60 ;e Costco Connection OCTOBER 2015
By Christopher Kimball
GOOD HOME COOKS know a secret: It’s
not just the kitchen, the equipment or even
the cook’s experience—it’s also the recipe.
Here at America’s Test Kitchen (ATK)
we know that many recipes don’t work very
well. That’s because many cookbook authors
don’t think about how people cook at home.
To make our recipes foolproof, we send
them to home cooks to find out what works
and what doesn’t. The result is recipes that
really work.
Think about a typical gluten-free bagel,
baguette, muffin or scone. The bagels and
baguettes have no chew, and the muffins and
scones are greasy. We solved these problems,
and many more, by testing gluten-free recipes
not 10 or 20 times, but 30, 40 or even 50
times. The results have just been published in
The How Can It Be Gluten Free Cookbook,
Volume 2.
I was taught to cook by a Vermont baker,
Marie Briggs. After she passed, I was given
her recipe cards, and I was amazed to find
that she had only a handful. She knew what
every good cook knows: You don’t need a lot
of recipes; you just need the right recipes.
That’s why we also just published
100
Recipes: The Absolute Best Ways to Make the
True Essentials. There are a thousand ways to
roast a chicken, but only a few really good,
foolproof recipes that turn out the best results.
You want to know that someone has tested
every possible method of cooking so that you
have the very best approach.
And so this list of 100 recipes not only
covers the skills and techniques that ought to
be at the fingertips of a good home cook, it’s
also a list of our greatest hits—recipes where
ATK has explored new territory and added
real value.
Enjoy. C
Christopher Kimball is the founder of
America’s Test Kitchen.
The Costco Connection
100 Recipes: The Absolute Best Ways to
Make the True Essentials (Item #1010676,
10/13) and The How Can It Be Gluten Free
Cookbook, Volume 2 (Item #1010678,
10/13) are available in most Costco warehouses, along with a variety of fresh foods.
America’s Test Kitchen runs
recipes through the wringer
Taste tests
creative
cooking
©
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; Weeknight
Roast Chicken
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 ( 3½- to 4-pound) whole chicken,
giblets discarded
1 tablespoon olive oil
Adjust oven rack to middle position, place
12-inch oven-safe skillet on rack and heat
oven to 450 F.
Combine salt and pepper in bowl. Pat the
chicken dry with paper towels. Rub the entire
surface with oil. Sprinkle the salt mixture
evenly over the surface of the chicken, then
rub in the mixture with your hands to coat
evenly. Tie the legs together with kitchen
twine and tuck the wing tips behind the back.
Transfer the chicken, breast side up, to the
preheated skillet in the oven. Roast the
chicken until the breast registers 120 F and
the thighs register 135 F, 25 to 35 minutes.
Turn the oven off and leave the chicken in
the oven until the breast registers 160
degrees and the thighs register 175 F, 25
to 35 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to a carving board and
let it rest, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Carve
the chicken and serve. Serve with a pan sauce
(see recipe below), if desired. Makes 4 servings.
TARRAGON-LEMON PAN SAUCE
1 shallot, minced
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Pepper
While the chicken rests, remove all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet (the handle will be
very hot), using a large spoon and leaving any
browned bits and jus in the skillet. Place the
skillet over medium-high heat, add the shallot
and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in
the broth and the mustard, scraping up any
browned bits. Simmer until reduced to ¾ cup,
about 3 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the
butter, tarragon and lemon juice. Season with
pepper to taste. Makes about ¾ cup.
Recipes from 100 Recipes: The Absolute Best
Ways to Make the True Essentials.
In our digital editions
Click here for a video that shows
how to make Weeknight Roast
Chicken. (See page 12 for details.)