In case you were looking for a way to make an already amazing rotisserie chicken even better…
ACTIVE TIME 35 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME 10 HOURS, 15 MINUTES
SERVES 10
2⅓ cups warm water (110°F)
1¼-oz. envelope instant or quick-rising yeast
¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for hands
4 tsp. kosher salt (preferably Diamond Crystal)
5 cups (about 21¼ oz.) all-purpose flour Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)
2 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
WHISK water, yeast, and 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl until yeast is dissolved. Whisk in kosher salt. Stir in flour with a rubber spatula until a sticky dough forms, almost like a very thick batter, and no dry bits of flour remain. Scrape down sides of bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until doubled in volume, at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
POUR 1/2 cup oil into a 13-by-9-inch metal baking pan or quarter sheet pan.
OIL your hands and scoop dough onto prepared pan; flip dough to completely coat in oil. Press dough into edges of pan. If dough springs back, let it rest for 10 minutes and try again. Let rise at room temperature until very soft and puffy, 11/2 to 2 hours.
PREHEAT oven to 450°F. Use your fingers to poke deep divots all over top of dough. Sprinkle dough evenly with flaky sea salt. Bake until puffed and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. (If using the quarter sheet pan, place a large baking sheet on the rack underneath to catch any drips.)
WHILE focaccia bakes, bring garlic, rosemary, and remaining 1/4 cup oil to a simmer in a small saucepan over very low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
LET focaccia cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Brush evenly with rosemary mixture. Slide a metal spatula around sides and underneath focaccia to loosen, then slide onto wire rack to cool completely.
The best bread ever: This slab o’ carbs is crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and as fun to make as it is satisfying to eat. There’s poking involved!
ACTIVE TIME 30 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME 1 HOUR, 15 MINUTES
SERVES 6
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced (about 1½ cups)
3 carrots, peeled and chopped (about 1½ cups)
2 stalks celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
2½ cups lower-sodium chicken broth
3 cups (12 oz.) shredded cooked chicken (from 1 rotisserie chicken)
¾ cup frozen sweet peas
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
4 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 large egg
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17.3-oz. pkg.), thawed
MELT butter in a large oven-safe skillet (preferably straight-sided) over medium. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes.
SPRINKLE onion mixture with flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is coated in flour, about 30 seconds. Slowly stir in broth. Bring to a vigorous simmer over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chicken, peas, dill, and mustard. Let cool for 15 minutes.
MEANWHILE, preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk egg and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl.
UNFOLD puff pastry sheet on a work surface. (Pastry should be a 9-by-9- inch square.) Cut pastry into 16 (2 1/4- inch) squares. Arrange squares on top of chicken mixture, overlapping slightly to cover filling. Brush squares lightly with egg mixture.
BAKE until pastry is browned and filling is bubbling, about 35 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
ACTIVE TIME 1 HOUR
TOTAL TIME 1 HOUR, 10 MINUTES
MAKES ABOUT 45 DUMPLINGS
(6 TO 8 SERVINGS)
Dumplings
1 5-oz. pkg. fresh baby spinach
1 lb. ground pork
4 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger (from a 2-in. piece)
2 tsp. grated or very finely minced garlic (from 3 cloves)
1½ tsp. kosher salt
⅓ cup thinly sliced scallions (from 2 large scallions), plus more for serving
1 16-oz. pkg. round wheat dumpling wrappers or 12-oz. pkg. wonton wrappers, defrosted if frozen
2 Tbsp. neutral oil (such as canola), plus more if needed
Dipping Sauce
¼ cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. granulated sugar
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger (from a 1-in. piece)
½ tsp. grated or very finely minced garlic (from 1 clove)
To Make Your Dumplings Fancy Like These
Fold wrapper over filling to close. Starting from 1 end, pleat dough, pinching each pleat to seal as you go. When you get to the center, start at the other end and work your way back toward the middle.
MAKE THE DUMPLINGS: Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add spinach; cook, stirring, until bright green and wilted, about 45 seconds. Drain spinach and let cool for 10 minutes. Squeeze spinach firmly over sink to remove as much liquid as possible. Coarsely chop.
COMBINE pork, sesame oil, oyster sauce, ginger, garlic, salt, and egg in a large bowl. Use your hands or a wooden spoon to mix until thoroughly blended and a bit sticky, about 1 minute. Add scallions and chopped spinach; stir to combine.
WORKING with 1 wrapper at a time, place a scant tablespoon of filling in center of wrapper and spread slightly. Holding wrapper flat in your hand, use your fingertip to lightly wet edges with water; fold wrapper in half, pressing out air as you seal dumpling. Place dumpling on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. (Dumplings can be made ahead up to this point and placed in freezer. When dumplings are frozen, transfer to freezer bags. Cook dumplings directly from frozen.)
MAKE THE DIPPING SAUCE: Stir together soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl until combined.
HEAT a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add neutral oil and swirl to coat. Working in batches and adding more oil if needed, add dumplings to skillet in a single layer, flat sides down. Cook, undisturbed, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water to skillet and immediately cover. Steam dumplings over medium, shaking skillet occasionally to prevent dumplings from sticking, until water has almost evaporated and dumpling skins are translucent, about 6 minutes. Uncover and cook until water has evaporated fully and dumplings are crisp on bottom, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with scallions and serve with dipping sauce.
ACTIVE TIME 50 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME 2 HOURS, 20 MINUTES
SERVES 4
2 lb. russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 large egg, beaten
1½ Tbsp. kosher salt, divided, plus more if needed
⅓ cup Basil Pesto (see recipe) or store-bought pesto
Grated Parmesan cheese, freshly ground black pepper, and fresh basil leaves, for topping
PREHEAT oven to 400°F with rack in center position. Prick potatoes all over with a fork and place directly on center rack. Bake, turning once, until soft and easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 1 hour to 1 hour, 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes.
WHEN cool enough to handle, halve potatoes lengthwise and scoop out flesh. (Discard skins, or roast until crispy for a snack.) Pass potato flesh through fine holes of a ricer into a large bowl. Let cool completely, tossing occasionally, about 20 minutes. (Alternatively, use a fork to scrape insides of potatoes until fluffy. Remove flesh and discard skins.) You should have 2 1/2 cups potato.
SPRINKLE potato evenly with ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons flour. Make a well in center of potato. Add egg and 11/2 teaspoons salt. Use a fork to incorporate egg and salt into potato flour mixture until shaggy pieces of dough form.
TRANSFER dough to a work surface dusted with 2 tablespoons flour. Knead, pressing any loose flour into dough, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. To test dough, pinch off a small piece and roll it into a rope. If it falls apart, knead in a bit more flour and test dough again. (You don’t want to overwork it, but underworking is just as bad because the pillows will disintegrate in boiling water.)
BRING a large pot of water to a boil. Dust a large rimmed baking sheet with flour. Divide dough evenly into 4 pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time, roll into a 3/4-inch-thick rope. Cut rope crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Transfer pieces to baking sheet as you work. (Gnocchi can be made ahead up to this point and frozen for up to 2 months. Boil gnocchi directly from frozen.)
ADD remaining 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water. Working in batches if needed, add gnocchi. Boil until gnocchi puff up and float to surface, about 2 minutes, then cook for 2 more minutes. (If cooking from frozen, gnocchi will take longer to float, so take them out after only 1 more minute.)
Basil Pesto Place 1/2 cup lightly toasted pine nuts or walnuts, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 clove garlic, and 3/4 tsp. kosher salt in a food processor. Process until nuts are finely chopped. Add 4 cups basil and pulse a few times. With machine running, drizzle in 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, processing until mixture is mostly smooth. Makes about 1 cup. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days or freeze for 3 months.
REMOVE and reserve about 1/2 cup cooking water. Using a handheld strainer or spider, transfer gnocchi to a large bowl. Add pesto and toss gently, adding cooking water as needed to “marry” sauce to pasta and leave it smooth and glossy. Taste and season with more salt, if needed. Top with cheese, pepper, and basil.
ACTIVE TIME 45 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME 4 HOURS
SERVES 8
4 large egg whites (save yolks for Ginger-Lime Curd)
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. white or rice vinegar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1½ lb. mixed citrus (such as navel oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit)
¾ cup heavy cream
¾ cup Ginger-Lime Curd (see recipe) or store-bought lemon or lime curd
Finely chopped pistachios or toasted hazelnuts, for topping
PREHEAT oven to 275°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an overturned bowl or cake pan as a guide, trace an 8-inch circle onto parchment paper. Turn parchment over (marked side down).
BEAT egg whites and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. With mixer on high speed, add sugar in a slow, steady stream, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes. With mixer on low speed, beat in vinegar and vanilla; beat in cornstarch.
Ginger-Lime Curd Whisk 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 tsp. kosher salt in a small saucepan. Whisk in 4 large egg yolks; immediately whisk in 11/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger, 1 tsp. lime zest, and 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (from 5 or 6 limes). Cook over medium, whisking constantly, until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in 3 Tbsp. cubed unsalted butter, stirring until melted. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 3 days. Makes 3/4 cup.
SPREAD meringue inside marked circle on parchment. Use a spoon to create a large, shallow well in center.
BAKE until meringue easily lifts off parchment, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Turn off oven and let meringue cool inside oven for 2 hours. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Peel off parchment and transfer meringue to a large serving platter.
MEANWHILE, cut away peels from citrus with a paring knife. Slice 1 citrus crosswise into rounds. Cut remaining citrus into segments. Transfer citrus to paper towels to drain.
BEAT cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.
SPOON about three-quarters of the curd into well on top of meringue. Top with whipped cream. Dollop on remaining curd and add citrus. Sprinkle with pistachios.
TIP: If using store-bought curd, stir in 11/2 teaspoons finely grated ginger.
WHISK FOOD STYLING BY JENNIFER WENDORF