Sconty empire

Braised Chicken With Salami and Olives Yield : 4  to 6 servings  Time 2 1/2 hour Donald Link pays homage to New Orleans’ Sicilian roots with a dish that also appeals to his love of both salt and salami. The dish has the feel of chicken cacciatore, but its use of olives, salami and fennel brings more complexity. Mr. Link uses handmade salami from Cochon Butcher, his meat shop in New Orleans, but a hunk of good quality supermarket salami works fine. Jarred green olives would suffice in a pinch but they will make the dish extra salty and compromise its texture. Instead, find firm green olives such as Sicilian-cured Sevillanos or French Lucques or Picholine olives. INGREDIENTS   1   (3 1/2- to 4-pound) chicken, cut into 10 pieces 2   teaspoons kosher salt ¾   teaspoon black pepper 3   tablespoons olive oil 1   medium onion, thinly sliced 5   garlic cloves, thinly sliced ½   fennel bulb, thinly sliced 1   rosemary branch, about 8 inches ...

Tempeh Tacos Yield : 4 serving Time : 24 minutes  Hard-shell tacos, or tacos dorados, have a long history in northern Mexico and immigrant communities in California and Texas. In 1951,  Glen Bell  added them to the menu of his drive-in stand in San Bernardino, Calif. He would go on to found (you guessed it) Taco Bell, the fast food chain, which would help popularize hard-shell tacos in the United States. While the typical hard-shell taco is made by piling spiced and saucy ground meat and a party of toppings into a shatteringly crisp shell, this vegan version calls for tempeh. Tempeh is made by fermenting cooked soybeans into a spongelike cake with a porous structure that browns, crumbles and soaks up big flavors incredibly well. Here, it’s seasoned with well-toasted tomato paste, ground cumin, chili powder and smoked paprika, as well as nutritional yeast for added umami. That said, the recipe can also be made with vegan store-bought meat crumbles if you prefer. INGREDIENT...

Madeira Gravy Yield : about 3 cups  Time : 10 minutes  Maderia, a fortified wine, brings wonderful flavor to this Thanksgiving pan gravy, quickly whisked together after the bird emerges from the oven. As with any gravy, the flavor of the stock is essential here, so it's absolutely worth the time to make your own. INGREDIENTS   Turkey drippings from drip pan (optional) 2 to 2 ½   cups turkey or chicken stock, preferably homemade ¼   cup Madeira wine 3   tablespoons unsalted butter 2   shallots, minced 3   tablespoons flour ¼   cup heavy cream   Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste PREPARATION   STEP 1 Pour the turkey drippings from the pan through a strainer into a fat separator. Pour turkey juices (minus fat) into a large heatproof measuring cup, and add enough turkey or chicken stock to make 2 1/2 cups. Place pan over high heat, and deglaze it with Madeira. Strain pan mixture into measuring cup. STEP 2 Melt butter in a sau...

Mushroom Soup Yield : 4 servings Time: 30 minutes If the word “mushroom” conjures for you white buttons in little supermarket tubs, you’re not alone. But there is a big world of mushrooms out there, and you don’t have to be a forager to live in it. Wild mushrooms can be found in spring, summer and fall, but farmed mushrooms, grown mostly in the dark, are always around and a little easier to find than the ones hiding in the woods. So are dried mushrooms, which may be domesticated or truly wild and which are among the most flavorful ingredients you can keep in your pantry. This lovely soup is made with a combination of dried and fresh. It's delightfully simple – it comes together in about a half hour – which allows the complex flavors of the mushrooms to really shine through. INGREDIENTS   2 to 3   ounces dried mushrooms (like cremini, morel; whatever you like) ½   stick butter 1   sprig fresh thyme or rosemary 1   large yellow onion or 3 or 4 shallots, chopped 1 ...

Mushrooms and Dumplings Yield : 4 servings Time: 50 minutes  This hearty vegetarian riff on chicken and dumplings uses meaty fresh mushrooms and concentrated dried mushrooms to quickly build layers of rich flavor. Dried shiitakes, normally rehydrated before using, are grated into a fine powder that dissolves and fortifies the broth with intense mushroom umami. Make the dumpling mixture while the stew cooks and allow it to rest in the fridge for more tender dumplings. Once simmered, they emerge light and spongy on the outside, and slightly chewy on the inside. INGREDIENTS   FOR THE MUSHROOMS: 3   tablespoons unsalted butter 2   tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2   medium leeks (1 pound), white and light green parts only, thinly sliced (2 cups)   Kosher salt and black pepper 3   garlic cloves, minced 1   pound small white button or cremini mushrooms, quartered (5 1/2 cups) 8   ounces shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced (about 3 cups) 2   c...

Lemon-Pepper Chicken Wings Yield : 4 Appetizer servings  Time : 50 minutes Lemon pepper usually refers to a store-bought spice blend of dehydrated lemon zest, black pepper and other seasonings, but the beloved pantry staple is simple enough to recreate at home: Rub oven-dried lemon zest into fresh, coarsely ground black pepper to release the oils of each. Magic ensues as the lemon gains the fruity muskiness of the pepper, and the pepper is slicked with the fragrant balm of the lemon. The citric acid is optional, but provides lemon pepper’s characteristic tartness. Sprinkled over roasted chicken wings, this golden dust gives off high-voltage flavors. To make this with store-bought lemon pepper, skip Steps 3 and 4 and simply toss the roasted wings with a dusting of the seasoning to taste. INGREDIENTS   FOR THE CHICKEN: 2   pounds chicken wings, whole or separated into wingettes and drumettes ¼   cup olive oil 1   teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) FOR THE LEMO...

Baked Buffalo Wings Yield : 4 Serving  Time: 35 minutes  For chicken wings that come out of the oven as crisp and tender as their fried counterparts, coat the wings in salt and baking powder. The combination promotes even browning, crackly-crisp skin and moist, tender meat. (Do this for roast chicken, too!) Then, cook them directly under the high heat of the broiler, which renders fat and fuses the spicy buttery sauce to each wing. You can buy any combination of meaty drumettes, wingettes (flats) or wing tips, or buy whole wings and break them down yourself, cutting at the joints to separate each wing into three pieces. Looking for a vegetarian version — or simply to add some vegetables to your spread?  INGREDIENTS   FOR THE BLUE CHEESE DIP: 3   ounces blue cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 cup) ¼   cup mayonnaise ¼   cup sour cream 1   tablespoon fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar 1 to 3   tablespoons milk or buttermilk, or to taste   K...