Classic Strawberry Shortcake is one of those recipes you need to know how to make: easy-to-make biscuits layered with juicy strawberries and freshly whipped cream…heaven! It’s the perfect dessert for Spring and Summer!

My biscuit cutter is a little smaller than 2 1/2″ so I got a few more biscuits out of the batch. I like to use coarse sugar instead of granulated sugar to sprinkle on top of each biscuit before baking. Enjoy!

Classic Strawberry Shortcake
-recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine 

These biscuits get their light, tender texture from buttermilk and baking powder, and their rich flavor from an egg, cream, and lots of butter. This simple dessert is best made at the height of strawberry season, using the juiciest, sweetest strawberries you can find. Serves 6.
 
For the strawberries:
1 lb. ripe strawberries, hulled (about 4 cups)
2 Tbs. granulated sugar; more to taste

For the biscuits:
9 oz. (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for rolling
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbs. granulated sugar
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
4 oz. (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large egg
1/4 cup heavy cream; more for brushing
1/4 cup buttermilk

For the whipped cream:
1-1/2 cups heavy cream 
2 Tbs. granulated sugar

Prepare the strawberries: Put one-third of the berries in a medium bowl and, using a potato masher, crush them into a chunky purée. Slice the remaining berries 1/4 inch thick and stir them into the mashed berries along with the sugar. Taste the berries, adding more sugar if necessary. Let the berries sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Make the biscuits: Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Line a large heavy-duty baking sheet with parchment.

Sift the flour, 1/3 cup of the sugar, the baking powder, and baking soda into a large bowl. Stir in the salt. Using a pastry blender, a fork, or your fingertips, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.

In a small bowl, beat the egg and heavy cream with a fork. Mix in the buttermilk. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the cream mixture. Mix with the fork until the dough is evenly moistened and just comes together; it will still look a little shaggy. Gather the dough and gently knead it three or four times. If the dough seems dry and doesn’t form a cohesive mass, work in more cream, 1 tsp. at a time.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll it into a 3/4 -inch-thick disk. With a sharp 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, press straight down to cut the dough into rounds and lift straight up to remove (don’t twist the cutter or it will seal the sides of the biscuits and interfere with rising). Transfer the rounds to the prepared baking sheet. Gather the dough scraps, gently knead them together, re-roll, and cut out more biscuits until you have a total of 6.

Lightly brush the biscuit tops with cream (about 1 Tbs.) and sprinkle with the remaining 1 Tbs. sugar. Bake, rotating the baking sheet once, until the biscuit tops are lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Let the biscuits cool slightly while you whip the cream.

Whip the cream: In a large, chilled metal bowl, whip the heavy cream and sugar to soft peaks with an electric hand mixer. (Use immediately or refrigerate, covered until ready to serve).

Assemble the shortcakes: Using a serrated knife, split the warm biscuits in half horizontally and transfer the bottoms to 6 dessert plates. Spoon about three-quarters of the macerated berries and their juice evenly over the biscuit bottoms. It’s OK if some of the berries spill out onto the plate. Top with a generous dollop of whipped cream and cover each with a biscuit top. Spoon more berries and cream over each shortcake and serve immediately.

Make Ahead Tips: The biscuits can be baked 10 to 12 hours ahead and reheated in a 350°F oven before serving. The strawberries can be macerated up to 2 hours ahead. The cream can be whipped up to 2 hours ahead and refrigerated, covered. If necessary, lightly rewhip before using.

Tags: classic strawberry shortcake, short cake, shortcake, spring, strawberries, strawberry shortcake, Summer

This recipe for Chicken Potpie Pasta is an easy-to-fix twist on the classic comfort food dish. You get all the chicken potpie flavors without the fuss of making pie crust…perfect for a weeknight meal!

I added a little white wine and some freshly chopped parsley to the sauce, and substituted a cup or so of frozen peas for the green beans. This would also be a great way to use up leftover turkey. Enjoy!

Chicken-Potpie Pasta
-from Everyday Food Magazine

Serves 6.

Total Time: 30 minutes

Salt and pepper
3/4 pound penne or other short tubular pasta
1/3 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, minced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
2 carrots, diced medium
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups diced cooked chicken

In large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes less than package instructions. Add green beans and cook 3 minutes, then drain.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-high. Add onion, celery, and carrots and cook until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in chicken and season with salt and pepper.

Stir pasta into chicken mixture.

Tags: chicken pot pie, chicken potpie, Christmas, Comfort Food, leftover chicken, leftover turkey, Martha Stewart Everyday Food, Thanksgiving

I’m always on the search for new ways to use up leftover turkey, which is what led me to this delicious soup. It’s loaded with fresh veggies and herbs, and you can substitute different veggies depending on what you have on hand. For instance, I used green beans instead of zucchini. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy in front of a roaring fire!

Heartland Turkey and Vegetable Chowder
-from The New Thanksgiving Table by Diane Morgan

This is a hearty, chock-full-of vegetables chowder using leftover turkey. I make variations on this recipe throughout the winter when I have leftover chicken. See what’s fresh in the produce aisle and feel free to vary the vegetables. You could use kale instead of Swiss chard, or even substitute spinach, adding it at the last minute. Add green beans in place of the zucchini, if desired. Serve this soup with a loaf of crusty French bread for a perfect one-course meal. – Diane Morgan

Serves 8.

4 strips bacon, chopped
1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 large ribs celery, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 large red potatoes (about 8 ounces each), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound), peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice 
8 cups turkey stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 cups chopped deribbed Swiss chard leaves
2 cups diced of roast turkey (1/2-inch dice)
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a heavy 6- to 8-quart Dutch oven with a lid, cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring frequently, until crisp and browned. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Set aside. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of fat from the pan and return it to medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrots. Sauté, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are soft but not browned.

Add the potatoes, squash, and stock. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Partially cover the pot and cook for about 15 minutes until the potatoes and squash are tender. Add the zucchini, Swiss chard, turkey, sage, and thyme. Cook for 5 minutes longer. Add the bacon and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and serve immediately. The soup an be made up to 2 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate.

Tags: Christmas, holiday leftovers, holidays, leftover turkey, soup, Thanksgiving leftovers, turkey, turkey chowder, turkey soup, turkey vegetable soup

Pumpkin admirers will love this moist pumpkin cake. It’s easy to make, not too sweet, and tastes pumpkin pie-ish (only better)!

The cake took longer to bake than the recipe states. I had to turn my oven down a bit so it wouldn’t brown too much. Check the cake at 30 minutes and if it’s still wet in the middle, turn the oven down about 25 degrees and check in 10 more minutes (repeat as needed until toothpick inserted in middle of cake comes out clean). Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
-recipe from Cook’s Country Magazine (October/November 2007)

Why this recipe works:
Pumpkin cake recipes should be easy, but the pumpkin cake recipes we tried made damp cakes with a harsh burn of spice. And the cream cheese frosting was way too sweet and rich. To avoid these pitfalls, we made the cake with packed pumpkin puree (without spices or sugar) instead of canned pumpkin pie filling (with spices and sugar). The cake made with the puree actually tasted like pumpkin, which was one of the features we wanted for our Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. Using puree also allowed us to control the spices ourselves, and we opted to use just a bit of ginger, cinnamon, and allspice to give the cake a subtle spiciness. And to solve the problem of heavy and cloyingly sweet frosting, we lessened the amounts of butter and confectioners’ sugar and increased the amount of cream cheese. The result was a tangy frosting that perfectly complemented the spiced cake and gave us our ideal Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Serves 16.

Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
4 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree

Frosting:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces and softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract  

For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in bowl. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat eggs, oil, and granulated sugar until thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add pumpkin, and mix until incorporated. Slowly add flour mixture and mix until only a few small lumps of flour remain, about 1 minute. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack and cool completely.

For the frosting: With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and confectioners’ sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese 1 piece at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add vanilla and mix until smooth. Turn cooled cake out onto wire rack, then invert onto serving platter. Frost cake and serve. (Cake can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.) 

Tags: autumn, cake, Christmas, Cook's Country Magazine, holiday baking, holiday dessert, pumpkin, pumpkin bars, pumpkin cake, pumpkin dessert, Thanksgiving

Can anyone resist a fresh biscuit still warm from the oven? It’s definitely one of life’s simple pleasures! These light and fluffy Southern Biscuits are easy to make so you’ll never need to buy another can o’ biscuits again! We’ve made this recipe many times and the biscuits always come out perfect. You gotta love Alton Brown!

This recipe relies heavily on baking powder so make sure yours hasn’t expired. If it has expired, the biscuits won’t rise properly and you’ll probably end up with little golden hockey pucks. Baking soda has an expiration date, too, so be sure to check both your baking powder and baking soda before proceeding with any baking recipes.

If you don’t have a 2″ cookie cutter, a 2″ diameter drinking glass will work. Either way, dip the rim of the cookie cutter (or glass) in flour to prevent the dough from sticking to the cutter. Also, push straight down through the dough (don’t twist) when cutting out the biscuits. Bake until golden on top and enjoy!

Southern Biscuits
-Recipe from Alton Brown – Food Network

Makes 1 dozen biscuits.

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons shortening
1 cup buttermilk, chilled

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don’t want the fats to melt.) Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky.

Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold dough over on itself 5 or 6 times. Press into a 1-inch thick round. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Place biscuits on baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting. (Biscuits from the second pass will not be quite as light as those from the first, but hey, that’s life.)

Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.

Tags: Alton Brown, baking powder biscuits, biscuits, Breakfast, buttermilk biscuits, Food Network, Southern biscuits

I love secret ingredient recipes, and you’d never know there was shredded zucchini hiding inside this moist, chocolatey cake. Even my Picky Eater who normally runs away from zucchini (and many other “green” things) commented that he liked it. The cake is great on it’s own or served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. While I like it best the day it’s made when the chocolate chips are still a little melty, it’s still very good the second day, too (and gets even more moist).

After grating the zucchini, I squeeze the excess water out of it before adding it to the cake batter. Also, I skip the nuts and double the chocolate chips, mixing some of them into the batter and sprinkling the rest on top of the batter. Enjoy!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
-adapted recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine

The zucchini helps keep the cake moist.

Yield: Serves 12

2  cups sifted all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups grated unpeeled zucchini (about 2 1/2 medium)
1 6-ounce package (about 1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Beat sugar, butter and oil in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. Mix in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions each. Mix in grated zucchini. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips and nuts over.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan.
 

Tags: chocolate cake, chocolate zucchini cake, zucchini, zucchini cake

It’s officially Spring but it’s still a bit chilly here in the Pacific Northwest. In fact, we got a surprise couple inches of snow last night so school is on a two-hour late start this morning. While the kids are out playing in the fluffy white stuff, I’m thinking about what soup I’ll be making today. Here’s a recipe perfect for welcoming the new season: Chicken and Rice Soup with Spinach, Lemon and Dill. While still comforting, the soup is also vibrant and fresh tasting from the addition of lemon and dill.

Make sure you undercook the rice because it will finish cooking once you add it to the soup. Also, you can do some of the prep a day ahead of time like chop the veggies, cook the rice, poach/shred the chicken. This way, the recipe comes together much faster. Mmm, perfect for a snowy Spring day! 

Now, outside I go to throw a few snowballs at the boys… 

Chicken and Rice Soup with Spinach, Lemon, and Dill
-recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine

A burst of fresh lemon juice, added just before serving, makes this soup sing. Tip: If you made the chicken broth yourself, use the meat from that bird; otherwise you can use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken.

Serves 6-8.

1-1/2 Tbs. olive oil or canola oil
2 cups finely chopped onion 
1 cup finely chopped or diced carrot
1 cup finely chopped or diced celery
Kosher salt
1 large or 2 small bay leaves
3 quarts Homemade Chicken Broth or lower-salt chicken broth
3-1/2 to 4 cups shredded, cooked chicken
3 cups cooked-until-barely-tender white rice
10 oz. spinach, well washed and dried, tough stems removed, and chopped into 2-inch piece
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1 to 4 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions for serving (optional)

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large (at least 8-quart), heavy-duty pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and 1/2 Tbs. salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and lightly browned in places, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the bay leaf or leaves and cook, stirring, about 30 seconds.

Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are completely tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

Stir in the shredded chicken, the rice, and spinach. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until all are tender and the flavors meld, 5 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the dill and 1 Tbs. of the lemon juice. Taste, and add more lemon juice, 1 Tbs. at a time, if needed, up to 4 Tbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish each bowl with 1 Tbs. sliced scallion, if you like.

Tags: chicken and rice soup, chicken soup, dill, lemon, soup, spinach, Spring recipes

This recipe for Chicken with Vinegar and Onions is a winner! It’s rich, savory and very delicious…definitely a company-worth dish! I loved the combination of tarragon and lightly caramelized onions with the chicken. Oh my, it’s good!

While this is not a quick cooking recipe, you could do some of the steps ahead of time (like sauteing the onions) if you wanted to serve it during the week. You can even make it a day or two ahead of time and reheat it. Not a fan of tarragon? You can use parsley or chives instead but I don’t think the dish would be as good. The tarragon isn’t overpowering. Serve with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes.

Chicken with Vinegar and Onions (Poulet au Vinaigre)
-recipe from Molly Stevens – Fine Cooking Magazine 

In my experience, a poultry sauté is one of the most overlooked techniques in French cooking. It’s easier than pan-frying and more elegant than a stew. A sauté refers to dredging a cut-up bird (usually a small chicken) in flour before cooking it in a deep skillet with either butter or olive oil and very little, if any, added liquid. As the chicken cooks, it simmers in its own juices mingled with the fat, creating a very concentrated, rich sauce. Most cooks add some aromatics (onions, leeks, or shallots) and a bit of wine or vinegar to balance the richness. Serves 4 to 6.

3 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 medium-small yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 2-1/2 cups)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbs. Champagne vinegar (Delouis Fils, Reims Champagne Vinegar by Clovis, or La Marne are three good brands)
1 4-lb. chicken, cut into 8 pieces (or 2 bone-in, skin-on breasts and 4 bone-in, skin-on thighs)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris
2 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon leaves
2 Tbs. crème fraîche (or heavy cream)

In a 12-inch skillet, melt 2 Tbs. of the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with a couple of big pinches of salt and a few grinds of pepper, and stir to coat the onions. Cover, reduce the heat to medium low, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and lightly browned, about 20 min. Scrape them into a small bowl and set the skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbs. of the vinegar and stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour the vinegar into the onions and set the skillet aside.

If using chicken parts, cut each breast crosswise into two equal-size portions and trim any excess fat or skin from the thighs. Rinse and pat dry.

Spread the flour in a pie plate, and season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Set the skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and the remaining 1 Tbs. butter. While the butter melts, dredge half of the seasoned chicken pieces in the flour, shaking off the excess. Set them skin side down in the skillet. Brown, turning once, until the skin is crisp and the chicken is evenly browned, 6 to 8 min. total. Lower the heat if the chicken or the drippings threaten to burn. Transfer the chicken pieces to a pan or platter and repeat with the remaining chicken.

When all the chicken is browned, pour off all of the fat. Return the skillet to medium-high heat, add the wine, and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dissolve the drippings. Add the remaining 2 Tbs. of vinegar, the sautéed onions, and 1 tsp. of the tarragon. Return the chicken pieces, skin side up, to the skillet, arranging them in a single snug layer. Partially cover, leaving a small gap for the steam to escape, and lower the heat to maintain a low simmer. Continue to simmer gently, turning every 10 min., until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 30 minutes total.
Tip: Leave the lid of the skillet slightly ajar to let some steam escape during cooking. This concentrates the liquid for a more intense sauce, and it also ensures that the liquid doesn’t boil or simmer too hard, which would overcook the chicken.

Transfer the chicken to a platter. Increase the heat to a more rapid simmer, and stir in the crème fraîche (or cream); the sauce may appear broken at first, but it will come together. Taste for salt and pepper. Add the remaining 1 tsp. tarragon and spoon over the chicken to serve.

Serving Suggestions:  Steam small red or white potatoes until tender. Just before serving, sauté the potatoes in butter until browned and crispy.

Make Ahead Tips: This dish can be made a day or two ahead, but don’t add the last teaspoon of tarragon. Reheat gently in a covered baking dish in a 325°F oven for about 30 min., adding a few tablespoons of water or chicken broth if the chicken appears dry. Sprinkle with the tarragon and serve.

Drink Suggestions: The vinegar and crème fraîche elements in this dish call for a racy white wine with herbal elements. Sauvignon Blanc is a great choice; look for wines from the Sancerre or Pouilly- Fumé regions of France. The 2004 André Vatan Sancerre, $16, and the 2004 Henri Bourgeois Pouilly-Fumé, La Porte de l’Abbaye, $16, would be good bottles to try.

Tags: caramelized onions, Champagne vinegar, Chicken, Chicken with Vinegar & Onions, French cooking, French country cooking, Poulet au Vinaigre, tarragon

Although it hasn’t been as rainy here in Portland as it normally is in the winter, it’s definitely still soup weather. I made this delicious ham and bean soup today and took it to a lunch gathering. I’m happy to say that there was hardly enough leftover for a photo. The recipe (from the fine folks at Cook’s Illustrated) was inspired by the famous soup that has been served at the U.S. Senate’s restaurant since the early 1900′s.

I used small white beans because the store I was at didn’t have dried navy beans (who knows, they might even be the same thing). I did the quick salt-soaking method for the beans and rinsed them well before adding them to the soup. When the soup was finished cooking, I mashed some beans with a potato masher to thicken the soup. I have to say, I’m already looking forward to making it again! 

U.S. Senate Navy Bean Soup
-recipe from Cook’s Illustrated Soups & Stews (2012)

This soup can easily turn overly salty because of the ham; be sure to use low-sodium broth and taste the soup carefully before seasoning with any salt. Serves 8.

Ingredients
 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound ham steak, patted dry and cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried
4 cups water
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound dried navy beans (2-1/2 cups), picked over, rinsed, salt-soaked, and rinsed again (see below)
1 smoked ham hock, rinsed
2 bay leaves 
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar, plus extra for seasoning

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until just smoking. Brown ham on all sides, about 5 minutes. Stir in onion and celery and cook until vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir in garlic, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in water, broth, soaked beans, ham hock and bay leaves and bring to boil. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until beans are almost tender, 45 to 60 minutes. 

Stir in carrots and 1 teaspoon vinegar and continue to cook, covered in oven until beans and vegetables are fully tender, 30 to 40 minutes longer.

Remove pot from oven and remove bay leaves. Transfer ham hock to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred meat discarding bone and skin.

Return ham hock meat to soup and heat over medium heat until soup is hot, about 2 minutes. Off heat, use back of spoon to press some beans against side of pot to thicken soup. Season with salt, pepper, and vinegar to taste, and serve. 

Overnight Salt-Soaking Method: Dissolve 3 tablespoons of salt in 16 cups of cold water in a large container or pot. Stir in 1 pound of beans and soak them at room temperature for at least eight hours or up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse the beans thoroughly before proceeding with the recipe.

Quick Salt-Soaking Method: Combine 16 cups of water, 3 tablespoons of salt, and 1 pound of beans in a large Dutch oven and bring them to a boil over high heat. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let stand for one hour. Drain and rinse the beans thoroughly before proceeding with the recipe.

Tags: Cook's Illustrated, ham and bean soup, ham hock, ham steak, navy beans, Senate Bean Soup, Senate restaurant, soup, US Senate Navy Bean Soup, white beans

I’ve seen recipes for chicken in a pot but had never tried it myself until last week. While this recipe won’t replace my favorite roast chicken recipe, it was flavorful and super easy to make…and didn’t make a mess of my oven (like roast chicken does sometimes). 

Please note that the chicken takes 1 1/2 to 2 hours to cook (depending on size of chicken). And don’t forget to put a piece of foil over the pot before you put the lid on. This helps ensure that the moisture in the dutch oven doesn’t evaporate. You need these juices to keep the chicken moist.

Once you take the chicken out of the oven, you make a quick jus (sauce) with the juices. Serve with steamed veggies and some crusty bread…this is simple comfort food, folk! Enjoy!

French Chicken in a Pot
-recipe from The Best of America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook 2009 (from Cook’s Illustrated)

Serves 4.  

Why this recipe works: Our challenge when working on our chicken-in-a-pot recipe was to prevent the humidity in the pot from washing the flavor from the meat as it cooked. By removing the vegetables—the liquid they released made the pot too steamy—and cooking the chicken by itself and by tightly sealing the pot with foil before adding the lid, we got the tender, succulent, flavorful chicken recipe we were looking for. After developing the basic technique, we revisited the possibility of including vegetables, finding that we could add a small amount of potently flavored, aromatic vegetables if they were lightly browned with the chicken to remove most of their moisture.

The cooking times in the recipe are for a 4 1/2- to 5-pound bird. A 3 1/2- to 4 1/2-pound chicken will take about an hour to cook, and a 5- to 6-pound bird will take close to 2 hours. We developed this recipe to work with a 5- to 8-quart Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid. If using a 5-quart pot, do not cook a chicken larger than 5 pounds. Use the best chicken available, such as a Bell & Evans. If using a kosher chicken, reduce the kosher salt to 1 teaspoon (or 1/2 teaspoon table salt). If you choose not to serve the skin with the chicken, simply remove it before carving. The amount of jus will vary depending on the size of the chicken; season it with about 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice for every 1/4 cup.

Dry Cooking versus Braising: French Chicken in a Pot shares some similarities with braised chicken—both are cooked in covered pots in low-temperature ovens to yield tender, flavorful meat. Unlike braising, however, where lots of liquid is added to the pot, our chicken is placed in a dry pot and left to cook in nothing more than the essence of its own juices. DRY ENVIRONMENT: In a dry pot with no added liquid, juices that come out of the chicken go right back into it, undiluted by other flavors.

1 whole roasting chicken (4 1/2 to 5 pounds), giblets removed and discarded, wings tucked under back
2 teaspoons kosher salt or 1 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped medium (about 1/2 cup)
1 small stalk celery, chopped medium (about 1/4 cup)
6 medium garlic cloves, peeled and trimmed
1 bay leaf
1 medium sprig fresh rosemary (optional)
1/2 – 1 teaspoon juice from 1 lemon

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until just smoking. Add chicken breast-side down; scatter onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf, and rosemary (if using) around chicken. Cook until breast is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Using a wooden spoon inserted into cavity of bird, flip chicken breast-side up and cook until chicken and vegetables are well browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove Dutch oven from heat; place large sheet of foil over pot and cover tightly with lid. Transfer pot to oven and cook until instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees when inserted in thickest part of breast and 175 degrees in thickest part of thigh, 80 to 110 minutes.

Transfer chicken to carving board, tent with foil, and rest 20 minutes. Meanwhile, strain chicken juices from pot through fine-mesh strainer into fat separator, pressing on solids to extract liquid; discard solids (you should have about 3/4 cup juices). Allow liquid to settle 5 minutes, then pour into saucepan and set over low heat. Carve chicken, adding any accumulated juices to saucepan. Stir lemon juice into jus to taste. Serve chicken, passing jus at table.

Tags: braising, chicken dinner, chicken in a pot, dutch oven, french chicken in a pot, kosher chicken