Shrimp & crabmeat étouffée with grits

Active: 1 hour; Total: 1 hour; Yield: 8 servings 

Chicken stock or water	12 cups
Grits, uncooked	2 cups
Salt, kosher	1 teaspoon + 1 ½ teaspoons
Oil, vegetable or olive	¼ cup
Butter, unsalted	3 tablespoons
Onion, white; chopped	2 cups
Celery; finely chopped	1 cup
Bell pepper, red; finely chopped	1 cup
Garlic, finely chopped	1 tablespoon
Flour, all-purpose	½ cup
Clam juice, fish  or chicken stock	3 cups
Dry sherry	½ cup
Worcestershire sauce	¼ cup
Sage, dried; rubbed	2 tablespoons
Thyme; finely chopped	1 tablespoon
Cayenne pepper	½ teaspoon
Nutmeg, freshly ground	¼ teaspoon
Tomato paste	1 tablespoon
Pepper, freshly ground	½ teaspoon
Shrimp, raw, jumbo; peeled, butterflied, tail on	1 ½ pounds
Crabmeat, lump jumbo; drained, picked clean	1 ½ pounds

1. Stir together the stock, grits, and salt in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. 
2. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 45 minutes. 
3. Combine the oil and butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; cook until the butter is melted. 
4. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic; cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent and the vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. 
5. Add the flour, and stir briskly. 
6. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes brown, being careful not to burn it, 20 to 25 minutes. 
7. Stir in the 3-cups juice/stock, sherry, Worcestershire, sage, thyme, cayenne, and nutmeg. 
8. Increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. 
9. Stir in the tomato paste, salt, and pepper; reduce the heat to medium, and simmer, stirring often, until creamy and thick, about 15 minutes. 
10. Add the shrimp, and cook, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. 
11. Reduce the heat to medium-low. 
12. Gently fold in the crabmeat, and cook, undisturbed, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. 
13. Remove from heat; season to taste. 
14. Plate the grits, and then properly smother them with the gravy. 

Recipe mildly adapted from Food & Wine Annual 2025.

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.

Pork chops with sherry pan sauce

Active: 30 minutes; Total: 1 hour; Serves: 2

Pork chop, center-cut, bone-in, about 1 ¼-inch thick	2
Salt	1 ¾ teaspoons +
Pepper, freshly ground	1 teaspoon +
Oil, grapeseed	1 tablespoon
Shallot, finely chopped	¼ cup
Ras el hanout	1 ½ teaspoons
Sherry, dry	1/3 cup
Orange zest	1 teaspoon
Orange juice	2 cups
Figs, dried, chopped	3 tablespoons
Parsley, chopped	1 tablespoon

1. Season the pork with salt and pepper. 
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 
3. Add the pork chops; cook, flipping often, until well browned and a thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of meat near the bone registers 130°F, about 15 minutes. 
4. Transfer the chops to a plate, and pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings, taking care to preserve the browned bits in the skillet. 
5. Add the shallot over medium-high heat; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 1 minute. 
6. Add the ras el hanout; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 10 seconds. 
7. Add the sherry; simmer, stirring to loosen the browned bits, until the liquid has reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. 
8. Add the orange zest and juice and the figs; cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened slightly and reduced to about 1 cup, 3 to 5 minutes. 
9. Remove from heat, and stir in the parsley; season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Recipe from Food & Wine Annual Cookbook 2023.

Caramelized onion & bread soup with brûléed blue cheese

Active: 1 hour 20 minutes; Total: 2 hours; Serves: 6

Onions, red, white, sweet mix; halved and thinly sliced lengthwise	16 cups
Oil, extra-virgin olive	2 tablespoons
Butter, unsalted	2 tablespoons
Sherry, oloroso	¼ cup
Vegetable or chicken stock, low-sodium	6 cups
Thyme, fresh	6 sprigs
Salt, kosher	1 tablespoon +
Pepper, freshly ground	1 teaspoon +
Vinegar, sherry or white balsamic	2 teaspoons
Bread, day old, cut in chucks to cover soup bowl	6 slices
Cheese, blue cheese, chilled, thinly sliced or crumbled	6 ounces

1. In a stockpot over medium-high heat, toss together the onions, oil, and butter. 
2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to caramelized, about 20 minutes. 
3. Reduce heat to medium, and continue to cook, stirring and scrapping the bottom any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until the onions are tender and caramelized, about 30 minutes. 
4. Add sherry and cook, scrapping up browned bits from the bottom of the pot. 
5. Simmer over medium, stirring occasionally, until the sherry is almost evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. 
6. Stir in the broth, thyme, salt, and pepper. 
7. Increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. 
8. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, partially covered, until flavors marry, 20 to 25 minutes. 
9. Stir in vinegar and cook 1 minute; adjust salt and pepper to taste. 
10. Preheat oven to broil with an oven rack 6 inches from heat. 
11. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs. 
12. Divide hot soup evenly among six ovenproof crocks or bowls, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. 
13. Place bread pieces on each bowl, and gently push them down until half-submerged but still at top of soup. 
14. Add cheese to each bowl. 
15. Broil until cheese is melted, bubbly, and browned in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. 

Recipe by Dana Frank & Andrea Slonecker from Food & Wine Holiday Recipes.

Sous vide pork chops with mushrooms

Active: 15 minutes; Cooktop: 15 minutes; Sous vide: 45 minutes; Serves: 2

Pork chops, thick-cut, bone-in	2
Salt
Pepper, freshly ground
Butter, unsalted, cold	1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon
Mushrooms	4 ounces
Sherry	¼ cup
Beef stock	½ cup
Worcestershire sauce	1 tablespoon
Micro greens	Garnish

1. Preheat your sous vide to 140°F. 
2. Season the chops with salt and pepper, and place in a large ziplock or vacuum seal bag; seal. 
3. Place in the water bath, and cook for 45 minutes. 
4. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath. 
5. Remove the pork chops from the bag and pat dry; discard cooking liquid. 
6. Melt 1-tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 
7. When the butter stops foaming, add the pork chops and sear until well-browned, about 1 minute per side; transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. 
8. Return the skillet to the heat, and add the mushrooms. 
9. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. 
10. Add the sherry and bring to a rapid simmer, scraping up any browed bits from the bottom of the skillet. 
11. Add the stock and Worcestershire, and bring to a rapid simmer. 
12. Reduce head to medium, and continue to simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened. 
13. Remove the skillet from the heat, and rapidly swirl in the remaining butter, ½ tablespoon at a time, until the sauce emulsifies. 
14. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
15. Serve the pork chops with the mushroom sauce and micro greens.

Albóndigas with mushrooms

Butter, unsalted	2 tablespoons
Flour, all-purpose	2 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon +
Milk, whole	½ cup
Beef, ground chuck	1 pound
Pork, ground	½ pound
Eggs, lightly beaten	2 large
Parsley, minced	3 tablespoons + ¼ cup
Wine, white Rioja or champagne	1 tablespoon + ½ cup
Garlic, grated	3 cloves + 5 cloves
Paprika, sweet	1 teaspoon + ½ teaspoon
Salt, kosher
Pepper, freshly ground
Oil, extra-virgin olive	2 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons
Tomatoes, halved crosswise	2 medium
Onion, minced	½ cup
Carrot, finely chopped	½ cup
Sherry, dry	3 tablespoons
Chicken stock, low-sodium	2 cups
Mushrooms, mixed, cut into 1-inch pieces	1 pound

1. In a small saucepan, melt 2-tablespoons butter. 
2. Add the flour; cook over moderate heat, whisking, until a thick paste forms, 1 minute. 
3. Gradually whisk in the milk, and cook until thick, about 2 to 3 minutes. 
4. Scrape into a large bowl, and let cool slightly. 
5. Add the chuck, pork, eggs, 3-tablespoons parsley, wine, 3-cloves garlic, paprika, 1-teaspoon salt, and 1-teaspoon pepper; mix well. 
6. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours. 
7. Form the meat mixture into 1 ½-inch balls. 
8. In a large saucepan, heat 2-tablespoons oil. 
9. Dredge half of the meatballs in flour. 
10. Cook over moderately high heat, turning until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes; transfer to a plate. 
11. Repeat with 2-tablespoons oil and meatballs; don’t wipe the pan. 
12. Grate the tomatoes on the large holes of a box grater in a bowl until only the skins remain; discard the skins. 
13. Add the onion, carrot, garlic, and a generous pinch of salt to the saucepan, and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until just starting to brown, about 8 minutes. 
14. Add the tomatoes and paprika, and simmer over moderate heat until slightly reduced, about 3 to 5 minutes. 
15. Transfer to a blender, and puree until very smooth. 
16. Return to the saucepan, whisk in the stock, and bring to a boil; season with salt and pepper. 
17. Add the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer over moderately low heat until cooked through, about 15 minutes. 
18. Uncover and simmer until the sauce thickens, 5 minutes. 
19. Stir in the 1/4-cup parsley, cover, and keep warm over very low heat. 
20. In a large skillet, heat 2-tablespoons oil until shimmering. 
21. Add half of the mushrooms; season with salt and pepper, and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 8 minutes. 
22. Transfer to a bowl, and repeat with the remaining oil and mushrooms. 
23. Spoon the meatballs and sauce into bowls, top with the mushrooms, and serve. 

Recipe from Food&Wine Magazine, September 2017.