Poulet tchoupitoulas

Active: 45 minutes; Total: 2 hours 30 minutes; Yield: 4 to 6

Butter, unsalted	1 tablespoon + 2 tablespoons
Onions, yellow; julienned	3 cups
Bell pepper, red; chopped	½ cup
Salt	2 teaspoons + 1 tablespoon
Cayenne	¼ teaspoon + ⅛ teaspoon + ½ tablespoon
Pepper, freshly ground	1 tablespoon +
Andouille sausage	½ pound
Garlic; chopped	1 tablespoon
Sweet corn; kernels removed	1 ear
Eggs	5 large
Heavy cream	2 cups
Tabasco	¼ teaspoon
Worcestershire sauce	1 teaspoon
Crusty bread; cubed	4 cups
Parmigiano-Reggiano; grated	½ cup
Paprika	3 ¾ teaspoons
Garlic powder	1 tablespoon
Onion powder	½ tablespoon
Oregano, dried	½ tablespoon
Thyme, dried	½ tablespoon
Vegetable oil	½ cup +
Chicken thighs	6 pounds

1. Preheat oven to 350°F; grease a 2-quart glass rectangular baking dish with 1-tablespoon butter. 
2. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt 2-tablespoons butter, then add the onions, bell pepper, 1-teaspoon salt, and ¼-teaspoon cayenne. 
3. Season generously with pepper, and sauté until the onions are soft and start to brown, about 6 minutes. 
4. Add the sausage, and continue to cook for 3 minutes. 
5. Add the garlic and corn, and cook for 1 minute; remove from heat and set aside. 
6. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs for 30 seconds. 
7. Add the cream, 1-teaspoon salt, ⅛-teaspoon cayenne, Tabasco, and Worcestershire; whisk until fully incorporated. 
8. Stir in the sautéed sausage mixture, and then add the bread cubes; mix well. 
9. Transfer the filling to the prepared dish, and sprinkle with cheese. 
10. Bake until golden brown and set, about 55 minutes. 
11. In a small bowl, combine paprika, 1-tablespoon salt, garlic powder, ½-tablespoon pepper, onion powder, ½-tablespoon cayenne, oregano, and thyme with the oil; mix well. 
12. Smear the mixture evenly over each piece of chicken. 
13. Heat a large oven-safe sauté pan over medium-high heat. 
14. When hot, add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. 
15. Place the chicken in the pan skin side down, and sear until a deep golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. 
16. Turn the chicken, and place in the oven, roasting until the juices run clear, about 25 to 30 minutes. 
17. Remove from the oven, and rest for 5 minutes before serving. 

Recipe mildly adapted from Emeril Lagasse’s recipe featured in The Last Holiday.

French onion-stuffed onions

Active: 1 hour; Total: 2 hour 15 minutes; Yield: 4 servings 

Oil, olive	1 tablespoon + 2 tablespoons
Onions, yellow; thinly sliced	2 pounds
Salt, kosher	½ teaspoon + ¼ teaspoon
Pepper, freshly ground	¼ teaspoon + ¼ teaspoon
Water	1 to 2 tablespoon
Butter, unsalted	2 tablespoon
Dry sherry	2 tablespoon
Beef bouillon paste	½ teaspoon
Onions,white	4 large
Beef stock	1 cup
Thyme, freshly chopped	¾ teaspoon
Gruyère, shredded	1 ¼ cups
Bread, sourdough; ¾-inch thick slices	4

1. Heat 1-tablespoon oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. 
2. Add onions; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to brown, about 20 minutes. 
3. Stir in salt and pepper. 
4. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, uncovered stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and dark golden, 30 to 40 minutes, stirring in 1 to 2 tablespoons of water, as needed if the pan bottom gets too dark. 
5. Stir in the butter, sherry, and beef bouillon paste. 
6. Cook, stirring often, until the butter melts and the sherry evaporates, about 2 minutes. 
7. Preheat the oven to 450°F. 
8. Trim about ¼ inch from the root end of each onion, and about 1 inch from the stem end. 
9. Peel the onions, and remove the outermost layer. 
10. Scoop out the flesh from the center of each onion using a small scoop to create a cavity about 1 inch deep, leaving about 2 onion layers intact around the sides; the base should be slightly thicker; reserve the onion flesh, and discard the peels, trimmings, and outer onion layer. 
11. Finely chop the onion flesh. 
12. Spread 1 ½-cups chopped onions in a 9-inch square baking pan, and pour in the beef stock. (Discard any remaining onion flesh, or save for another purpose.) 
13. Nestle the hollowed onions, open end up, in the pan; drizzle with 1-tablespoon oil, and sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. 
14. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. 
15. Bake until softened, about 20 minutes. 
16. Uncover, and continue baking until the liquid in the pan has almost completely evaporated and the onions are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. 
17. Remove the pan from the oven; do not turn the oven off. 
18. Transfer the hollowed onions to a paper towel-lined plate. 
19. Stir frenched onions and thyme into the onion mixture in the pan; season to taste. 
20. Stuff each hollowed onion with 1-tablespoon Gruyère and about 1/3-cup frenched onion mixture. 
21. Place the bread slices on a rimmed baking sheet; drizzle evenly with oil. 
22. Top each slices with one stuffed onion. 
23. Sprinkle onions evenly with the remaining cheese, letting some spill onto the bread. 
24. Bake until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown, 5 to 8 minutes. 
25. Garnish with thyme leaves and black pepper. 

Recipe from Food & Wine Annual 2025.

Lemony shrimp with bean stew

Active: 30 minutes; Total: 30 minutes; Serves: 4

Lemon zest	1 teaspoon
Lemon juice	2 tablespoons
Paprika, smoked	½ teaspoon
Garlic, grated	2 cloves
Salt, kosher	¾ teaspoon +
Pepper, freshly ground	¾ teaspoon +
Shrimp, deveined, peeled	1 pound
Butter, unsalted	4 tablespoons
Leeks, trimmed, halved lengthwise, white and light green parts sliced crosswise ½-inch thick strips	2 large
Cannellini beans, rinsed	15 ounces
Chicken stock, low sodium	2 cups
Parsley, fresh, finely chopped	2 tablespoons
Bread, toasted

1. In a medium bowl, combine the zest, paprika, garlic, ¾-teaspoon salt, and ¾-teaspoon pepper; add the shrimp, tossing to coat. 
2. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. 
3. When the butter is foaming, add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until pink and starting to curl, 2 to 3 minutes. 
4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a plate; set aside. 
5. Add the leeks, season with salt and pepper, and cook over medium heat until the leeks are soft and starting to brown on the edges, 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
6. Add the beans and chicken broth, and bring to a boil over high heat. 
7. Lower the heat and simmer about 8 to 10 minutes. 
8. Stir in the reserved shrimp and any juices from the plate, parsley, and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. 
9. Serve with toasted bread. 

Recipe from nytimes.com.

Best banana bread

Active: 20 minutes; Total: 1 hour 30 minutes; Serves: 8 to 10

Butter, unsalted, melted	½ cup
Pecans, toasted, chopped	1 cup
Flour, all-purpose	1 ¾ cup
Sugar, granulated	½ cup
Baking soda	1 teaspoon
Cinnamon, ground	1 teaspoon
Salt, fine	½ teaspoon
Nutmeg, freshly grated	¼ teaspoon
Eggs, lightly beaten	2 large
Buttermilk, sour cream, or yogurt	½ cup
Sugar, brown	½ cup
Vanilla extract	1 teaspoon
Bananas, mashed	1 ½ cups

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F; lightly butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. 
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the pecans, flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. 
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, butter, buttermilk, brown sugar, and vanilla; stir in the bananas. 
4. Fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. 
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and lightly tap the pan on the counter to evenly distribute the batter. 
6. Bake until browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. 
7. Let the bread cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a rack, then turn out onto the rack to cool completely. 

Recipe from Food Network.

Chicken mole

Active: 1 hour 15 minutes; Total: 2 hours 5 minutes; Serves: 8

Water	8 cups
Salt, kosher	½ tablespoon + ½ tablespoon + 1 tablespoon
Chicken quarters, skin-on, bone-in	3 ¼ pounds
Oil, vegetable	¼ cup + 3 cups + ½ cup
Garlic	8 cloves + 4 cloves
Tomatoes, plum, diced	4 ½ cups
Onion, yellow, diced	3 ½ cups
Chiles, guajillo, dried stemmed	1 3/4 ounces
Chiles, árbol, dried, stemmed	1/8 ounce
Chiles, ancho, dried, stemmed	2 ½ ounces
Chiles, pasilla negro, dried, stemmed	3/4 ounces
Chiles, mulato, dried, stemmed	1 ounce
Sesame seeds	½ cup +
Pepitas	½ cup
Tortillas, corn, 6-inch	3 + more for serving
Baguette, bolillo or demi, torn into pieces	5 ½ cups
Chocolate, Mexican (Dandelion or Ibarra)	2 disks (6 ounces)
Rice, long grain, cooked

1. Bring the water and ½-tablespoon salt to a boil in a large stockpot over high heat. 
2. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add the chicken. 
3. Cook until the chicken is tender and a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of meat registers 155°F, about 30 minutes. 
4. Remove the chicken; set aside on a large plate. 
5. Reserve 4 cups of the cooking liquid in a large heatproof bowl; discard remaining cooking liquid. 
6. Heat ¼-cup oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. 
7. Add eight garlic cloves; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. 
8. Add the tomatoes, onions, and ½-tablespoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and softened, about 8 minutes. 
9. Transfer the mixture to a blender. 
10. Secure a lid on the blender, remove the center piece to allow steam to escape. 
11. Place a kitchen towel over the opening in the lid; process until smooth, about 1 minute. 
12. Transfer to a large bowl; set aside. 
13. Wipe the skillet clean; heat 3-cups oil over medium-high heat. 
14. Working with a few different types of chiles at a time, place in a spider, and submerge in hot oil for 2 seconds per a batch. 
15. Remove from oil using spider, and place in a large heatproof bowl; repeat with remaining chiles and 4 cloves of garlic. 
16. Place sesame seeds and pepitas in a medium metal strainer; submerge in hot oil in skillet over medium-high. 
17. Cook, stirring the mixture inside the strainer and shaking occasionally, until seeds are golden brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes. 
18. Transfer the seed mixture to the bowl with the chile mixture. 
19. Working with one tortilla at a time, add to hot oil in skillet over medium-high. 
20. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. 
21. Transfer fried tortillas to a plate lined with paper towels; let cool 5 minutes. 
22. Break into 2-inch pieces. (Strained and cooled oil may be reused for frying.) 
23. Add chile mixture, tortilla pieces, and bolillo pieces to reserved 4-cups cooking liquid. 
24. Let stand until the liquid is almost absorbed and bolillo is softened, about 10 minutes. 
25. Transfer the mixture to a blender; process until smooth, about 1 minute. 
26. Heat remaining ½-cup oil in a large pot over medium heat. 
27. Add tomato mixture; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 1 minute. 
28. Add blended chile mixture and chocolate disk; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. 
29. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is well combined, about 20 minutes. 
30. Add cooked chicken and remaining 1-tablespoon salt; stir to submerge in mole. 
31. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until the chicken is heated through, about 10 to 15 minutes. 
32. Serve with rice and tortillas; garnish with additional sesame seeds. 

Recipe adapted from Food&Wine Magazine, March 2021.