Cherry Clafouti

Why this recipe works:

For a clafouti that featured juicy cherries in every bite (and no pits to get in the way, as most traditional recipes have), we pitted and halved the cherries. To concentrate their flavor and prevent excess moisture from leaking into the custard, we roasted them in a hot oven for 15 minutes and then tossed them with a couple of teaspoons of absorbent flour. To recover the slightly spicy, floral flavor the pits contributed, we added 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon to the flour. We found that too much flour made the custard too bready, whereas an excess of dairy made it too loose. Ultimately, we settled on a moderate amount of each for a tender yet slightly resilient custard with no pastiness. Switching from a casserole dish to a preheated 12-inch skillet gave us better browning and made the custard easy to slice and serve. A last-minute sprinkle of granulated sugar added a touch of sweetness and a delicate crunch.

Serves 6 to 8

We prefer whole milk in this recipe, but 1 or 2 percent low-fat milk may be substituted. Do not substitute frozen cherries for the fresh cherries.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds fresh sweet cherries, pitted and halved
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour, plus 1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 large eggs
• 2/3 cup (4 2/3 ounces) plus 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Instructions

1. 
   
   1. Adjust oven racks to lowest and upper-middle positions; place 12-inch skillet on lower rack and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place cherries, cut side up, on sheet. Roast cherries on upper rack until just tender and cut sides look dry, about 15 minutes. Transfer cherries to medium bowl, toss with lemon juice, and let cool for 5 minutes. Combine 2 teaspoons flour and cinnamon in small bowl; dust flour mixture evenly over cherries and toss to coat thoroughly.
   2. Meanwhile, whisk eggs, 2/3 cup sugar, vanilla, and salt in large bowl until smooth and pale, about 1 minute. Whisk in remaining 1/2 cup flour until smooth. Whisk in cream and milk until incorporated.
   3. Remove skillet (skillet handle will be hot) from oven and set on wire rack. Add butter and swirl to coat bottom and sides of skillet (butter will melt and brown quickly). Pour batter into skillet and arrange cherries evenly on top (some will sink). Transfer skillet to lower rack and bake until clafouti puffs and turns golden brown (edges will be dark brown) and center registers 195 degrees, 18 to 22 minutes, rotating skillet halfway through baking. Transfer skillet to wire rack and let cool for 25 minutes. Sprinkle clafouti evenly with remaining 2 teaspoons sugar. Slice into wedges and serve.
   
   
   

Technique

Secret Source of Cherry Flavor: Pits

Cherry clafouti is traditionally made with unpitted cherries because, surprisingly, the stones lend the dessert a fragrant spice flavor—but they also make it tricky to slice and eat. The solution? Use pitted cherries and toss them with a little cinnamon. If that sounds like an odd solution, it’s not; both cherry pits and cinnamon contain a compound called linalool that lends the dessert a similarly warm, floral complexity.

An Unlikely Swap: Cinnamon mimics the warm, floral flavor of cherry pits.

Cherry pits

Cinnamon

Technique

Roast the Cherries First

Briefly roasting halved and pitted cherries for our clafouti adds a little time to traditional approaches that call for tossing whole raw cherries into the batter—but we think it’s worth the effort. Instead of bursting and leaking juices into the custard, which leave it soggy and stained red, the fruit adds bright, sweet-tart flavor that complements the rich custard.

Technique

Batter Up: Getting the Ratio Right for Tender, Sliceable Clafouti

Custards can range from soft and creamy, like pastry cream, to more resilient and bready, like a crêpe. The textural difference largely depends on the ratio of three key ingredients: eggs, dairy, and flour. The proteins in the eggs provide the structure, linking together into a network as the custard heats, while both fat from the dairy and starch from the flour dilute that structure by interrupting the egg proteins and preventing them from knitting together too tightly.
So when we set out to achieve the tender-but-set texture of our Cherry Clafouti, we conducted more than a dozen tests, fiddling with the amounts of each component. Not surprisingly, too much flour made the custard too bready, whereas an excess of dairy yielded custard that was too loose. Ultimately, we settled on a relatively moderate amount of each: 1 2/3 cups of dairy, four eggs, and 1/2 cup of flour, which yielded a clafouti that was soft but sliceable.

PASTRY CREAM: 2 cups dairy, 6 eggs, 1/4 cup flour
CLAFOUTI: 1 2/3 cups dairy, 4 eggs, 1/2 cup flour
CRÊPES: 1 1/2 cups dairy, 3 eggs, 1 cup flour

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Vietnamese-Style Caramel Chicken with Broccoli

Why this recipe works:

Traditional Vietnamese-style caramel chicken promises a dish that balances a bittersweet caramel with salty and spicy flavors, but most recipes miss the mark. Cooking the caramel until it was a deep, dark color was key to achieving the right complex bittersweetness, while fish sauce (in a 1:4 ratio of fish sauce to caramel) lent the traditional balancing salty component. A combination of ginger and black pepper provided the right amount of heat. Cutting the boneless, skinless chicken thighs in half, rather than into smaller bits as called for in many of the recipes we found, gave the chicken more time to absorb the sauce, while a quick soak in a baking soda–water bath helped the chicken stay juicy over a longer cooking time that turned the meat ultratender. To complete the meal, we steamed broccoli to serve alongside.

Serves 4 to 6

The saltiness of fish sauce can vary; we recommend Tiparos. When taking the temperature of the caramel in step 2, tilt the pan and move the thermometer back and forth to equalize hot and cool spots; also make sure to have hot water at the ready. This dish is intensely seasoned, so serve it with plenty of steamed white rice.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and halved crosswise
• 7 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 pound broccoli, florets cut into 1-inch pieces, stalks peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems

Instructions

1. 
   
   1. Combine baking soda and 1 1/4 cups cold water in large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Rinse chicken in cold water and drain well.
   2. Meanwhile, combine sugar and 3 tablespoons water in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and cook, without stirring, until mixture begins to turn golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, gently swirling saucepan, until sugar turns color of molasses and registers between 390 and 400 degrees, 4 to 6 minutes longer. (Caramel will produce some smoke during last 1 to 2 minutes of cooking.) Immediately remove saucepan from heat and carefully pour in 3/4 cup hot water (mixture will bubble and steam vigorously). When bubbling has subsided, return saucepan to medium heat and stir to dissolve caramel.
   3. Transfer caramel to 12-inch skillet and stir in fish sauce and ginger. Add chicken and bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until chicken is fork-tender and registers 205 degrees, 30 to 40 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through simmering. Transfer chicken to serving dish and cover to keep warm.
   4. Bring 1 inch water to boil in Dutch oven. Lower insert or steamer basket with broccoli into pot so it rests above water; cover and simmer until broccoli is just tender, 4 1/2 to 5 minutes. Transfer broccoli to serving dish with chicken.
   5. While broccoli cooks, bring sauce to boil over medium-high heat and cook until reduced to 1 1/4 cups, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water together in small bowl, then whisk into sauce; simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in pepper. Pour 1/4 cup sauce over chicken and broccoli. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve, passing remaining sauce separately.
   
   
   

Technique

Science: Take Some Sweet Out of Caramel

Most of us think of caramel as a sweet sauce. But if cooked long enough, caramel will become less sweet and more complex. Here’s what happens: When table sugar is heated, a cascade of chemical reactions occurs that transforms some—and eventually all—of its single type of molecule into literally hundreds of different compounds that bring new flavors, aromas, and colors. At first these compounds are mild and buttery in flavor, and the caramel still tastes very sweet. With continued cooking, even more sugar molecules break down, and the caramel begins to taste markedly less sweet; meanwhile bitter, potent-tasting molecules also begin to form (along with those that bring a darker color). We found that cooking sugar to between 390 and 400 degrees produced a caramel with subtle sweetness and an appealingly bitter edge. Any additional cooking, though, made the caramel taste acrid and burnt.

SIMPLY SWEET (340°): Only some sucrose molecules have broken down. Color is amber, and flavor is mild and still very sweet.

BITTERSWEET (390°): More sucrose has broken down. Color is molasses-like, and flavor is less sweet and more complex.

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Chocolate-Caramel Layer Cake

Why this recipe works:

Many chocolate-caramel cakes barely contain enough caramel flavor to merit the name. To ensure caramel flavor in each bite, we sandwich three layers of thick but spreadable caramel filling between layers of deep, dark, moist chocolate cake. For a not-too-sweet caramel that is spreadable but thick enough to stand out between the layers, we cook it until it’s dark (but not burnt) and add extra butter to ensure that it sets up at room temperature and does not ooze. Our thick, satiny chocolate frosting comes together in the food processor in minutes.

Serves 12

Baking spray that contains flour can be used to grease and flour the pans. Both natural and Dutch-processed cocoa will work in this recipe. When taking the temperature of the caramel in steps 3 and 4, remove the pot from the heat and tilt the pan to one side. Use your thermometer to stir the caramel back and forth to equalize hot and cool spots and make sure you are getting an accurate reading.

Ingredients

• Cake

• 1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (2 1/4 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Caramel Filling

• 1 1/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• Frosting

• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1/4—1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt (optional)

Instructions

1. 
   
   1. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, grease parchment, and flour pans. Sift flour and cocoa into large bowl. Whisk in sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk buttermilk, water, oil, eggs, and vanilla together in second bowl. Whisk buttermilk mixture into flour mixture until smooth batter forms. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth tops with rubber spatula.
   2. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 22 to 28 minutes, switching and rotating pans halfway through baking. Let cakes cool in pans on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, discarding parchment, and let cool completely on rack, at least 2 hours.
   3. FOR THE CARAMEL FILLING: Lightly grease 8-inch square baking pan. Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and cook, without stirring, until mixture is amber colored, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, swirling saucepan occasionally, until dark amber, 2 to 5 minutes longer. (Caramel will register between 375 and 380 degrees.)
   4. Off heat, carefully stir in cream, butter, vanilla, and salt (mixture will bubble and steam). Return saucepan to medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until smooth and caramel reaches 240 to 245 degrees, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully transfer caramel to prepared pan and let cool until just warm to touch (100 to 105 degrees), 20 to 30 minutes.
   5. FOR THE FROSTING: Process butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add corn syrup and vanilla and process until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl, then add chocolate and pulse until smooth and creamy, 10 to 15 seconds. (Frosting can be made 3 hours in advance. For longer storage, cover and refrigerate frosting. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before using.)
   6. Using long serrated knife, score 1 horizontal line around sides of each cake layer; then, following scored lines, cut each layer into 2 even layers. 7. Using rubber spatula or large spoon, transfer 1/3 of caramel to center of 1 cake layer and use small offset spatula to spread over surface, leaving 1/2-inch border around edge. Repeat with remaining caramel and 2 of remaining cake layers. (Three of your cake layers should be topped with caramel.)
   8. Line edges of cake platter with 4 strips of parchment to keep platter clean. Place 1 caramel-covered cake layer on platter. Top with second caramel-covered layer. Repeat with third caramel-covered layer and top with final layer. Spread frosting evenly over sides and top of cake. Carefully remove parchment strips. Let cake stand for at least 1 hour. (Cake can be made 2 days in advance and refrigerated. Let stand at room temperature for at least 5 hours before serving.) Sprinkle with coarse sea salt, if using. Cut and serve.
   
   
   

Technique

Don't Be Afraid of Caramel

Caramel is simply sugar (sucrose) that’s been heated until it melts, browns, and develops complex flavor. You can use it to make a fluid caramel sauce or chewy or hard candy by adding cream, butter, and other flavorings. The longer the mixture cooks, the more water will evaporate and the stiffer the caramel will become.
Though caramel gets a bad rap for being finicky to make, with the right recipe, it’s easy to overcome its two main pitfalls: The sugar can melt unevenly and burn, or it can seize up and crystallize. The latter happens when some of the sucrose molecules are not hot enough to melt and break down into glucose and fructose and instead bond, creating a grainy texture. Here’s what we do to make a caramel that works.

Technique

Essential Techniques

ADD WATER: Water, which makes a “wet caramel,” helps the sugar dissolve and spread across the pan so that it melts evenly and reduces the risk that some sugar burns before the rest caramelizes.
ADD CORN SYRUP, NOT ACID: Adding acid or corn syrup to sugar as it caramelizes can prevent crystallization; both ingredients interfere with sucrose’s ability to bond with itself.
ACIDS: A small amount of lemon juice, vinegar, or cream of tartar speeds the breakdown of sucrose into fructose and glucose. These molecules dilute the remaining sucrose molecules, decreasing their chances of bonding together before they, too, can break down.
CORN SYRUP: Corn syrup already contains glucose molecules (and water); thus, it dilutes the sucrose molecules faster. For this reason, we prefer it over acids.
USE A HEAVY-BOTTOM SAUCEPAN: Sugar is prone to burning in lightweight cookware, which does not transfer heat evenly. A heavy saucepan helps the sugar cook evenly.
USE TWO LEVELS OF HEAT: Over high heat the sugar can heat unevenly or even burn, but over low heat it can crystallize. That’s because there will be enough heat to evaporate the water, but not enough to melt the sugar, so the sucrose molecules
can bond. We melt the sugar over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat to low to prevent it from burning.

Technique

"Tips" to Avoid

As long as you cook the sugar over a hot enough flame, it will melt, so skip these common caramel techniques.

STIRRING: Stirring the sugar to help it melt isn’t necessary. We simply swirl the pan occasionally as the syrup cooks to even out hot spots.
WASHING/COVERING: Brushing the walls of the pot with a wet pastry brush and covering the saucepan to create condensation are both meant to “rinse” away any sugar molecules that might be clinging to the sides, but they will melt eventually anyway.

Technique

TECHNIQUE: TAKING THE TEMPERATURE OF CARAMEL

Before inserting an instant-read thermometer (which we prefer to a candy thermometer) into the caramel, swirl the caramel to even out any hot spots. Then tilt the pot so that the caramel pools 1 to 2 inches deep and move the thermometer back and forth in the caramel for about 5 seconds before taking a reading. If using a clip-on thermometer, swirl the caramel for at least 15 seconds and tilt the caramel toward the probe.

Technique

Perfecting the Caramel Filling

Our caramel filling is soft enough to spread on the cake layers but not so fluid that it soaks into the cake or drips down the sides of a cut slice.

SOFT, BUT NOT RUNNY

Technique

Do I Really Need to Use Parchment Paper?

It may sound like overkill, but the most effective way to ensure that a cake releases cleanly from a baking pan is to grease the pan, line it with parchment paper, and then grease and flour the parchment and pan sides. The parchment guarantees that the cake pulls away from the pan bottom completely, and a coat of grease and flour on the parchment and up the pan sides helps the batter cling and rise and ensures that the parchment pulls away from the cake bottom without removing large crumbs.

GOT STUCK: Just grease and flour.

CLEAN RELEASE: Grease, flour, and parchment.

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Raspberry Charlotte

Why this recipe works:

The classic Charlotte Russe, a grand dessert consisting of a Bavarian cream encased in sponge cake, has fallen out of favor, partly because it’s fussy to make, and partly because lean sponge cake and bouncy gelatinized mousse don’t hold much appeal for modern cooks. In our recipe, we swap the sponge for a simple and quick-baking chiffon cake, which is tender and moist but sufficiently sturdy. Instead of basing our filling on a high-moisture crème anglaise, we use a more foolproof homemade raspberry curd lightened with whipped cream with just enough gelatin to give it structure, and we pack in a full pound of berries for bright fruit flavor. Finishing with a swirl of raspberry jam and fresh berries gives our charlotte visual appeal and an extra jolt of flavor.

Serves 12 to 16

It is fine to use frozen raspberries in the filling. Thaw frozen berries completely before using and use any collected juices, too. It is important to measure the berries for the filling by weight. If you wish to garnish the top of the charlotte with berries, arrange 1 to 1 1/2 cups fresh berries (depending on size) around the edge of the assembled charlotte before refrigerating. For clean, neat slices, dip your knife in hot water and wipe it dry before each slice.

Ingredients

• Filling

• 1 1/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 large egg yolks (reserve whites for cake)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 pound (3 1/4 cups) fresh or thawed frozen raspberries
• 2/3 cup (4 2/3 ounces) sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Pinch salt
• 1 3/4 cups heavy cream

• Jam Mixture

• 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

• Cake

• 2/3 cup (2 2/3 ounces) cake flour
• 6 tablespoons (2 2/3 ounces) sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg plus 3 large egg whites (reserved from filling)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Instructions

1. 
   
   1. FOR THE FILLING: Sprinkle gelatin over water in large bowl and set aside. Whisk egg yolks and cornstarch together in medium bowl until combined. Combine raspberries, sugar, butter, and salt in medium saucepan. Mash lightly with whisk and stir until no dry sugar remains. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until mixture is simmering and raspberries are almost completely broken down, 4 to 6 minutes.
   2. Remove raspberry mixture from heat and, whisking constantly, slowly add 1/2 cup raspberry mixture to yolk mixture to temper. Whisking constantly, return tempered yolk mixture to mixture in saucepan. Return saucepan to medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and bubbles, about 1 minute. Pour through fine-mesh strainer set over gelatin mixture and press on solids with back of ladle or rubber spatula until only seeds remain. Discard seeds and stir raspberry mixture until gelatin is dissolved. Set aside, stirring occasionally, until curd is slightly thickened and reaches room temperature, at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour 15 minutes.
   3. FOR THE JAM MIXTURE: Sprinkle gelatin over lemon juice in small bowl and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Heat jam in microwave, whisking occasionally, until hot and fluid, 30 to 60 seconds. Add softened gelatin to jam and whisk until dissolved. Set aside.
   4. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 8-inch round cake pan and 8-inch square baking pan, line with parchment paper, and lightly grease parchment. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl. Whisk oil, whole egg, water, and vanilla into flour mixture until smooth batter forms.
   5. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer one-third of egg whites to batter; whisk gently until mixture is lightened. Using rubber spatula, gently fold remaining egg whites into batter.
   6. Pour 1 cup batter into round pan and spread evenly. Pour remaining batter into square pan and spread evenly. Place pans on rimmed baking sheet and bake until cakes spring back when pressed lightly in center and surface is no longer sticky, 8 to 11 minutes (round cake, which is shallower, will be done before square cake). Cakes should not brown.
   7. Let cakes cool in pans on wire rack for 5 minutes. Invert round cake onto wire rack. Carefully remove parchment, then reinvert onto second wire rack. Repeat with square cake. Let cool completely, at least 15 minutes.
   8. Place round cake in center of serving platter. Spread with 2 tablespoons jam mixture. Place ring from 9-inch springform pan around cake, leaving equal space on all sides. Leave clasp of ring slightly loose. Using sharp chef’s knife, trim 1/8 inch off all edges of square cake. Spread square cake with 2 tablespoons jam mixture. Cut cake in half. Cut each half lengthwise into two pieces to make four equal-size long strips. Place cake strips vertically around round cake, jam side in, taking care to nestle ends together neatly. Fasten clasp of springform ring.
   9. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip cream on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer one-third of whipped cream to curd; whisk gently until mixture is lightened. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in remaining cream until mixture is homogenous.
   10. Pour filling into cake ring and spread evenly to edge. (Surface of filling will be above edge of cake.) Drizzle remaining jam mixture over surface of filling. Using knife, swirl jam through surface of filling, making marbled pattern. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours or up to 24 hours.
   11. To unmold, run thin knife around edge of ring (just 1/2 inch down). Release ring and lift to remove. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
   
   
   

Technique

The Many Forms of Flawed Charlottes

While the components of tender sponge cake and creamy fruit filling were a constant in all the charlotte recipes we tried, how the two came together varied. In the end, all the traditional recipes that we tried looked quite different, yet they all had serious flaws.

DOESN'T BEAR FRUIT: Lacks fruit flavor.

ROLL ON BY: Requires ultrafussy jelly roll cake.

LEAK-PRONE: Filling seeps out.

Technique

Making Raspberry Charlotte

MAKE CURD: Prepare and strain raspberry curd. Set aside and stir occasionally.

PREPARE JAM MIXTURE: While curd cools, prepare jam and gelatin mixture and set aside.

BAKE CAKES: Bake cakes and let them cool completely.

PREPARE BASE AND SIDES: Spread cakes with jam, cut square cake into strips, and assemble in pan.

ADD FILLING: Whip cream and fold into curd; then pour filling into cake-lined pan.

SWIRL AND GARNISH: Drizzle remaining jam mixture over cake and swirl. Garnish with berries.

Technique

Bye-Bye Bounce

Traditionally, charlotte russe’s filling is a Bavarian cream, in which a custard sauce known as crème anglaise gets combined with gelatin, whipped cream, and a fruit puree. The problem is that crème anglaise is so fluid that the filling requires a lot of gelatin to make it sliceable—which in turn creates an unappealing bouncy consistency. The solution? Instead of the usual crème anglaise as the main component of the filling, we turned to a fruit curd. The curd naturally has a more set—but not bouncy—consistency, so we were able to use less gelatin to get the necessary texture.

UH-OH: JELL-O
Most fillings are overloaded with gelatin, giving them an unappealing bouncy texture.

Technique

Piece(s) of Cake

Surrounding a charlotte’s creamy filling with sponge cake ladyfingers, as is often depicted in classic representations of this old-world dessert, certainly seems elegant. But in reality, the ladyfingers don’t work that well—the filling seeps between the gaps, plus they taste lean and their texture is chewy. In our recipe, we swap the sponge for a more tender and rich chiffon cake. We bake part of it in a round cake pan and the rest in a square pan. The round cake serves as the base, while we cut the square cake into strips that fit snugly around its perimeter.

SPRINGFORM PAN: The charlotte is constructed inside the ring of the springform pan, right on the serving platter.

A SQUARE FOR THE SIDES: An 8-inch square cake is cut into four strips and used to line the sides of the pan.
JAM ON THE INSIDE: A mixture of jam, gelatin, and lemon juice is spread onto the cakes before assembly.

A ROUND BASE: A thin 8-inch round cake serves as the bottom of our charlotte.

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Simple Pot-Au-Feu

Why this recipe works:

To simplify and streamline pot-au-feu, we used easy-to-find, affordable chuck-eye roast in place of a range of hard-to-find cuts of beef and veal, pork sausage, and chicken. To capture the savory, buttery qualities that bone marrow imparts to a traditional broth, we cooked inexpensive marrow bones (often labeled soup bones) with the beef and then used the marrow left behind after cooking in a finishing sauce of minced herbs, mustard, and minced cornichons. Using less liquid to turn this traditional boiled dinner into a braise created a more concentrated broth. For a clear broth without the fuss, we skipped the skimming step most recipes require and simply kept the pot at a gentle simmer, which we guaranteed by transferring the pot to a low oven.

Serves 6 to 8

Marrow bones (also called soup bones) can be found in the freezer section or the meat counter at most supermarkets. Use small red potatoes measuring 1 to 2 inches in diameter.

Ingredients

• Meat

• 1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) boneless beef chuck-eye roast, pulled into two pieces at natural seam and trimmed
• Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 pounds marrow bones
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 celery rib, sliced thin
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns

• Parsley Sauce

• 2/3 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup minced fresh chives
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 10 cornichons, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper

• Vegetables

• 1 pound small red potatoes, halved
• 6 carrots, halved crosswise, thick halves quartered lengthwise, thin halves halved lengthwise
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
• Kosher salt and pepper
• Flake sea salt

Instructions

1. 
   
   1. FOR THE MEAT: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Season beef with 1 tablespoon salt. Using 3 pieces of kitchen twine per piece, tie each into loaf shape for even cooking. Place beef, bones, onion, celery, bay leaves, and peppercorns in Dutch oven. Add 4 cups cold water (water should come halfway up roasts). Bring to simmer over high heat. Partially cover pot and transfer to oven. Cook until beef is fully tender and sharp knife easily slips in and out of meat (meat will not be shreddable), 3 1/4 to 3 3/4 hours, flipping beef over halfway through cooking.
   2. FOR THE PARSLEY SAUCE: While beef cooks, combine all ingredients in bowl. Cover and set aside.
   3. Remove pot from oven and turn off oven. Transfer beef to large platter, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and return to oven to keep warm. Transfer bones to cutting board and use end of spoon to extract marrow. Mince marrow into paste and add 2 tablespoons to parsley sauce (reserve any remaining marrow for other applications). Using ladle or large spoon, skim fat from surface of broth and discard fat. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into large liquid measuring cup; add water to make 6 cups. Return broth to pot. (Meat can be returned to broth, cooled, and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Skim fat from cold broth, then gently reheat and proceed with recipe.)
   4. FOR THE VEGETABLES: Add potatoes to broth and bring to simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 6 minutes. Add carrots and cook 10 minutes longer. Add asparagus and continue to cook until all vegetables are tender, 3 to 5 minutes longer.
   5. Using slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to large bowl. Toss with 3 tablespoons parsley sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Season broth with salt to taste.
   6. Transfer beef to cutting board, remove twine, and slice against grain 1/2 inch thick. Arrange servings of beef and vegetables in large, shallow bowls. Dollop beef with parsley sauce, drizzle with 1/3 cup broth, and sprinkle with flake sea salt. Serve, passing remaining parsley sauce and flake sea salt separately.
   
   
   

Technique

One Cut is Plenty

Most pot-au-feu recipes call for a slew of different meats. To streamline, we settled on just one cut: chuck-eye roast, which delivers tender, beefy-tasting meat with a fraction of the effort or expense required by many classic renditions. This roast also needs very little prep.

Pull the roast apart at the seam to make two smaller roasts and then trim any large knobs of fat.

Technique

Bone Up for Better Broth

One thing our chuck-eye roast didn’t deliver was the silky body and almost buttery flavor of a broth made from bone-in cuts. The solution was simple: Add marrow bones. The soft tissue found inside the bones is packed with the amino acids responsible for meaty, umami flavors. It also contains the volatile compound diacetyl, a component of natural butter flavor, and brings a subtle buttery taste to the broth. As an added bonus, at the end of cooking, we scrape the marrow from the bones and stir it into our sauce to give it a beefy, rich boost.

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Quick Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

Why this recipe works:

Wanting to create a simple sauce that would provide a boost of flavor and richness to quick-cooking chicken breast cutlets, we found inspiration in the classic Spanish sauce romesco. We started with a base of oil-toasted bread and nuts, which added richness and texture. To keep things simple, we then added a combination of boldly flavored jarred and no-cook ingredients to build up the sauce. A final addition of herbs and spices created a complex flavored sauce that could be made in about 5 minutes.

Makes about 1 cup

For the best taste and texture, make sure to rinse all the dried herbs off the sun-dried tomatoes.

Ingredients

• 1/2 slice hearty white sandwich bread, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
• 1 small tomato, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. 
   
   Heat bread, pine nuts, and 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat; cook, stirring constantly, until bread and pine nuts are lightly toasted, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer bread mixture to food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped, about 5 pulses. Add tomato, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, vinegar, salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil to processor. Pulse until finely chopped, 5 to 8 pulses. Transfer to bowl and let stand, at least 10 minutes. (Sauce can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated in airtight container.)

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Savory Corn Muffins

Why this recipe works:

For a corn muffin with great cornmeal flavor and proper muffin structure, we used a ratio of 2 parts cornmeal to 1 part flour. We ditched the copious amount of sugar found in most recipes for a truly savory muffin. 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. By hydrating and gelling the starch in the cornmeal, we trapped free water and produced a supermoist muffin.

Makes 12 Muffins

We developed this recipe with our preferred cornmeal, Arrowhead Mills Organic Yellow Cornmeal. Other cornmeals will work in the recipe, but don’t use coarse-ground or white cornmeal.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (10 ounces) cornmeal
• 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1 cup sour cream
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten

Instructions

1. 
   
   1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 12-cup muffin tin. Whisk 1 1/2 cups cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl.
   2. Combine milk and remaining 1/2 cup cornmeal in large bowl. Microwave milk-cornmeal mixture for 1 1/2 minutes. Whisk thoroughly and continue to microwave, whisking every 30 seconds, until thickened to batter-like consistency (whisk will leave channel in bottom of bowl that slowly fills in), 1 to 3 minutes longer. Whisk in sour cream, melted butter, and sugar until combined. Whisk in eggs until combined. Fold in flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Using portion scoop or large spoon, divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups (about 1/2 cup batter per cup; batter will mound slightly above rim).
   3. Bake until tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 13 to 17 minutes, rotating muffin tin halfway through baking. Let muffins cool in muffin tin on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from muffin tin and let cool 5 minutes longer. Serve warm.

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