Notes about Recipes in this book

• Catalan-style beef stew with mushrooms

  • Delys77 on November 19, 2012

    Pg 6. Technique and flavour wise this was a winner. I used my LD braiser to good effect here. The sofrito did add a huge depth of flavour and the white wine was very nice. Also, the suggested uncovered roasting did result in somewhat browned meat, not quite as much as browning the traditional way but definitely a reasonable cheat. I also loved the short ribs in this , I think I might try them in other stew recipes as they definitely stayed juicier. My only quibble is that my food processor didn't grind the nuts down quite a enough and there was a slight crunch to the sauce. In the future I might grind the nuts in a mortar and pestle to get more control over the texture of the ground nuts.

• Chicken Marbella

  • Delys77 on March 04, 2012

    This was my first test kitchen recipe from cooks illustrated and I definitely see the advantage of this approach. The recipe yields an extremely flavourful sauce and super juicy breast. I actually went with two large breasts and it was just right for three people. The breast should fry skin down for 5 in your cat iron skillet. The only note would be that the sauce isn't too salty but the whole olives with the sauce are a bit salty. I would suggest cutting the number of whole olives back a bit, and maybe halve the olives.

• New England fish chowder

  • ashallen on December 08, 2019

    My husband had a craving for a warm bowl of old-fashioned fish chowder made with cod - this recipe fit the bill. The flavors are gentle - more subtle than I prefer, but my husband really enjoyed it! Texture is not very thick with Yukon Gold potatoes which hold their shape well - Russet potatoes disintegrate more easily and might thicken the broth more. A nice piece of salt pork hasn't always been easy to find (and we didn't enjoy its texture once cooked) so I've also made this with rendered bacon fat which worked well. Best when fresh, though leftovers hold OK to the next day. Freezing, however, does unkind things to both the textures of both the fish and the potatoes! [Cross-post for Annual Edition/Magazine.]

• Croissants

  • MmeFleiss on April 02, 2020

    These made really good croissants. The tip to freeze the dough for a half hour before laminating made a huge difference.

• Sage, walnut, and browned butter pesto for cheese ravioli

  • ashallen on July 27, 2019

    This pesto is a great alternative to a more traditional sage-and-butter sauce. Its savoriness was excellent when combined with the sweetness of butternut squash ravioli. Using some toasted hazelnuts in addition to the walnuts called for the recipe worked very well. Great way to use up sage if you're trimming back an overgrown sage plant in the garden since it calls for 3/4 cup. Freezes well. [Cross-post for Annual Edition/Magazine.]