Here you’ll find instructions for two versions of chocolate decorations for your dessert plate. In the restaurant, we call the swirls “Scooby-doos.” The name dates back to when I first worked with François Payard. He could never remember the word swirl, and so would make a swirling gesture with his index finger and say, “You know, like Scooby-doo.” I use the squares as the top layer for the Strawberry Gelée dessert on page 49. I always use tempered chocolate for décor. You can certainly use plain melted chocolate, but you will need to refrigerate it for the chocolate to set. And it just won’t shine.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.
A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.
This is the type of soup that, at first glance, might seem a little…unexciting. But you’re underestimating the power of mushrooms, which do the heavy lifting.
This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.
Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.
This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.
I should address the awkward truth that I don’t use butter here but cream instead. You could, if you’re a stickler for tradition (and not a heretic like me), add a big slab of butter to the finished curry.