Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (7 page)
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
Serve with chips or crackers.
³⁄ | cup sour cream
|
³⁄ | cup mayonnaise |
3 | ounces smoked salmon |
2 | teaspoons lemon juice |
1 | teaspoon prepared horseradish |
2 | tablespoons minced fresh dill |
Salt and pepper |
Process sour cream, mayonnaise, salmon, lemon juice, and horseradish in food processor until smooth and creamy. Transfer mixture to serving bowl, stir in dill, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until flavors are blended, at least 1 hour. Serve. (Dip can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Spinach dip with sour cream and soup mixes are flat, overly salty, and stale-tasting, and nothing near fresh. This lackluster 1950s relic was long overdue for a face-lift, and the solution turned out to be surprisingly easy. We found that dips made with fresh spinach tasted meek and lacked the more intense, vibrant flavor of those made with frozen. A combination of mayonnaise and sour cream created a smooth and creamy base, while dill, parsley, garlic, and hot sauce were smart replacements for soup mix as the flavoring components. Using partially thawed spinach cooled the dip and avoided the 2-hour chilling time required for dip made with completely thawed spinach.
MAKES ABOUT
1¹⁄
2
CUPS
Partial thawing of the spinach produces a cold dip that can be served without further chilling.
The garlic must be minced before going into the food processor; otherwise, the dip will contain large chunks of garlic.
10 | ounces frozen chopped spinach |
¹⁄ | cup sour cream |
¹⁄ | cup mayonnaise |
¹⁄ | cup packed flat-leaf parsley |
3 | scallions, white parts only, sliced thin |
1 | tablespoon chopped fresh dill |
1 | small garlic clove, minced |
¹⁄ | teaspoon hot sauce |
¹⁄ | teaspoon salt |
¹⁄ | teaspoon pepper |
¹⁄ | red bell pepper, chopped fine |
1.
Thaw spinach in microwave for 3 minutes on medium power (spinach should be soft enough to be broken apart into icy chunks). Squeeze partially frozen spinach to remove excess water.
2.
Process spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, parsley, scallions, dill, garlic, hot sauce, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to medium bowl and stir in bell pepper. Serve. (Dip can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
If making this dip in advance, hold off on sprinkling the bacon over it until just before serving.
Cook 3 slices bacon, cut into ¹⁄
4
-inch pieces, in 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towel–lined plate and set aside. Omit dill, hot sauce, salt, and red bell pepper. Process 1¹⁄
2
ounces crumbled blue cheese (¹⁄
3
cup) along with spinach. Season with salt to taste and sprinkle bacon over dip.
Omit hot sauce, salt, and red bell pepper. Process ¹⁄
2
cup crumbled feta cheese, 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, and 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice along with spinach. Season with salt to taste.
This dip pairs well with tortilla chips.
Omit hot sauce and red bell pepper. Process ¹⁄
4
cup packed cilantro leaves, 1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, ¹⁄
2
teaspoon grated lime zest plus 1 tablespoon lime juice, ¹⁄
2
teaspoon light brown sugar, and ¹⁄
8
teaspoon ground cumin along with spinach.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Onion dip is an old favorite, but we wanted a recipe that went beyond stirring powdered onion soup mix into sour cream and mayonnaise. For a more modern, grown-up take, we started with caramelized onions, which lent our dip a sweet, more complex flavor. We discovered several keys to making caramelized onions that weren’t burnt, gummy, bland, or greasy. First, we sautéed the onions in a nonstick pan in butter and oil over high heat to quickly release the moisture, then we turned down the heat to medium until they were cooked through. This ensured clear onion flavor and a yielding yet firm texture. Adding light brown sugar to the pan helped bring out their sweetness and complemented their caramel-like flavor. Then we incorporated complementary flavors to give the dip more heft. Bacon added a smokiness that perfectly balanced the sweet onions, while fresh minced scallions reinforced the onion flavor and added a touch of color.
See “SLICING ONIONS POLE TO POLE” illustration that follows recipe.
MAKES ABOUT
1¹⁄
2
CUPS
This recipe uses half a recipe of Caramelized Onions. Leftover onions can be used in a number of dishes, including omelets, frittatas, sandwiches, or pizza.
3 | slices bacon, cut into ¹⁄ |
³⁄ | cup sour cream |
¹⁄ | cup |
2 | scallions, minced |
¹⁄ | teaspoon cider vinegar |
Salt and pepper |
1.
Cook bacon in 8-inch skillet over medium heat until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to paper towel–lined plate and set aside.
2.
Combine sour cream, caramelized onions, scallions, vinegar, and bacon in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve. (Dip can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
MAKES 1 CUP
If the onions are sizzling or scorching in step 2, reduce the heat. If the onions are not browning after 15 to 20 minutes, raise the heat.
1 | tablespoon unsalted butter |
1 | tablespoon vegetable oil |
1 | teaspoon light brown sugar |
¹⁄ | teaspoon salt |
2 | pounds onions, halved andsliced pole to pole into¹⁄ |
1 | tablespoon water |
Pepper |
1.
Heat butter and oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat and stir in sugar and salt. Add onions and stir to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions begin to soften and release some moisture, about 5 minutes.
2.
Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are deeply browned and slightly sticky, about 40 minutes longer.
3.
Off heat, stir in water. Season with pepper to taste. (Onions can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)
When slicing onions for caramelizing, be sure to slice them with the grain, from pole to pole. When sliced the opposite way, against the grain, the onions will have a stringy texture.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Sweet red bell peppers take on a whole new layer of complex, smoky flavor when roasted. We wanted a method for roasting them that was more efficient than the common technique of roasting each pepper over a gas burner, letting it steam in a covered bowl, then laboriously removing the skin bit by bit. We also hoped to transform our perfectly roasted peppers into a full-flavored dip. For the roasting method, we discovered the broiler offered an easy, consistent, and more hands-off option than the burner (roasting in either a hot or low oven yielded soggy, overcooked peppers). To get around the issue of whole peppers hitting the broiler element, we cut the peppers into pieces that lay flat on a sheet pan. After 10 minutes, the peppers were done and we could easily peel off the blistered skin. For our dip, we adapted a recipe for a sweet and spicy Middle Eastern–style dip by combining our roasted peppers with jalapeño and tangy pomegranate molasses.
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
For more information on preparing the bell peppers for roasting,
CLICK HERE
. Look for pomegranate molasses in Middle Eastern markets or the international foods aisle of supermarkets. If you cannot find it, 2 tablespoons of molasses combined with 2 tablespoons of lime juice can be substituted for the pomegranate molasses. Serve with grilled or toasted pita bread.
3 | red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, ribs removed, and cut to lie flat |
6 | tablespoons olive oil |
1 | small onion, chopped coarse |
¹⁄ | jalapeño chile or other hot red or green fresh chile, minced |
1 | tablespoon ground cumin |
1 | small garlic clove, minced |
¹⁄ | cup chopped fresh parsley |
¹⁄ | cup pomegranate molasses |
Salt and pepper |
1.
Adjust oven rack 2¹⁄
2
to 3¹⁄
2
inches from broiler element and heat broiler. If necessary, set upside-down rimmed baking sheet on oven rack to elevate pan.
2.
Spread peppers out over aluminum foil–lined baking sheet and broil until skin is charred and puffed but flesh is still firm, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through cooking.
3.
Transfer peppers to medium bowl, cover with foil, and let steam until skin peels off easily, 10 to 15 minutes. Peel and discard skin; set peppers aside.
4.
Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chile, cumin, and garlic; sauté until garlic softens, about 1 minute longer.
5.
Transfer mixture to food processor. Add peppers, parsley, and pomegranate molasses; process until very smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to bowl and serve. (Dip can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)