The Costco Connection - October 2015

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

; 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.