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5-Ingredient Irish Jambons

cheddar cheese (7-8 ounces)

eggs

black pepper

ham steaks,

puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Unroll your puff pastry and cut each sheet into either 6 or 9 even, square pieces. Place these squares on lined baking trays, making sure to leave space between each one. Fill pastry with cheese mixture and then top with ham pieces.

Fold each corner of the puff pastry squares in towards the center. Beat remaining egg and brush over the top of each roll for browning.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until pastry puffs and edges brown slightly. Jambons will open with the heat and some cheese will melt out. This is normal.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm or cold and enjoy.

A quick shrimp stock and a modicum of stirring produce first-rate risotto. For a simplified shrimp risotto, we started by making a quick stock: We seared shrimp shells to extract their flavorful compounds, added water and seasonings, and simmered for just 5 minutes. Next we sautéed onion and fennel and then added the rice to the pot, followed by white wine and almost all the stock. We simmered the risotto covered to help it cook evenly and stirred it only occasionally. Adding the chopped, salted shrimp off the heat ensured that they would cook very gently and retain their delicate texture. Final additions of butter, lemon, chives, and Parmesan contributed complexity while keeping things light.

Shrimp Risotto

shrimp

teaspoons, table salt, divided

vegetable oil

water

black peppercorns

bay leaves

teaspoon, baking soda

garlic cloves, minced

Arborio rice

dry white wine

cup, minced fresh chives

lemon

Accompanied by a salad, this risotto makes a great dinner, but it can also be served in eight smaller portions as a first course.

Cut each shrimp crosswise into thirds. Toss with ½ teaspoon salt and set aside. Heat oil in Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering. Add reserved shrimp shells and cook, stirring frequently, until shells begin to turn spotty brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Add water, peppercorns, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain stock through fine-mesh strainer set over large bowl, pressing on solids with rubber spatula to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in now-empty pot over medium heat. Add onion, fennel, baking soda, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes (volume will be dramatically reduced and onion will have mostly disintegrated). Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are translucent around edges, about 3 minutes.

Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until fully absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir 4 cups stock into rice mixture; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until almost all liquid has been absorbed and rice is just al dente, 16 to 18 minutes, stirring twice during simmering.

Add ¾ cup stock to risotto and stir gently and constantly until risotto becomes creamy, about 3 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and shrimp. Cover pot and let stand off heat for 5 minutes.

Gently stir chives, lemon zest and juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter into risotto. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, stir in additional stock to loosen texture of risotto. Serve, passing lemon wedges and extra Parmesan separately.

Recipe Instructions

Test Kitchen Techniques

The Best Silicone Spatulas

The Best Dutch Ovens

A quick shrimp stock and a modicum of stirring produce first-rate risotto.

The original version is toasted (not baked) and flavored with olive oil and raw garlic. Serve these crisp slices as is or with a variety of toppings. For an authentic bruschetta recipe, we toasted (rather than grilled) our bread, flavoring it with olive oil and raw garlic before topping it with a simple mixture of vegetables and/or herbs.

Bruschetta with Tomatoes and Basil

basil leaves

loaf, country bread

clove, garlic, peeled

tablespoons, extra-virgin olive oil

This is the classic bruschetta, although you can substitute other herbs. Decrease the quantity of stronger herbs, such as thyme or oregano.

Mix tomatoes, basil, and salt and pepper to taste in medium bowl. Set aside.

Broil or grill bread until golden brown on both sides. Place toast slices on large platter, rub garlic over tops, then brush with oil.

Use slotted spoon to divide tomato mixture among toast slices. Serve immediately.

The Best Slotted Spoons

Splashes of vodka and cream can turn run-of-the-mill tomato sauce into luxurious restaurant fare—or a heavy, boozy mistake. We set out to fine-tune this modern classic. To achieve a sauce for our penne alla vodka recipe with the right balance of sweet, tangy, spicy, and creamy, we pureed half the tomatoes (which helped the sauce cling nicely to the pasta) and cut the rest into chunks. For sweetness, we added sautéed minced onions. We found we needed a liberal amount of vodka to cut through the richness and add zing to the sauce, but we had to add it to the tomatoes early on to allow the alcohol to mostly (but not completely) cook off and prevent a boozy flavor. Adding a little heavy cream to the sauce gave it a nice consistency, and we finished cooking the penne in the sauce to encourage cohesiveness.

Penne alla Vodka

olive oil

tomato paste

medium cloves, garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)

red pepper flakes

salt

vodka

heavy cream

penne pasta

tablespoons, basil leaves

Parmesan cheese,

So that the sauce and pasta finish cooking at the same time, drop the pasta into boiling water just after adding the vodka to the sauce. If possible, use premium vodka; inexpensive brands will taste harsh in this sauce. Pepper vodka imparts a pleasant flavor and can be substituted for plain.

Puree half of tomatoes in food processor until smooth. Dice remaining tomatoes into 1/2-inch pieces, discarding cores. Combine pureed and diced tomatoes in liquid measuring cup (you should have about 1 2/3 cups). Add reserved liquid to equal 2 cups.

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are light golden around edges, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and pepper flakes; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Remove pan from heat and add vodka. Return pan to medium-high heat and simmer briskly until alcohol flavor is cooked off, 8 to 10 minutes; stir frequently and lower heat to medium if simmering becomes too vigorous. Stir in cream and cook until hot, about 1 minute.

Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta. Cook until just shy of al dente, then drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water, and transfer pasta back to Dutch oven. Add sauce to pasta and toss over medium heat until pasta absorbs some of sauce, 1 to 2 minutes, adding reserved cooking water if sauce is too thick. Stir in basil and adjust seasoning with salt. Divide among pasta bowls and serve immediately, passing Parmesan separately.

The Best Chef’s Knives for $75 or Less

Dutch Ovens

Splashes of vodka and cream can turn run-of-the-mill tomato sauce into luxurious restaurant fare—or a heavy, boozy mistake. We set out to fine-tune this modern classic.

This French chicken dish makes its own sauce—and vinegar is the light that helps it shine. Our recipe for this classic Lyonnaise dish calls for using just chicken thighs rather than the usual combination of light and dark meat to ensure that all the meat cooks at the same rate. We browned the chicken to develop flavor and then braised it in a flavorful mix of chicken broth, white wine, and red wine vinegar until it reached 195 degrees and was meltingly tender and juicy. To finish the sauce, we fortified the braising liquid with tomato paste and reduced it to a luxurious, lightly thickened consistency before adding minced fresh tarragon. The sauce is typically finished with heavy cream, but we preferred to whisk in a couple tablespoons of butter instead to help preserve the vibrancy of the sauce.

Poulet au Vinaigre (Chicken with Vinegar)

(5- chicken thighs, trimmed

teaspoons, table salt

teaspoon, pepper

, large shallot, minced

garlic cloves,

chicken broth

cup, red wine vinegar,

tablespoons, unsalted butter,

tarragon

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in 12-inch ovensafe skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook, without moving it, until well browned, about 8 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken and brown on second side, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to large plate.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet. Add shallot and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is golden brown, about 1½ minutes. Add broth, wine, and vinegar; bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Return chicken to skillet, skin side up (skin will be above surface of liquid). Transfer skillet to oven and bake, uncovered, until chicken registers 195 degrees, 35 to 40 minutes.

Using tongs, transfer chicken to clean serving platter and tent with aluminum foil. Place skillet over high heat. Whisk tomato paste into liquid and bring to boil. Cook, occasionally scraping side of skillet to incorporate fond, until sauce is thickened and reduced to 1¼ cups, 5 to 7 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter and tarragon. Season with salt, pepper, and up to 1 teaspoon extra vinegar (added ¼ teaspoon at a time) to taste. Pour sauce around chicken and serve.

The Best Kitchen Tongs

The Best Stainless-Steel Skillets

This French chicken dish makes its own sauce—and vinegar is the light that helps it shine.

A triple-decker composition of tubular pasta, spiced meat sauce, and lush béchamel, Greek pastitsio is king among casseroles—and often a royal pain. In the best renditions of this Greek meat and macaroni casserole, the components—tubular pasta, ground meat and tomato sauce, and a plush blanket of bechamel—are impressively stratified. We started by treating ground beef with baking soda before cooking, which altered its chemistry and made it better able to hold on to moisture. We skipped the usual browning steps to avoid toughening the meat's exterior, which also saved time. Cinnamon, oregano, dried mint, and paprika made the flavor profile distinctly Greek. A minimal amount of red wine plus lots of tomato paste added brightness and savoriness. We further streamlined the method by parcooking the ziti (the closest substitute for authentic Greek “number 2” macaroni) in the hot béchamel; doing so hydrated the pasta just enough to ensure that it would be fully cooked after baking, and the pasta's starches helped thicken the béchamel. We then thickened the rest of the béchamel by whisking in cheese and an egg until it was spreadable. Sprinkling more cheese over the top encouraged the surface to brown.

Pastitsio

teaspoon, table salt

ounces, 93 percent lean ground beef

cup, finely chopped onion

teaspoons, cinnamon

oregano

mint

paprika

cup, red wine

unsalted butter

tablespoons, all-purpose flour

garlic clove, minced

teaspoon, grated nutmeg

cups, whole milk

(2½ cups), ziti

ounces, kasseri cheese, shredded (1 cup), divided

egg,

Don't use ground beef that's less than 93 percent lean or the dish will be greasy. We like the richness of whole milk for this dish, but you can substitute 2 percent low-fat milk, if desired. Do not use skim milk. Kasseri is a semifirm sheep's-milk cheese from Greece. If it's unavailable, substitute a mixture of 1½ ounces (¾ cup) grated Pecorino Romano and 3 ounces (¾ cup) shredded Provolone, adding ½ cup to the ziti in step 4, ½ cup to the béchamel, and the remaining ½ cup to the top of the béchamel. We strongly recommend using a spider skimmer to transfer the pasta to the baking dish, but a slotted spoon will work. To accommodate all the components, use a baking dish that is at least 2¼ inches tall.

FOR THE MEAT SAUCE: Mix salt, baking soda, and 1 tablespoon water in bowl. Add beef and toss until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic, cinnamon, oregano, mint, paprika, pepper flakes, and pepper and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomato paste, beef mixture, and remaining ½ cup water and cook, breaking up meat into pieces no larger than ¼ inch with wooden spoon, until beef has just lost its pink color, 3 to 5 minutes. Bring to simmer; cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Off heat, season with salt to taste. (Meat sauce can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 3 days. Heat through before proceeding with step three.)

FOR THE BÉCHAMEL AND PASTA: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 8-inch square baking dish with vegetable oil spray and place on rimmed baking sheet. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, garlic, salt, nutmeg, and pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk and bring to boil. Add pasta and return to simmer, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. When mixture reaches simmer, cover and let stand off heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes (pasta will not be fully cooked).

Using spider skimmer, transfer pasta to prepared dish, leaving excess béchamel in saucepan. Sprinkle ⅓ cup kasseri over pasta and stir to combine. Using spatula, gently press pasta into even layer. Add ⅓ cup kasseri to béchamel and whisk to combine. Whisk egg into béchamel. Spread meat sauce over pasta and, using spatula, spread into even layer. Top with béchamel. Sprinkle remaining ⅓ cup kasseri over béchamel. Bake until top of pastitsio is puffed and spotty brown, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes. Serve.

The Best 8-Inch Square Baking Pans

A triple-decker composition of tubular pasta, spiced meat sauce, and lush béchamel, Greek pastitsio is king among casseroles—and often a royal pain.

Is there a way to transform store-bought sauerkraut into a dish worthy of serving with a hearty German meal? For a robust sauerkraut side dish recipe using prepared sauerkraut, we preferred the fresher flavor and texture of sauerkraut sold in sealed bags in the refrigerator deli sections of well-stocked supermarkets. By comparison, canned and jarred versions looked and tasted lifeless. Rinsing and draining the sauerkraut before cooking was beneficial—the finished dish tasted cleaner and more vibrant than when made with sauerkraut that had only been drained. To create a foundation of flavor for our sauerkraut recipe, we sautéed onion in butter along with some bay leaves for herbal notes and juniper berries for their pine-like aroma and then added a grated Granny Smith apple for tanginess, brown sugar for sweetness, bacon for smokiness, and chicken broth for moisture and to round out the flavors in our warm sauerkraut recipe.

Warm Sauerkraut with Bacon and Apples (Krautsafat mit Speck und Äpfeln)

onion,

whole, juniper berries

medium, bay leaves

Salt

sauerkraut,

ounces, bacon (about 3 slices)

tablespoon, brown sugar

Try to buy fresh sauerkraut sold at the delicatessen or in vacuum-sealed packages rather than canned or jarred cooked sauerkraut. Rinsing the sauerkraut before cooking dramatically improves the flavors of this dish. Juniper berries lend the sauerkraut a subtle piney flavor, but try to pick them out before serving, or at least avoid biting into one, as they’re not meant to be eaten.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, juniper berries, bay leaves, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in sauerkraut, apple, bacon, brown sugar, and broth, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer. Reduce to medium-low and continue to simmer until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 20 minutes. Remove the bacon and bay leaves, stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Mushrooms are teeming with umami and virtually impossible to overcook. So why not leverage those perks in one of the world’s most lush and savory braises? Mushrooms are inherently savory; have the ability to build fond, the rich-tasting browned bits that form on a pot’s interior surface; and offer a balance of tenderness and resilience that allows them to turn pleasantly supple when simmered without losing structural integrity. For all those reasons, they’re great for featuring in a luxurious, wintery braise such as bourguignon. Chunks of portobellos were meaty and satisfying, while dried porcini offered a heavy-hitting boost of umami along with savory supports such as miso, tomato paste, and soy sauce and classic aromatics and herbs such as carrot, shallot, garlic, and thyme. A modified roux made with olive oil and flour added the French classic’s requisite body and gloss while keeping the stew vegan, and a splash of wine at the end of cooking brought brightness.

Mushroom Bourguignon

¼ cup, extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2½ pounds, portobello mushroom caps,

½ teaspoon, table salt

¼ teaspoon, pepper

, large shallot, chopped

tablespoons, white miso

soy sauce

thyme

ounce, dried porcini mushrooms,

cup, frozen pearl onions, thawed

parsley

Use a good-quality light- to medium-body red wine, such as a Pinot Noir or Grenache. You can substitute dried shiitake mushrooms for the porcini and yellow or red miso for white. Leave the mushroom gills intact; they enhance the stew’s color and flavor. Serve the bourguignon over polenta, buttered noodles, or mashed potatoes.

Add ¼ cup water and 2 tablespoons oil to Dutch oven and bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Add portobello mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have released their moisture, about 10 minutes.

Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until pot is dry and dark fond forms, 10 to 12 minutes longer. Transfer mushrooms to bowl. Add carrots, shallot, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil to pot and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables start to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in flour and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in 1 cup wine.

Add miso, soy sauce, tomato paste, and remaining 4½ cups water and whisk to combine. Add thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and porcini mushrooms and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain vigorous simmer and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of pot to loosen any browned bits, until sauce is reduced and has consistency of heavy cream, about 25 minutes.

Strain sauce through fine-mesh strainer set over large bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. You should have 2 cups sauce. (If you have more, return sauce to pot and continue to cook over medium heat until reduced. If you have less, add enough water to yield 2 cups.) Return sauce to pot. Stir in onions, portobello mushrooms, and remaining 2 tablespoons wine. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

The Best Fine-Mesh Strainers

Liquid Measuring Cups

Mushrooms are teeming with umami and virtually impossible to overcook. So why not leverage those perks in one of the world’s most lush and savory braises?

This hearty, thrifty soup delivers rich flavor. Fast. The traditional preparation for this classic Tuscan soup—day-old bread stirred into tomato sauce and doused in olive oil—is delicious, but it's inconsistent. By using a grocery staple such as sandwich bread and building a savory tomato soup around it, we ensured the same results every time. Canned crushed tomatoes provided both a heavy tomato presence and consistent texture without needing hours of cooking on the stovetop. Blooming sliced garlic in a generous amount of extra-virgin olive oil infused the soup with traditional flavors, boosted its savoriness, and eliminated any canned tomato flavor.

Simple Tuscan Tomato and Bread Soup

extra-virgin olive oil,

teaspoon, red pepper flakes

tomatoes

ounces, hearty white sandwich bread, cut into ½-inch cubes (3 cups)

basil

Parmesan cheese

Good-quality olive oil makes a difference here. Depending on the brand of sandwich bread that you buy, 4 ounces can range from two and a half to four slices. It's best to use weight as your guide; if you don't have a scale, defer to the volume measurement.

Combine oil, garlic, and pepper flakes in large saucepan and cook over medium heat until garlic is lightly browned, about 4 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes, bread, broth, basil sprig, salt, and pepper and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer vigorously until bread has softened completely and soup has thickened slightly, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Off heat, discard basil sprig. Whisk soup until bread has fully broken down and soup has thickened further, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with Parmesan and chopped basil, drizzle with extra oil, and serve.

The Best Saucepans

All-Purpose Whisks

This simple dish of green beans is tossed with toasted almonds and a light lemon-butter sauce. A simple dish of green beans tossed with toasted almonds and a light lemon-butter sauce, green beans amandine is refined yet not intimidating. Unfortunately, recipes too often yield limp beans swimming in pools of overly acidic sauce, with soft, pale almonds thrown on as an afterthought. We wanted to revive this side dish with tender green beans, crisp almonds, and a balanced sauce.For maximum flavor, we toasted the almonds then added some butter to the skillet and allowed it to brown for further nuttiness. Adding some lemon juice off the heat brightened our sauce considerably. After steaming the green beans in a little water in a covered skillet until they were crisp-tender, we tossed them with our sauce for a simple, flavorful take on this classic side.

Green Beans Amandine

cup, sliced almonds

lemon juice

pounds, green beans, stem ends trimmed

Use a light-colored traditional skillet instead of a darker non-stick skillet for this recipe to easily monitor the butter's browning.

Toast almonds in large skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, until just golden, about 6 minutes. Add butter and cook, stirring constantly, until butter is golden brown and has nutty aroma, about 3 minutes. Transfer almond mixture to bowl and stir in lemon juice.

Add beans, water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to empty skillet. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are nearly tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove lid and cook over medium-high heat until liquid evaporates, 3 to 5 minutes. Off heat, add reserved almond mixture to skillet and toss to combine. Season with salt. Serve.

This simple dish of green beans is tossed with toasted almonds and a light lemon-butter sauce.

This retro Russian dish may look like a stew, but it's actually a quick saute that can be on the table in 20 minutes. For our classic beef stroganoff recipe, we chose tenderloin. To build flavor, we browned the beef and mushrooms in the same pan and used beef broth to deglaze the pan and build a potent sauce. We added chicken broth, tomato paste, onion, brown sugar, and wine for flavor, a little flour for thickening, and sour cream for creaminess and tang.

Classic Beef Stroganoff

tablespoons, vegetable oil

ounces,

Salt and ground black pepper

beef

beef broth

, small onion, minced (1/2 cup)

teaspoons, dark brown sugar

tablespoon, all-purpose flour

cup, low-sodium chicken broth

sour cream

egg butter

Sour cream can curdle if added directly to hot liquid. To prevent curdling, temper the sour cream by stirring a little of the hot liquid into it and then adding the warmed sour cream mixture to the pan. Buttered egg noodles are the classic accompaniment to this recipe. Add noodles to boiling water at the same time the onion goes into the pan in step 4, so that the noodles and stroganoff will be done at about the same time.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering, but not smoking, about 2 minutes; swirl to coat pan. Add mushrooms and cook over high heat without stirring for 30 seconds; season with salt and pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are lightly browned, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer to medium bowl.

Return skillet to high heat, add remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil; swirl to coat pan. Place tenderloin strips in skillet. Using tongs, spread the meat into single layer, making sure that strips do not touch, and cook without turning until well-browned on first side, 2 minutes. Turn strips and cook on second side until well-browned, about 1 minute longer. Season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to bowl with mushrooms.

Add beef broth to skillet, scraping up browned bits on pan bottom with wooden spoon; simmer until broth is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer broth to bowl with mushrooms and beef, scraping skillet clean with rubber spatula.

Return skillet to medium-low heat and add butter; when butter foams, add onion, tomato paste, and brown sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is lightly browned and softened, about 6 minutes; stir in flour until incorporated. Gradually whisk in chicken broth and wine; increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, whisking occasionally, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes. Whisk liquid from mushrooms and beef into sauce and simmer to incorporate. Stir about 1/2 cup of hot sauce into sour cream, then stir mixture back into sauce. Add mushrooms and beef; heat to warm through, about 1 minute. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper and serve over buttered egg noodles.

Who knew you could make this classic Spanish dessert in a slow cooker? Flan is a classic Spanish dessert, slightly sweeter than a traditional baked custard, and with a crowning touch of thin, sweet caramel that pools over the dish once unmolded. To create our slow-cooker version, we opted for a base of sweetened condensed milk and whole milk. Mixing the dairy with a combination of whole eggs, egg yolks, and sugar resulted in a tender, rich custard. We tried to make our caramel topping in the microwave but could not achieve the right texture or color, so we moved it to the stovetop. A water bath ensured that the custard cooked evenly.&nbsp;

Slow-Cooker Flan

(4 2/3 ounces 132 grams), sugar

condensed milk

teaspoon, grated lemon zest

You will need an oval slow cooker for this recipe. Check the temperature of the custard after 2 hours and continue to monitor until it registers 180 degrees. The test kitchen's preferred loaf pan measures 8½ by 4½ inches, but you can substitute a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan. Serve the flan on a dish with a raised rim to contain the liquid caramel.

1. Place ¼ cup water in large saucepan. Pour sugar into center of pan, taking care not to let sugar crystals touch pan sides. Gently stir with spatula to moisten sugar thoroughly. Bring mixture to boil over medium heat, without stirring, until it begins to turn golden, 4 to 7 minutes. Gently swirling pan, continue to cook until sugar is color of peanut butter, 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and continue to swirl pan until sugar is reddish-amber and fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Immediately add remaining 2 tablespoons water (mixture will bubble) and swirl pan until water is incorporated. Pour caramel into 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan; do not scrape out saucepan.

Whisk eggs and yolks together in medium bowl. Whisk in milk, condensed milk, and lemon zest until incorporated, then pour into prepared pan. Fill slow cooker with ½ inch water (about 2 cups) and set pan in slow cooker. Cover and cook until center of flan jiggles slightly when shaken and registers 180 degrees, 2 to 3 hours on low.

Transfer pan to wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 8 hours or up to 4 days.

To serve, slide paring knife around edges of pan. Invert serving dish on top of pan, and turn pan and dish over. When flan is released, remove loaf pan. Use rubber spatula to scrape residual caramel onto flan. Slice and serve.

The Best Slow Cookers

The Best Mixing Bowls

Oil-packed tuna stars in the gutsy weeknight savior that is spaghetti al tonno. For this Italian pantry pasta dish, we used two jars (or cans) of olive oil–packed tuna and a small amount of canned whole tomatoes, crushed by hand to produce small, supple pieces. Lots of garlic, some cooked in olive oil and the rest simply warmed through, contributed potent flavor to the tomato sauce, along with red pepper flakes for heat and anchovies for a briny backbone. To ensure that the tuna stayed moist and silky, we stirred it into slightly underdone spaghetti along with the tomato mixture off the heat and simply let it warm through. This not only gently warmed the fish through so that it held its moisture but also hedged against mushy spaghetti.

Top 23 europe recipes from across the web

The most viewed europe recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

5-Ingredient Irish Jambons

Shrimp Risotto

Bruschetta with Tomatoes and Basil

Penne alla Vodka

Poulet au Vinaigre (Chicken with Vi...

Pastitsio

Mushroom Bourguignon

Simple Tuscan Tomato and Bread Soup

Green Beans Amandine

Classic Beef Stroganoff

Slow-Cooker Flan

Spaghetti al Tonno

Cacio e Pepe for Two

Instant Pot Wild Mushroom Farrotto

Instant Pot Spanish-Style Turkey Me...

Instant Pot Tuscan White Bean and E...

Instant Pot Provençal Chicken Soup

Instant Pot Orecchiette with Brocco...

Instant Pot Braised Chicken with Mu...

Instant Pot Greek Chickpeas with Co...

Mediterranean Chicken Breasts

Pasta e Piselli (Pasta and Peas)

Top 23 europe recipes from across the web

The most viewed europe recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

5-Ingredient Irish Jambons

Shrimp Risotto

Bruschetta with Tomatoes and Basil

Penne alla Vodka

Poulet au Vinaigre (Chicken with Vi...

Pastitsio

Mushroom Bourguignon

Simple Tuscan Tomato and Bread Soup

Green Beans Amandine

Classic Beef Stroganoff

Slow-Cooker Flan

Spaghetti al Tonno

Cacio e Pepe for Two

Instant Pot Wild Mushroom Farrotto

Instant Pot Spanish-Style Turkey Me...

Instant Pot Tuscan White Bean and E...

Instant Pot Provençal Chicken Soup

Instant Pot Orecchiette with Brocco...

Instant Pot Braised Chicken with Mu...

Instant Pot Greek Chickpeas with Co...

Mediterranean Chicken Breasts

Pasta e Piselli (Pasta and Peas)

The most viewed europe recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine