Sconty empire

Best Chicken Salad Time: 20 minutes, plus 2 hours' resting and 4 hours' chilling The secret to this chicken salad recipe isn’t in the seasonings (though the tarragon and sour cream make it pretty wonderful) but in the texture of the chicken, described as “plush” by the chef Barbara Tropp in her “China Moon” cookbook. She incorporated Chinese methods and flavors to her cooking, including this foolproof method for poaching chicken breasts without overcooking. It makes a chicken salad that’s perfect for sandwiches (especially on dark rye or sourdough breads) or scooped onto a lettuce-lined plate with sliced radishes, tomatoes, crackers, grapes or all of the above. The chicken breasts used here must be bone-in, but you can remove the skin if you prefer. The skin and bones flavor the cooking liquid, providing a bonus of several pints of chicken stock. INGREDIENTS Yield: 4 servings About 4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts 2scallions, cut into thirds ¼teaspoon black peppercorns

  Reverse-Seared Steak Time 45 to 55 minutes, plus lighting the grill Reverse-searing is a grilling technique for steak that ensures a dark, sizzling crust and a rosy center that is perfectly cooked to your desired degree of doneness. This brilliant grilling method combines the low and slow cooking of traditional barbecue with the high heat charring practiced at steakhouses. Though it works well with any thick steak, from picanha to porterhouse, this recipe calls for a cut of steak popularized in Santa Maria, Calif., and is today known and loved across the U.S. as tri-tip. As the name suggests, it’s a triangular or boomerang-shaped steak cut from the tip of the sirloin, blessed with a robust beefy flavor. INGREDIENTS Yield : 4 servings * 1large or 2 small wood chunks (such as oak, hickory or mesquite) or 1½ cups wood chips * Canola oil, for greasing the grill grate * 1tri-tip steak (about 2 to 2¼ pounds; see Tip) * Coarse kosher or sea salt * Freshly ground black pepper

 Gingery Meatballs in Tomato Sauce Time : 30 minutes  The majority of meatballs in tomato sauce are made with canned tomatoes and are often served over pasta. However, the fresh tomatoes used in this dish are only quickly cooked to make it lighter and brighter. Ginger, cilantro, lime juice, and a dash of cumin are also included. It's the ideal spot to use up those summer tomatoes that are too ripe, but it also tastes great with tomatoes that are just ripe. Use any ground meat you'd like in this recipe, including pork, beef, turkey, chicken, lamb, or vegan meat. After that, serve it with rice or crusty bread to sop up all of the zingy, fragrant sauce. INGREDIENTS Yield : 4 servings 2tablespoons finely grated or minced fresh ginger 3garlic cloves, finely grated or minced 1teaspoon ground cumin, more for serving 1teaspoon fine sea or table salt, more as needed ½teaspoon ground coriander 1pound ground pork (or turkey, chicken, beef, lamb or vegan meat) ½cup panko bread crumbs (or u