Project Recipes

August 15, 2015

Simple, quick dishes make up the majority of our everyday cooking. But when we're not rushed, it's wonderful to linger a bit in the kitchen and turn out a recipe that requires a bit more hands-on time, like a loaf of homemade bread, a complex dessert, or a slow-cooked leg of lamb. Here are our favorite project recipes for long weekends, lazy Sundays, or special occasions.

Shanghai Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao)

Shanghai Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao)
A collagen-rich pork stock is the key to making soup dumplings. It's solid when cold, letting you wrap it in dough. Once steamed, it liquifies into a soup.Maxime Iattoni

Baked Alaska

Baked Alaska first made its way into print in Fannie Farmer's 1896_ Boston Cooking-School Cook Book,_ but the idea of baking ice cream inside cake and meringue had been around for much of the century. The way was paved in the early 1800s by that genius of thermodynamics Benjamin Thompson, with his work on the resistance of egg whites to heat.Todd Coleman

Lil Pachters Jewish-Style Braised Brisket

This traditional Jewish brisket is braised in an aromatic tomato-based chicken broth, and tastes even better the day after you've made it.Christopher Hirsheimer
Croquembouche

Croquembouche

Literally named "crunch in the mouth," croquembouche is an edible monument of caramelized pastry.Todd Coleman

Guatemalan Tamales with Ancho Chile Sauce

These banana leaf-wrapped tamales are covered with an outer layer of foil, which ensures that they stay closed when steamed. Alternatively, the foil may be omitted and the tamales tied with kitchen twine. (Parchment paper may be substituted for the banana leaves, as well.)André Baranowski

Crispy Roast Pork

This luscious, Caribbean-inspired preparation for garlicky roast pork works especially well with the cut known as picnic shoulder.André Baranowski
Gravadlax

Swedish Cured Salmon (Gravadlax)

A salt and sugar cure flavored with fresh dill transforms salmon into gravadlax, silky ribbons of fish ready to be piled atop slices of rustic brown bread or crunchy rye crispbread for a Swedish Midsummer feast.Ingalls Photography
Oven-Roasted Pulled Pork Barbecue

Pulled Pork Barbecue

This is an easy and tasty recipe for oven-roasted pulled pork.Michael Piazza

Brioche a Tete

Golden on the outside, with a feathery, rich-tasting interior, the brioche is a perfect showcase for butter. The French name of this type of brioche (tete means head) refers to the confection's shape: a large sphere topped with a smaller one (the "head").André Baranowski

Home-Cured Bacon

Home curing is easy and yields a far more flavorful bacon than the store-bought kind. What's more, you can season the bacon any way you like; this recipe calls for a rub of fennel, caraway, rosemary, and thyme.André Baranowski

Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage

A regional dish from the Italian province of Parma, these plump spinach gnocchi are excellent sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.Andre Baranowski

Seven-Hour Leg of Lamb

Seven-Hour Leg of Lamb
Slow-cooking a leg of lamb in wine with garlic and herbs transforms the meat into an ultra-tender entrée that goes marvelously with stewed white beans.Landon Nordeman

Brazilian Salt Cod Stew

Salt cod is a staple in South America, the Caribbean, and Europe. This recipe comes from Neide Rigo, a Brazilian food blogger.André Baranowski

Flodni (Apple, Walnut, and Poppy Seed Pastry)

The recipe for this traditional Hungarian dessert was inspired by one from Budapest food blogger Eszter Bodrogi and calls for four layers of jammy filling between sheets of pastry.Landon Nordeman
Roast Pork Sandwich

Roast Pork Sandwich

Tuna mayonnaise gives April Bloomfield's roast pork sandwich at John Dory Oyster Bar in New York City a savory boost.Todd Coleman
Concord Grape Soda

Concord Grape Soda

This sweet, fizzy Concord grape soda is set to bubbling with a purchased culture of champagne yeast, which gives it a pronounced effervescence.Todd Coleman
Onion and Poppy Seed Bialys

Onion and Poppy Seed Bialys

These soft and chewy cousins of bagels are a stalwart of Polish bakeries, where their hole-less centers are filled with caramelized onions and poppy seeds. Get the recipe »Todd Coleman
Puerto Rican Roast Pork Shoulder (Pernil Asado)

Puerto Rican Roast Pork Shoulder (Pernil Asado)

We adapted the recipe for lechon, a roasted whole pig, for pork shoulder.Penny De Los Santos
Pita Bread

Pita Bread

No Middle Eastern meal is complete without fresh, fluffy pita.A. Silver
Filone

Filone

In this recipe from Daniel Leader of Bread Alone, an airy loaf with a nice crust is produced similar to a ciabatta. It's made with a lightly fermented traditional Italian starter, called a biga, that's started nine hours before baking.Todd Coleman
Four-Hour Baguette

Four-Hour Baguette

Traditional baguettes are 24 to 30 inches long and are baked in ovens that produce steam, which delays crust formation so the loaves can fully rise.Todd Coleman
Spelt Levain Loaf

Spelt Levain Loaf

Made 10 days in advance with a hearty whole spelt flour starter, this loaf has rich caramel undertones and a pleasant sourness. Top slices with creamy, funky cheeses and cured or smoked meats and fish.Todd Coleman
Apple Cider Levain Loaf

Apple Cider Levain Loaf

This flavorful, naturally leavened white bread is a great use of apple cider and dried cranberries, so you can enjoy Thanksgiving's flavors long after the holiday is done.Todd Coleman

Pain au Chocolat

Pain au Chocolat
Beautiful homemade croissants, each containing a bar of high-quality dark chocolate, make for an impressive and indulgent addition to a breakfast spread.Todd Coleman
Beef Brisket and Picadillo-Stuffed Empanadas

Beef Brisket and Picadillo-Stuffed Empanadas

Tender, braised beef brisket is combined with raisins, sherry, pine nuts, and spicy chile powder in the fragrant filling for sugar-dusted, savory-sweet empanadas. Get the recipe for Beef Brisket and Picadillo-Stuffed Empanadas »Penny De Los Santos
Beef Rendang

Beef Rendang

Instead of searing the meat before cooking it in liquid, as is done with a Western-style braise, beef rendang reverses the process. Slowly simmering beef chuck with Indonesian spice paste, coconut milk, and lemongrass yields an amazingly tender, rich dish that's great with both white rice or crusty bread. Get the recipe for Beef Rendang »James Oseland
Beef Empanadas

Empanadas de Carne (Beef Empanadas)

The classic Argentine empanada is shaped like a half-moon, but the pattern of its seal differs to indicate the unique flavors inside. This recipe, with a braided crimp and a spicy beef filling, is baked rather than fried in Argentine style.Landon Nordeman
Duck Confit

Duck Confit

For this indulgent dish, which first appeared in our December 2013 issue along with David McAninch's article [First Night](For this indulgent dish, which first appeared in our December 2013 issue along with David McAninch's article First Night, duck legs are cured in herb-laced salt, then slowly braised in a bath of duck fat before being roasted until crisp.), duck legs are cured in herb-laced salt, then slowly braised in a bath of duck fat before being roasted until crisp.David Yoder

Duck Rillettes

Duck legs are dry-brined and braised in an aromatic stock, then shredded and mixed with armagnac and spices and sealed into a serving dish with duck fat, making a delectable spread for a toasted baguette.Helen Rosner
Chicken Stock

Pressure Cooker Chicken Stock

Homemade chicken stock has an altogether deeper, richer flavor than anything you can buy in a store. Usually making stock calls for simmering the ingredients for hours on the stovetop; here, a pressure cooker speeds up the process to just about an hour.Helen Rosner

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