for foods from the Mediterranean region and Latin America build flavor on a base—called soffritto in Italy and sofrito in Spain, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and other Spanish-speaking countries. By contrast, many Asian recipes begin with a highly fragrant mixture of garlic, ginger, and green (spring) onions, then add extra dimensions of flavor with such ingredients as boldly flavored soy sauce, miso, or fish sauce. By staying open to such influences, dining out adventurously, exploring ethnic markets, and trying new types of cuisines at home, you, too, can give your cooking repertoire a global accent.

    Essential Herbs

    Herbs contribute bold or delicate flavors to foods. Choose fresh herbs, which are generally added toward the end of cooking, or dried herbs, which are usually added near the start of cooking.

    Basil

    Large green leaves taste faintly of anise.

    Bay

    Elongated gray-green leaves with a citrusy, nutty flavor.

    Chives

    Slender, bright green stems impart a mild oniony flavor.

    Cilantro (Fresh Coriander)

    Medium, serrated leaves with an assertive flavor.

    Dill

    Fine, feathery leaves with a distinctively aromatic flavor.

    Flat-Leaf (Italian) Parsley

    Medium, serrated leaves with a pleasing peppery taste.

    Marjoram

    A milder cousin of oregano; best used fresh.

    Mint

    Medium green leaves with a distinct refreshing flavor.

    Oregano

    Aromatic and pungent; small leaves on branched stems.

    Rosemary

    Strong, fragrant herb, great with chicken or lamb.

    Sage

    Medium gray-green leaves with a sweet, woodsy scent.

    Tarragon

    Long, thin leaves with a flavor recalling anise.

    Thyme

    Floral, earthy-tasting herb with small leaves.

    Wine Basics

    For many fine meals, whether casual or special occasion, wine is as indispensable an element as good bread or a crisp salad. Wine balances the food, aids in digestion, and gives any get-together a convivial feel.

    WINE VARIETIES The differences among wines begin with the grape variety or varieties from which each is made. Each type of grape bestows its unique characteristics of flavor, body, and color on the finished wine. The geographical region in which the grapes are grown and made into wine also contributes to a wine’s character.

    While European wines are labeled according to the geographical region in which they are produced, most wines bottled in the Americas, Australia and New Zealand, and South Africa are made and labeled as varietals. This makes understanding wines a bit challenging, but the chart opposite will help illuminate those differences.

    COLOR, BODY, AND SWEETNESS The simplest way to start making sense of wine is to focus on the color and the body. Body refers to how a wine feels in the mouth—light or heavy. In simplest terms, white wines, which are made either from white grapes or from red ones with the skins removed at an early stage in the process, have lighter body than reds. Among both white and red wines, a range of styles is available. It’s up to you to decide what types you like to drink, and when. Another primary consideration is sweetness. Dry refers to a wine low in sugar. Off dry is a little sweet. Sweet explains itself.

    COOKING WITH WINE You might think that wine for cooking calls for a less expensive bottle. While it’s true that you would not want to cook with a fine old vintage, neither should wine you cook with be undrinkable. A bad wine is not going to be improved by cooking. Never buy anything labeled cooking wine; such products are generally inferior and may be preseasoned in ways that won’t help a recipe. If you’re braising a chicken in wine or otherwise using a lot of wine in a dish, you would do well to choose the same varietal to drink at the table, though not necessarily the same bottle or producer.

    PAIRING WINE WITH FOOD Forget the stiff old rules about pairing reds with meat or whites with fish. Matching wine with food is ultimately a personal choice. Of course, some tried-and-true combinations that seem made for each other exist (opposite), but it’s ultimately a matter of personal taste, the mood of the moment, or simply what you have on hand. Try different combinations of varietals with the same dish, and be aware of aromas and flavors that please you. Don’t worry about which wine is the correct one. The goal is to eat foods you enjoy with wines you enjoy.

    When you taste a wine or discuss it with a wine merchant, keep in mind four basic qualities: body (Does the wine feel light or heavy on the tongue?); intensity (Is it bold and assertive, or delicate and mild?); general flavor (What kinds of tastes and aromas does the wine bring to mind, such as citrus, berry, apple, or oak?); and flavor characteristics (Is it dry or fruity; what are the wine’s levels of acidity and astringent tannins?).

    Now think about the foods you want to serve. A wine can work with a dish either by mirroring it or contrasting with it. Delicately flavored foods like sole or halibut are complemented by a delicate, fruity white like Pinot Grigio. A rich, oily salmon may contrast well with a slightly acidic, medium-bodied Pinot Noir—and this fish won’t be overwhelmed by this red wine. A spicy chicken stir-fry may overpower a buttery white but be complemented by the spicy flavor of red Syrah or a sweet, light white like Riesling. A rich, meaty braise will need a powerful red like Cabernet Sauvignon.

    Also, what is the weather like? You might prefer a refreshing Chablis or sparkling Prosecco on a hot day, and a bold Cabernet or Merlot may be just the thing to pour on a blustery winter evening.

    As a general rule, when you plan to serve several different wines at a meal, they are better appreciated when they progress from light to heavy, with whites served before reds, and dry wines before sweet wines.

    LIQUORS AND LIQUEURS

    The following types of spirits play the most frequent roles in a well-stocked kitchen. For the liqueurs, look below for the flavor you seek, then find a corresponding liqueur.

    Liquors

    Bourbon Complex, slightly sweet-tasting American whiskey produced from at least 51 percent corn.

    Gin A bracing spirit distilled with botanical ingredients, primarily juniper berries.

    Rum Distilled from molasses or sugarcane, it has a unique, almost fruity flavor with a hint of sweetness; both light and dark rum are used.

    Scotch whisky Made from a fermented mash of malted barley dried over smoldering peat, which lends smokiness.

    Tequila Made from a fermented mash of blue agave, ranging from sharp, clear unaged or briefly aged blanco (also called white or silver) to dark, complex, soft long-aged añejo.

    Vodka A clear spirit with usually no distinctive flavor, generally distilled from a fermented mash of grains.

    Liqueurs

    Almond: amaretto, crème d’amandes.

    Anise: anisette, ouzo, pastis, Pernod, sambuca.

    Black currant: crème de cassis.

    Chocolate: crème de cacao.

    Coffee: Kahlúa, Tia Maria.

    Hazelnut: Frangelico.

    Orange: Cointreau, Curaçao, Grand Marnier, Triple Sec.

    Peppermint: crème de menthe.

    WINE REGIONS AND GRAPE VARIETIES

    When you see the following European regions on a wine label, here’s the grape that is used. See the lists of red and white varietal wines that follow for the characteristics of each grape featured in the European regions.

    EUROPEAN WINE REGIONS

    Beaujolais Gamay

    Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot

    Burgundy Pinot Noir

    White Burgundy, Chablis Chardonnay

    Côtes du Rhône Grenache

    Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc

    Vouvray Chenin Blanc

    Barolo Nebbiolo

    Chianti Sangiovese

    Rioja Tempranillo

    Ribera del Duero Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot

    SPARKLING WINES

    French Champagne yeasty

    California sparkling wine toasty

    Italian Prosecco crisp, fruity

    Spanish cava fruity, high in acid

    ROSÉ WINES

    Bordeaux dry, crisp

    Bandol (Mourvèdre) dry, crisp

    Languedoc dry, crisp to fruity, full bodied

    Rosado (Spanish) full bodied, fruity

    Syrah/Shiraz full bodied, fruity, spicy

    WHITE WINE GRAPE VARIETIES

    Sauvignon Blanc light bodied, high acid

    Pinot Grigio/Gris light bodied, fruity, low alcohol

    Riesling medium bodied, fruity to off dry, low alcohol

    Gewürztraminer medium bodied, fruity to off dry, low alcohol

    Chardonnay medium to full bodied, crisp-tart to oaky

    Chenin Blanc crisp and acidic to full bodied and lush

    Viognier full bodied, aromatic, and lush

    Sémillon full bodied, aromatic, and lush

    RED WINE GRAPE VARIETIES

    Gamay light bodied, fruity

    Grenache light bodied to medium bodied

    Pinot Noir medium bodied, can be fruity, low alcohol

    Sangiovese light bodied to medium bodied, high acid

    Merlot medium bodied to full bodied (if oaked)

    Tempranillo medium bodied to full bodied, spicy

    Syrah/Shiraz full bodied, strong

    Zinfandel full bodied, fruity, high acid

    Nebbiolo full bodied, dark fruit

    Cabernet Sauvignon full bodied, herbal

    DESSERT WINES

    Eiswein/ice wine sweet and crisp

    Late-harvest wines sweet, honeyed

    Muscat sweet, floral

    Sauternes sweet, lush

    Vin santo fortified, sweet

    Port fortified, fruity or sweet, range of styles

    Sherry fortified, dry to sweet styles

    WINE-PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

    Consider the following classic examples for pairing food and wine.

    Salty snack foods

    Choose sparkling wines such as Champagne, California sparkling wine, Italian Prosecco, or Spanish cava.

    Spicy dishes

    Choose fruity, low-alcohol, or spicy wines such as Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, or Zinfandel.

    Rich or fatty dishes

    Choose full-bodied wines such as Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, or Zinfandel.

    Acidic dishes (tomato, citrus, goat cheese)

    Choose high-acid wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chianti, or Zinfandel.

    Salty or smoked dishes

    Choose fruity, low-alcohol wines such as Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, or Pinot Noir.

    Sweet fruit or dessert

    Choose sweet wines, with the wine being at least as sweet as the dish.

    Classic pairings

    Caviar with sparkling wine.

    Oysters, lobster, or crab with Chardonnay.

    Goat cheese with Sauvignon Blanc.

    Roast lamb with Cabernet Sauvignon.

    Grilled steak with Zinfandel.

    Stilton cheese with vintage Port.

    BEEF STOCK

    A generous mix of marrowbones and beef shins, two cuts good butchers traditionally carry, gives this stock a mild, aromatic flavor and light body. Use it as an all-purpose stock to make soups, stews, and sauces that use or accompany beef.

    3 lb (1.5 kg) beef marrowbones, cracked by the butcher

    2 thick slices meaty beef shin, about 1 lb (500 g) each

    2 large carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal into ½-inch (12-mm) pieces

    2 celery stalks with leaves, cut into ½-inch (12-mm) pieces

    1 large yellow onion, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes

    3 or 4 fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley sprigs

    1 bay leaf

    8–10 peppercorns

    MAKES ABOUT 2 QT (8 CUPS/2 L)

    Place the marrowbones, beef shin, carrots, celery, onion, parsley, bay leaf, and peppercorns in a heavy, large stockpot and add water just to cover by 1 inch (2.5 cm). Place over medium-high heat and bring slowly to a boil without stirring.

    As soon as you see large bubbles begin to form, reduce the heat to low and let the stock simmer. Use a large slotted spoon to skim off the grayish foam that rises to the surface during the first 10 minutes of cooking. Then continue to simmer, uncovered, for 3–4 hours. Do not stir, but continue to skim the surface every 30 minutes or so. Add more water, if necessary, to keep the ingredients just covered.

    Remove from the heat and remove the larger solids. Line a fine-mesh sieve with 3 layers of dampened cheesecloth (muslin), place over a large heatproof bowl, and pour the stock through the sieve. Discard the solids.

    Use a large metal spoon to skim the clear yellow fat from the surface of the strained stock and use the stock right away. Alternatively, let cool to room temperature, transfer to airtight containers, and store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. Lift off the fat solidified on the surface of the stock before using.

    Using canned broth

    Canned broth of any variety (beef, chicken, vegetable) can often be a valuable time-saver. It does, however, tend to be salty. Use low-sodium products, and once you add the broth to a dish, taste the dish before adding any seasoning.

    BROWN BEEF STOCK

    This deep, rich stock is made by browning the bones and vegetables in the oven, which deepens the flavor and color of the ingredients, before simmering them in water on the stove top. Use it when you want an especially rich color and flavor in a dish.

    Canola oil for pan

    3 lb (1.5 kg) beef marrowbones, cracked by the butcher

    2 thick slices meaty beef shin, about 1 lb (500 g) each

    2 large carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal into ½-inch (12-mm) pieces

    2 celery stalks with leaves, cut into ½-inch (12-mm) pieces

    1 large yellow onion, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes

    3 or 4 fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley sprigs

    1 bay leaf

    8–10 peppercorns

    MAKES ABOUT 2 QT (8 CUPS/2 L)

    Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 400°F (200°C). Lightly oil a roasting pan and spread the marrowbones, beef shin, carrots, celery, and onion evenly in the pan. Roast, turning the ingredients once or twice, until they are a deep brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer the meat and vegetables to a heavy, large stockpot.

    Pour the fat out of the roasting pan and place on the stove top over 2 burners. Turn on the heat to low, add 2 cups (16 fl oz/500 ml) water, and deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits from the pan bottom with a wooden spatula.

    Pour the contents of the roasting pan into the pot and add the parsley, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Add water just to cover the ingredients by 1 inch (2.5 cm), and place over medium-high heat. Bring slowly to a boil without stirring.

    As soon as you see large bubbles begin to form, reduce the heat to low and let the stock simmer. Use a large slotted spoon to skim off the grayish foam that rises to the surface during the first 10 minutes of cooking. Then continue to simmer, uncovered, for 3–4 hours. Do not stir, but continue to skim the surface every 30 minutes or so. Add more water, if necessary, to keep the ingredients just covered.

    Remove from the heat and remove the larger solids. Line a fine-mesh sieve with 3 layers of dampened cheesecloth (muslin), place over a large heatproof bowl, and pour the stock through the sieve. Discard the solids.

    Use a large metal spoon to skim the clear yellow fat from the surface of the strained stock and use the stock right away. Alternatively, let cool to room temperature, transfer to airtight containers, and store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. Lift off the fat solidified on the surface of the stock before using.

    Quick brown beef stock

    If you don’t have time to make Brown Beef Stock from scratch, roast the bones as directed and then deglaze the roasting pan with 2 cups (16 fl oz/500 ml) low-sodium beef broth instead of water. Add an additional 2 qt (2 l) beef broth to the pot with the browned bones and proceed with the recipe, but simmering just for an hour or so.

    Easy degreasing

    If time allows, chill the stock before removing the fat. Fill a large bowl partway with ice and water and set the bowl of stock in the ice bath to cool it to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Cover the stock and refrigerate overnight. The fat will rise and solidify on top, making it easy to lift off with a spoon.

    CHICKEN STOCK

    Chicken stock is a staple for many soups, stews, and sauces and is an essential ingredient for risotto. Although making any stock takes time, you can double or triple a recipe and freeze it in serving-size containers for later use; thaw before using.

    6 lb (3 kg) chicken backs and necks

    1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces

    1 large celery stalk with leaves, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces

    1 clove garlic, peeled but left whole

    1 large or 2 medium yellow onions, quartered

    3 or 4 fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley sprigs

    1 bay leaf

    8–10 peppercorns

    MAKES ABOUT 4 QT (16 CUPS/4 L)

    Place the chicken, carrot, celery, garlic clove, onion quarters, parsley, bay leaf, and peppercorns in a heavy, large stockpot and add water just to cover by 1 inch (2.5 cm). Place over medium-high heat and bring slowly to a boil without stirring.

    As soon as you see large bubbles begin to form, reduce the heat to low and let the stock simmer. Use a large slotted spoon to skim off the grayish foam that rises to the surface during the first 10 minutes of cooking. Then continue to simmer, uncovered, for 2–2½ hours. Do not stir, but continue to skim the surface every 30 minutes or so. Add more water, if necessary, to keep the ingredients just covered.

    Remove from the heat and remove the larger solids. Line a fine-mesh sieve with 3 layers of dampened cheesecloth (muslin), place over a large heatproof bowl, and pour the stock through the sieve. Discard the solids.

    Use a large metal spoon to skim the clear yellow fat from the surface of the strained stock and use the stock right away. Alternatively, let cool to room temperature, transfer to airtight containers, and store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. Lift off the fat solidified on the surface of the stock before using.

    Skimming stocks

    The grayish foam, sometimes called scum, that rises to the surface of simmering stocks is the result of collagen and gelatin being released from the bones and meat. If not removed, it will cloud the stock.

    BROWN CHICKEN STOCK

    This stock is a kitchen workhorse, good for sauces, gravies, and more. Browning the chicken pieces in the oven before simmering them with an array of vegetables creates a more robust flavor and deeper color than those of regular chicken stock.

    3 lb (1.5 kg) chicken backs and/or wings, chopped with a heavy cleaver into 2–3 inch (5–7.5 cm) pieces

    2 tablespoons canola oil

    1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped

    1 small carrot, coarsely chopped

    1 small celery stalk with leaves, coarsely chopped

    4 fresh thyme sprigs, or ½ teaspoon dried thyme

    6 peppercorns

    1 small bay leaf

    MAKES ABOUT 2 QT (8 CUPS/2 L)

    Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Spread the chicken pieces in a single layer in a large roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes. Turn over the pieces and continue roasting until deeply browned, about 20 minutes longer.

    In a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and use tongs to transfer the chicken pieces to the stockpot.

    Pour the fat out of the roasting pan and place it on the stove top over 2 burners. Turn the burners on to medium-high. Add 1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) water and stir with a wooden spatula to dislodge any browned bits from the pan bottom.

    Pour the contents of the roasting pan into the stockpot, add water just to cover the ingredients, and place over high heat. Add the thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaf, bring just to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer uncovered, regularly skimming off any foam from the surface of the stock, for at least 3 hours or up to 6 hours.

    Remove from the heat and remove the larger solids. Line a fine-mesh sieve with 3 layers of dampened cheesecloth (muslin), place over a large heatproof bowl, and pour the stock through the sieve. Discard the solids.

    Use a large metal spoon to skim the clear yellow fat from the surface of the strained stock and use the stock right away. Alternatively, let cool to room temperature, transfer to airtight containers, and store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. Lift off the fat solidified on the surface of the stock before using.

    Brown turkey or duck stock

    Follow the directions for Brown Chicken Stock, replacing the chicken parts with turkey or duck wings, cut into 3-inch (7.5-cm) pieces. For more flavor, add the giblets from 1 turkey or duck, including the neck, heart, and gizzard, but not the liver, to the roasting pan with the wings.

    Quick brown chicken stock

    If you don’t have time to make Brown Chicken Stock from scratch, roast the bones as directed and then deglaze the roasting pan with 2 cups (16 fl oz/500 ml) low-sodium chicken broth instead of water. Add an additional 2 qt (2 l) chicken broth to the pot with the browned bones and proceed with the recipe, simmering just for an hour or so.

    TURKEY STOCK

    Make this stock when you have a leftover turkey carcass, such as after a Thanksgiving dinner. Use the stock and any leftover meat to make the turkey soup on see recipe. If you don’t have a carcass, try the turkey variation noted beside the Brown Chicken Stock (opposite).

    Carcass from roast turkey

    1 large yellow onion, chopped

    2 carrots, peeled and chopped

    1 celery stalk, chopped

    4 fresh parsley sprigs

    3 fresh thyme sprigs

    1 bay leaf

    MAKES ABOUT 2 QT (8 CUPS/2 L)

    With your hands, break the carcass into big pieces and place them in a large stockpot with water to cover (about 3–3½ qt/3–3.5 l). Bring to a boil, skimming off any grayish foam that forms on the surface. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour, skimming as needed. Add the onion, carrots, celery, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf. Cover partially and continue to simmer for about 1½ hours longer.

    Remove from the heat and remove the larger solids. Line a fine-mesh sieve with 3 layers of dampened cheesecloth (muslin), place over a large saucepan, and pour the stock through the sieve. Return to high heat, bring to a boil, and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle boil. Cook uncovered, skimming the surface if necessary, until reduced to about 2 qt (2 l), about 1 hour.

    Remove from the heat. Use a large metal spoon to skim the clear yellow fat from the surface of the stock. Use the stock right away, or alternatively, let cool to room temperature, transfer to airtight containers, and store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. Lift off the fat solidified on the surface of the stock before using.

    Salt-free stocks

    Keep in mind that some people might like more or less salt in their dishes than you do. Take that into account when preparing stocks, the building blocks for many dishes. You can always add more salt to a recipe, but you can’t take out excess.

    COURT BOUILLON

    This is a simple stock, ready in under an hour. (Court is French for short.) Cooking crabs, lobsters, and other shellfish—as well as vegetables—in this delicate, fragrant liquid enhances their individual flavors. The acid in the wine keeps poached fish firm.

    1 bottle (3 cups/24 fl oz/750 ml) dry white wine

    2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

    2 yellow onions, coarsely chopped

    6 fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley stems

    Pinch of fresh or dried thyme

    4 bay leaves

    10 peppercorns

    Salt

    MAKES ABOUT 2 QT (8 CUPS/2 L)

    In a stockpot over high heat, combine the wine, carrots, onions, parsley stems, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 qt (2 l) water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer to develop the flavors, about 40 minutes.

    Remove the bouillon from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Use right away, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months.

    Substituting vegetable stock

    Court bouillon can be used in any recipe that calls for vegetable stock. On the other hand, if you are using vegetable stock to cook fish, add a dash of fresh lemon juice.

    FISH STOCK

    You need at least one fish head and a couple of fish frames, or skeletons, all carefully cleaned, to impart the desired flavor to fish stock. Cleaning them

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