Hummus Perfected Warm.Whipped

Home , Calvados, Carpaccio, Corn stew, Lablabi, Papas arrugadas, Polenta

H E R O P K T I M S B I A R | L Jerk-Rubbed Traybake Chicken Rich & Simple French Apple Cake H L C

✩

K H

O A Amatriciana | Caramel-Braised Chicken O Rome’s Robust Vietnam’s N C G E U O T H Y E W A Y

CHANGE THE WAY YOU COOK

◆ THE NEW HOME COOKING SPECIAL ISSUE ◆

Hummus Perfected Warm.Whipped. Drizzled.

Kitchen Guide: Sweeteners, measured up … Weeknight Easy Thai Fried Rice

19_MSM_Sample_FrontCover_CTWYC.indd 1 3/18/20 3:28 PM ◆ Special Issue Christopher Kimball’s MILK STREET Magazine The New Home Cooking ◆ RECIPE INDEX

Rigatoni with Roman Broccoli Sauce In which broccoli becomes a light and silky pasta sauce ��6 Whole-Roasted Cauliflower Simply seasoned, tender and lightly charred: Cauliflower perfected �� 7 Salt-Crusted Potatoes (Papas Arrugadas) Wrinkled and salty outside, tender and creamy inside: Tenerife’s potatoes �� 8 Salt-Crusted Potatoes...... Page 8 French Apple Cake...... Page 29 Pasta all’Amatriciana In Rome, red sauce is rich, robust and ... barely there? �� 10 Chickpea and Harissa Soup (Lablabi) In Tunisia, soup is rich, bright, loaded with chickpeas and assembled in the bowl ��11 Charred Brussels Sprouts with Garlic Chips Crunchy slivers of garlic punch up the flavor—and texture—of sprouts �� 13 Thai Fried Rice Andy Ricker makes the case for fried rice as a weeknight staple ��14 Sichuan Chicken Salad Bashing more flavor into chicken salad ��16 Hummus (Hummus Masabacha) Real hummus is warm, whipped and drizzled �� 17 Hummus (Hummus Masabacha)...... Page 17 Guatemalan Salsa (Chirmol) Rigatoni with Roman Broccoli Sauce....Page 6 Charred jalapeños and chipotle add smoke to a simple salsa ��21 Shaved Zucchini and Herb Salad with Parmesan Revisiting raw zucchini’s Italian roots ��21 Roasted Chicken, Three Ways For boldly flavored, weeknight-friendly chicken, break out the sheet pan �� 22 Soft Polenta From northern Italy, a light, creamy polenta that actually tastes like corn ��23 Italian Flatbread (Piadina) Fresh homemade bread on a weeknight? The Italians show us how it’s done ��26 Pasta with Sweet Corn, Tomatoes and Basil Grating fresh corn—and saving the cobs—creates a light, creamy pasta sauce �� 28 Roasted Chicken, Three Ways...... Page 22 French Apple Cake Soft Polenta...... Page 23 To make a more casual apple pie, lose the crust ��29 [ EVERY I SSUE] Meze: Lessons and discoveries from Milk Street �� 2 Tuesday Nights at Milk Street: Casual dinners. Fast. �� 4 Cookie: Inspired by Nutella, a triple-chocolate indulgence ��30 Kitchen Counts: Taking the measure of sweeteners ��30 Cocktails: The not-so-sweet side of a better sangria ��31 Off the Air:Questions from Milk Street Radio, answered �� 32 Sketchbook: Simple tips for better knifework �� 33

Front Cover Photo: Joyelle West; Styling: Christine Tobin Chickpea and Harissa Soup...... Page 11 Front Cover Illustration: Bill Sanderson; Back Cover Photo: Noam Moskowitz Shaved Zucchini and Herb Salad...... Page 21

Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street in downtown Boston—at 177 Milk Street—is home how we cook by searching the world for bold, simple recipes and techniques that to our editorial offices and cooking school. It is also where we recordChristopher are adapted and tested for home cooks everywhere. For more information, go to Kimball’s Milk Street television and radio shows. Milk Street is devoted to changing 177MilkStreet.com.

19_MSM_Sample_TOC.indd 2 10/24/18 10:52 AM christopher kimball’s m i l k s t r e e t Magazine

[ EDITOR’S NOTE] C hristopher K imball Welcome to Milk Street President and Founder Christopher Kimball harlie bentley used We think of recipes as belong- Media Director and Co-Founder to say, “That’s the one ing to a people and place; out Melissa Baldino we’ve been looking for,” siders are interlopers. Milk Street Editorial Director - J.M. Hirsch referring to the last bale of offers the opposite—an invitation Food Editor - Matthew Card C Art Director - Jennifer Baldino Cox hay slung up into the loft. It was to the cooks of the world to sit at Managing Editor - Jenn Ladd celebrated with a black cherry soda the same table. Books & Special Editions Editor - Michelle Locke from the machine at Carl Hess’ A week later, in Saigon, I was Recipe Editor - Dawn Yanagihara Texaco station. picked up outside our hotel on a Staff Writer - Albert Stumm Science Editor - Guy Crosby This special issue of Milk motorbike. Though I had driven Street Magazine also is “the one a taxi in New York City, this Magazine Design - Joe Dizney Production Manager - A.K. Summers we’ve been looking for,” particu- 20-minute journey was heart-in- Associate Art Directors - Brianna Coleman, larly if you’ve been looking for a mouth. Intersections were vehicular Devin Sullivan

new way to cook. Generally, I’m Russian roulette, a game of chicken Director of Recipe Development - Diane Unger no fan of shortcuts or bold prom- at every corner. Kitchen Director - Erin Register ises, so when someone offers to We made it to a ground-floor Senior Recipe Developer - Erika Bruce Recipe Developers - Courtney Hill, make cooking easier and better, apartment where I was introduced Phoebe Maglathlin, Julia Rackow my skeptical nature demands an to a local cooking teacher. She was Contributing Recipe Developers - Bianca Borges, explanation. patient and taught me to make a Lynn Clark, Laura Russell Culinary Assistants - Rose Hattabaugh, I’ve cooked the food of my New England child- variety of dumplings in a kitchen that was little Angie Marvin hood for over half a century, followed by all things more than a table and two small propane burners. French, a taste of Italian, as well as occasional for- Slowly, I started to feel at home: the slicing, the Director of Education - Rosemary Gill Culinary Instructors - Josh Mamaclay, ays into Mexican, Moroccan, Indian and Asian. My shaping, the shared effort. I was the novice, and a Catherine Smart, Liz Vena world was mostly northern European fare, a cuisine cook halfway around the world was the expert. Media Relations Director - Deborah Broide based on meat, heat, bread and root vegetables. It is Brand Development - Christopher Johnson a cuisine almost entirely devoid of spices, one that didn’t return home to cook authentic Viet- Vice President of Marketing - David Mack uses a limited palette of herbs, fermented sauces, I namese cuisine. I did, however, return a better Director of Underwriting - Lisa Hensiek Television and Video Producer - Carly Helmetag chilies and strong ingredients, such as ginger. It is a cook. I learned to use a cleaver for slicing and not Radio Producer - Annie Sinsabaugh cuisine based on technique, building flavors using just chopping, to use meat as a flavoring, to think of Associate Producer - Jackie Noack classic cooking methods. herbs as greens and not just accents, and to appreci- Digital Marketing Manager - Stephanie Menezes Digital Content Director - Evan Petto Ten years ago, I was driving into Hanoi from ate salty, bitter and sweet in new combinations. Digital Content Coordinator - Lian Parsons the airport. We overtook a sea of motorbikes, some Milk Street is about that moment in that kitchen Executive Assistant - Christine Gordon with crates of pigs on the back, one with a middle- in that city and the thousands of other moments we Director of Culinary Engagement Jacqueline Grady Smith aged man balancing lumber on his shoulder, and will experience in the coming years. Ethnic food is Office Manager - Maria DeRobertis several bearing whole families precariously perched, dead; it smacks of the sin of colonialism. This is a Circulation Director - Stuart Jordan grasping hard and buffeted by the wind. It was a culinary—not cultural—exchange. There are endur- Circulation Manager - Beth Freeman Reynolds Business Consultant - Matt Sutton foreign shore. ing kitchen values that travel easily from Saigon to Then I ate the food. Lemon grass with clams. Kiev to Jerusalem to Quito to London to New York. Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Cooking School offers cooking instruction at 177 Milk Street Pho. A breakfast banh mi. Roadside stalls selling I recently spoke with Naomi Duguid, author of in Boston. For our curriculum and schedule, go grilled foods like eggs in the shell and sweet potato. “Taste of Persia.” In Armenia she was hiking to 177milkstreet.com/cookingschool. Mango and papaya. The salads. Hot, sweet, salty through an apple orchard and was invited home by Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Radio is broad- and bitter. Broth and noodles. Coffee with condensed a local family. They lovingly prepared a single apple, cast weekly on public radio stations nation- milk and raw egg. slicing it neatly, arranging it on their best plate. wide. Our weekly podcast is available on The realization dawned slowly. There is no And in the twilight, without a common language, iTunes. For more, go to milkstreetradio.com. “ethnic” cooking. It’s a myth. It’s just dinner or Naomi ate the apple. And as she told me the story, Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television airs lunch served somewhere else in the world. she cried. weekly on public television stations nationwide. I’m from Vermont (at least my soul tells me so) This is why Naomi travels and writes cookbooks. To receive free recipes from Milk Street or and I have taken continuity of place and tradition Cooking is not pedantic. It’s elusive, magical and Christopher Kimball’s Swearing Hill News, sign as a tenet for the good life. The happiest among us, alive with the poetry of life. And food is the common up at 177milkstreet.com/newsletter. I’ve found, usually are from somewhere. It matters. language. All food is everyone’s food. Printed in the U.S.A.

Illustration: John Dykes John Illustration: But when it comes to food, let me propose new rules. Welcome to Milk Street. ◆

19_MSM_Sample_EdLetter.indd 1 10/24/18 10:53 AM christopher kimball’s m i l k s t r e e t Magazine

Meze Small Bites from Milk Street

than potato chips. The taste is savory but never fishy. Our favorite brand was The Golden Duck, which seasons its skins with curry leaves and chilies. Available online at Umeboshi TheGoldenDuck.co. plums add sour flavor to treats such as onigiri. The Sour ate in Cartagena—in the Side of Airport marinade for ceviche, as Snacks the cooking liquid for coconut rice, in the sauce assing through the for chicken and fish, Tokyo airport recently, P and as a mixer in street- we were drawn to the side cocktails served in tremendous array of snacks coconut shells. We learned based on salty-sour firsthand how Colombian Homemade wasabi cherries add sweet heat to cocktails, cheeses and charcuterie. umeboshi plums. The cooks make fresh coconut tiny, tart fruits are typically milk: with a half moon- where the go-to salty- salt-pickled, then served— shaped box grater called Sweet Heat Salty. Crunchy. crunchy snack is fish skin whole or as a paste—with a rallador de coco. The e love the sharp heat that’s coated with salted white rice. But at Narita Fishy? rounded edge makes it of wasabi on peas, egg yolk, then fried. International Airport, we W he potato chip has ideal for grating husked almonds and—of course— They may sound odd, found them transformed delicious competition wedges of coconut. Once sushi. But we’d never T but the salted yolks— into honey-soaked pickles, in Singapore, grated, cooks mix the flesh considered cherries. a Chinese ingredient made hard candies, kid-friendly with water, then wring out At Smoke & Mirrors, by dry-curing yolks in fruit leathers and—our and strain the milk. The a cocktail bar salt—give the crisps a favorite—umeboshi perched on the roof deeply savory flavor that’s onigiri, a triangular treat of Singapore’s richer, yet somehow lighter of tender, sweet white National Gallery, head rice stuffed with umeboshi bartender Yugnes Susela paste and wrapped in nori makes wasabi cherries seaweed. A wide variety by mixing wasabi paste of umeboshi candies and into amarena cherries. The chews are available on housemade garnish adds a Amazon. sweet-heat kick to the bar’s signature martini. We also liked them with an old Making Fresh fashioned or accompanying cheeses and charcuterie. Coconut Milk To make them, mix oconut milk flows 1¼ teaspoons wasabi paste Cfreely in Colombia’s into ½ cup amarena Egg-battered fish skins are coastal cuisine. It turned The rallador de coco is

cherries and their syrup. a go-to snack in Singapore. up in nearly every meal we used to make coconut milk. Photos: Connie Miller of CB Creatives (wasabi cherries, fish skin crisps); J.M. HirschMichael (umeboshi Maryanoff onigiri); (coconut grater); Styling: ChristineTobin

19_MSM_Sample_Meze.indd 2 10/24/18 10:54 AM christopher kimball’s m i l k s t r e e t Magazine

“ Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.”— M ark T wain

cook who taught us, in the spoons—China crafted the village of San Basilio de gaiwan, a vessel for R eader Q uestion Palenque, repeats the loose-leaf tea that acts as process up to six times; both a teapot and a teacup. the first batch of coconut Its three parts—cup, lid A Primer on Paprika milk has the fullest and saucer—fit neatly Many of your associated with Hungary body and best flavor. together and can be held in Q: recipes call or Spain. Hungarian Though ralladors de coco one hand. Using a gaiwan for specific varieties paprika tends to be the aren’t widely available is simple. Place a small of paprika—sweet, most flavorful; it’s here, Microplane makes amount of tea leaves in the smoked or hot. But at the usually identified as handheld curved paddle cup, pour hot water over supermarket, I often sweet or hot on the graters for $16.95. them, cover, then allow the can only find smoked or package. Use it for a tea to steep. To strain, hold unspecified “paprika.” bold hit of flavor. the flared cup between your How should I handle this? Smoked Spanish Anise and sparkling wine An Ancient thumb and middle finger, paprika—pimentón are a surprisingly good pair. —Pat Henderson, clamping down the lid de la Vera—packs a Tool for Jacksonville, with your forefinger, and deep smoky flavor and Florida Loose-Leaf Tea either pour the tea into can vary from mild another cup or sip straight Of Bubbles and uring the Ming We agree—those to hot (see our sidebar from the gaiwan. Gaiwans dynasty—centuries Black Licorice unmarked tins on pimentón de la Vera, D are made of porcelain, A: before the invention of iscovering new flavor and bottles can be page 7, for more detail). clay, celadon and glass; tea balls, steeping mugs, combinations is part of confusing, making it It’s a common flavoring porcelain versions won’t D filter baskets and infuser the joy of travel. But we hard to know what for paella and chorizo. stain and are easy to clean. weren’t so sure about the you’re getting. So let’s Most supermarket Among other vendors, black licorice served start with the basics. brands identified solely ArtofTea.com sells a alongside Champagne as All paprika is made as “paprika” are sweet 4-ounce white a starter at ROK—a chic from dried red peppers. paprika, which has a porcelain gaiwan for Reykjavik restaurant. Until Whether it’s hot or milder, less robust flavor $12.50. we tried them. The taste of sweet depends on the than pure Spanish or the tender, lightly sweet variety of pepper Hungarian paprika. It’s anise lingered as we sipped used and if the seeds likely a blend. If you the dry sparkling wine. were removed. only have sweet paprika We were surprised by how Though paprika but a recipe calls for hot,

wonderfully they comple- originated in Latin add a pinch of cayenne mented one another, America, it is often to the paprika. ◆ creating a flavor reminiscent of a floral gingerbread. We were even more surprised A gaiwan can double as a teapot when we dropped a piece of and a teacup. licorice directly into our glass—and loved it. ◆

Milk Street Basics At Milk Street we: ■ Use salted butter; it tastes better and has just ¼ teaspoon salt per stick. Adjust recipe seasoning if using unsalted. ■ Use Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Store in a container on the counter. For Morton kosher salt, which has a denser grain, reduce the volume to just over half of what is called for. For table salt, use exactly half. ■ Measure flours in grams. We use Gold Medal unbleached all-purpose flour at 130 grams per cup; King Arthur whole-wheat flour at 140 grams; bread flour at 137 grams; and cake flour at 120 grams.■ Use large eggs. ■ Use 2 tablespoons kosher salt per 4 quarts of

Illustrations: John Dykes (Mark Twain); Ross MacDonald (reader question); Photos: Connie Miller of CB Creatives (gaiwan,water champagne with licorice); Styling: Christine Tobin to cook pasta and blanch vegetables. ■ Use instant yeast (also called rapid-rise and quick-rise). ◆

19_MSM_Sample_Meze.indd 3 10/24/18 10:54 AM christopher kimball’s m i l k s t r e e t Magazine Tuesday Nights

Gruyère and Chive Omelet with Mustard Croutons his omelet—inspired by chef Judy T Rodgers—pairs croutons with eggs. Whisk 8 large eggs, 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives and ½ teaspoon each salt and black pepper. In a large nonstick skillet over medium, melt 4 tablespoons salted butter. Stir in cup dry white wine and ¼ cup whole-grain mustard. Cook until the liquid evaporates and begins to sizzle. Transfer to a medium bowl, then toss with 2 cups crusty white bread (torn into ½-inch pieces). Return to the pan and cook over medium until golden and crisp, then set aside. Wipe out the pan. Set it over medium-high and melt another 2 tablespoons butter. Add Paprika-Rubbed Pork the eggs and use a spatula to draw the edges Caramel-Braised Chicken toward the center and gently stir, working wo types of paprika give this pork your way around the edge of the pan. Cook with Ginger and Lime tenderloin smoke and spice. Heat the oven T until soft curds form on top and the bottom his vietnamese caramel chicken to 450°F. In a large bowl, combine 1 table- sets but is not browned, about 1 minute. Off T offers multiple layers of flavor: salty, spoon sweet paprika, 2 teaspoons hot heat, sprinkle 1 cup shredded Gruyère over sweet, smoky and bitter. In a large skillet smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons minced fresh top. Cover and let stand until the cheese over medium-high, combine 1 tablespoon thyme two and 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Add melts and the omelet’s surface sets, about coconut water and ¼ cup white sugar. Boil, 1-pound pork tenderloins (halved crosswise) 3 minutes. Slide onto a cutting board, then stirring, until golden at the edges, about and rub the mixture into the meat. Let sit at scatter the bread over half. Fold in half, then 3 minutes. Reduce to medium and cook, room temperature for 15 minutes. In a large cut into wedges and top with more chives. ◆ swirling the pan but without stirring, until oven-safe skillet over medium-high, heat the sauce is mahogany in color and smokes 2 tablespoons neutral oil until shimmering. lightly, another 4 to 5 minutes. Off heat, Add the pork and brown on all sides, 4 minutes; stir in 3 tablespoons fish sauce. Set over transfer to the oven and roast until the center medium and stir in another ½ cup coconut reaches 140°F, 9 to 12 minutes; transfer to a water. Add ½ cup thinly sliced shallots and plate. Meanwhile, add 6 sliced garlic cloves to cup matchstick-cut fresh ginger. Bring the pan and cook over medium-high, stirring, to a simmer, then cover and cook over low 1 minute. Stir in 2 teaspoons honey and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in 2 pounds boneless, until just darkened in color. Add ¾ cup low- skinless chicken thighs cut into 1½-inch sodium chicken broth and simmer until chunks. Cover and cook over medium, reduced and thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar and sim- Uncover, increase to medium-high and mer for 30 seconds. Gradually add 6 table- simmer vigorously until the chicken is glazed, spoons salted butter, swirling after each addition. about 8 minutes. Off heat, stir in a bit of Off heat stir in a bit of chopped parsley. Thinly chopped fresh cilantro, 1 small jalapeño slice the meat and drizzle with the sauce. ◆ (sliced) and 1 tablespoon each lime zest and lime juice. Top with more cilantro and

All featured recipes make 4 servings serve with steamed rice and lime wedges. ◆ Photos: Connie Miller of CB Creatives; Styling: Christine Tobin

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Dinner. Fast. Bold. Casual.

Cashew-Coconut Meatballs Creamy Fennel and White with Spiced Tomato Sauce Bean Soup with Bacon his take on indian kofta gets ureed fennel adds a rich, herb-like T richness from cashews and coconut. Pdepth to this creamy white bean soup. In a large skillet over medium, toast ½ cup In a large Dutch oven, cook 8 ounces finely unsweetened shredded coconut until chopped bacon until crisp. Set aside on a golden. Transfer to a large bowl. In the pan paper towel-lined plate. Pour off all but over medium, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons of fat, then return the pot to then sauté 1 chopped large yellow onion and medium-low and sauté 2 finely chopped 5 minced garlic cloves until golden. Transfer medium yellow onions, 1 finely chopped to a plate and chill. In a food processor, grind medium fennel bulb, 5 smashed garlic 1¼ cups unsalted roasted cashews; cloves and 2 teaspoons fennel seeds (finely reserve ¼ cup. Add 1½ cups cilantro and ground). Cook until tender, about 8 minutes. process until finely chopped, then add to the Drain and rinse three 15½-ounce cans toasted coconut along with ⅓ cup of the onion cannellini beans. Reserve 1½ cups of them; mixture, 1 pound 85 percent lean ground add the rest to the pot. Add 11 quarts beef, ¼ cup coconut milk, 1 large egg and low-sodium chicken broth, a 4-inch sprig 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon garam masala, Spicy Garlic Soba with Kale fresh rosemary, ½ teaspoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Mix, he combination of garlicky soba and and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Simmer for shape into 16 balls and chill for 10 minutes. T kale yields a hearty one-pot vegetarian 15 minutes. Discard the rosemary. Let the Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the pan, then brown meal. Bring a large pot filled with water to soup cool for 15 minutes. Puree the soup in the meatballs for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the a boil. Add 9 ounces dried soba and cook batches in a blender, adding 1 tablespoon remaining onions, ½ cup coconut milk, until al dente, about 5 minutes. Reserve extra-virgin olive oil to each batch. Return 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ cup of the cooking water, then drain and the soup to the pot and add the reserved ¼ teaspoon pepper and a 14½-ounce can rinse the noodles under cold water. In a small beans. Heat for 10 minutes, then taste and crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil, cover and bowl, whisk together the cooking water, season with salt and pepper. Serve with a chopped simmer over medium-low, 12 to 15 minutes. 1 tablespoon brown sugar and cup soy drizzle of olive oil, the bacon and fresh chives, lemon wedges. Top with cilantro and the rest of the cashews. ◆ sauce. Return the pot to medium-high plus ◆ and melt 2 tablespoons salted butter. Once the foaming subsides, add 2 medium leeks (halved and thinly sliced) and cook until just browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside 3 tablespoons of the leeks, then add 8 minced garlic cloves, 5 teaspoons gochujang (Korean chili paste) and 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 2 pounds lacinato kale (stemmed and cut crosswise into ribbons) and the soy sauce mixture. Cover and cook over medium until the greens are wilted and tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the noodles and continue to cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 2 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowls

Photos: Connie Miller of CB Creatives; Styling: Christine Tobin and top with the reserved leeks. ◆

19_MSM_Sample_TuesNight.indd 5 10/24/18 10:56 AM christopher kimball’s m i l k s t r e e t Magazine

The Italian art of turning broccoli into a silky pasta sauce In Rome, Broccoli Is a Sauce, Not a Side

Story by J.M. Hirsch 1 pound broccoli, stems, florets and leaves separated, stems peeled broccoli sauce is a hard sell Kosher salt and ground black pepper A anywhere in the world, but par- 1½ cups packed baby spinach ticularly in Rome, the city of—let’s be 2 medium garlic cloves, chopped honest—more alluringly simple pas- 4 tablespoons (½ stick) salted butter, tas like cacio e pepe and carbonara. cut into 4 pieces So I expected little from the 1 tablespoon drained capers primo at Pipero Roma—Allesandro ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes Pipero’s posh restaurant not far from 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon the Pantheon—rigatoni dressed spar- zest, divided ingly with a thin, bright green sauce 12 ounces rigatoni pasta I initially mistook for pesto. 1 ounce pecorino Romano or One bite dismissed that notion Parmesan cheese, finely grated but also didn’t provide clarity. The (½ cup), plus more to serve pasta, of course, was perfectly al dente. The sauce, which most definitely was ■ In a large pot, boil 4 quarts water not pesto, was light, tasting as bright and 2 tablespoons salt. Cut the broc- as its hue—thin, clean and herbal, coli stems crosswise into ½-inch but still rich. rounds. Add the stems and leaves to In fact, it tasted little of broccoli. the water and cook until fully tender, Not sulfurous or harsh. Nor raw or about 10 minutes. Stir in the spinach fibrous. Just simple, smooth fresh- and cook until wilted, about 20 sec- ness with rich, savory flavor that lin- onds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer gered behind it. to a blender; reserve ½ cup of cook- It was good enough to draw me ing water. Keep the water at a boil. into the kitchen, where sous chef ■ Cut the broccoli florets into 1- to David Puleio explained how they Broccoli stems and florets become a light and lemony sauce for rigatoni. 1½-inch pieces. Add the florets to the extract such delicate flavor from so boiling water and cook until crisp- robust a vegetable. The answer was challenges. Broccoli leaves are few on color bright. We also found the sauce tender, about 3 minutes. Using the entirely unexpected: broccoli leaves. the crowns sold at U.S. supermarkets. benefited from stirring a bit of the slotted spoon, transfer to a colander In fact, the dish is one of a family An alternative was clearly needed. cheese into it, giving it a richer body and rinse under cold water until cooled. of Italian recipes in which a boldly We considered an entirely new and deeper savory flavor. Again, keep the water at a boil. flavored green vegetable—asparagus is green—spinach—but that was too ■ To the blender, add the garlic, but- another common choice—is blanched grassy. Instead, we worked with what Rigatoni with Roman ter, capers, pepper flakes, ¾ teaspoon until tender, then pureed with simple was available and abundant: the broc- Broccoli Sauce salt, 1 tablespoon lemon zest and the seasonings and a bit of starchy pasta coli stalks. Peeled of their tough skins, reserved cooking water. Puree until cooking water. they pureed wonderfully after a brief Start to finish: 35 minutes | Servings: 4 smooth and bright, 30 seconds. Taste The result is a light, bright sauce boil, developing the same silky, smooth omans use the leaves that grow and season with salt and pepper. that belies its starting point. The texture I’d had in Rome. R around heads of broccoli to make ■ Stir the rigatoni into the boiling result—and intent—is to enhance We kept the garlic and butter, a flavorful sauce for pasta. In the water and cook until al dente. Reserve rather than cloak the pasta. which gave the sauce a creamier note U.S., most of the leaves are stripped ½ cup of the cooking water, then Pipero Roma’s version was a than olive oil, but favored the ease off before broccoli is sold. Our recipe drain. Return the pasta to the pot simple emulsion of blanched broccoli and convenience of red pepper flakes instead uses the stems, which are and add the broccoli florets, the broc- leaves pureed with butter—an unusual over a fresh chili. But while the flavor equally flavorful and produce a silky coli puree, ¼ cup of the reserved cook- choice in olive oil country—garlic, was good, the color was wan, nothing sauce. Baby spinach keeps the sauce’s ing water, the remaining 1 tablespoon red chili and a splash of water. It like the vibrant green sauce I’d loved color bright and green. lemon zest and the cheese. came together in minutes, the finish- in Rome. Don’t undercook the broccoli ■ Cook over medium, stirring con- ing flourish a bit of the city’s go-to The solution brought us back to stems. We’re accustomed to cooking stantly, until the sauce thickens slightly pecorino Romano cheese. spinach. Just a bit of baby spinach vegetables until crisp-tender, but the and the pasta is well coated, 1 to 2 min- Simple though it was, bringing added to the broccoli brightened the stems here should be cooked until utes. Remove from the heat. Taste

this back to Milk Street presented dish, keeping both the flavor and fully tender. —Kemp Minifie and season with salt and pepper. ◆ Photo: Connie Miller of CB Creatives; Styling: Christine Tobin

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Story by J.M. Hirsch Kosher salt and ground black pepper Fork-tender 2-pound head cauliflower, leaves e rarely appreciate cauli- and seasoned to the core trimmed W flower for what it is. We grill 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil slabs of it and pretend it’s steak. We mash it like potatoes. We even trans- Whole-Roasted Cauliflower ■ Heat the oven to 475°F with a rack form it into pizza crusts. in the upper-middle position. In a But I had to travel to Tel Aviv to 6- to 8-quart pot, bring 4 quarts of discover how good it can be—natu- water to a boil. Add ½ cup salt to the rally sweet and savory, at once meaty water, then carefully lower the cauli- and light—when we finally stop fuss- flower into the pot. Cook for 5 min- ing so much with it. utes (start timing immediately), flip- My unexpected lesson in mini- ping the cauliflower with a spoon malism was learned at Abraxas North, after 2 minutes. Transfer the cauli- the flagship restaurant of Eyal Shani, flower, stem side down, to a colander an Israeli chef for whom simplicity and drain for 10 minutes. itself is a seasoning. The reputation of ■ Transfer, stem side down, to a his cauliflower alone got me in the baking dish. Rub the top with the oil door. In what world is cauliflower a and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon pepper. signature dish? Roast, rotating the dish once or twice Sitting at the bar overlooking the and spooning any oil that accumu- open kitchen of Shani’s airy, funky lates over the cauliflower, until eatery in the heart of the city, a golden brown and a skewer inserted techno beat pumping, I realized the into the center meets no resistance, minimalism didn’t stop at the food. 20 to 25 minutes. There were no plates. Food arrived on ■ Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve sheets of crumpled white parchment. directly in the baking dish, with a When the cauliflower arrived, it spoon for scooping portions. defied every expectation. To start, it — — was whole. Even the leaves were intact. ◆ Spicy Cilantro-Yogurt Sauce And it was entirely unadorned—no (Basbaas) sauces or complex seasonings. Its crown was blistered but not Start to finish: 1 hour (5 minutes active) burnt. Flakes of coarse salt dotted the Two-step cooking makes a whole cauliflower tender inside and crisp outside. Makes 1 cup parchment. When I touched the cau- his simple yogurt-based Somali liflower with my fork, it cleaved eas- Furthermore, the two-step poach- T hot sauce packs a spicy, herbal ily into tender morsels. The flavor then-roast cooking ensures a deeply Whole-Roasted Cauliflower punch. It’s delicious on just about was sweet and savory, a little briny. satisfying contrast of textures. anything, from vegetables to fried The texture was velvety yet crunchy. At Milk Street, we stayed true to Start to finish: 1 hour eggs and grilled chicken. If you’re a It was a picture of contrasts and Shani’s simple method. We found (10 minutes active) | Servings: 4 fan of chili heat, use the seeds of simplicity and needed nothing. Paired that a 2-pound head of cauliflower e tried topping this ten- some—or all—of the serranos. with a crisp Israeli white wine, it worked best. With larger heads, the Wder cauliflower with a variety Don’t use fat-free or low-fat made a meal. A head of cauliflower as exterior overcooked before the inte- of sauces, including hot sauce and Greek yogurt. The flavor is best with a meal: a delicious absurdity. rior was tender. To serve more people, tahini. Our favorite was basbaas, a whole-milk yogurt. Turns out, Shani’s cauliflower is it’s better to cook multiple heads of spicy, herbal sauce from Somalia. —Courtney Hill cooked as simply as it is served. A cauliflower than to use a single larger The cooking times in the recipe are whole head, leaves and all, is plunged one. They should be blanched sepa- for a 2-pound cauliflower. To serve ½ cup whole-milk Greek yogurt into salted boiling water. Just as it rately, but can be roasted at the same more people, cook two 2-pounders ½ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves begins to become tender, it comes time on one baking sheet. rather than a jumbo-size head. ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar out. And there it sits, cooking in the We found that a full ½ cup of Don’t wait to start timing the 3 serrano chilies, stemmed and residual heat, steaming itself dry. kosher salt was needed to properly 5-minute blanch once you place the seeded Once dry, the head is rubbed with season the cauliflower as it poached. cauliflower in the pot. If it’s left in the 1 garlic clove, smashed oil, sprinkled with salt, then roasted. Though we thought it was perfectly water for longer, it will absorb too ¼ teaspoon kosher salt Nothing more. delicious without seasonings beyond much water. And be sure to let the Most cauliflower recipes never salt and pepper, we also liked it driz- cauliflower drain for 10 minutes; if ■ In a blender, puree all the ingredi- season beyond the surface. But Shani’s zled with a bit of tahini or basbaas, roasted right away, the retained water ents until smooth and bright green, saltwater poaching delivers flavor to a cilantro-yogurt hot sauce from creates a soggy texture. about 1 minute. Refrigerate, covered,

Photo: Connie Miller of CB Creatives; Styling:the Christine Tobin very core of the head. It matters. Somalia with a fair amount of heat. —Laura Russell for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days. ◆

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Crisp and salty outside, tender and creamy inside: Papas arrugadas Searching for the Salted Potatoes of Tenerife

Story by Albert Stumm islanders is now the commonest item on menus throughout the Canaries. hold on tight in the back The potatoes usually come with two seat of the 4x4 pickup as the two mojos (dipping sauces, one red, one potato farmers in front bring green) that mix ingredients brought I me ever higher up the volcanic to the islands over the centuries by slopes of Tenerife, the largest of Spain’s the Spanish—like sunflower oil— Canary Islands. with European standards like garlic. We pass rows of terraced fields The red sauce, a tangy puree of chil- cut into the steep mountainside and ies, saffron and paprika, is rich and pull over at about 3,000 feet above pungent, spicy and a little sweet. sea level. It’s my last stop of a three- The green, a mash including cilan- day exploration of salt-boiled papas tro, parsley and almonds, is herbal arrugadas, a rustic finger food that, and bright, fresh and cooling. to the uninitiated, looks like a bowl They sometimes show up on din- of dusty, bite-sized potatoes. Of course, ner plates as a side. But they’re more they are much more. often a snack, bought at beachfront The fields are empty but for the shacks and five-star resorts. rust-colored earth, resting until it’s “It’s the only thing that I must replanted in the winter. We get out to put on the menu,” says César González, take in the view of the Atlantic. From executive chef of the cliffside El our vantage, we are both above and Mirador, a Bali-chic restaurant under below layers of clouds, and fog is a thatched roof. approaching. Like others raised on Tenerife, “At this altitude here, the clouds González swears by one kind of potato, are always with us,” says Anatolio Luis A fine salt crust makes these boiled potatoes as addictive as french fries. the papa bonita. He tells me the best Dominguez. “They water the plants, come—of course—from his home- and the potatoes take what they need from the necessity in the centuries before tourists found the town, Icod de Alto, and from members of the clouds.” black sand beaches on this subtropical playground. Association of the Papa Bonita. It’s a fitting description for papas arrugadas, Back when every home had a garden, cooks I find myself heading from the island’s arid so revered in the Canary Islands that people often washed pots of potatoes in the ocean, then boiled south, around the 12,000-foot Mount Teide, to talk about them as if the potatoes were self-aware. them in seawater, which would evaporate, leaving meet the potato farmers on Tenerife’s lush north- To be clear, papas arrugadas, which simply behind a white film of salt. ern side. The road veers uphill through a series of translates to wrinkled potatoes, are a textbook These days, few people use seawater for papas hairpin turns, and my GPS directs me on a dirt exercise in simplicity done right. A dish born of arrugadas, and what was once a staple for poor shortcut so steep I fear my rented 4-cylinder stick

[ M ilk S treet C OOKI NG S C HOOL ] Why Aren’t Salt-Boiled Spuds Salty? ou’d think potatoes act as a canvas protecting causing it to wrinkle water, we noticed a Ycooked in heavily the starchy flesh inside. slightly. Once the water is difference inside, too. The salted water—as for papas The salt’s electrically drained and the moisture saltwater potatoes were arrugadas—would taste charged ions can’t break evaporates, some salt creamier and more tender. overwhelmingly salty. But through the skin, impeding stays behind on the skin, Why? Salt water boils potato skins, it turns out, the salt from getting inside leaving a fine white crust. at a higher temperature do partly “know” how (imperfections in the skin In theory, the salt than plain water—220°F much salt they need. alter this). As the potato should only affect the skin. versus 212°F. The higher Potato skin consists boils, the salt draws water But when we did side-by- heat gelatinizes the starch mostly of insoluble fiber, out of the skin through side tastings of potatoes more completely, yielding Gathering sea salt in Tenerife made up of polymers that osmosis, shrinking it and boiled in plain and salted creamier results. ◆ Photos: Connie Miller of CB Creatives (top); Michael David Murphy / Alamy (bottom); Styling: Christine Tobin

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shift will tumble backward. I manage Somehow, they’re not that salty. to reach the road and park. It’s colder Instead, they’re satisfying, and so here than at the resorts on the coast. addictive that we plow through a few Making the Canary Islands’ bold mojos Dominguez, the association’s pres- pounds in less than 10 minutes. I lanched slivered almonds, blended smooth, give body and ident, and Judith Delgado, its secre- finally get why they’re so revered. flavor to these dipping sauces, one spicy and the other cooling. tary, greet me. “You went up that This kind of respect for some- B road? In that car?” Delgado hoots as thing so simple has been centuries in she ushers me inside. A bowl of red the making. Papas bonitas have been Mojo Verde mojo is waiting. cultivated in Icod de Alto since con- Delgado points out shelves filled quistadors brought them back from Start to finish: 10 minutes with mesh sacks of different varieties Peru in 1622. Makes 1 cup of papas bonitas, or “pretty potatoes.” “When the conquistadors arrived, 1 large or 2 small poblano chilies Each has a fanciful name. Black lily. the potatoes were hidden,” Domin- (6 ounces), stemmed, seeded guez says. “The Incas said, ‘Take all and cut lengthwise into the gold you want. This is the real quarters The potatoes have been treasure.’” 3 cups packed fresh cilantro transformed: Their leaves and tender stems Salt-Crusted Potatoes ½ ripe avocado, pitted, peeled skins snap between my (Papas Arrugadas) Mojo Picón and chopped ¼ cup blanched slivered teeth, releasing Start to finish: 45 minutes | Servings: 6 Start to finish: 10 minutes almonds, toasted buttery yellow flesh. t’s best to use whole small, Makes 1 cup ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil I lower-starch potatoes, such as fin- 2 large New Mexico chilies, 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon gerlings or Yukon Golds, that are 1 to stemmed, seeded and torn zest, plus 3 tablespoons Egg yolk. Partridge eye. None is par- 1½ inches in diameter. Larger pota- into rough 1-inch pieces lemon juice ticularly attractive—nuggets of vary- toes cut into chunks won’t work. ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted ing shades, most smaller than a golf Cumin seeds added another dimen- ½ cup drained roasted red Kosher salt ball, pitted with cracks and divots. sion of flavor to the cooking liquid. peppers Delgado dumps a bag of bonitas Serve the potatoes with lightly spicy ¼ cup blanched slivered ■ In a 10-inch skillet over into a pot, unceremoniously adds a mojo picón and cooling mojo verde. almonds, toasted medium-high, toast the chilies, couple handfuls of coarse sea salt and Don’t peel the potatoes. The ¼ cup sherry vinegar flipping occasionally with tongs, pours in a few glugs of water. skins hold them together and form a 2 tablespoons drained oil-packed until spotty brown on both sides, “The potato takes the salt that it wrinkly outer layer, a defining char- sun-dried tomatoes about 5 minutes. Remove from needs. It knows exactly how much,” acteristic of papas arrugadas. And 2 large garlic cloves the heat and let cool slightly. Once she says, repeating a line I’ve heard don’t reduce the amount of salt; the 2 teaspoons honey cool to the touch, roughly chop. before about the all-knowing tuber. full amount is needed to form the Kosher salt ■ In a blender, combine the There’s a whiff of scientific basis to that salt crust on the potatoes. chilies, cilantro, avocado, (see sidebar, page 10), and Delgado —Bianca Borges ■ In a 10-inch skillet over almonds, oil, lemon zest and assures me the technique works on medium-high, combine the juice, cumin and ½ teaspoon any small, firm potato (fingerlings 3 pounds fingerling or small chilies and oil. Cook, stirring salt. With the machine running, and Yukon Golds are fine substitutes Yukon Gold potatoes (see note) frequently, until the chilies are stream in 3 tablespoons water for papas bonitas). 2¾ cups kosher salt slightly darkened and the oil and puree until the sauce is thick After 20 minutes, Delgado drains 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted is reddish, 1 to 2 minutes. and creamy. Taste and season the water and returns the pot to the Remove from the heat and let with salt, keeping in mind that heat, tossing the potatoes to disperse ■ In a large Dutch oven over high, cool slightly. the potatoes are salty. ◆ the remaining moisture. We start bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add ■ In a blender, combine the red picking at them too soon, dipping the potatoes, salt and cumin. Cook, peppers, almonds, vinegar, them in the fiery mojo and burning stirring occasionally to dissolve the tomatoes, garlic, honey and our mouths. I find myself craving the salt and adjusting the heat as needed ½ teaspoon salt. Blend until cooling green mojos I’d had elsewhere. to maintain a rapid simmer (not a almost smooth, about 20 seconds. The potatoes have been trans- boil), until a fork inserted into the Add the chilies and their oil. formed: Their skins snap between my largest potato easily slides in and out, With the machine running, stream teeth, releasing buttery yellow flesh. 25 to 30 minutes. in 3 tablespoons water and We nibble and sniff, talking about the ■ Drain the potatoes, then spread puree until the sauce is thick and potatoes like wine. Everyone picks them on a wire rack set on a baking creamy, 45 to 60 seconds. Taste up faint aromas of chestnuts, and sheet. Let dry until a salt crust forms and season with salt, keeping in someone smells fresh butter. I taste on the skins, about 5 minutes. Serve mind that the potatoes are salty.

Illustrations: Kendyll Hillegas Kendyll Illustrations: egg yolk. with mojo sauces. ◆

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noodles. He finished with pecorino 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, Romano and many generous grinds divided of black pepper. In about 15 minutes 3 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, it was on the table. finely chopped Despite the sparing use of, well, 10 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced everything except cheese and pep- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes per, the flavor was intense. It got its ¾ cup dry white wine punch from cooking down and con- 14½-ounce can whole peeled centrating small amounts of tomatoes tomatoes, drained, juices and meat. The result was a sauce with reserved, tomatoes crushed by less liquid but more flavor and coat- hand into small pieces ing power. 1-ounce chunk pecorino Romano For Milk Street’s version, we stuck cheese, plus more finely grated, with Ive’s minimalism, right down to to serve the pasta cooking water. While we typ- 12 ounces spaghetti ically cook pasta in 4 quarts of well- Kosher salt and ground black pepper salted water (“It should taste like seawater,” as Ive put it), for this dish ■ In a 12-inch skillet over medium, we used half that. We also under- heat 1 tablespoon of the oil until shim- cooked the pasta. This upped the mering. Add the pancetta and cook, flavor in two important ways. stirring, until well browned and crisp, First, it concentrated the starch 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, from the noodles; following Ive’s transfer to a paper towel-lined plate example, we used that cooking water and set aside. to thicken and bind the tomatoes. ■ Return the skillet to medium and Second, by only partially cooking add the garlic; cook, stirring, until the pasta in the water, we let it finish light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Less sauce. More flavor. cooking in the sauce, thereby absorb- Stir in the pepper flakes and cook ing a more flavorful liquid. until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add Amatriciana is often topped with the wine, increase to medium-high Pasta all’Amatriciana pecorino Romano cheese, but we and cook, stirring, until most of the wanted it to infuse the entire dish. liquid has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes. The solution was to simmer a chunk Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, A hunk of pecorino in the pasta water gives our Amatriciana deeper flavor. of the cheese with the pasta as it until heated, about 2 minutes. Stir in cooked. Though unconventional, it 3 tablespoons of the reserved tomato Story by J.M. Hirsch to gricia and you have Amatriciana. allowed the cheese to season the pasta juice, then remove from the heat. Done in the Italian-American red throughout, resulting in a more fully ■ Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring ario ive’s pasta all’Amatriciana sauce tradition, Amatriciana is a soupy, flavored finished dish. 2 quarts of water and the pecorino M was unlike any Italian red sauce wet affair. But as Ive worked in his We found that one 14½-ounce can chunk to a boil, stirring occasionally I’d ever tasted. Bright, bold and ... tiny apartment kitchen in the Roman of whole tomatoes (even Italians favor to prevent the cheese from sticking barely there? suburbs—where, clichéd as it sounds, canned varieties for their deeper to the pot. Stir in the pasta and 2 tea- I’d come to Rome to learn one of aromas of garlic, tomatoes and flavor), drained and cooked down, was spoons salt. Cook, stirring often, until the country’s simplest tomato-based roasted meat wafted through the plenty to dress four servings. Like- the pasta is just shy of al dente. Dis- pastas. My teacher was Ive, a retired marble courtyard—it was clear this wise, just 3 ounces of pancetta—more card the pecorino, then drain the pasta artillery colonel in the Italian army would be something else entirely. widely available than guanciale— in a colander set in a large heat-safe who decades ago wrote a Roman cook- Ive’s recipe was a striking and provided ample flavor. bowl; reserve the cooking water. book in France. Because why not? speedy contrast to the sauces I’m ■ Set the skillet over medium-high, As Ive’s house white wine—bought familiar with. A bit of olive oil. A few Pasta all’Amatriciana stir in 1½ cups of the reserved pasta from a fill-your-own-jug counter ounces of guanciale. Four tiny canned water and bring to a simmer. Add nearby—flowed freely into our tum- tomatoes. No more. And no juices. Start to finish: 30 minutes | Servings: 4 the drained pasta, tossing with tongs. blers, he prepared the minimalist Ive cooked it all down until there e sure to purchase thinly Cook, stirring occasionally, until most equation of pasta, tomatoes, guanciale was barely any moisture in the skillet, B sliced pancetta and chop it finely of the liquid has been absorbed, 3 to and pecorino Romano. just a thick, richly aromatic tomato- to ensure that the pieces crisp well. 6 minutes. The dish is a member of the family pork paste. Into this he stirred the Don’t boil the pasta until it’s ■ Off heat, stir in the remaining 2 table of classic Roman pastas, all of which pasta and just enough of its starchy done. Drain it a minute or two shy spoons oil, 2 teaspoons black pep- grew out of cacio e pepe. Add guan- cooking water to loosen the sauce to of al dente; it will continue to cook per and the pancetta. Transfer to a ciale (cured pig jowls) to cacio e pepe coat. The pasta finished cooking in when added to the skillet. serving bowl and serve with grated

and it becomes gricia. Add tomatoes the sauce, its flavor permeating the —Diane Unger pecorino on the side. ◆ Photo: Connie Miller of CB Creatives; Styling: Christine Tobin

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Lablabi: The Best Soup in the World

In Tunisia, a bright, rich chickpea and harissa soup is a midnight snack. And breakfast.

Story by J.M. Hirsch One by one, the men—for most are—are handed brown ceramic soup bowls filled with t’s late. Or rather, it’s early, that predawn 3-inch rough chunks of stale baguette. They push twilight when club kids haven’t made it home their way to the back of the shop, some forced out- and the day’s earliest workers have just left it. side, find a sliver of table on which to balance their IIn Tunisia, that’s the time for a steaming bowl bowls, then methodically rip their bread into bite- of lablabi—a rich but simple soup. size pieces, mounding them back in their bowls. As I make my way into Restaurant Fattoumm They again push to the front, handing their on Tunis’ waterfront, a throng of partiers and bowls back over the counter. The cooks take them, laborers clamors at the counter. Bushels of stale then ladle out chickpeas in a broth rich with garlic baguettes and flaming burners licking pots of and cumin, soaking the bread. Next, they spoon chickpeas line the ochre back wall. on fiery red harissa—the national condiment— The space is so tight in the tiny wedge of a chopped green olives, capers, cumin, a drizzle of shop—a line of patrons stretching out the door— olive oil and—finally—they crack a soft-cooked the cooks embrace as they work, passing ingredi- egg into the soup. It’s an explosion of aroma and ents over, under and around. The air is rich with color—reds, yellows, browns, all glistening with oil. cumin and spice, and heavy with steam from the When I get my own bowl—about $1.40—waves simmering pots. of cumin, fiery spice and savory broth waft upward. Lablabi fuels the days and nights of Tunisia. Thick with chunks of hearty baguette and rich It’s chicken soup comfort spoken with a North Afri- A few simple ingredients—bread, broth and chick- with fiery harissa, lablabi is a personal affair. can dialect. Each bite is fresh and unique, some rich peas—transformed. It encapsulates Tunisian cui- Diners customize it, tearing the bread as they with yolk, others plump with tender chickpeas, still

Photos: Ons Abid sine. For it is not simply soup, served. like, then directing the cook on the add-ins. others soft with brothy baguette. Continued on page 12

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Lablabi fuels the days and nights of Tunisia. A few simple For the soup: 2 quarts water ingredients—bread, broth and chickpeas—transformed. 2 cups dried chickpeas Kosher salt and ground black pepper 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 large yellow onion, chopped 6 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 tablespoons ground cumin, toasted 6 tablespoons harissa 3 quarts low-sodium chicken broth or water 8 ounces crusty white bread, sliced ½ inch thick and torn into bite-size pieces 2 tablespoons lemon juice

For serving: 8 soft-cooked eggs, peeled and halved (see note) ½ cup drained capers ½ cup chopped pitted green olives ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro Extra-virgin olive oil Harissa 2 tablespoons ground cumin, toasted Lemon wedges

■ First, soak the chickpeas. In a large bowl, In Tunisia, lablabi ingredients are mashed in the bowl to form a porridge. We liked them left distinct. combine the water, chickpeas and 2 tablespoons salt. Let soak at room temperature for at least For an older generation, lablabi is hot breakfast. harrisa were perfect. A hit of lemon juice to finish 12 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain the chickpeas For a younger one, it is late-night after-club grub. kept our lablabi tasting bright. and set aside. Like so many of the world’s soups, it was made to ■ To make the soup, in a large Dutch oven, heat use the bits and scraps a kitchen naturally produces. Chickpea and Harissa Soup 2 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add the But unlike the long, low simmers so often used (Lablabi) onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly to draw such ingredients together, lablabi is built golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and in the moment. And because it is composed— Start to finish: 1¼ hours, plus soaking cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the rather than simmered—its flavors and textures Servings: 8 tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it browns, remain pleasantly distinct. or our version of this brothy-bready about 2 minutes. Stir in the cumin and harissa, Fchickpea soup, we used garlic, tomato paste then cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the e loved this approach to soup, a and toasted cumin to bolster the broth’s flavor. chickpeas and broth, then bring to a boil over W method unfamiliar to most Americans. And And instead of using stale bread—as is common in high. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncov- translating it to the home kitchen was less compli- Tunisia—we got more texture and flavor by toast- ered, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas are cated than expected, but it did require us to think ing chunks of crusty bread in a skillet with olive tender, about 1 hour. about soup differently. oil to make croutons. Toasted ground cumin is ■ Meanwhile, in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over Obviously, the chickpeas and broth needed to used in the soup as well as on it; to be efficient, medium, combine the bread, the remaining 3 table- be excellent, for they tie together the entire dish. toast it all at once. In a small, dry skillet over spoons oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occa- This meant starting by soaking dried chickpeas, medium, toast 5 tablespoons ground cumin, stir- sionally, until the bread is crisp and light golden which we cooked with tomato paste, garlic, cumin ring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute, brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat and let and harissa. The result was a rich, bold and aro- then transfer to a small bowl. To make soft-cooked the croutons cool in the pan. Transfer to a bowl. matic broth with just a bit of body. eggs for serving, bring 2 cups water to a simmer in ■ When the chickpeas are tender, remove the pot Since most of us don’t have stale baguette on a large saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Add from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste and hand, we opted to instead tear crusty white bread the desired number of eggs, cover and steam over season with salt and pepper. into pieces and skillet-toast them in olive oil until medium for 7 minutes. Immediately transfer the ■ To serve, place a handful of croutons in each golden and crispy. This gave us bread with the eggs to ice water to stop the cooking. serving bowl. Ladle chickpeas and broth around proper texture as well as a bit more flavor. Don’t forget to soak the chickpeas. Cooked them, then top each portion to taste with soft- With our broth and bread made, the rest was dried chickpeas—which should be soaked for at cooked egg halves, capers, olives, parsley and mostly a matter of assembly. Capers, green olives, least 12 hours—are key to the robust broth. cilantro. Drizzle with oil and garnish to taste with

parsley, cilantro, soft-cooked eggs and plenty of —Diane Unger harissa and cumin. Serve with lemon wedges. ◆ Photo: Connie Miller of CB Creatives; Styling: Christine Tobin

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Dressing up simple roasted sprouts with a crunchy, lemony topping Charred Brussels Sprouts with Garlic Chips

roasted Brussels sprouts. Leftover oil garlic and ½ cup of oil. Cook, stirring, from frying the chips can be used for until uniformly light golden brown, salad dressings or drizzled on pasta 4 to 5 minutes. Set a fine mesh strainer (see sidebar below for more uses). over a small heatproof bowl. Strain The sprouts were best served on a the mixture, then transfer the garlic platter; in a bowl, the sprouts on the chips to a paper towel-lined plate bottom tended to soften as they sat. and season with ¼ teaspoon salt. After trimming the sprouts, you Reserve the oil. should be left with about 1½ pounds. ■ In a large bowl, toss the Brussels Don’t undercook the almond– sprouts with ¼ cup of the reserved lemon grass mixture. Browning it garlic oil. Arrange the sprouts cut well helps tenderize the lemon grass side down on a rimmed baking sheet. and develop toasty flavor. Using a Cook until tender when pierced with heavy-bottomed skillet ensures even a knife and well browned on the cut browning without scorching. sides, 15 to 20 minutes. —Courtney Hill ■ Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the almonds, lemon grass, A topping of slivered almonds, lemon grass and lemon zest, toasted then 20 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 2 teaspoons tossed with roasted Brussels sprouts, gives these tiny brassicas big flavor. sliced (about ½ cup) salt, 1 teaspoon white pepper, the ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon grapeseed sugar and 1 tablespoon of the garlic Story by J.M. Hirsch prior to roasting. or other neutral oil, divided oil. Process until finely chopped, Instead, we thinly sliced 20 cloves Kosher salt and ground white about 45 seconds. e love the deep, rich flavors of garlic, then fried them in oil to pepper ■ In a 12-inch heavy-bottomed W we get from roasting Brussels create savory-sweet chips to sprinkle 2 pounds medium Brussels sprouts, skillet over high, heat the remaining sprouts—and the fact that high over the finished dish. trimmed and halved 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil until begin- temperatures tame their bitter com- The flavor was mellow and the ¼ cup slivered almonds ning to smoke. Add the almond mix- pounds—but the process can leave added crunch was a nice contrast. As 2 lemon grass stalks, ends trimmed, ture, immediately reduce the heat to them feeling heavy. a bonus, this process created a deli- dry outer layers removed and medium-high and cook, stirring con- To keep our sprouts tasting fresh cious garlic-infused oil that we used bottom 8 inches sliced into thin stantly, until fragrant and deep golden and bright, without sacrificing the to toss the Brussels sprouts in before rings (about ¾ cup) brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to depth of roasting, we had to rethink roasting—an easy way to add another 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon grated a large heatproof bowl. how and when we seasoned them. layer of flavor. lemon zest, divided, plus ■ When the sprouts are ready, Normally we do it at the start. But 3 tablespoons lemon juice immediately add them to the almond anything we added burned before Charred Brussels Sprouts (about 2 lemons) mixture along with the lemon juice the sprouts were properly browned. with Garlic Chips 1 teaspoon white sugar and the remaining 1 teaspoon lemon Since that method wasn’t work- zest. Toss, then taste and season with ing, we reversed the order—tossing Start to finish: 30 minutes | Servings: 8 ■ Heat the oven to 500°F with a rack salt and white pepper. Transfer to a the cooked sprouts as soon as they rispy fried garlic chips in the middle position. In a small platter, sprinkle with the garlic chips came out of the oven. For the season- C added a savory note to these saucepan over medium, combine the and drizzle with garlic oil. ◆ ings, we made a crunchy, flavorful mix of slivered almonds, lemon grass and lemon juice and zest that came Ways to Use Your ■ Mixed into salad dressings or ■ Tossed with hot pasta, grated together in a food processor in sec- Extra Garlic Oil vinaigrettes (don’t add any raw Parmesan cheese, red pepper onds; quickly toasting the mixture garlic or shallots) flakes and chopped arugula enhanced its flavors. (The Thai-tinged he infused oil left over from ■ Spooned over blanched hearty ■ Whipped into mayonnaise, combination was inspired by a simi- making garlic chips can be T greens or tossed with roasted Greek yogurt or labneh with fresh lar dish we enjoyed at Angus An’s used to add warm, toasted garlic broccoli or cauliflower herbs for a quick dip Maenam restaurant in Vancouver.) flavor to many dishes. Refrigerate To balance the lemony bright- the oil in an airtight container ■ Drizzled on crusty, rustic bread ■ Blended with minced anchovies ness, we wanted something savory (such as a canning jar) for up to for homemade croutons, crostini and served with raw fennel, Belgian and pungent. The answer was garlic. two weeks. Try it: and bruschetta endive or sugar snap peas ◆

Photo: Connie Miller of CB Creatives; Styling:But Christine Tobin it, too, would burn if added

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Andy Ricker of Pok Pok fame invites us into his Thai home and cooks fried rice Rice. Fried. Fast.

Andy Ricker’s Chiang Mai home is built from teak salvaged from a rice barn. Ricker’s tattoos illustrate common Thai ingredients. He squeezes lime over a dish of fried rice made with pork belly, shallot, garlic, cilantro and scallions. His girlfriend, Kung, was the impromptu sous chef the day we visited.

Story by Christopher Kimball and radically different culinary philosophy. a generous splash of oil. He adds small pieces of Today was reserved for private cooking les- pork belly, then shallot and garlic for a brief turn. ndy ricker’s house in Thailand sits sons, including a wok-fried omelet, fried rice and He pushes that aside and pours in a whisked egg down a ragtag alley half an hour outside kai nung (steamed chicken) with chili paste. to scramble. The rice goes in and is lightly mashed Chiang Mai, fronting fields of corn and A word about Ricker’s kitchen. I am stand- with the other ingredients. A bit of fresh tomato, A eggplant. The house is teak—its wood ing barefoot on a poured concrete floor (he had a tablespoon of soy and fish sauce, a teaspoon of harvested from a rice barn—and classic. The first switched to flip-flops). The kitchen is open-air and sugar, then cilantro and scallions to finish. Total floor is open to the elements and includes a kitch- small; everything is a step or two away. A series of time? Under five minutes. He made his point: The en, dining table and seating area for guests. woks and simple pans hangs from crossbeams. Two ability to move food around from hot oil to cooler Upstairs the space is more European. Ricker large propane burners—the countertop kind—are sides is an advantage skillets don’t offer. had the warren of smaller rooms opened up to connected to a weathered 50-gallon tank under the provide better airflow. A balcony looks toward eaves. Ricker’s knife of choice is a giant $10 cleaver ack at milk street, I tried to deconstruct the smoky mountains of Burma, to the west. The with a scimitar-shaped blade. The granite mortar BThai cooking. Take simple ingredients (rice, property also includes a “spirit house,” a small and pestle are always at hand. Many ingredients are chicken, greens, pork) and infuse them with chil- shed for ancestors whose spirits were displaced by harvested from the garden nearby, filled with lem- ies, galangal, lime leaves, shallot, garlic, shrimp construction of the main residence. It is scented on grass, ginger, greens, long beans and cilantro. paste, fresh turmeric, cilantro roots, sugar, lime with incense and gifted with offerings of food. The Nearby markets sell small-breasted local chickens juice, salted radish and soy, oyster and fish sauces. past is always present in Thailand. (with head and feet attached), fresh turmeric (red It’s less about the cooking and more about the fla- The day before, Ricker had guided us through and yellow) and anything else not on hand. voring, a notion perfectly suited to home cooking. a maze of Chiang Mai restaurants and a barrage I normally disparage the wok, preferring a In a nod to the Western kitchen, we began of dishes: grilled chicken, papaya salad, rice por- Western-style nonstick skillet. My opinion is in- our foray into Ricker’s fried rice with a large ridge, crispy fried wok egg, wok-seared greens, formed by the notion that flat stovetops are best nonstick skillet. (Please use a wok if you are so fried bananas with caramel sauce. They were all suited to flat cooking vessels. But Ricker is hav- equipped and have a powerful burner.) The first

examples of Thailand’s big flavors, quick cooking ing none of that heresy, and he heats his wok with question was choice of meat. Ground pork was Photos: Shannon Frandsen

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greasy, bacon too smoky, but pancetta—if cultur- the ancestors, who, I imagined, were enjoying ally odd—was just right. the conversation. You can get to know a recipe In a skillet, we had to reverse-engineer the but never a place. And so Thailand’s secrets re- (Fried) Rice at the Ready process and move foods in and out, starting with main hidden in the back alleys, the spirit houses hile our thai fried rice takes the egg, then the pancetta; both are removed after and under the tamarind trees. I took home the just minutes to prepare, it does require cooking. Garlic, sliced scallions and shallot go in tastes and aromas, the hospitality and a few of the W cooked-and-cooled plain rice. Warm, recipes, but that is more than enough for this freshly cooked rice won’t work; it sticks to lucky tourist. the pan and turns gummy. For rice to fry, its starches must first cool and recrystallize. Thai Fried Rice Fresh rice needs two hours minimum to chill adequately, but it can be prepared up to Start to finish: 20 minutes | Servings: 4 three days in advance and kept refrigerated. e liked the aromatic flavor of For make-ahead convenience, cooked rice jasmine rice, but long-grain white or basmati W can also be frozen. Make a batch or two, works, too. A good Thai fish sauce was essential; then freeze in zip-close plastic bags. at Milk Street we use Red Boat. Andy Ricker uses pork belly, but that can be hard to find in the U.S. Pancetta worked well as a substitute—it has the White Rice for Thai Fried Rice right amount of salt and fat. Plain bacon will do Start to finish: 20 minutes, plus cooling the job, too, but avoid smoked bacon. Makes 4 cups Don’t use hot or warm rice. The fried rice will 2 cups water be clumpy and gummy. —Diane Unger 1½ cups jasmine rice, 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce well rinsed 1 teaspoon soy sauce ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon water ■ Line a rimmed baking sheet with kitchen 1 teaspoon white sugar parchment and lightly coat with vegetable 4 cups cooked and chilled jasmine rice oil. In a large saucepan, combine the water, 1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil rice and salt. Bring to a simmer, then reduce 2 eggs, lightly beaten to low, cover and cook until tender and fluffy, 4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, chopped 15 to 18 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then 4 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced, Pancetta, rather than pork belly, and high-quality spread on the baking sheet. Let cool, then reserved separately fish sauce give our Thai fried rice meaty flavor. cover and refrigerate until cold. 1 large shallot, minced ◆ 1 garlic clove, minced next, followed by the rice, then a mixture of fish ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro and soy sauces with a bit of water and sugar. The Sliced cucumber and lime wedges, to serve egg and pancetta are added back. The fried rice is Pickled Chilies topped with minced cilantro and more scallions. ■ In a bowl, stir together the fish sauce, soy sauce, Start to finish: 35 minutes (5 minutes active) Fast and perfect. water and sugar. Set aside. Use your hands to Makes 1 cup Much of Thai cooking depends on leftover break up the rice so no clumps remain. Set aside. ur thai fried rice was delicious on rice. If you have none, follow our recipe for jas- ■ In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medi- Oits own, but some of us wanted to mine rice (see sidebar). Yes, day-old rice is pref- um-high, heat the oil until just smoking. Pour in spike it with something bold. Our solution: erable; it offers more structure and is less likely to the eggs and cook, stirring, until just set. Transfer jalapeno chilies pickled in fish sauce, lime become soft during cooking. the eggs to a plate. Add the pancetta to the skillet juice and a little sugar. It’s a milder variation One other trick. Thai restaurants offer condi- and cook over medium until crisp. Using a slotted of the typically fiery Thai dressing called ments, like sliced green chilies in distilled white spoon, transfer to the plate with the eggs. nam prik. The chilies and their sauce added vinegar. The simplicity of this notion was so ap- ■ Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the a balanced hit of heat, sweet and acid. pealing that we came up with our own: jalapenos skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add the 4 jalapeno chilies, stemmed, stemmed and thinly sliced, then mixed with a scallion whites, shallot and garlic, then cook until seeded (if desired) and thinly blend of fish sauce and lime juice, plus a hint of softened, about 1 minute. Add the rice and cook, sliced crosswise sugar (see sidebar). Use it with the fried rice or just stirring occasionally, until heated through, about ¼ cup fish sauce about any other dish that needs a pick-me-up. 2 minutes. ¼ cup fresh lime juice ■ Stir the fish sauce mixture, then pour over the 1 teaspoon white sugar round sunset, we took off to photograph rice. Cook, stirring, until well mixed. Stir in the Anearby rice paddies. When we returned, we pancetta and egg, breaking up the egg. Transfer ■ In a bowl, stir together the chilies, fish found Ricker and and his girlfriend, Kung, sit- to a large platter and sprinkle with cilantro and sauce, lime juice and sugar. Refrigerate for at ting in the twilight with neighbors at a table nes- scallion greens. Serve with cucumber, lime wedges least 30 minutes or up to 1 week. ◆

Photo: Connie Miller of CB Creatives; Styling:tled Catherine Smart under a tree. We were the shadow people, not and pickled chilies. ◆

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Two 10- to 12-ounce bone-in, How to mash big flavors into chicken skin-on split chicken breasts 6 scallions, white parts coarsely chopped, green parts thinly sliced on a bias, reserved separately Sichuan Chicken Salad 1-inch piece fresh ginger, cut into 4 pieces and smashed Story by Michelle Locke 2 large garlic cloves, smashed Kosher salt urely the rest of the world 4 cups water doesn’t dump a bucket of ¼ cup dry sherry (optional) mayo onto overcooked chunks 2 tablespoons chili oil Sof chicken breast and call it 2 tablespoons tahini salad? Celery, almonds and apples 1½ tablespoons white sugar may attempt to lighten things up, but 1½ tablespoons toasted sesame oil they’re usually no match for the smoth- 1 tablespoon soy sauce ering blandness of the mayonnaise. 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice There must be a better way. vinegar Our search for one took us to Asia, 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns where cold chicken shines in dishes (optional), toasted and finely such as larb, the popular Thai recipe ground packed with tangy lemon grass and ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper ginger. But our winner was found in 1 English cucumber, halved China’s Sichuan province. lengthwise, seeded and thinly The name alone sold us: bang- sliced crosswise on a bias bang chicken salad. ⅓ cup dry-roasted peanuts, chopped We loved the simplicity of the dish. Poached chicken is shredded, then ■ In a large saucepan, place the tossed with a flavorful sauce, sesame chicken skin side down and add the paste and julienned vegetables such Cucumber and peanuts add textural contrast to this Sichuan chicken salad. scallion whites, ginger, garlic and as cucumbers, then finished with 1½ teaspoons of salt. Add the water something crunchy, often peanuts. to flavor water and sherry. After sub- chicken shreds using our spoon-bowl and sherry, if using, to fully sub- This was a dish with layers of flavor merging chicken breasts in the liquid, method and served the rest of the merge the chicken. Bring to a boil and contrasting textures. we brought it to a boil, then turned dressing over the finished salad. Pea- over medium-high, then cover, turn Conventional wisdom indicates off the heat, allowing the chicken to nuts added crunch, and cucumber off the heat and let sit until the chicken the salad’s distinctive name comes finish cooking in residual heat. This provided a cool contrast to our spiced- registers 160°F, 15 to 20 minutes. from the way the dish is made—the flavored the meat and ensured it up chicken salad. Uncover the pan and let the chicken chicken is pounded to shreds to al- stayed tender and moist. cool in the liquid for 30 to 45 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, low the meat to better soak up a fla- While the chicken cooked, we Sichuan Chicken Salad ■ whisk vorful dressing. In reality, it is more stirred together a vibrant dressing together the chili oil, tahini, sugar, likely derived from the Mandarin for that combined rice vinegar and chili Start to finish: 1 hour 20 minutes sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, 1½ tea- “stick” (possibly a reference to the oil with cayenne pepper. Sichuan pep- (20 minutes active) | Servings: 4 spoons salt, Sichuan peppercorns, if prep tool used to pound the chicken). percorns—known for their tendency raditionally the meat for using, and cayenne. Either way, there’s science behind to deliver a tingling sensation on the T this salad is pounded to shreds to ■ Remove the chicken from the cook- that banging. The fibers in chicken, tongue—gave us pleasant but not better absorb the flavorful dressing. ing liquid. Remove and discard the especially breast meat, form long bun- overwhelming heat. The peppercorns We got similar results by mashing it skin and bones, then transfer the meat dles surrounded by thin sheets of are optional, but don’t fear them. The in a bowl with a sturdy wooden spoon. to a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons connective tissue—think of electrical chemicals that give them their zing, We loved the floral, piney notes of of the dressing, then use a wooden wires wrapped in plastic. Those fibers sanshools, are related to the capsaicin Sichuan peppercorns. Toast them spoon to smash the meat, working must be exposed before they can ab- found in hot chili peppers; they over medium heat for about 2 min- the dressing into it and shredding it. sorb dressing. Shredding them, by way merely act differently on the tongue. utes, then grind them to a fine pow- Use your fingers to pull the shreds of pounding, is a highly effective way As for the banging, we didn’t raise der with a spice grinder or mortar into bite-size pieces. Add the cucum- to accomplish this. quite such a ruckus as the name im- and pestle. ber and three-quarters each of the Because the chicken is poached plies. Mashing with a wooden spoon Don’t boil the chicken for long; peanuts and scallion greens. Toss in aromatics, flavor is built into this got us the right results (just use a the meat will dry out. Residual heat with the remaining dressing until salad from the start. And the method sturdy bowl). To ensure the dressing gently poaches the chicken, guaran- evenly coated. Transfer to a serving couldn’t have been simpler. We used and chicken really got together, we teeing it stays moist and tender. bowl and sprinkle with the remain-

scallion whites, fresh ginger and garlic worked some of the dressing into the —Dawn Yanagihara ing peanuts and scallions. ◆ Photo: Connie Miller of CB Creatives; Styling: Christine Tobin

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In the Old City of Jerusalem, Arab and Israeli cultures and cuisines come together, and wonderfully so in bowls of warm, ethereally smooth hummus.

e make it wrong. We serve it close once the hummus runs out. wrong. We eat it wrong. Abu Hassan has two locations; I’m at the orig- In fact, the Israelis get hummus inal, a beige storefront. In the distance, a sliver of W right in ways we hadn’t even consid- In Pursuit of the Mediterranean Sea peeks between buildings. ered we could mess it up. This dawned on me just On the left side, a tiny dining room that spills onto after I stepped off the plane in Tel Aviv. the sidewalk is already at capacity. On the right, a “Where will you eat hummus in the morning?” Perfect Hummus window and a line of people waiting to order. My taxi driver wanted to know. At each of the eight or so tables, customers are In Israel, hummus is breakfast. Not a party dip Warm, whipped hummus handed wide, shallow bowls swirled with hummus served with “baby” carrots. Not adulterated with topped with whole chickpeas, a sprinkle of pars- pesto or artichokes or—God help me—chocolate. is the breakfast ley, pops of red paprika and amber cumin. Side My education begins the next morning at plates hold stacks of pillow-soft pita breads and Abu Hassan, the country’s premier hummus shop, of choice in Tel Aviv quarters of raw onion. The sea mixes with warm around since the ’60s. And it begins early. In a flur- bread, concocting a seductive air. Crowd be damned, ry of scooters, pedestrians and cars, customers Story by it is quiet beyond murmurs. These are workers line up shortly after 7 a.m., some carrying mixing J.M. Hirsch stopping for a quick breakfast on their commute. bowls, plastic food containers, foil baking pans. The hummus was made in the early hours, so even Hummus take-out is very DIY. The shop will the kitchen feels hushed.

Abu Hassan Ha-Dolfin Street, Tel Aviv Crowds gather here—Israel’s premier hummus shop—by 7 a.m. and the shop closes as

Photos: J.M. Hirsch (top, bottom left, bottom center), Noam Moskowitz (bottom right) soon as the hummus runs out.

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Samah Siam teaches Palestinian cooking at her home inside the Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. She follows her mother’s recipe, a study of simplicity: freshly cooked chickpeas, tahini, a splash of lemon juice and salt. She purees it until silken smooth, thinning it with chickpea cooking water.

Watching them eat is jarring. Sure, some rip at odds. In recent decades, Israelis became partic- past her home. Today, a reality competition plays off hunks of pita, swooping it fluidly into the yogurt- ularly enamored with it. Today, Jews and Muslims on a flat-screen TV on the other side of the room. soft hummus, a scooping technique every child alike savor it. But it began as an Arab dish. So I Stray cats—which are legion in Israel—saunter masters. But many pull the bowls toward them seek an Arab as my first teacher. past the open door. Eager to impress, her husband, and eat it with a spoon, as we would soup. Samah Siam’s home—a warren of small, al- Riad, takes us to the rooftop, from which a stun- My turn at the window and I make a hummus most subterranean stone rooms in the city’s Mus- ning panorama of history and faith unfolds. faux pas. I want what I see, so I ask for hummus and lim Quarter—is a short walk along narrow cob- When we return, Samah explains that the pita. I get a strange look and a request for 10 Israeli bled roads from the Damascus Gate, a massive chickpeas are always pureed warm and hummus Shekels, or about $2.70. Instead of the beautifully entrance to the city that dates to the 16th century. is always served warm. They are creamier that dressed bowl I craved, I get a bag. Inside, a split She will teach me the hummus her mother taught way. And they are pureed first with nothing but pita with hummus oozing out the sides. her. Her 20-year-old daughter, Aseel, translates their own cooking water, a critical ingredient for Turns out, pita is implied in any order of hum- from Arabic as Samah pulls a pot of steaming, reaching a silky consistency. When her blender mus. By calling it out, apparently I overstated the freshly cooked chickpeas off the stove. has reduced the chickpeas to a soft puree, she adds obvious to which I was oblivious, changing my She works quickly and by instinct, measuring tahini, lemon juice, salt. Nothing else. No garlic. request into some sort of unorthodox sandwich. nothing in her small kitchen, which is a contrast The hummus pours easily from blender to Hence the odd look. Nonetheless, I eat—rather that spans thousands of years. Jesus likely walked bowl. Samah—whose family in winter eats fresh messily—standing at the sunny curb, surrounded by others expertly balancing bowls and bread. I don’t care. I am transfixed. This no tub of American grocery store hummus. It is light, ethereally smooth. The flavor is at once boldly nutty with tahini yet also subtle. None of the harsh garlic and lemon I expect. Is there even any garlic in it? Most shocking: It is deliciously warm. Who knew you could eat hummus warm? I ask—repeatedly over several days—but the men at Abu Hassan won’t share their secrets. But at least they had shown me what hummus should be. To deconstruct that, I head an hour south, to the walled Old City of Jerusalem. Samah Siam’s Home Old City of Jerusalem ummus has been an unlikely flashpoint in Hthe Middle East. Various countries and people claim it as their own, a push and pull that At Shlomo & Doron, near Tel Aviv’s massive outdoor Carmel Market, the toppings are as important as

would be comical if the factions weren’t already so the hummus itself. Ful (pureed favas) and shakshuka (tomatoes and eggs) are the two most popular. Moskowitz Noam Photos:

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At Gargir Hasav, near Tel Aviv’s Levinsky Market, hummus is made fresh each morning, 5 liters at a time. To ensure a smooth, almost sour cream-like consistency, the chickpeas, still piping hot, are pureed for a full three minutes. In addition to pita bread, raw onions and pickles are common sides.

hummus almost daily for breakfast—adds a drizzle there is ful (pronounced FOOL), which tops hum- they favor smaller varieties, about the size of green of olive oil, a spoonful of whole chickpeas. It is mus with an almost-black fava bean puree. Shlomo peas. Larger chickpeas make grainy hummus. We warm, savory and soft. We eat it with fresh pita. & Doron also serve hummus topped with shakshuka agreed. We tested conventional chickpeas against (poached eggs in tomatoes) and a baba ghanoush-like smaller varieties, such as the Whole Foods Market Shlomo & Doron roasted eggplant. Some shops even break the veg- 365 Everyday Value brand, and overwhelmingly Yishkan Street, Tel Aviv etarian barrier, adding spoonfuls of spiced ground preferred the latter. ack in tel aviv, I meet with Elad Shore. lamb (called kawarma). Tahini was also an issue. Tahini is more com- BHis family opened the Shlomo & Doron hum- What about the onions, I ask as a man on a mon In Israel than ketchup is here, and brands and mus shop in 1937. The 27-year-old sits, sorting fava motorbike delivers fresh pita. I couldn’t get enough varieties are numerous. Less so in America. A toast- beans, at one of the tables outside the shop, near of the warm pita, but Elad explains that Israelis ed, thin (i.e., pours easily) tahini is needed to get the massive outdoor Carmel Market. He confirms use as little as possible. “It’s too heavy, especially at the creamy consistency and rich, savory flavor we the simplicity of hummus, then talks toppings. It breakfast” he explains. Instead, they break the wanted. It was also essential to stir the tahini very is something his shop takes particular pride in. quartered onions into thin scoops, using them to well; some brands separate and clump. We liked The classic topping is hummus masabacha— spoon up hummus. An acquired taste, to be sure. the Kevala brand, but Soom and Aleppo brands whole chickpeas, olive oil, parsley, paprika and also worked. We did not like Joyva, which was cumin. Sometimes a sliced hard-boiled egg. Then Gargir Hasav dark, thick and tasted bitter, almost burned. Levinsky Street, Tel Aviv We were pleased that in Israel the chickpeas n my final day in Tel Aviv, the cooks at yet are cooked in a familiar way—soaked overnight, Oanother hummus shop, Gargir Hazav (“Grain then drained, then boiled with baking soda (to of Gold”), invite me into their kitchen. A cauldron help soften them). We found that adding salt to the of chickpeas boils over on a gas burner, sending soaking water not only helped tenderize the chick- rivers of foam onto the tiled floor. We focus on pea skins, but also helped them absorb more water proportions and timing, all of which surprise me. (softening them further). We tried cooking them Oren Mizlahi, who learned hummus-making without soaking—both pressure cooking and from his father, ladles 4 or 5 liters of freshly cooked boiling—but neither method worked nearly as chickpeas and cooking water into a food proces- well, producing hummus that was dark, with a sor. He walks away for one, then two, then three muddy flavor. minutes. Far longer than I’ve ever let anything We questioned whether the extreme process- process. He opens the cover and steam billows out. ing Oren showed us was really necessary. Most He adds tahini—a full liter. Far more proportion- recipes here only call for processing until smooth. ally than I’ve ever made. Then he purees the mix- But when we compared, processing for a full three ture for another full minute. I start to understand minutes made a significant difference; the hum- why Israeli hummus is so light and smooth. mus was noticeably creamier and lighter. We also tested the blender versus the food processor and ack at milk street, we had work ahead of found the latter not only did a better job of puree- In Israel, warm hummus is a breakfast food, Bus. First, the ingredients. We’d never noticed, ing, it was also easier to get the hummus out of.

Photos: Noam Moskowitz Noam Photos: usually eaten outside or at open-air shops. but chickpeas come in a range of sizes. In Israel, We wondered if processing the chickpeas while

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warm really was important. Once again, the Israe- to process until the mixture has lightened and is lis knew their stuff. Hot chickpeas made a much very smooth, about 1 minute. Use a rubber spatula smoother hummus. For a do-ahead option, we to scrape the sides and bottom of the processor found we could soak the chickpeas overnight, then bowl. With the machine running, add the ¾ cup drain and refrigerate them for a few days before of cooking liquid and the lemon juice. Process un- cooking. We also found that cooked chickpeas til combined. Taste and season with salt. could be kept in their cooking water for an hour ■ Transfer the hummus to a shallow bowl and use after boiling, then reheated briefly just before a large spoon to make a swirled well in the center. making the hummus. The heat rule also held true Drizzle the well with olive oil, then top with the for serving. The taste of warm hummus was sub- reserved 2 tablespoons chickpeas, parsley, cumin stantially better than cool. and paprika. Finally, dried chickpeas versus canned. Hon- —◆— estly, until this trip I despised working with dried Spiced Beef Topping beans. It’s a pain when fully cooked beans are just (Kawarma) a can opener away. But that is anathema in Israel. Start to finish: 20 minutes | Makes about 2 cups Now, I agree. We tried canned—which we heated ich, savory meat toppings lend bold before pureeing—and while the results were cer- Rnotes to hummus and make it a more robust tainly better than the tubs sold at the grocery meal. Our inspiration was kawarma, which uses store, they could not compare in flavor or texture ground lamb. We found beef was just as delicious. to hummus made from freshly cooked chickpeas. Use a wand-style grater to finely grate the garlic. So now I will soak and boil and puree for a The raw meat mixture can be combined up to an very long time. Because pared down to its basic hour ahead and refrigerated until ready to cook. It elements, hummus is breathtakingly good. But I’m also can be cooked ahead and refrigerated (leaving still not sure I’ll eat it scooped up with raw onions. out the lemon and parsley), then reheated in a skillet or microwave just before serving. Finish with Israeli Hummus (Hummus Masabacha) the lemon juice and parsley. —J.M. Hirsch and Diane Unger Warm hummus is also delicious topped with a Start to finish: 1 hour (15 minutes active), plus soaking | Makes 4 cups sliced hard-boiled egg and spiced ground beef. ½ pound 90-percent lean ground beef 2 teaspoons sweet paprika mall chickpeas work best for hummus; Cold water ¾ teaspoon kosher salt aim for no larger than a green pea. The Whole S 8 ounces (227 grams) dried chickpeas ½ teaspoon cinnamon Foods Market 365 Everyday Value brand worked 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground cumin well. If you only find larger chickpeas, cook them divided ½ teaspoon dried oregano until starting to break down, or 10 to 15 minutes ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper longer. Soak the chickpeas for at least 12 hours. ¾ cup toasted tahini, room temperature 2 garlic cloves, finely grated They can be soaked ahead of time, then drained 3½ tablespoons lemon juice 3 cup plus 2 tablespoons water, divided and refrigerated for up to two days. Tahini is a ses- 1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ½ large yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup) ame paste sold near peanut butter or in the inter- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil national aisle. We liked the Kevala brand, but ½ teaspoon ground cumin 2 tablespoons tomato paste Soom and Aleppo were good, too. Look for a ½ teaspoon paprika 1½ teaspoons lemon juice brand that is toasted and pours easily. Processing 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or mint the chickpeas while warm ensures the smoothest, ■ In a large bowl, combine 8 cups of cold water, the Tahini, to serve lightest hummus. Hummus is traditionally served chickpeas and 2 tablespoons of the salt. Let soak at warm and garnished with paprika, cumin, chopped room temperature at least 12 hours or overnight. ■ In a medium bowl, use your hands to mix togeth- fresh parsley and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. ■ In a large stockpot over high, bring 10 cups of er the beef, paprika, salt, cinnamon, cumin, orega- Sometimes a sliced hard-boiled egg is added. water and the baking soda to a boil. Drain the no, cayenne, garlic and 2 tablespoons of water. Serve with warm pita bread. Leftover hummus can soaked chickpeas, discarding soaking water, and ■ In a 10-inch skillet over medium-high, combine be refrigerated for up to five days. To reheat, trans- add to the pot. Return to a simmer, then reduce heat the ground beef mixture, onion and olive oil. fer to a microwave-safe bowl, cover and gently to medium and cook until the skins are falling off Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the heat, adding a few tablespoons of tap water as and the chickpeas are very tender, 45 to 50 minutes. meat, until the onion is softened and the beef is no needed to reach the proper consistency, 1 to 2 min- ■ Set a mesh strainer over a large bowl and drain longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato utes. Alternatively, set over a double-boiler. the chickpeas into it; reserve ¾ cup of the chick- paste and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Don’t forget to stir the tahini very well. Some pea cooking water. Let the chickpeas sit for 1 min- ■ Add another ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons of water brands separate and can become quite thick at the ute to let all liquid drain. Set aside about 2 table- and cook, scraping the pan, until the water has bottom. If your tahini is particularly thick, you spoons of chickpeas, then transfer the rest to the evaporated and the mixture begins to sizzle, about may need to add a tablespoon or two of water to food processor. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in the lemon juice and the hummus to reach the right consistency. salt, then process for 3 minutes. parsley. Taste and season with salt. Spoon over

—J.M. Hirsch and Diane Unger ■ Stop the processor and add the tahini. Continue hummus, then drizzle with tahini. ◆ Photo: Joyelle West; Styling: Christine Tobin

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Don’t use plum or vine-ripened ■ Heat the broiler to high with a Salsa, Charred and Smoky tomatoes. Both were too juicy and rack 4 inches from the element. On resulted in watery salsa. And don’t a rimmed baking sheet, mound to- So we added an ingredient that trim the root end of the onion until gether the onion wedges and jalapeño offers smoke in spades: a chipotle after broiling. Without it, the wedges chilies. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon chili in adobo. Mixed with the other can separate and the pieces will cook of the oil and sprinkle with ½ tea- ingredients, it rounded out the sweet, too quickly. —Diane Unger spoon salt. Toss to coat, then arrange smoky heat of our chirmol. in a single layer. Broil until the vege- 1 medium red onion, root end tables are well charred and tender, Guatemalan Salsa (Chirmol) intact, peeled, cut into 8 wedges 10 to 15 minutes, flipping the onion 2 jalapeño chilies, stemmed, halved and chilies halfway through. Set aside Start to finish: 1 hour (20 minutes active) and seeded to cool. Makes about 2 cups 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, ■ When cool enough to handle, his salsa, called chirmol divided coarsely chop the jalapeño halves. T in Guatemala, is typically made Kosher salt and ground black Trim and discard the root ends from with charred tomatoes. But using the pepper the onion wedges, then coarsely chop broiler to char the tomatoes yielded 1 pint grape tomatoes, chopped the onion. uneven results. To get the smokiness 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves and ■ In a medium bowl, stir together the Our Guatemalan salsa relies on fresh we were after, we ultimately supple- tender stems, finely chopped the jalapeños, onion, tomatoes, cilantro, mint and charred chilies for flavor. mented broiled red onion and jala- 1 cup fresh mint leaves, finely mint and chipotle. Cover and let stand peños with a chipotle chili in adobo. chopped at room temperature for 30 minutes. Story by Jenn Ladd The taste and texture of grape toma- 1 small chipotle chili in adobo, Stir in the lime juice and remaining toes was best, but cherry tomatoes finely chopped 1 tablespoon oil. Taste and season with n mexico, Central and South worked, too. 3 tablespoons lime juice (2 limes) salt and pepper. ◆ I America, there are as many salsas as there are scenic vistas. So what distinguishes Guatemala’s version— Don’t dress the salad until ready chirmol—from the rest? Charred Raw Zucchini: to serve. —Bianca Borges tomatoes and copious fresh mint. 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, plus Jorge Dugal, a sous chef at Los What’s New Is Old 3 tablespoons juice (1 lemon) Angeles’ Republique restaurant who 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil emigrated from Guatemala at age 20, Story by J.M Hirsch ¼ teaspoon honey best remembers his grandmother’s ½ teaspoon kosher salt chirmol (CHEER-mole). To char the he spiralizing fad may ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper tomatoes, she used a comal—a thin, have popularized raw zucchini T 1 pound zucchini (2 medium) round griddle, often made of clay, dishes, but it certainly didn’t perfect 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, finely used to cook tortillas and sear meat. them. Too often those zucchini grated (about 1 cup), plus extra “Then she would chop onion, “noodles” taste wan and watery, a far shaved to serve mint, cilantro, lime and a little bit of cry from the pasta they emulate. Bet- ½ cup lightly packed fresh mint salt—and habañero, if you want it ter to let an ingredient shine on its leaves, torn spicy. Simple as that,” Dugal says own merits. And for raw zucchini, ½ cup lightly packed fresh basil She combined the other ingredi- we didn’t need to look far to find a leaves, torn ents with the roughly crushed toma- better answer to so-called zoodles. ¼ cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned toes to make the chunky condiment. The Italians have done it for ages, and coarsely chopped The salsa caught our attention. reducing zucchini to thin ribbons, No spirals needed to enjoy a simple But we had trouble charring the then dressing them simply—lemon zucchini and Parmesan salad. ■ In a large bowl, whisk together the tomatoes: Broiled, they browned un- juice, oil, Parmesan, herbs and nuts. lemon zest and juice, oil, honey, salt evenly, if at all. Charring on cast-iron The effect is fresh and vibrant, a hazelnuts and mint, all tied together and pepper. Set aside. Use a Y-style required a very well-seasoned skillet, quick salad unashamed of what it is. with grated Parmesan. peeler or mandoline to shave the zuc- which can be problematic. And we It’s a formula we see over and chini from top to bottom, rotating as ran into another issue—watery store- again. At the Thames-side Tuscan Shaved Zucchini and Herb you go. Stop shaving when you reach bought tomatoes. The solution was to restaurant The River Cafe, Ruth Rogers Salad with Parmesan the seedy core. Discard the cores. skip the step altogether and use sweet serves a lemony zucchini carpaccio. ■ To the dressing, add the shaved grape (or cherry) tomatoes. In Argentina, Francis Mallmann tops Start to finish: 10 minutes | Servings: 4 zucchini, cheese, mint and basil. For the smoky flavor, we oiled, thin slices of oiled zucchini with mint y-style peeler or a mandoline Gently toss until evenly coated. then blackened red onion and jala- and hazelnuts. A are great tools for making zuc- Transfer to a serving plate and sprin- peños under the broiler, but that still For our take, we combined Rogers’ chini ribbons. Toasted almonds can kle with shaved Parmesan and the

Photos: Connie Miller of CB Creatives (top); Joyelledidn’t West (bottom); Styling: Christine Tobin achieve quite the right flavor. bright lemon dressing with Mallmann’s be substituted for the hazelnuts. hazelnuts. ◆

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Story by Albert Stumm 3 tablespoons ground coriander A dead-simple technique for perfectly roasted chicken 2 teaspoons ground ginger ooking for better ways to roast creates a quick pan sauce, too 1¼ teaspoons white sugar Lchicken, we found a simple method Kosher salt and ground black pepper that sped up the process, gave us a 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken quick sauce and allowed for endless parts, trimmed and patted dry variations—all on one pan. Sheet-Pan Roasted Chicken 10 medium garlic cloves, peeled Roasting on a rimmed baking 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon sheet rather than in a deep roasting zest, plus ¼ cup lemon juice pan allows for better air circulation, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil accelerating cooking and boosting ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro browning. It’s a strategy cooks in the U.K. use often for one-pan dinners— ■ Heat the oven to 450°F with a rack better known as traybakes. in the middle position. Combine the The traybake is the epitome of effi- coriander, ginger, sugar, 1 tablespoon ciency. Toss a mix of meat and vege- salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. tables in oil and seasonings, transfer ■ Place the chicken on a rimmed to a pan and roast. In an hour or less, baking sheet and evenly season both dinner is served. sides with the spice mixture. Place At Milk Street, we loved the ease the garlic in a single layer in the center of the traybake. But we wanted a roast of the baking sheet, then arrange the chicken recipe so simple it would work chicken, skin side up, snugly around with any seasonings, so we narrowed the garlic to prevent the garlic from our focus to the meat. scorching during roasting. We started with bone-in, skin-on ■ Roast the chicken until the thickest chicken parts to keep the time in the part of the breasts reaches 160°F and oven to about 40 minutes. That also the thickest parts of the legs reach solved the whole-chicken problem of Any parts, any seasonings will work for this ultra-flexible sheet pan recipe. 175°F, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a the legs taking longer to cook than platter; leave the garlic. the breasts. If the quicker-cooking checking the breasts for doneness after ■ Using a fork, mash the garlic to a breasts reached 160°F before the thighs Roasted Chicken, Three Ways about 30 minutes of roasting, as white paste on the baking sheet. Carefully and drumsticks hit 175°F, we simply meat is done at 160°F while dark pour ⅓ cup water onto the baking removed them and continued cook- Start to finish: 50 minutes | Servings: 4 meat should cook to 175°F. sheet and use a wooden spoon to ing the dark meat. weak the sauce for this Don’t use a roasting pan. The scrape up any browned bits. Pour the For seasoning, we used ground T chicken with different acids and low sides of a rimmed baking sheet mixture into a small bowl and whisk coriander and ginger, plus a bit of herbs. If you use a combination of allow the chicken to cook quickly in the lemon zest and juice, oil and sugar to balance the flavors and brown breasts and legs or thighs, begin and evenly. —Diane Unger cilantro. Taste and season with salt the skin. Cooking at 450°F gave us and pepper. Serve with the chicken. crisp skin without drying out the ■ For za’atar chicken: Season the meat meat. It also produced a light fond on Step-by-step: Roasted-garlic pan sauce, in two minutes with 3 tablespoons za’atar, 2 teaspoons the sheet pan—another opportunity dried oregano, 1¼ teaspoons white to build flavor. sugar, 1 tablespoon salt and 2 tea- We used water to deglaze the fond, spoons pepper. Proceed with the rec- creating the base for a quick sauce ipe, using 2 tablespoons minced fresh finished with lemon, olive oil and fresh oregano instead of cilantro. cilantro. It was a good start, but to give ■ For jerk chicken: Season the meat the sauce deeper flavor and better with 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar, body, we added 10 cloves of garlic to 2 teaspoons ground allspice, 2 tea- the baking sheet before roasting. As spoons dried thyme, 2 teaspoons dried the meat cooked, the garlic caramel- oregano, ½ teaspoon ground cinna- ized and softened. We mashed the mon, 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons cloves into a paste and mixed them pepper. Add 1 stemmed habanero to into the sauce right on the pan. the pan along with the garlic. Proceed The result was delicious, but best 1. Mash the roasted garlic 2. Pour 1/3 cup water onto the 3. Whisk acid, oil and fresh with the recipe, mashing the chili of all, the method was incredibly cloves (and habanero, if using hot baking sheet, then use herbs into the mixture to finish with the garlic. Use an equal amount flexible, working with any seasoning, for jerk chicken) to a paste a wooden spoon to scrape up the garlicky pan sauce. We of lime zest and juice instead of including za’atar and a jerk-inspired on the baking sheet, mixing it any browned bits. Pour the like either lemon or lime and lemon, and 4 thinly sliced scallions

spice blend. with any liquid on the pan. mixture into a small bowl. cilantro, oregano or scallions. instead of cilantro. ◆ Photos: Connie Miller of CB Creatives; Styling: Christine Tobin

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[ MILK STREET O n the R oad ]

Story by J.M. Hirsch

he polenta i know— a cornmeal porridge too often too rich and dense T with a heft of cheese, yet somehow simultaneously tasteless—is a tedium of attention and constant whisking over heat, low and slow. It’s hard to imagine how Maria Teresa Marino has time for this. Her family and its centuries- old grain mill buzz as she hoists a giant pot of polenta—golden, steaming and smooth—from the stove to a kitchen table scattered with bread and wine. Her husband, sons and their wives are a flurry, talking business, babies and the bubbles of their local asti spumante, mostly all at once. But as the polenta is ladled into bowls—topped with a thin red sauce alluringly named bagna Surprisingly, the creamiest polenta comes from the coarsest cornmeal. And the less you stir it, the better. d’inferno, or hell’s bath—the swirl ceases and spoons are lifted. In that rare quiet, it becomes obvious: This is most definitely not the Stop Stirring Your Polenta! polenta I know. It is light and almost airy, In a tiny hilltop town in northern Italy, we learn the simple secrets with a sweet aroma, like freshly the lightest, most flavorful—and easiest!—polenta husked corn. The taste is creamy, to not cloying or heavy. Most surprisingly, the flavor of the corn is Polenta has been a staple of through terraced vineyards. For barley and on. On this day, the bright, clean, singular and strong. northern Italian cuisine for sev- centuries, the mill has been using corn hoppers are full. This was the polenta I’d come to eral hundred years. Most recipes 1.2-ton stone disks to grind a wide Each mill uses two stones— Italy to learn. Done well, it is a are intimidatingly overwrought, variety of grains into flours. The 6-foot rounds cut from the rock of comforting foil for rich meats demanding precise temperatures Marinos have been its custodians the Pyrenees—that every few and sauces. Done badly—and it of water and constant whisking since the 1950s. months must be freshly etched by so often is—polenta is larded with for 30, 40, even 60 minutes. Then When I first arrive at the hand using a pick and hammer, cheese and fat that mask the sim- there is the copious cheese and mill—a yellow villa with soaring the pattern different for each plicity of the corn. butter, which can turn an already- arched ceilings once part of the grain. Though most commercial Marino shrugs me off. The heavy dish leaden. village castle, most of which was grain mills use steel blades, stones polenta cooks itself, she explains. destroyed in a battle around the move more slowly and generate Surely a humble exaggeration, but he family’s Mulino Marino year 1200—I first notice the air, less heat, which can damage—and an explanation would need to T (Marinos’ Mill) is hidden in sweet and dry with the smell of therefore diminish—both nutri- wait. The family first wanted me Cossano Belbo, a hilltop village of corn. Inside, 25-kilogram sacks of ents and flavor compounds. As to visit their mill across the court- 1,000 people about two hours south flour are stacked in towers. Ten the mills spin, grain spills into a yard to see the ancient process of Milan. It is reached by terrify- massive mills are designated for hole cut into the center of the that made this meal possible. ing single-lane gravel switchbacks a specific grain—spelt, rye, wheat, top stone and Continued on page 24 Photo: Connie Miller of CB Creatives; Styling: Christine Tobin

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is crushed as the stones rotate, push- he medieval simplicity of than expected), then sprinkling in vigorously stirs the polenta again ing the flour to the edge, where it T the process—not to mention the coarse cornmeal, returning it to a boil for a few minutes. It’s done. pours out in a stream. impossible freshness of the prod- and stirring vigorously for 10 min- No wonder the flavor of the Though some of the equipment uct—seduced and worried me. Maria utes. Cover, lower the heat and walk corn is so pronounced, so naturally has been modernized—the stones Teresa’s polenta was so much better sweet, so simple. Sure, the corn- now churn in stainless-steel cylin- and so different than any I’d had. meal starts out more flavorful. But ders—the mechanics of the process If the difference was due to the it isn’t hidden by cheese and butter. are mostly unchanged. The mills product rather than the cooking Though it needs nothing—I could reserved for corn are still housed in method, our chances of replicating eat it plain by the bowl—the bagna massive wooden barrel-like con- it at Milk Street were doomed. d’inferno is the polenta’s perfect tainers, the gears and levers also Back in Maria Teresa’s modern savory counterpunch. wood. One worker dumps a sack of but simple kitchen—with windows The science bears out the wis- kernels into a hopper; a second that look down onto the stone dom of Maria Teresa’s method. She monitors the cornmeal exiting courtyard outside the mill—I began used coarse cornmeal, which is less below, adjusting the speed and fine- to understand what sets her polenta likely than fine to turn gummy ness of the grind with an iron apart. It isn’t what she puts into the when cooked and has more flavor wheel. The cornmeal emerges warm, cornmeal or what she does to it. because it contains some of the germ gritty and smelling strongly of oil Rather, it is what she leaves out and and bran of the kernels. and fresh sweetness. what she doesn’t do to it. Her vigorous initial stirring— In the midst of it, elderly women To start, there is no cheese. Nor always with a whisk, not a spoon— from the village totter in, and the butter. And, best yet, there is little was also key; it quickly releases a Marino brothers stop grinding to stirring. All of it heresy to conven- significant amount of starch from sell them cornmeal. A cool rain is tional polenta wisdom. Yet evidence Freshly milled cornmeal is warm the corn, so much so that continued forecast—polenta weather. Com- that her approach works—brilliantly and smells like a cross between stirring during cooking is unneces- pared to commercial operations, so, in fact—sits deliciously on my just-baked bread and fresh corn. sary. That starch is rapidly gelati- these mills work slowly, grinding plate. Though only for moments: nized by the hot water, producing just 250 kilograms of flour an hour. I eat it that quickly. away. After an hour (the Marinos a thick, smooth polenta in which But this allows for more control Maria Teresa walks me through like to let it go longer, but admit it’s the cornmeal granules—rather over the quality, and to grind faster the recipe, which involves little more usually done after about an hour), than sinking to the bottom, where would risk burning the grains. than boiling salted water (far more Maria Teresa uncovers the pot and they are more likely to burn or

[ MILK STREET A t H ome ] topped with cheese or sauce and ■ Remove the polenta from the served as an appetizer or light baking dish by inverting it onto a main course. In Italy, it’s often cutting board. Cut the polenta Fried Polenta served with chunks of Gorgonzola into 9 squares. In a shallow dish, and a drizzle of honey. whisk the flour and ½ teaspoon oft polenta firms up as Don’t use polenta that has not each salt and pepper, then lightly S it cools, so Italians transform been chilled until very firm. It’s coat all sides of each square, shak- leftovers by cutting it into squares best to give the polenta at least a ing off any excess. and frying until crisp outside and full day in the refrigerator before ■ In a 12-inch nonstick skillet tender inside. If you plan to serve cutting and frying. over medium-high, heat 3 table- soft polenta one night and fry the —Diane Unger spoons of the oil until barely extra in the next few days, scale up smoking. Add 4 or 5 of the coated the polenta recipe so you have Start to finish: 25 minutes polenta squares and cook until enough for both occasions. Increase Servings: 4 lightly browned, about 4 minutes. the cornmeal to 2½ cups, the ladle 4 cups into the prepared bak- 8-inch-square firm, chilled soft Carefully flip each square and water to 13¾ cups and the salt to ing dish and smooth it into an polenta (see note) cook until lightly browned on the 5 teaspoons. While the polenta even layer. Cool to room tempera- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour other side, another 3 to 4 minutes. cooks, coat an 8-inch-square ture, cover with plastic wrap and Kosher salt and ground black Transfer the squares to a large baking dish with 1 tablespoon refrigerate until firm, or up to two pepper plate, then wipe out the skillet. extra-virgin olive oil. When the days. Fried polenta is a great accom- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive Repeat with the remaining oil and soft polenta has finished cooking, paniment to stews, or it can be oil, divided polenta squares. ◆ Photos: Chris Warde-Jones (cornmeal); Connie Miller of CB Creatives (fried polenta); Styling: Christine Tobin

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stick—remain suspended. And that is what allows her to walk away from the pot during most of the [ MILK STREET A t H ome ] low-heat cooking.

espite—or perhaps because Soft Polenta Dof—the simplicity of Maria or the best flavor and gentle simmer over medium- Teresa’s recipe, at Milk Street we F texture, use coarse stone- high, stirring frequently to pre- struggled to replicate her results ground cornmeal; fine cornmeal vent clumping. Transfer the pot, with the same ease. Stovetops are produced pasty, gluey polenta, uncovered, to the oven and bake notoriously inexact; low on one while steel-ground cornmeal had for 1 hour. could be medium-low on another. less flavor. We liked Bob’s Red Spicy Tomato Sauce with This forced us to babysit our polenta Mill coarse-grind cornmeal and Garlic and Anchovies more than we wanted to ensure it its polenta corn grits, but found (Bagna d’Inferno) didn’t stick and burn. that different brands can She had also used a nonstick cook up with slightly differ- Start to finish: 20 minutes stockpot and a flame tamer, a thin ent consistencies. The fin- Makes 2 cups metal disk that sits between the ished polenta should be this garlicky sauce pot and the burner to moderate the pourable; if it’s too thick, is also delicious tossed with heat. Because neither of those is thin it with water as pasta. Don’t bother chop- common in American kitchens, we needed. This polenta is ping the anchovies; they knew we needed a workaround. not enriched with butter disintegrate as they cook. Since the gentlest, most even heat is or cheese, which allows —Diane Unger in the oven, we decided to try a the sweetness of the corn hybrid approach. to be front and center. It’s a 4 tablespoons extra-virgin We started our polenta as Maria perfect side to braises, such olive oil, divided Teresa did—using stone-ground as Tuscan beef and black pep- 5 anchovy fillets cornmeal on the stovetop and with per stew (p. 18). It can also be 5 medium garlic cloves, minced vigorous initial whisking. Though paired with a flavorful sauce, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes she sprinkles her cornmeal slowly such as our spicy tomato sauce 2 pints grape tomatoes, 1 pint into boiling water—in an effort to with garlic and anchovies. ■ Remove the pot from the oven. halved prevent clumping—we found we Don’t use white cornmeal. Carefully whisk until smooth, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar could reduce the risk of clumping Its flavor is milder than yellow then use a wooden spoon to Kosher salt and ground black even more by combining the corn- cornmeal. (In Italy, it is used scrape along the bottom and into pepper meal with cold water, then bringing mostly for sweet preparations.) the corners of the pot to loosen ¼ cup lightly packed chopped the entire pot to a simmer. And don’t skip the whisk for stir- any stuck bits. Return the pot, fresh basil We also followed her lead on ring the polenta as it cooks; its uncovered, to the oven and cook the amount of water. Usually reci- wires are more effective than a until the cornmeal is thick and ■ In a nonstick 12-inch skillet pes call for as little as 6 cups of wooden spoon for breaking up creamy and the granules are ten- over medium, combine 2 table- water for 2 cups of cornmeal. We lumps. —Diane Unger der, another 10 to 30 minutes, spoons of the oil, the anchovies found that nearly doubling that depending on the cornmeal used. and garlic. Cook, stirring and Start to finish: 13/4 hours Remove the pot ratio gave us the smooth, creamy (10 minutes active) | Servings: 6 ■ from the oven. breaking up the anchovies, until results I’d tasted in Italy. Vigorously whisk the polenta until the garlic is light golden brown, After the initial whisking, we 2 cups coarse stone-ground smooth and use the wooden spoon 2 to 3 minutes. Add the pepper transferred the pot to a 375°F oven, yellow cornmeal (see note) to scrape the bottom, sides and flakes and tomatoes, then cover where it cooked with little atten- Kosher salt and ground black corners. Let stand for 5 minutes. and cook, stirring occasionally, tion—we whisked it just once after pepper The polenta should thicken just until most of the whole tomatoes an hour of cooking, followed by enough for a spoon to leave a brief have burst, 5 to 7 minutes. about 15 more minutes of cook- ■ Heat the oven to 375°F with a trail when dragged through; ■ Use a fork to gently mash the ing. A final quick whisk on the rack in the lower-middle position. whisk in additional water, if sauce. Off heat, stir in the vinegar stovetop was all that was needed to In a large Dutch oven, whisk needed, to adjust the consistency. and remaining 2 tablespoons olive produce the same light, airy corn- together the cornmeal, 1 tablespoon Taste and season with salt and oil. Taste and season with salt and flavored polenta I’d enjoyed at salt and 11 cups water. Bring to a pepper. Serve immediately. pepper, then stir in the basil. ◆

Photos: Connie Miller of CB Creatives; Styling:Maria Christine Tobin Teresa’s table. ◆

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A handful of ingredients and a hot skillet turn out warm homemade bread in minutes Skillet Flatbread

Story by Christopher Kimball

here is bread and there is, well, quick bread. They serve different needs and are T rolled out at different times. Among the quickest of quick breads is flatbread, the weeknight allure of which is widespread. Consider pitas, nan, chapatis, tortillas, man’oushé. Whether leavened or not, folded, topped or used as a scoop, flatbread promises warm, fresh bread—fast. It is simple to make and, from South- east Asia to North America, the crisp or chewy crusts easily take to fillings and toppings both sweet and savory. One of our favorite variations originated in Romagna, in northern Italy. There, they throw together flour, salt, water or milk, and lard or olive oil to make a quick dough. After a short rest, the flatbread—a piadina—is cooked on a griddle or skillet. (Piadine originally were cooked over coal fires using a large clay pan called a teglia di Montetiffi.) The cooked piadine are then stuffed with fillings (Parma ham, soft cow’s milk cheese and arugula are a classic combination) and folded in half to make a sandwich—similar to the Flour, water, salt and leavener—plus a little yogurt and lard—make a quick, supple dough for piadine, a flatbread way New Yorkers enjoy slices of pizza. from northern Italy. Cooked in a very hot cast-iron skillet, a piadina gets bubbly and charred in less than 3 minutes. We found two main variations in traditional recipes. For thin, crispy with it. And what a difference. The heretical in an Italian bread, we knew into thin rounds. We fiddled with breads, flour, salt and water are suffi- piadine were tender with just the right the fat in yogurt would hinder gluten what temperature was best for heat- cient. For a softer, lighter texture, bread chew and a deeper, richer background development, keeping the dough soft. ing the cast-iron skillet. In the end, dough needs fat (butter or eggs, for flavor. We also tested vegetable short- It worked well in our piadine, with medium heat provided the most even example) and leavening. We preferred ening, which gave us the same supple an unexpected bonus: It gave the bread cooking. Bubbles formed on top of the latter style, so we started by look- dough but lacked a bit of flavor. Lard more complex flavor. the dough as it cooked, but the tell- ing for the right fat. was the clear winner. Mixed in a food processor, the tale sign for flipping each round was Butter was wrong; the flavor was For the dry ingredients, bread dough came together in minutes. But the development of flavorful charred out of place and it produced an un- flour was better than all-purpose for there were times when we encoun- spots on the bottom. welcome flakiness. Egg made the handling reasons. Baking powder pro- tered problems with it gumming up The hot rounds worked well with dough too dense, sticky and hard to duced pizza crust-style bubbles. around the blade. To troubleshoot, any number of simple toppings. We work with. Olive oil gave us pleasant Even with lard and bread flour, we reduced the initial amount of wa- favored simple combinations with just texture and flavor, but something was we wanted to make the dough as sup- ter mixed with yogurt. Then we add- a few ingredients. If cheese is in the still missing. ple as possible. We found our answer ed water to the dough 1 tablespoon at mix and you’d prefer it melted, just Until then, we’d resisted lard; few in nan, one of India’s tender flat- a time as it mixed. slide the topped piadina under the home cooks still use it. But it remains breads that often calls for a scoop of Once it was balled up and smooth, broiler.

widely available, so we made a batch yogurt in the dough. Though it seemed we divided the dough and rolled it To eat, fold the piadina, as they Photo: Connie Miller of CB Creatives; Styling: Christine Tobin

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do in Romagna, or leave it flat. Or use it to swipe up spicy herb oil, hummus or baba ghanoush. It’s homemade, With charred, chewy piadine, know when to hold and when to fold freshly cooked flatbread—tastier than carry-out, faster than delivery. —◆— —◆— most of the liquid has evaporated, Prosciutto, Arugula and Ricotta Lahmajoun with Lamb about 8 minutes. In a small bowl, Italian Flatbread (Piadina) Start to finish: 10 minutes Start to finish: 30 minutes ■ whisk together the Makes 4 piadine Makes 4 piadine yogurt and 2 tablespoons of the Start to finish: 30 minutes | Makes four lemon juice. In a medium bowl, com- ade with ground meat, toma- 10-inch flatbreads bine the parsley, mint and remaining toes and spices, lahmajoun is a combination of lard and M lemon juice. Season with salt and pep- common topping for flatbread in yogurt gave this dough a supple per. Spread the lamb mixture evenly A Armenia. If you prefer, swap in 20 per- texture. Though it was not as flavor- over half of each piadina. Drizzle cent lean ground beef for lamb. ful, vegetable shortening worked as a with the yogurt mixture, top with substitute for lard. If the dough doesn’t 8 ounces ground lamb herbs and fold in half. ball up in the processor, gather it to- ½ large yellow onion, finely chopped —◆— gether and briefly knead it by hand. (about ¾ cup) Spicy Garlic-and-Herb Oil Roll out the rounds as evenly as pos- 1 large red bell pepper, cored and Start to finish: 10 minutes sible. Let the dough rest if it resists finely chopped Makes about 1 cup rolling or snaps back. And if the char 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes rush this herb-rich oil on the first piadina is too light, heat 1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika onto warm piadine to serve along- the pan several minutes longer. Fresh cheese and greens, plus 1 teaspoon ground cumin B side soups, stews or salads. Or serve it —Erika Bruce prosciutto, are traditional toppings. Kosher salt and ground black in a dish as a dip for pieces of torn pepper ½ cup water n romagna, piadine are often 14½-ounce can fire-roasted crushed ¼ cup plain whole-milk yogurt served with cured meats, greens tomatoes 311 grams (2 cups) bread flour I and fresh cheeses that soften in the ½ cup plain whole-milk Greek-style 2 teaspoons kosher salt warmth of the freshly cooked bread. yogurt 1½ teaspoons baking powder If possible, purchase fresh-cut pro- 4 tablespoons lemon juice (1 to 2 63 grams (⅓ cup) lard, room sciutto, sliced as thinly as possible, lemons), divided temperature and allow it to come to room tem- 2 cups lightly packed flat-leaf ■ In a liquid measuring cup, whisk perature. The flavor and texture of parsley leaves together ¼ cup of the water and the ricotta cheese varies widely by 2 cups lightly packed mint leaves, torn yogurt. In a food processor, combine brand; we like Calabro. ■ In a 12-inch nonstick skillet the flour, salt and baking powder. —Sara Ross over medium heat, cook the lamb, Process 5 seconds. Add the lard and ¾ cup whole-milk ricotta stirring and breaking up the meat, process until combined, about 10 sec- cheese until beginning to brown, 2 to 3 min- Dip, brush or drizzle piadine with a onds. With the processor running, ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest, utes. Add the onion, bell pepper, pep- simple, spicy garlic-and-herb oil. add the yogurt mixture. With the plus 2 tablespoons per flakes, paprika, cumin, 2 teaspoons processor still running, add the re- flatbread. If you like, substitute fresh lemon juice salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook, maining water 1 tablespoon at a time oregano, marjoram or mint for the Kosher salt and ground stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. until the dough forms a smooth ball, dill. The oil works equally well driz- black pepper Add the tomatoes and cook until about 1 minute. zled over pasta, polenta and fried 8 slices prosciutto, room ■ Divide the dough into 4 pieces. eggs, or as a base for vinaigrettes. temperature Roll each into a ball, then cover with 4 ounces baby arugula 2 cups lightly packed flat-leaf plastic wrap. Let rest for 15 minutes. (about 4 cups) parsley leaves Meanwhile, prepare toppings. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin 10 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ■ Roll each dough ball into a 10-inch olive oil ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh chives round. Poke the surfaces all over ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh dill with a fork. Heat a 12-inch cast-iron ■ In a medium bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes skillet over medium until a drop of the ricotta and lemon zest. Taste and 1 large garlic clove, smashed water sizzles immediately, 4 to 6 season with salt and pepper. Spread 1 teaspoon kosher salt minutes. One at a time, place a dough the ricotta mixture evenly over half ½ teaspoon ground black pepper round in the skillet and cook until of each piadina, then top with 2 slices the bottom is charred in spots, 1 to 2 of prosciutto. In a medium bowl, toss ■ In a food processor, combine all minutes. Using tongs, flip and cook the arugula with the lemon juice and ingredients and process until smooth, for 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate a pinch of salt. Mound on top of the A quick herb salad and a drizzle of about 20 seconds, scraping the bowl

Photos: Connie Miller of CB Creatives; Styling:and Christine Tobin cover loosely with foil. prosciutto. Drizzle with oil and fold. yogurt offset lahmajoun’s richness. as needed. ◆

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burn. It’s here as a fruity complement to the corn, tomatoes and basil. —Courtney Hill Fresh corn used 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, three ways flavors halved Kosher salt and ground black pepper a sweet, creamy pasta 4 ears corn, husked 4 tablespoons (½ stick) salted butter, cut in 1-tablespoon pieces, divided Grate Your 2 medium shallots, minced 1 habanero chili, stemmed, seeded Corn, and minced 12 ounces campanelle or other short and Save pasta the Cobs 1 cup lightly packed fresh basil, sliced ■ In a small bowl, stir together the tomatoes and ½ teaspoon salt; set aside. Set a box grater in a large bowl or pie plate. Using the large holes, grate the corn down to the cobs; reserve the cobs. ■ In a large pot, bring 2½ quarts Short, frilly pasta shapes like campanelle, farfalle and fusilli catch the sweet, summery sauce for this light pasta. water to a boil. Add the corn cobs and 1 tablespoon salt, reduce to Story by Albert Stumm Then we grated fresh corn on the heat. The grated kernels lent body medium and cook, covered, for large holes of a box grater—but we and richness to the sauce, and the 10 minutes. Using tongs, remove and or nearly 40 years, summer held on to the cobs. Instead of tossing basil provided a bright, herbal note discard the cobs, then remove the pot Fat Al Forno, a storied Italian restau- them, we borrowed a trick from corn that perfectly capped off this silky, from the heat. rant in Providence, Rhode Island, has chowder to draw out any remaining summery pasta. ■ In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over been punctuated by a pasta dish that flavor and starch from the cobs: boil- medium, melt 2 tablespoons of the captures the creamy-sweet flavor of ing them in water to create a stock we Pasta with Sweet Corn, butter. Add the grated corn, shallots, fresh New England corn. could use to both enrich the sauce Tomatoes and Basil habanero and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, Chef-owner Johanne Killeen first and flavor the pasta. stirring, until the shallots soften, about blanches ears of corn, then slices off We sautéed the grated corn with Start to finish: 30 minutes 5 minutes. Stir in 1½ cups of the cook- the kernels. She mixes those with shallots and a minced habanero until Servings: 4 ing liquid. Cook over medium-low, tomatoes, habanero and fresh cilan- the shallots softened, then added a he ingredients in this sum- uncovered and stirring occasionally, tro, all of which is simply tossed with bit of the corn stock and reduced the Tmery pasta dish are few, so fresh until slightly thickened (a spatula olive oil and hot pappardelle. mixture, concentrating its flavors. corn and ripe tomatoes are key. To should leave a trail when drawn We loved the use of fresh corn in Next, we cooked campanelle pasta, create a creamy sauce without cream, through), 10 to 15 minutes. Killeen’s pasta recipe, but we wanted which has frilly curls that sauce we grate the corn kernels from the ■ Meanwhile, return the remaining to amplify its sweet, summery flavor. easily clings to, in the corn stock. (In cobs. To reinforce the corn flavor, corn-infused water to a boil. Add the To do that, we borrowed a Native our testing, we liked campanelle best we boil the cobs in a minimal amount pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, American technique in which fresh in this recipe, but if you can’t find it, of water—just 2½ quarts—that’s also until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the corn kernels are grated rather than look for other short, sauce-catching used to cook the pasta, concentrating cooking water, then drain the pasta. sliced off the cob—producing a pasta shapes, such as penne rigate, the flavors and starches in the corn- Add the pasta to the skillet and cook creamy puree of mashed kernels and fusilli or farfalle.) infused liquid. We put some of that over medium, stirring constantly, starchy corn “milk.” The Narragansett To better prime the pasta for liquid to further good use by stirring until the pasta is coated and the used it in a dish that became known absorbing the sauce’s flavor, we slightly it into a corn-shallot sauce. Yellow sauce is creamy, about 2 minutes; if as succotash. The Seneca blended the undercooked it, then added it to the corn gives the dish a golden hue, needed, add the reserved cooking mixture into corn stew. And in the pan to finish cooking in the sweet but white corn works, too. Which- water, 2 tablespoons at a time, to arid Southwest, the Zuni made a corn sauce. Off heat, we stirred in ever you use, make sure to remove reach the proper consistency. porridge from it with mashed squash fresh basil, butter and the salted as much of the silk as possible ■ Off heat, add the remaining 2 table- and sunflower seeds. tomatoes, which added mild acidity. before grating. spoons butter, basil and tomatoes We started our pasta by tossing Once assembled, the pasta mar- Don’t fear the habanero in this with their juice, then toss until the halved grape tomatoes in salt, which ried the corn’s creamy-sweet flavor dish. It does add a little heat, but butter has melted. Taste and season

draws out their moisture as they sit. with the seeded habanero’s fruity seeding the chili removes much of its with salt and pepper. ◆ Photo: Connie Miller of CB Creatives; Styling: Christine Tobin

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Easier and better And with a few minutes more 8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, than apple pie? work—browning butter and briefly plus more for pan cooking the apples—we had a dessert ¼ teaspoon ground allspice that might, we propose, be good 1½ pounds Granny Smith apples, French Apple Cake enough for the hall of fame, right peeled, cored, cut into ¼-inch slices next to the blue ribbon winner, 1 pound Braeburn or Golden Story by Christopher Kimball American apple pie. Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼-inch slices here is a reason the American making the recipe more concentrated French Apple Cake 149 grams (12 tablespoons) white T apple pie, rather than apple cake, in flavor and more reliable. For even sugar, divided resides in the culinary hall of fame. more flavor, we browned the butter. Start to finish: 1 hour (25 minutes active), ½ teaspoon kosher salt Apple pie is the essence of the apple We initially microwaved the plus cooling | Servings: 8 2 tablespoons brandy or Calvados itself: some are juicy and some are apple slices, but the skillet used for his simple dessert is less cake 86 grams (⅔ cup) all-purpose flour, not. An apple pie cares less about browning the butter was now primed Tthan sautéed apples set in a thick, plus more for pan moisture content since the top crust to cook the apple slices with 2 table- custardy crumb in a golden, sugar- 1 teaspoon baking powder remains crisp and above the fray. spoons sugar, a common approach sprinkled crust. We liked using two 2 large eggs An apple cake, however, turns to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract mush with super-juicy apples, or the fruit simply drops to the bottom, form- ■ Heat the oven to 375ºF with a rack ing a wet substrata. Tricky business. in the middle position. Coat a 9-inch Yet the French apple cake offers springform pan with butter, dust with an offhand charm. It is a last-minute flour, then tap out the excess. dessert thrown together without a ■ In a 12-inch skillet over medium- recipe. When one requests exact mea- high, melt the butter. Cook, swirling surements, French cooks explain the the pan frequently, until the milk process with a disdainful flick of the solids are golden brown and the but- head, an exhalation of cigarette smoke ter has a nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. and a phrase of discouragement: Pour into a small heatproof bowl; “N’importe.” don’t scrape the skillet. Stir the all- There is no cutting butter into spice into the butter. Set aside. “pea-size pieces.” No rolling out ■ Add all the apples, 2 tablespoons dough. And no pie crust. of the sugar and the salt to the still- We started with an apple cake hot skillet and set over medium-high. recipe that called for whole-egg foam Cook, stirring occasionally, until all as the foundation, then used a high the moisture released by the apples proportion of batter to fruit. One has evaporated and the slices are bunch of apples worked great; the beginning to brown, 12 to 15 min- next batch ended up, well, a soggy utes. Add the brandy and cook until mess. Though the cake was well- evaporated, 30 to 60 seconds. Trans- liked by some, we couldn’t abide the fer to a large plate, spread in an even divide: apples on the bottom and layer and refrigerate uncovered until cake on top. cool to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes. We moved on to a French apple Browned butter and caramelized apples build flavor in French apple cake. ■ In a small bowl, whisk the flour cake recipe from Dorie Greenspan and baking powder. In a large bowl, made with a simple flour-egg-rum- when making, say, a tarte tatin. Less varieties of apples here, one tart and whisk the eggs, vanilla and 9 table- melted butter affair and four large water and a bit of caramelization one sweet—the variation in the apples’ spoons of the sugar; gradually whisk apples peeled and cut into ½-inch boosted flavor and solved the soggy sweetness gave the cake a full, com- in the butter. Add the flour mixture chunks. This was a better batter—and texture problem, as well. plex flavor. The cake is delicious and stir until smooth; the batter will less of it, which produced a dessert that We also reduced the batter amount served plain, but we also loved it with be very thick. Add the cooled apples was more custardy than cakelike. slightly and upped the number of crème fraîche or ice cream. and fold until evenly coated. Transfer It also was more dependable. Par- apples, which meant less cake and Don’t use a spatula to scrape the to the prepared pan, spread in an ticularly juicy apples didn’t sink to more filling. We had arrived at our browned butter out of the skillet— even layer and sprinkle with the the bottom of the pan like wet leaves ideal version—a cross between apple simply pour it into the bowl. A skim remaining tablespoon of sugar. in a pond. But we still wanted less pie, tarte tatin and apple cake. coat of butter in the pan is needed to ■ Bake until deeply browned, 35 to moisture and more flavor. There is nothing offhand about cook the apples. And don’t slice the 40 minutes. Let cool completely in the To solve the first problem, we this recipe. It is not a “little of this, a cake until it has fully cooled; if it is at pan on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Run sliced the apples thinly and precooked little of that,” but it still qualifies as all warm, the texture at the center a knife around the inside of the pan

Photo: Connie Miller of CB Creatives; Styling:them. Christine Tobin This reduced the water content, everyday—not food “for company.” will be too soft. —Erika Bruce and remove the sides before slicing. ◆

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Nutella-inspired cookies Triple-Chocolate Almond Cookies [ KITCHEN COUNTS ] Start to finish: 30 minutes | Makes 30 cookies Triple Chocolate. f the dough is very sticky when you try Sugars, Measured Up Ito shape the cookies, allow it to sit for five to 10 minutes. As the milk chocolate solidi- At Milk Street, when we bake, we measure Double Almonds. fies, the dough becomes easier to work with. flours by weight rather than volume, to cor- Story by Albert Stumm Don’t forget to stir the almond butter rect for scooping irregularities and air that before measuring. —Alison Ladman can otherwise throw off a recipe. We won- n her cookbook “My Two Souths,” dered whether sugars would benefit from a chef Asha Gomez marries what she’s learned 8 ounces milk chocolate, chopped similar treatment. I in her new home of Atlanta with flavors from 130 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour To find out, we weighed seven dry and five liquid the state of Kerala, where her family has a 160 grams (¾ cup packed) brown sugar sugars 60 times each, scooping and leveling the dry compound near the southern tip of India. 16 grams (3 tablespoons) and pouring the liquids. We then averaged the weights Fried chicken gets a coconut- cocoa powder to arrive at our own. The results surprised us. mango drizzle, and pork vin- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt [ SUGARS BY WEIGHT] daloo gets sweetened and 3 large eggs GRAMS slathered on cornbread. ⅔ cup roasted almond TYPE OF SUGAR PER CUP One particularly in- butter, stirred well White sugar 214 triguing recipe was a 1 teaspoon vanilla Light brown sugar (packed) 218 chewy chocolate-hazel- extract Dark brown sugar (packed) 199 nut cookie made with 6 ounces semisweet Raw sugar 212 Nutella. It was an inno- chocolate, chopped Turbinado sugar 198 vative take on the classic ¾ cup sliced almonds, Powdered sugar 124 chocolate cookie. lightly toasted Superfine sugar 202 As much as we love 1 large egg white, lightly Honey 334 the chocolate-hazelnut spread beaten Corn syrup 327 (which we eat by the spoonful), for 2 teaspoons flaky sea salt Molasses 329 our version of these cookies, we favored (such as Maldon) Agave syrup 328 ingredients that gave us more control over Maple syrup 298 the finished flavor. ■ Heat the oven to 350°F with racks in the Natural almond butter and high-quality upper- and lower-middle positions. Line We thought we’d get less variation because milk chocolate were the answer, yielding a 2 baking sheets with kitchen parchment. granulated sugars—unlike flours—trap little air. rich, nutty flavor. The almond butter also ■ Put the milk chocolate in a medium While that’s true, we hadn’t accounted for crystal keeps these cookies moist, fudgy and almost microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 50 per- size, which varied widely from brand to brand. brownie-like. cent power, stirring every 30 seconds, until This showed up in our results, where 1 cup of white We made a few more small tweaks—add- completely smooth and melted. Set aside. sugar weighed as much as 236 grams and as little as ing cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate ■ In a medium bowl, whisk together the 208 grams, even when weighed by the same person. to deepen the cookie’s flavor and color—but flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Add the Published weights from other sources showed as otherwise kept the recipe simple and straight- eggs and mix thoroughly with a rubber much variation as our own testing. forward. We also used an unorthodox one- spatula. Stir in the melted chocolate, almond Brown sugar—light and dark—also had glaring bowl mixing method that is easy and cuts butter, vanilla and chopped semisweet irregularities. Because of its moisture content, down on cleanup. Just remember to stir the chocolate. brown sugar is usually packed when measured. But chocolate as it melts in the microwave, tak- ■ Spread the almonds on a large plate. we found its weight per cup varied greatly depending care not to overheat it, which causes the Divide the dough into 1-tablespoon balls, ing on how firmly it was packed, sometimes weigh- chocolate to seize. then lightly press each ball into the almonds, ing 160 grams, other times 246 grams. For crunch, we pressed sliced almonds coating one side and slightly flattening them. Liquid sugars didn’t vary nearly as much, but (an optional addition) into the tops of the Arrange 15 of the balls, almond side up, on weighing them did solve a persistent problem: stick- cookies before baking. A final sprinkle of each of the prepared baking sheets, spaced iness. Even when we used a rubber spatula to scrape flaky sea salt heightened the other flavors. about 2 inches apart. Brush the tops lightly honey, molasses and similar sweeteners out of liquid The result was delicious but intense, so we with the egg white and sprinkle with sea salt. measuring cups, we never got it all. This meant not scaled down the cookie’s size, making it a ■ Bake until the centers are set and the all of what we measured ended up in our recipe. decadent two-bite treat. edges are no longer glossy, 10 to 13 minutes, The simplest solution was to set the bowl on a Inexpensive milk chocolate candy bars rotating the sheets and switching racks half- scale, zero it out, then slowly add the sweetener to or chocolate chips made these cookies too way through. Let cool completely on the the other ingredients, no measuring cup needed. ◆ sweet, so be sure to use good-quality bar or sheets. Store in an airtight container at room

chip milk chocolate; we liked Guittard. temperature for up to 5 days. ◆ Photo: Connie Miller of CB Creatives; Styling: Christine Tobin

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[ COCKTAILS]

For a refreshing summer cocktail that’s not syrupy, use savory ingredients to balance the sweetness A Lighter, More Flavorful Sangria

Story by Jenn Ladd White Sangria n this country, sangria often I takes the form of a boozy, cloy- Start to finish: 10 minutes, ing fruit cocktail rather than a plus chilling | Servings: 6 refreshing, sophisticated cooler. We f you can’t find white vinho wanted to lighten the load. I verde, pinot gris or unoaked char- In fact, sangria’s origins skew donnay works, too. This recipe can closer to the sweet stuff. It got its start easily be doubled. two centuries ago as a one-stroke Don’t add the citrus slices until solution for killing bacteria in water just before serving. The piths impart and cutting the taste of bad wine. bitterness. —Julia Rackow But as the quality of wine improved, it became a way to make red wine ¼ cup white sugar (“sangria” derives from the Spanish 8 large basil leaves word for blood) appealing during 750-milliliter bottle white vinho Spain’s sweltering summers. Seltzer verde, chilled or soda water and ice cut the wine’s 2 large celery stalks, cut on the density; fruit and spices make it more diagonal into 1-inch pieces vibrantly—and seasonably—flavor- Two 2-inch cinnamon sticks ful; and just a little sugar makes it 3 tablespoons orange juice, plus supremely quaffable. (The Spanish ½ orange, thinly sliced are not shy about diluting their wine. 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus At Feria de Abril, the technicolor fes- ½ lemon, thinly sliced tival that takes over Seville’s streets 1 peach or nectarine, halved, pitted each spring, the all-day beverage of and sliced choice is the rebujito: dry, almost Vinho verde gives our white sangria bright acidity and a slight effervescence. 2 cups chilled seltzer or soda water briny fino or manzanilla sherry mixed with lemon-lime soda.) Mendel also added mint sprigs, Seltzer or soda water and slices of ■ In a large pitcher or punch bowl, For Milk Street’s sangria, we but we swapped them out for basil to citrus finished the sangria. The basil stir together the sugar, basil and wine, focused on keeping the recipe simple, add subtle anise notes. The results and celery balanced the added sugar, lightly bruising the basil, until the clean and fresh, while dialing back were delicious, but the taste was which was already less noticeable sugar dissolves. Stir in the celery, the sweetness. We began by skipping slightly muted. We wondered if the thanks to the lack of liqueur. Served cinnamon, both juices and the peach the hard liquor. Without brandy, heat needed to make the syrup dulled over ice, the result was a faintly sweet slices. Cover and refrigerate for at cognac or orange liqueur, the last of the fresh flavors in the infusion. sangria that was abundantly refresh- least 1 hour or up to overnight. Just which can add considerable sweet- So instead of making a syrup, we ing, relatively low in alcohol and ideal before serving, stir in the citrus slices ness, our sangria was already lighter. simply stirred ¼ cup sugar and the for summer sipping. and seltzer. Serve over ice. ◆ We also opted to make the sangria basil into the wine until the sugar with white wine rather than red. We dissolved. That was followed by fresh liked vinho verde—a Portuguese orange and lemon juice, celery stalks, For a sangria of a different shade, try rosé white—for its bold, bright flavor a couple cinnamon sticks and a ur sangria technique worked cucumber (peeled and thinly and slight effervescence. handful of peach slices. Oso well with white wine, we sliced), a jalapeño (seeded and But that got us only part of the After an hour in the refrigerator, adapted it to rosé. Portuguese rosé sliced) and 5 tablespoons lime way. We also wanted more nuanced the wine was infused with the ingre- vinho verde was our favorite, but juice, lightly bruising the fruit. flavor. Inspired by a recipe from Janet dients’ aromatic, herbal, fruity fla- any lightly sweet rosé will work. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or Mendel’s “Cooking from the Heart vors. Turns out heat had played a To make it, in a large pitcher, stir overnight. To serve, stir in of Spain,” we infused hot simple syrup role in masking the syrup’s ingredi- ¼ cup white sugar, a 750-milliliter 1 thinly sliced lime, 1 cup fresh with lemon, orange, cinnamon and ents: Some of the flavor compounds bottle of rosé, 6 large straw raspberries and 2 cups soda celery—an unusual choice that con- in oranges are particularly volatile berries (sliced), a 6-inch piece of water. Serve over ice. ◆

Photo: Connie Miller of CB Creatives; Styling:tributed Christine Tobin a welcome savory note. when heated.

19_MSM_Sample_31_Sangria.indd 31 10/24/18 11:23 AM christopher kimball’s m i l k s t r e e t Magazine

Off the Air Questions & Answers from Milk Street Radio

We add extra dimension and the oven and instead give it a other times mushy, and never as earthiness to classic chocolate chip quick sear—without moving full-flavored as they should be. cookies by using nearly equal parts other than to flip once—in a very this is a two-part problem: how all-purpose flour and dark rye flour hot, lightly oiled cast-iron to cook beans and how to infuse (177milkstreet.com/ryecookies). skillet until well browned on each them with flavor as they cook. In our tangerine-almond cake with side. Let the steak rest for at To find a foolproof approach, bay-citrus syrup (177milkstreet. least 10 minutes before slicing to we cooked nearly 12 pounds of com/tangerinecake), we use a high allow the juices to redistribute; kidney beans. Soaking them proportion of almond flour to all- otherwise its moisture will rush overnight was crucial. Beans that purpose flour for deep, nutty flavor out, making the steak dry and weren’t soaked cooked unevenly and extra-moist texture. When less flavorful. Slicing the steak no matter what cooking technique making your own substitutions, against its grain—cutting across, we used. Soaking them in we suggest starting by replacing rather than with, its fibers— well-salted water (2 tablespoons 20 percent of the all-purpose flour helps mitigate toughness. Finish Diamond Crystal kosher salt with an alternative. with a sauce that boosts the beef’s Swapping Flours? in 8 cups water) was also key, flavor and is acidic enough to Proceed with Care producing the tenderest, provide contrast. For example, Finding the fullest-flavored beans. The salt in the tangy, herb-rich Italian ubstituting one flour for Tenderest Side of Steak softens the tough skins, allowing salsa verde that we pair with strip another in baked goods can the beans to better absorb S steak (177milkstreet.com/ be tricky; one-for-one substitutions ailing a perfectly liquid. For the actual cooking, stripsteak), anchovies add depth rarely work well. Amanda Nieves tender, boldly flavored steak the direct heat of the stovetop N while capers cut through the fat. of Phoenix, Arizona, recently can be a struggle. Shawnee Snyder produced irregular results. The called Milk Street Radio to ask of Seattle, Washington, asked for more uniform heat of the oven about using bread flour in place help after getting lackluster results was best. We brought 1 pound of of all-purpose. with a flank steak marinated beans to a boil in 6 cups water overnight in white wine and Dijon with 1½ teaspoons salt in a Dutch we tried using bread flour mustard, then baked in the oven. oven on the stovetop, then in several baked good recipes, baked them covered for one hour including yellow cake and sugar we’ve generally been dis- at 250°F, then uncovered for cookies, but didn’t have success. appointed by marinades; they another two to three hours to The cake had a dense, gummy rarely do more than coat the concentrate the flavors of the texture and the cookies lacked exterior of the meat with flavor. liquid. For better flavor, we crispness. There are important We favor seasoning after cooking took a lesson from Italy, where differences between wheat flours and cutting, when bold flavors beans are often cooked with related to the proteins that form can mingle with the meat’s aromatic seasonings. We like gluten when combined with water. juices and coat each slice. For using 1 chopped onion, 2 bay The more protein a flour has, the example, in our Thai beef salad For the Best Beans, leaves and a whole head of chewier the final product. So bread (177milkstreet.com/thaibeef), Go Slow and Soak garlic with the top sliced off flour—roughly 12 to 14 percent we toss thinly sliced, medium- (after cooking, squeeze the protein—is ideal for crusty loaves rare steak with a dressing made t milk street, we cook cloves into the broth to flavor and pizza crusts, while pastry from fish sauce, brown sugar with dried beans as often A and thicken it). ◆ flour—7 percent—is better for and chilies. For thin steaks such as possible; their taste and delicate pastries. All-purpose flours as flank (1 inch thick or less), texture trump the convenience fall in the middle and are the we suggest liberally salting the of canned. But Jamie Hunte of Milk Street Radio safest bet for most baking. When meat—roughly 1 teaspoon kosher Tyrone, Georgia, recently called is a weekly, hour-long public making substitutions, we prefer salt per pound of meat—then Milk Street Radio to say she radio broadcast and podcast. to use flours that add flavor, such as letting it stand at room tempera- has been struggling with them. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, rye, buckwheat and almond flours. ture for one hour. After that, skip Sometimes they cook up crunchy, TuneIn, Stitcher and Google Play. Illustrations: John Dykes (Sara Moulton and Christopher Kimball); Ross MacDonald (baking, beans)

19_MSM_Sample_32_OffTheAir.indd 32 10/24/18 11:24 AM 19_MSM_Sample_C3_IBC_KnifeSkills.indd 3

Illustration: Amber Day Better Knifework Makes Food that Food Makes Looks Knifework Better knife’s blade into the the into blade knife’s of middle the embed onion, through—the root end. Make a end. root through—the to—not just cut to blade the To safely chop a halved ahalved chop To safely series of cuts in this fashion, series fashion, of this in cuts back, allowing the tip of of tip the allowing back, midpoint of the onion onion of the midpoint then rotate the onion and cut cut and onion the rotate then crosswise into a tidy dice. atidy into crosswise drawing the knife knife the drawing while down Slice half. To easily remove the seeds and and seeds the remove To easily ribs from bell peppers, stand stand peppers, bell from ribs stem and bottom. and stem slice and upright pepper the To smash garlic cloves or thin coins coins thin or cloves garlic To smash will remain attached to the the to attached remain will seeds and ribs The pepper. of planks creating core, the of side each on downward a few times for a finer texture. afiner for times a few of fresh ginger to a pulp, place place apulp, to ginger fresh of the flat side of a cleaver or cleaver of a side flat the back and forth across the pulp pulp the across forth and back chef’s knife on top and give give and top on chef’s knife If necessary, work the blade blade the work necessary, If the palm of your hand. hand. your of palm the it a firm whack or two with with two or whack afirm it a flat base before chopping. before base a flat make to side one off slice athin cut rolling, from eggplant and squash zucchini, like vegetables To prevent

Japanese cooking.) Japanese in common is nanamegiri, as known technique, (This possible. as thinly as crosswise slice and knife your to angle a45-degree at board cutting your large—on if one thin, if several scallion, scallions— position of slices thin long, To create the thick and thin portions. Halve each segment lengthwise. lengthwise. segment each Halve portions. thin and thick the between crosswise them halve pieces, even into To carrots cut - and Cooks and Following the curve of of curve the Following the carrot, cut into into cut carrot, the even-sized sticks. - leaves by cutting crosswise crosswise cutting by leaves the Shred leaves). and core the between demarcation the see to easy (it’s angle an at core the out slice then quarters, into cabbage the cut cabbages, red and green from core tough the To remove as thinly as possible. possible. as thinly as Better 10/24/18 11:27AM ◆ Special Issue Christopher Kimball’s MILK STREET Magazine The New Home Cooking ◆ Photo: Name TK

◆ Qa’er Hejazey bakes shraq, Iraqi flatbread, as his family has for 300 years at Jerusalem’s Makhbaz Hejazey bakery. ◆

19_MSM_Sample_C4_BackCover.indd 4 10/24/18 11:28 AM