Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Tips & Tricks for Deep Frying Turkey

deep fried turkey recipe

Deep-frying makes everything taste good, including Thanksgiving turkey. But frying a turkey is a serious undertaking and, as countless flame-engulfed YouTube videos attest, incredibly dangerous if done wrong. So here are some tips on how to deep fry turkey—and what not to do.

Equip Yourself

Turkey fryers exist and you should get one if you intend to fry your bird. Cobbling together a homemade rig is ill-advised for safety reasons. But you have more than one option when it comes to a commercial turkey fryer.

Char-Broil Big Easy Oil-less Liquid Propane Turkey Fryer, $99.19 on Amazon

Char Broil turkey fryer

Char-Broil/Amazon

This oil-free turkey fryer is great for those who are squeamish about dealing with a literal vat of scalding hot grease, plus there’s no used cooking oil to dispose of—but it’s not technically fried, either (in the same way air fryer food isn’t technically fried but is still nice and crispy). It uses a propane tank and infrared heat to “fry” the turkey, and accommodates birds up to 16 pounds.Buy Now

Masterbuilt Butterball XL Electric Fryer, $99.29 on Amazon

Masterbuilt Butterball XL Electric Fryer

Amazon

This electric fryer is the real deal (in that it does deep fry your turkey in a pool of oil). There’s an oil drain valve for easier cleanup and it will take a turkey up to 20 pounds; we recommend not attempting to max it out, though. The company says that it’s safe for indoor use, but per some of the reviews, you may still want to take it out to the garage due to the fried turkey smell that will permeate the space.Buy Now

King Kooker Portable Propane Outdoor Cooker, $112.99 on Amazon

King Kooker Portable Propane Outdoor Cooker

Amazon

And here is your traditional outdoor turkey fryer with a portable gas burner and a huge metal pot. It also includes a turkey rack and lifting hook, an aluminum fry pan, and a perforated fry basket. It does require more care to use and should never, ever be used indoors, but your 20-pound turkey should fit nicely in this one too. Definitely use the thermometer to keep an eye on the oil temperature, because if it gets too hot, it can flash over into a fire in an instant. You’ll need a propane tank to hook it up to.Buy Now

Choose the Right Oil

The makers of the Bayou Classic turkey fryer recommend peanut oil, because its high smoke point of 450°F allows the oil to reach the correct temperature to fry the turkey properly without giving it a burnt flavor. Canola, another popular frying oil, has a smoke point of only 400°F and will turn your turkey to charcoal if you’re not careful. If peanut allergies are an issue, corn oil also has a 450°F smoke point, but its flavor is somewhat less neutral than peanut oil’s. Whatever you do, don’t use extra-virgin olive oil: Aside from putting you in the poorhouse, five gallons of it at 350°F will create a raging inferno—its smoke point is only 320°F.

Related Reading: A Guide to 10 Common Cooking Oils

how to deep fry turkey guide

YinYang / E+ / Getty Images

What NOT to Do

  • Do not neglect to read the instruction manual for whichever fryer you are using well ahead of time. They’ve included safety tips and proper usage guidelines for a very good reason. Get acquainted with them before turkey day arrives.
  • Do not set up the fryer on uneven ground, on a wooden surface, on grass, or anywhere too near a house, outbuildings, or flammable objects (like trees). The general rule is at least 10 feet away from all such things.
  • As noted above, do not use an oil with a low smoke point.
  • Do not overfill the pot with oil or (obviously) it will spill over and ignite in a fireball when you lower the turkey in.
  • Do not drop the turkey in; lower it slowly and carefully into the hot oil so it doesn’t displace any grease over the sides.
  • Do not put a frozen turkey in the fryer; that can also cause an explosion of flames. Make sure to thaw the turkey completely and pat it dry before you cook.
  • Do not leave the fryer unattended. Not even for a hot second. And do not take your eyes off the thermometer for too long.
  • Do not let children, pets, or drunk friends or family members get anywhere near the fryer, including for several hours after you’re done since it takes a while for all the grease to cool down.
  • Do not scoff at proper safety equipment, including heat-resistant gloves and goggles (do you really want to take chances with that much hot oil?).
  • Do not take frying a turkey lightly in general, because it seriously has the potential to kill you, burn down your house, etc. if it goes wrong.
  • If the fryer does catch fire, do not put water on it. Make sure you have a fire extinguisher close at hand, and make sure it’s capable of putting out oil and grease fires. Familiarize yourself with how it works ahead of time, too.

First Alert Fire Extinguisher, $19.97 on Amazon

Do not skip buying a fire extinguisher that's rated for grease fires.
Buy Now

How to Deep Fry a Turkey

If you’re not scared off yet, check out our Deep Fried Turkey recipe (with a Southern rub and instructions for dry brining the turkey overnight), and our step-by-step guide to frying a turkey.

If you’re thinking a traditional oven-cooked bird doesn’t sound too bad, though, see our guide on how to roast a turkey.

What to Do with the Leftover Grease

So you’ve successfully deep-fried your turkey without incident. Congrats! Now what do you do with all the oil?

First, let it cool. Don’t try to move the fryer until it’s pretty close to room temperature. If you strain the oil through cheesecloth to remove all the particles, you can reuse the oil. Just put it back in the original container and store at room temperature. You might not want to use it for deep-frying again, however—when oil is heated to frying temperatures multiple times, its smoke point goes down.

how to deep fry a turkey

jkbowers / E+ / Getty Images

But if five gallons is more peanut oil than you’ll ever use, there are ways to get rid of it that don’t involve pouring it down the drain or putting it in your trash can. Bayou Classic recommends bringing used oil to your local recycling center—after calling to make sure they accept food-grade oils. From there it will be turned into all kinds of things.

When we first fried a turkey back in 2006, we gave our 10 gallons of used oil to San Francisco writer James Nestor, who said it would take his vegetable-oil-powered 1978 Mercedes 300D from San Francisco to Big Sur and back—almost 300 miles. So maybe you can give it to someone with a car that runs on straight, unprocessed waste vegetable oil (WVO), or somebody who can make biodiesel out of it (a nontoxic, biodegradable, and clean-burning fuel made from vegetable oil or animal fat that needs to be processed a bit first, and then can power a diesel car).

Or make like a restaurant kitchen and pay to have a professional disposal company cart your oil away.



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How to Fry Turkey: A Step by Step Guide

Decided you’re going to deep fry the turkey this Thanksgiving? It’s a worthy cooking method for sure, but it’s also just as dangerous as everyone says it is, so you need to take appropriate precautions. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to fry turkey.

how to deep fry turkey guide

YinYang / E+ / Getty Images

1. Gather All Your Equipment

Most likely, you’re using something like this King Kooker Portable Propane Outdoor Cooker, the classic style of turkey frying rig that places a big metal pot over a propane burner. This guide specifically pertains to this type of fryer, but all fryers are not created equal, so it’s important to thoroughly read the instructions that came with yours.

King Kooker Portable Propane Outdoor Cooker, $112.99 on Amazon

This outfit comes with the pot, portable burner, thermometer, turkey rack, lifting hook, aluminum fry pan, and a perforated fry basket.
Buy Now

In addition to the fryer itself (i.e., the pot and burner), you’ll need a turkey rack, lifting hook, deep fry thermometer, baking sheet, heavy-duty gloves, and safety goggles—and enough neutral oil with a high smoke point to submerge your bird. Oh, and a fire extinguisher, just in case (make sure it works for grease fires).

First Alert Fire Extinguisher, $19.97 on Amazon

Truly, you can never be too careful.
Buy Now

2. Decide Where to Place the Fryer

It should be set up outside, on a flat concrete or rock surface. No decks, no grass. It should be at least 10 feet from any trees or structures. Do not set up the fryer indoors (even in the garage) or near any overhanging eaves or tree branches. If you’re tempted to disregard this advice, just search for “deep fry turkey fail” on YouTube to see why you shouldn’t.

Related Reading: More Deep Fried Turkey Tips, Tricks, and Precautions

3. Measure Your Oil

Use this displacement trick: Before unwrapping your turkey, place it in the frying pot and add enough water to cover it completely. Remove the turkey from the pot and measure the water. That’s how much oil you should use (too much and it will spill over and ignite when you actually put the turkey in). Make sure the stem of your fryer’s deep-fat thermometer is submerged at least 1 inch into the oil. Do not fill your frying pot above the “maximum fill” line. Leave the pot off the burner.

deep fry turkey recipe

Chowhound

4. Check the Connections and Hoses on Your Fryer

The manufacturer’s instructions will indicate how to do this. Make sure that both the cylinder valve on the propane canister and the regulator control valve on the hose are closed.

5. Now It’s Time to Light the Burner

It takes two people to do this safely. Wearing gloves and safety goggles, one person should hold a long-handled match or lighter over the burner. Light the burner from the bottom, keeping your hands and face away from the top of the cooker.

6. Ignition!

Now the other person should turn the cylinder valve to the open position, then slowly open the regulator valve until the burner ignites. Place the pot filled with oil on the burner, and then adjust the air shutter on the cooker for a blue flame. Adjust the regulator control for flame height—you want a low, blue flame.

deep fry turkey guide

Chowhound

7. Heat the Oil, Submerge the Bird (Slowly)

Let the oil heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. You should be monitoring the oil temperature with the deep-fat thermometer that came with your fryer. This takes about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, place the prepared turkey (here’s our fried turkey recipe) upside down on the frying rack, with the drumsticks pointing toward the sky. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before frying. Use the grab hook to lower the turkey into the heated oil very slowly—this takes at least 90 seconds. The oil will boil furiously; this is normal. Wear heatproof gloves and safety goggles, and do not drop the turkey.

8. Fry It Up

Once the turkey is completely submerged, remove the hook. Fry the turkey for about three minutes per pound or until it is dark brown, the juices run clear, and a thermometer inserted into the inner part of the thigh reads 155 degrees Fahrenheit. During testing, our 17-pound turkeys took 40 to 45 minutes.

deep fry turkey guide

Chowhound

9. Remove the Turkey From the Oil (Again, Slowly)

Put on your gloves again and use the grab hook to slowly remove the turkey from the oil, allowing sufficient time for the hot oil to drain away. Do not pull the turkey out too fast or the oil may spill over and ignite.

10. Let the Turkey Rest

Place the turkey and rack on a rimmed baking sheet set on the ground and let it sit for a few minutes before moving it, to allow any extra oil to drain. Turn off the fryer by closing first the valve on the propane cylinder, then the regulator valve. Let the turkey rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. Let the used oil cool down before attempting to dispose of it, too.

deep fried turkey recipe

Chowhound

11. Enjoy Your Deep-Fried Poultry Masterpiece

You might find that you never want to go back to roasting a turkey again now that you know how to get crispy skin and juicy meat in about an hour! But if you decide frying is not your bag, you can always make a turkey cake, smoked turkey, turchetta, or basic roasted bird.



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Turkey with the Stars: Assign Thanksgiving Dishes with Help from the Zodiac

Thanksgiving turkey recipe

Don’t feel like making the entire Thanksgiving dinner this year? Make it a potluck—and assign guests dishes based on the most scientific metric possible: their zodiac sign, of course.

The Perils of a Potluck-Style Thanksgiving

“Hey all! Can’t wait for Friendsgiving Fest next week! Please comment below with what you plan to bring so we can make sure all the sides are covered and avoid duplicates!”

From Here to ThereThe Best Potluck Products to Transport Your FoodRaise your hand if this has been your go-to meal coordination strategy for Friends- or Thanksgivings past. Now keep them raised if this has somehow still resulted in at least three identical green bean casseroles because “my mom’s is the best!”—despite being the exact same recipe from the back of the soup can—or seven-odd variations on sweet potatoes because only four out of 25 friends followed the directive to comment on what they were bringing.

Right. All hands still raised? High-fives all around.

The Promise of Astrologically Inspired Dish Assignments

Here’s a new strategy with an irresistible angle: Time to take the Taurus by the horns, hit a bullseye with Sagittarius, tip the scales for Libra, and catch Pisces hook, line, and sinker. Don’t leave it to chance this year. Tell your friends or relatives exactly what they are destined to bring that plays to their cosmically-prescribed strengths, so you don’t end up eating leftover green bean casserole until the moon rises in Capricorn.

Zodiac Tapestry, $12.50 on Amazon

Represent every sign at your table this holiday season
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Aries: Turkey

how to cook a turkey roast turkey recipe

Chowhound

Got an Aries bestie? Awesome. Have them over early in the day to assist with the big bird. The first sign in the zodiac calendar, your Aries friends are natural leaders who love challenges, so they will be just the fire sign you need to help you go-for-broke on an audacious deep fried preparation or even a Turducken (and maybe a Piecaken to bookend the meal).

Taurus: Wine

best wine subscription boxes and best wine clubs

Self-indulgent and pleasure-seeking, your Taurus friends are the least afraid to splurge. So if you’d rather populate your home bar with actual Champagne or other Thanksgiving-friendly wines such as a Cru Beaujolais or Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, rather than some basic bulk critter-labeled stuff, throw it to the bulls. When Taurus self-indulges at a potluck, everyone indulges.

Related Reading: Why Rosé Shouldn’t Go Away with Summer

Gemini: Sweet Potatoes

Mashed Sweet Potato Casserole with Bourbon

Chowhound

Ah, the sweet mystery of sweet potatoes: sweet or savory? Savory or sweet? This Friendsgiving, let the twins sort it out: The sign of duality deserves the starch of duality. Plus Geminis’ numerous interests and pursuits have shaped them into the kind of ambitious people who might just make both.

Cancer: Appetizers

hot crab dip

Chowhound

I admit, I don’t have any actual credentials as an astrological spirit advisor/menu planner, but I really like this idea because hopefully the obvious answer here is crab dip.

Leo: Cranberries

Make Ahead Cranberry Sauce

Shutterstock

Let’s be real. Your Leo friends are less interested in cooking than they are dressing up and being the life of the party, and what’s more, they are excellent in doing just that. Let them bring something easy that doesn’t require any last minute plating or finishing touches so they can get right to circulating. But if you’re a jelly hater, be sure to tell them canned cranberry sauce won’t cut it.

Virgo: Stuffing

Classic Apple Sage Stuffing

Chowhound

Down-to-earth, detail-oriented, and ruled by the goddess of wheat and agriculture, count on your Virgo friends to absolutely nail it in the stuffing category. Like maybe with our Brown Bread Stuffing recipe with Chestnuts, Apples, and Sausage. Or our Cornbread and Oyster Stuffing recipe. Virgo is also the sign that rules the digestive system, so again I say: stuffing it is.

Libra: Green Salad

green salad

Chowhound

Libra’s calling cards are balance, symmetry, and harmony, so nobody is better suited to round out the inevitable carb-fest that is Friendsgiving than your Libra friends. Consequently, the calling cards for an excellent salad are balance, symmetry, and harmony—such as this Spanish-inspired salad with snappy watercress, sweet membrillo, and savory almonds—so it’s a double-win.

Scorpio: Pumpkin Pie

make ahead pumpkin pie

Chowhound

The most enigmatic part of the Thanksgiving feast begs to be prepared by the most enigmatic sign in the zodiac. Scorpios aren’t afraid to play the long game, so I’d place bets this could translate to some home-made crust with an epic design. It would also be remiss not to mention that Scorpios in-life pursuits are routinely driven by…”dessert,” if you catch my meaning…

Sagittarius: Cheese Plate

cheese plate with nuts, crackers, and honey

Shutterstock

Basically, you gotta give the archers in your life something to chase after. Sagittarians have a love of learning and storytelling, so put those gifts to work for you and watch how they not only assemble a veritable cornucopia of great cheeses, but keep everyone enrapt with tales of bloomy rinds, Gewurztraminer-washing, and cave-ageing techniques.

Capricorn: Mashed Potatoes

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Chowhound

Is there anything more simple and yet more capable of delivering a nostalgic gut-punch than mashed potatoes? Second to the turkey, mashed potatoes are probably the item whose absence would be most likely to invalidate the whole Thanksgiving meal. So leave it to the Capricorns in your life—mythical sea goats who skillfully navigate both the physical and emotional realms.

Aquarius: Free Rein

keto guacamole recipe

Chowhound

Free-spirited, eccentric, and off-beat, Aquarians aren’t necessarily all that interested in conventional choices. So throw this one out to sea and see what Aquarius brings back. You might just end up with something cool or exotic but that completely complements the goings-on, like maybe a pumpkin curry, a Cajun maque choux, or chocolate, which now that you mention it seems entirely underrepresented in the Thanksgiving canon.

Pisces: Green Bean Casserole

herbed fresh green bean caserole recipe

Chowhound

Well, somebody has to, and as the most empathetic sign in the zodiac, capable of absorbing all of the pain of the other signs, Pisces deserves the honor. And as the most creative sign as well, it’s possible they might even be able to go beyond the can and reimagine the dish in a celestially superior way.

For more holiday tips, tricks, and hacks, see our Ultimate Guide to Friendsgiving and visit our Thanksgiving headquarters.



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In Armenia, Bread Is Undeniably the Star of Any Meal

For Armenians, bread is a fundamental part of every meal. It’s so essential to the Armenian diet that even saying “let’s eat” in Armenian (hats untenk) translates to, “let’s eat bread.” But there’s not simply one form of bread in Armenia; in fact, it comes in all different shapes, sizes, textures, and flavors, from bubbly strips of lavash to crisped-up flatbread, folded into squat hats and stuffed with greens. 

That’s certainly evident in “Lavash,” a new cookbook from Kate Leahy, John Lee, and Ara Zada. The three friends have traveled extensively throughout Armenia, delving into the cultural intricacies of lavash, the country’s beloved bread, as well as a slew of other yeasted and non-yeasted items. 

Lavash has long been the most well-known bread of the bunch: a forgiving dough (formed out of water, oil, salt, and flour) gently stretched into lengthy ribbons and griddled in a tandoor oven until marbled with big, round, brown spots. The warm lavash is wrapped around kebabs or jammed with a blend of herbs and cheese, and is often used to mop up any remnants of dinner. Whatever’s not immediately used turns dry and brittle, but that’s no matter: It can be stored for a long time, and is merely rehydrated with a splash of water. 

John Lee

Related Reading: Best New International Cookbooks for Fall 2019

But there are other Armenian breads worth exploring, too. Matnakash is one, translated as “drawn by fingers,” which makes sense: The long, ovular bread is puffed up, golden brown, and distinctly marked by lines on top, as if four fingers had gracefully been dragged across the surface. Thicker yet more airy than focaccia, matnakash is brought whole to the table, then sliced into strips—eaten plain or ideally prepped for dipping

So in the interest of fueling your inevitable love of bread, take a trip to Armenia with a story and recipe for matnakash—soon, you too will be chanting, “let’s eat bread.”

Lavash Cookbook, $18.25 on Amazon

Buy Now

Reprinted from “Lavash” by Ara Zada and Kate Leahy with permission by Chronicle Books, 2019

The Lavash Bakers 

Are we in the right place? We pull over in front of what’s supposed to be Anna Tatosyan’s bakery in the village of Argel. There’s no sign, and all we see is an open garage door. But then we get out of the car and smell the wood smoke. Wearing a long dress covered with an apron and a pair of slippers, Anna pops out of the bakery to greet us, her round, rosy cheeks shining as she guides us inside, where a deep hole in the floor is filled with crackling logs. Made of clay, this is the bakery’s tonir, a type of subterranean oven that Armenians have used for centuries for baking bread and heating homes. When the logs burn down to embers, four women with their hair tied back in bandanas get to work around the tonir, wielding balls of dough like professional baseball players warming up before a game. These are Anna’s lavash bakers. 

Lusine Abrahamyan lobs a piece of dough to Aida Beyboutyan, who flattens it into a smooth sheet with a rolling pin before passing it to Liana Grigoryan. With a sturdy brown apron covering her sweatpants, Liana is the team’s no-nonsense slugger. She frowns, spins the dough in the air, stretching it paper-thin before draping it over what looks like an uncomfortably firm pillow. It actually isn’t a pillow at all but a straw-filled pad called a batat, which gives traditional lavash its long, oval shape. With one decisive swoop, Liana strikes the batat against the wall of the tonir. The dough sticks on contact and begins to puff and blister. After a minute, Hasmik Khachatryan fishes out the lavash with a hook, turns it over to quickly sear the other side, and then stacks it beside her. Flecked with blisters, this is classic tonir lavash, and it’s stunning to behold. 

John Lee

It’s only after the bakers take a coffee break that Liana’s frown relaxes and we start to look around the bakery, taking in the stone walls blackened with ash and lined with bags of flour, the cherry-red, Soviet-era scale, and the abacus used by store manager Nara Ivanyan to make change for purchases. Then we begin asking questions: How much salt is in the dough? Do you add yeast? How long does the dough rest before you bake it? 

Related Reading: This Hardy Black Bread Belongs in Your Baking Repertoire

Before we can query any more, Liana retreats to the kitchen, returning with a pot of just-boiled potatoes, pickled beets, and pickled green peppers. She tears off a piece of lavash, wraps it around a potato, sprinkles salt on top, and hands it to us. 

We look at each other—potatoes wrapped in bread with nothing else? Our California minds scan the room for hot sauce. Yet the yellow, waxy potatoes taste as if they were basted in butter and the lavash is still warm, with a crisp-soft crust. These potato wraps are improbable home runs, confirming that traveling across countless time zones to eat lavash in Armenia has been well worth it. 

John Lee

Women (and it’s nearly always women) bake lavash all over Armenia much like the bakers we met in Argel, a village about twenty minutes away from Yerevan, the country’s capital. By making this traditional flatbread, which is eaten daily at almost every meal in the country, they’re also preserving history. Lavash is so important to Armenia that UNESCO added it to its intangible cultural heritage list in 2014. 

The journey that brought the three of us—John Lee, Ara Zada, and me, Kate Leahy—to Anna’s bakery, and into homes, markets, and restaurants across Armenia, started in 2015. That summer, John, a photographer from San Francisco, taught a food photography course in Yerevan at the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, an organization providing free after-school workshops for Armenian students on subjects ranging from art and animation to robotics. It was on that trip that he discovered lavash—earth-shattering lavash, he called it. Back home, he told everyone about it. 

I was one of those people. While working together on a different project, John filled me in on his trip, flipping through images he took with the students. Years earlier, I had studied the link between food and Armenian-American identity for a college thesis, mining for stories in self-published cookbooks, Armenian church bazaars, and the California State Archives. But after John finished his informal slideshow, I realized that I didn’t recognize any of the dishes from those beloved Armenian-American church bazaars or community cookbooks. Instead, I saw mulberries collected on a bedsheet in an orchard, trout strung up to dry on the shores of Lake Sevan, and outdoor tables covered with plates of roasted vegetables bathed in dappled sunlight. It felt new and familiar all at once, a foundational way of eating that cultures around the world have adapted and made their own. I also knew that I had never eaten the kind of lavash that John was talking about. 

John Lee

Through TUMO’s global network, we met Ara Zada, a chef in Southern California. In 2016, he taught a culinary workshop for TUMO, working new techniques into Armenian dishes. Ara grew up in an Armenian-Egyptian household in Los Angeles, attending Armenian school through seventh grade. But the food he encountered in Yerevan was different—Armenian, sure, but not what he had at home. As a kid, he ate more pita bread than lavash, and he had never heard of Panrkhash, a layered lavash bake that has more in common with mac and cheese than anything from Alice Bezjian’s The Complete Armenian Cookbook—the book that his mom (and every other Armenian mom in Southern California) used. He wanted to learn more about the food of Hayastan, what Armenians call their country. 

Related Reading: What Is the Difference Between White and Whole Wheat Bread?

The three of us cobbled together a culinary recon mission that involved traveling to Armenia and documenting how to make this bread—and other forms of hats (Armenian for “bread”)—as well as what to eat with it. We met a mix of experts: chefs from establishments such as Tufenkian Old Dilijan Complex in Dilijan and Old Armenia in Gyumri, as well as home cooks throughout Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh. And every time we found a bakery, we walked in, introduced ourselves, and chatted with the bakers. A skeptical reader might wonder why anyone was willing to share trade secrets with three outsiders like us, but while traveling in Armenia and corresponding from California, we encountered extreme generosity and patience, meeting people who wanted to share their recipes merely because we asked. 

The stories in this book are not only about food but also about Armenia, a tiny republic in the South Caucasus that today sits at a crossroads between its Soviet past and an uncertain (but promising) future. Rather than a definitive guide, this book is a collection of dispatches from the road, of the flavors and foods that stayed with us after traveling in this immensely hospitable country. These stories are tributes to a nation of makers, of adaptable people who have lived through times where the only way to guarantee a stable source of food was to produce it yourself. 

In this context, lavash fits perfectly with that adaptability. Need a soup spoon? Shape a piece of lavash into a scoop to help slurp up broth. Need to keep your soup hot? Cover it with a piece of lavash. Need a takeout container for your khorovats (grilled meats and vegetables)? Bundle the grilled goods in one big sheet of lavash. Need a break from lavash? Dry it out and store it for later, then spritz it with water to bring it back to life. But in all honesty, we have yet to find a need to take a break from lavash.

Matnakash Recipe

“If people can fly to space, making matnakash is not so difficult.” That was the answer we got when we asked Ghegham Grigor yan, a baker in Gyumri, if it was hard to replicate the shape of this Armenian bread. Did we mention that the Gyumretsi (people of Gyumri) are famous for their wisecracking ways? 

In a small bakery on Gorki Street marked with a sign out front that said Dak Hats (“hot bread”), we watched Ghegham and co-worker Hasmik Bughdaryan make matnakash. Slightly thicker and lighter than focaccia, with lines running across the surface, matnakash translates to “drawn by fingers,” and it’s often served alongside lavash as a thicker, breadier option. 

To create the signature shape, use your hands to press a grid into the center of the dough and then stretch the bread into an oval before loading it in the oven. In between the shaping steps, the bakers let the dough rest in a thick layer of wheat bran for several minutes, which keeps the base from sticking to the counter. “Take me to America and I’ll teach you everything you need to know about matnakash,” Ghegham said as we left the shop.

Matnakash Recipe

Makes: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 cup lukewarm water
  • 1 teaspoon instant yeast
  • 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Instructions
  1. To make the old dough, using your hands or a rubber spatula, squish together the flour, water, and yeast in a bowl until it forms a soft ball. Scrape the paste into a small, lightly oiled container, cover, and let it sit out for about 2 hours, or refrigerate overnight and bring to room temperature for at least 2 hours before using. When ready, the ball will have doubled in volume.
  2. To make the dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the old dough and water. Squish the old dough with your hands to break it up in the water.
  3. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and add the yeast and a third of the flour. Mix on low speed until the dough looks like pancake batter. Add the remaining flour and mix on low speed until fully incorporated. Remove the paddle attachment, pulling off any dough stuck to it. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel, and let it sit for 20 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate.
  4. (To make by hand, combine the old dough and water in a large bowl and mix together, squishing the old dough into the water with your hands. Stir in the yeast and flour with your fingers until a crumbly dough forms and then knead it a few times in the bowl by folding the dough over itself and pressing it down into the bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.)
  5. Remove the towel and attach the dough hook to the mixer. Sprinkle the salt on top. Mix the dough on medium speed until it releases from the sides of the bowl without sticking, about 4 minutes. (It may seem sticky at first, but the salt will help the dough firm up.) It’s okay if it sticks to the base of the bowl as long as it lifts cleanly off the sides.
  6. (To knead by hand, dust the counter lightly with flour and place the dough on top. Sprinkle the top of the dough with the salt and knead, stretching and folding the dough over itself until it is smooth to the touch, 5 to 7 minutes.)
  7. Lightly oil an 8 cup glass Pyrex or large glass bowl and place the dough inside. Cover the bowl with a lid, plate, or plastic wrap and let it rest for 3 hours, or until doubled in volume.
  8. To portion the matnakash, dust the counter lightly with flour and place the dough on top. Gently pat it into an oval. With a bench scraper or knife, cut the dough into two even pieces, about 1 lb each. Using the sides of your palm, tuck the edges of the dough under to shape each portion into a round.
  9. Dust a half-sheet pan with flour and place each round on top. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 1 hour, or until the dough is slightly puffy and springs back lightly when pressed.
  10. To shape and bake, place a baking stone or baking steel in the bottom rack of the oven and remove the middle rack. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Alternatively, use an overturned half-sheet pan in place of a baking stone.
  11. Dust the counter with flour and place the dough portions on top. Coat the same sheet pan that held the proofing dough with the wheat bran. In a bowl, mix together the ½ cup all-purpose flour and the water.
  12. Dip your hands into the water-flour mixture to coat thoroughly. For each portion of dough, you will make a ring on top with a tic-tac-toe pattern in the center of the ring. Start by cupping your hands and hold them perpendicular above the edges of the dough, as if you were gauging the size. Move your hands about 1 inch in from the edges and press down firmly with the sides of your palms. This creates a ring inside the dough. Next, make the tic-tac-toe pattern. Wet your hands again and, using the sides of one palm, make three lines within the circle. Wet your hand again and make three more lines in a grid pattern. Lift the dough onto the wheat bran– covered sheet pan and repeat with the second portion. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel for 25 to 30 minutes to allow the dough to rest.
  13. Use some of the wheat bran to dust a pizza peel or an overturned sheet pan. Pick up one of the portions of dough with both hands, supporting the bottom, and gently stretch the dough into an oval so it’s about 13 inches long. Place the dough on top of the prepared pizza peel. If this step sounds tricky, put the dough on the dusted pizza peel and stretch it into an oval without picking it up. Open the oven and, with a quick jerk, transfer the dough onto the pizza stone.
  14. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the bread is a deep golden brown. Repeat with the remaining portion. Let cool completely. Dust off excess wheat bran from the bottom if necessary.
  15. Slice the matnakash to serve at the table. Alternatively, the bread keeps in a zip-top plastic bag on the counter for 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.


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Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Make mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker! They're ready in about 30 minutes, from start to finish and are perfect every time. Add garlic if you like!

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Is the Popeyes Fried Chicken Sandwich Worth the Hype?

We all know the storied saga by now: In August, Popeyes announced the addition of two fried chicken sandwiches, Chick-fil-A instigated a feud on Twitter, Popeyes clapped back, and all fried chicken hell broke loose. A fire lit across the internet, and demand for the sandwich skyrocketed across the country, often to the detriment of employees

Two weeks following the launch, Popeyes announced that it had sold out of sandwiches nationwide; it hadn’t accounted for the rabid demand and had estimated that supplies would last through the end of September.

Fans lamented and skeptics aired out conspiracy theories about the chain purposely understocking ingredients to fuel the story. A few weeks later, Popeyes published a BYOB (Bring Your Own Bun) video as a playful retort to the continuous requests for the sandwich’s return.

And then, in late October, a deep-fried declaration was made. The sandwich was to return to Popeyes on Nov. 3, a date chosen not without purpose: The relaunch date fell on a Sunday (when all Chick-fil-As are closed) and “coincidentally” aligned with National Sandwich Day. The cosmos apparently owed Chick-fil-A another round of bad karma, as the company found itself having to apologize for a promotional email they had sent about National Sandwich Day, failing to realize which day of the week it fell on. Popeyes, naturally, didn’t let this slide without comment. True feuds never really die. 

A Tale of Two Sandwiches

And so, the sandwiches are finally back. Popeyes boasts that its (literally) golden child is born out of an all-white chicken breast, doused in Louisiana seasonings, then battered and breaded in a buttermilk coating, squeezed into a soft bun, and topped with pickles. The sole differentiator between the two versions is whether you’re in the mood for classic mayonnaise or the spicy hot sauce-spiked version.

Related Reading: Perfecting the Pulled Pork Sandwich

Having missed out on the first go-round of these beloved new additions, I was determined to find out if this sandwich would actually live up to all of the hullabaloo that arose. My teammate Brenna and I decided that we’d get there right after opening (10:30 a.m.) to beat the crowds and secure the coveted goods.

When we entered Popeyes at 10:35 a.m., the line was already to the door. The woman in front of us regaled us with stories she had read online about the previous day’s crowds, and would later tell us that she had visited the store in person a week prior to confirm the return was legitimate. Twenty minutes later, we arrived at the register and ordered two classic and two spicy sandwiches to go (so far, there is no limit on how many you can request). By the time we stepped to the side to wait for our order, the line had officially curled out the door.

Connor Bower

For the next 25 minutes, we watched as early signs of impatience had settled throughout the restaurant. Many patrons in line asked us how long we had been waiting for, their eyes hungrily following customers walking out with large plastic bags filled to the brim with foil-packaged sandwiches.

“I bet you they sell out by 3:00 p.m.,” one man grumbled.

“Before,” his companion retorted.

But no matter for us: After grabbing our order, we hightailed it back to the office to ensure peak freshness when sampling.

Related Reading: A Definitive Guide to Every Fast Food Chicken Nugget and Finger

My first taste of the classic sandwich was…fine. It’s definitely a higher caliber fried chicken filet compared to its competitors, and the brioche bun was honestly worth the wait. Most fast food buns smush into nothingness, but this one was rich and flavorful. Truthfully, all the hype and the frenzy had built the experience into something so much more than a sandwich in my mind, so I was probably predisposed to be slightly underwhelmed from the start. The rest of our tasters loved it, though, and they found themselves particularly enamored with how hefty the chicken was and how substantial each bite felt.

The spicy sandwich, on the other hand, was unanimously adored. The spice was subtle, but that slight extra kick rounded out the salty fried chicken and vinegary pickles perfectly. Call it the Samin Nosrat effect: Everything worked together harmoniously.

The Verdict

Is the Popeyes fried chicken sandwich and spicy sandwich worth your $3.99? Yes. If you’re in need of a (theoretically) quick bite, nabbing a sandwich is a steal in both quantity and quality, especially if you go the spicy route. Does it live up to the ($65 million!) media circus it created? Not really, but it is one of the more entertaining marketing endeavors in a landscape oversaturated with brands attempting to out-snark each other on Twitter.

But if/when you do try it, be kind to the employees. It’s just a sandwich, after all.



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A 10-Piece All-Clad Cookware Set Is More than 50% Off

All-Clad cookware is one of those brands we just love to love. It looks, cooks and lasts as well or better than most any other cookware you’ll find. Right now a full 10-piece All-Clad nonstick cookware set is on deep discount via third-party retailer Home & Cook Sales for less than $300. That’s $499 off the sticker, and more than $100 cheaper than we’ve found it anywhere else. 

If you’ve been eyeing a cookware upgrade this could be an optimal time to pounce. Nonstick surfaces make execution and cleanup a snap, and this set is hard-anodized aluminum, which means it’s both efficient, and strong. Much stronger than any set you’d find in the discount aisle, but still conducts and distributes heat consistently, and incredibly fast.

This and some of the other All-Clad cookware pieces on sale right now through Home & Cook Sales. What’s the catch? They’re technically labeled “second quality,” which means they may have some minor manufacturing defects like a dent or scratch, but it won’t affect their performance and, in most cases, the defects are barely even noticeable.   

Read more: A Comprehensive Guide to Cookware | The Best Holiday Cookbooks to Help You Celebrate

It does mean there’s a limited supply, however, (at these prices anyways) so when they’re gone, they’re gone. Check out the 10-piece All-Clad cookware, and a few other hot cookware picks from the limited-run All-Clad VIP Factory Seconds sale on now at Home & Cooks Sales.

All-Clad 10-Piece Nonstick Cookware Set, $300 on Home & Cook Sales

Home & Cook Sales

This set has all you’d need to get through just about any recipes including an 8- and 10-inch fry pan, 2-quart saucepan with lid, 3-quart saucepan with lid, 4-quart saute pan with lid and an 8-quart stockpot with lid.Buy Now

More All-Clad Deals

As good as this deal is, don’t sleep on the rest of the All-Clad sale inventory. If stainless steel is more your vibe there is a stunning 5-piece All-Clad cookware set down ver $350 to just $300, a nonstick oven roaster with rack for just $50, and a 3-quart saute pan with a lid for under $100.



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This Hardy Black Bread Belongs in Your Baking Repertoire

For Simon Bajada, a food writer and travel photographer, the Baltic states are a source of fascination. Often grouped together as one conglomerate, the three Baltic countries—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—are hardly interchangeable. Each country offers its own history, culture, landscape, and food. Bajada tackles those differences in “Baltic: New and Old Recipes From Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania,” a new cookbook celebrating all that we can discover about the Baltics through what’s shepherded to the table.

In his book, Bajada serves up a historical look at the three countries, peppered with almost 70 recipes, from potato pancakes and curd doughnuts to rye and carrot pies. Below, you’ll find a dive into what makes each country unique, as well as a recipe for black bread, a hardy, dense bread dotted with flax, sunflower, and caraway seeds. The Balts can’t get enough of rye, which makes sense: Its popularity is in large part thanks to rye, barley, and buckwheat’s ability to grow in the region’s cold climates. So it should come as no surprise that the Balts liberally use these grains to make bread.

Related Reading: The Complete Guide to Quick Breads

This version of black bread gets its distinctive color from a blending of rye flour and oat bran, and the finished product is often slathered with a swipe of jam and butter or a heaping of soft cheese. This is the kind of bread whose presence transcends boundaries and kitchen tables. It’s found just about everywhere, from bread shops and restaurants to home cooks’ ovens. The best part? The dense crust keeps the inside soft and fresh, making the bread last longer.

Baltic: New and Old Recipes from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, $32.62 on Amazon

Buy Now

Excerpted with permission from “Baltic” by Simon Bajada, published by Hardie Grant October 2019

Given their proximity, shared histories, cuisine and overlapping cultures, to my mind it’s understandable that the world tends to group Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania similarly. But of course no two countries are the same, and it’s the small differences that help to shape the character of each nation. Over the next few pages is a taste of these countries and their differences, along with what they contribute to the Baltic table.

Simon Bajada

Estonia

Eesti

The northernmost of the three countries, Estonia is arguably the most progressive of the lot. Dedicated to moving on from any stigma attached to being a former Soviet country, Estonia was the first to join the EU post-independence and has a strong startup culture (this is the country where Skype was developed), as well as being the first country in the world to o.er e-residency to foreigners interested in operating businesses from there.

‘He who eats quickly works quickly’ is an old Estonian proverb and, typically speaking, Estonians are a practical, no-nonsense people who work diligently (as well as quickly) with an egalitarian mindset. The Uralic language spoken here, which shares roots with Hungarian, is similar to that of their northern neighbour, Finland – though if a Fin were to converse with an Estonian, they would most likely end up speaking together in English! Religion doesn’t carry much weight here, with Estonians investing their beliefs more in folk and cultural heritage in general and in the power of traditional song in particular. The more than 133,000 pieces of traditional music that have been documented within the country are a testament to the latter, as is the Singing Revolution of 1987–1991, when a subdued protest that began with people singing a patriotic song in the presence of Russian military grew into a mass protest that led to the restoration of the country’s independence.

Related Reading: Best New International Cookbooks for Fall 2019

As well as being a kind of European Silicon Valley, Estonia also has one of the most beautiful medieval capital cities in Europe, Tallinn. With a name thought to be derived from Taani linna, meaning ‘Danish town’ and once described as the ‘window to the west’ by Russia’s Peter the Great due to its ice-free port (which happened to be the closest to St Petersburg), Tallinn is an attractive destination for leisure and business travelers alike – a factor that has certainly influenced the country’s cuisine. The city’s inhabitants are more aware of the global palate now than ever before and this is reflected not just in how they eat but also in what they offer visitors to their country. Being the most Nordic feeling of the three countries, seeing the success of New Nordic cuisine and sharing a similar array of produce, Estonian chefs were quick to embrace the ideology of the New Nordic manifesto and create their own interpretation in their restaurants. The fruits of this can now be experienced both in the capital and the country as a whole.

Simon Bajada

Latvia

Latvija

South of Estonia and north of Lithuania lies Latvia. Possessing a large coastline similar to Estonia’s (a fact reflected in the nation’s love of fresh and preserved fish), Latvia is also extremely wooded – no matter where you find yourself in the country you will always be within thirty minutes’ drive of a forest.

The influences tend to be more Russian in origin, unsurprising given the country’s demographics (of the three Baltic countries, Latvia is where the most Russian families have remained post-independence; they make up a quarter of the population).

Like their neighbours, Latvians have both a very real respect for nature and hold close their time-honoured folk beliefs (for example, Latvians believe good fortune will come for the year ahead if they place the scales of an eaten fish in their wallet on New Year’s eve.) Linguistically, along with Lithuanian, Latvian is one of the last spoken Indo-European languages. While not known to be the most gregarious of people, once Latvians get to know and trust you, they open up to be some of the warmest, most welcoming people you are likely to meet. They are also known for their frankness, something that is reflected in the length of their constitution, the Satversme, which is one of the shortest in Europe.

Related Reading: Why You Should Always Take a Food Tour When You Travel

Riga, the nation’s capital, is home to beautiful art nouveau architecture, a medieval old town and a stunning central market. Like Tallinn, Riga has opened up to the outside world and its food while at the same time respecting its own traditions and culture. Yes, locals love to enjoy various dishes from around the world (sushi is particularly popular, for example) but they are just as likely to be found converging at the buffets of traditional Latvian restaurants to enjoy their own cuisine. The wide range of food available can be seen at the capital’s central market, where five old zeppelin hangers now house a kaleidoscope of fresh and pickled vegetables, dried flowers as well as dairy producers, butchers and fishmongers. It’s a UNESCO heritage site and one of the largest markets in Europe.

Simon Bajada

Lithuania

Lietuva

The southernmost Baltic country, Lithuania was once one of the largest European powers with a territory that extended from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea close to the Ottoman Empire. A sizeable part of this historic land is now incorporated into the Russia we know today.

Although modern day Lithuania is both much smaller and the most ethnically homogenous of the Baltics, its beautiful capital, Vilnius, has a history of multiculturalism. As early as the fourteenth century, Gediminas the Grand. Duke of Lithuania invited western Europeans to establish themselves in the city, and there was once such a large Jewish community in the capital that Napoleon named it the ‘Jerusalem of the North’. The Jewish merchants who took to the city opened some of its earliest restaurants and, as a result, it is hard to overlook the influence of Ashkenazi Jewish cooking in Vilnius. English, German and French cuisines have also influenced the kitchens of Lithuania at various times in history, indeed to such an extent that the city’s esteemed restaurant Ertlio Namas has developed a series of menus that showcase these influences.

Related Reading: The Best Cookbooks for Fighting Food Waste

Given its position at the crossroads of so many cultures, there are a number of small subtleties that differentiate Lithuanian cuisine from that of its Baltic neighbours. Here Nordic cuisine has less influence, with culinary inspiration more likely to be drawn from nearby Poland. Due to its relative lack of coastal shoreline and the capital’s distance from the sea, seafood is not quite as commonplace as it is throughout the rest of the region – though great-quality fish can still be found and is highly prized – while its southerly location enables a slightly different range of produce to be grown (I. remember eating wild mint with honey and cheese in a garden, for example – something that I can’t imagine doing in Estonia).

Once Lithuanians open their doors to you, their hospitality is generous and memorable. They pride themselves on making sure you leave with a satisfied appetite, and also very likely a little light headed – a tipsy guest is a happy guest! Finally, as elsewhere in the region, the potato is widely loved, however given the many distinct cultures that have influenced its cuisine, Lithuanian recipes truly celebrate the diversity of this particular vegetable.

Black Bread Recipe

Rye has such a presence in the Baltics that the black bread made from its flour has come to define the cuisine of this region. Hardy, the bread keeps fresh for days thanks to a thick crust that gives way to a pleasant, slightly sour-tasting interior. It is enjoyed everywhere and at all times of day. Technically, making black bread differs from making an everyday white loaf in that elasticity doesn’t play such an important role in the process, so less kneading and more folding is required to manage the dough.

Black Bread

Prep Time: 30 minutes, plus 6 days preparation (2 days for the bread and 4 days for the starter)Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutesMakes: 1 loaf
Ingredients
  • 250 g (9 oz) natural bread starter (see below, or use your own if you are an experienced baker)
  • approx. 675 ml (23 fl oz) water, plus extra if necessary
  • 800 g (1 lb 12 oz/8 cups) coarse rye flour, plus extra if necessary
  • 80 g (2 ¾ oz/ 1/3 cup) soft brown sugar
  • 60 g (2 oz) oat bran
  • 2 tablespoons linseeds (flax seeds)
  • 3 tablespoons sunflower seeds
  • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • sunflower oil, for greasing
  • NATURAL BREAD STARTER approx. 200 g (7 oz/2 cups) rye flour
  • approx. 200 ml (7 fl oz) lukewarm water
Instructions
  1. To make the starter, mix 50 g (1 ¾ oz/ ½ cup) of rye flour and 50 ml (1 ¾ fl oz) water in a large clean glass jar. Cover with plastic wrap and store in a warmish place. After a day, ‘feed’ the starter by stirring in the same quantities of rye flour and water. Do this for a few days more, stirring the starter on occasion as you go – when a foam appears on the top of the starter and it smells a bit like yeasty apples, it’s ready.
  2. When you’re ready to make the bread, mix 250 g (9 oz) of the starter, 300 ml (10 fl oz) of the water and 400 g (14 oz/4 cups) of the rye flour in a large bowl. Cover with a tea towel (dish towel) and leave in a warmish place for 12–16 hours.
  3. Add the remaining rye flour together with the sugar and oat bran and mix with 375 ml (12 ½ fl/1 ½ cups) or so of the water until all the flour is incorporated and you have a heavy, cement-like dough. You want a dough that comes together but is sticky, so add a little more water if you need to, or some extra flour as necessary to make it easier to handle.
  4. Setting aside 200 g (7 oz) of the mixture to keep as a starter for next time (see note), add the seeds and salt to the remainder and fold five or so times into a rough rectangle, or until you have a dough that no longer sticks to your hands and is slightly elastic.
  5. Oil a 30 x 14 cm (12 x 5 ½ in) loaf (bar) tin. Place the dough in the tin, lightly oil the top. Leave to rise in a warm place for 5 hours, or until the dough has increased in size by around a quarter and has a little spring when touched.
  6. When you’re ready to bake the bread, preheat the oven to 230°C (445°F) and place an ovenproof bowl of water on the bottom shelf. Bake for 20 minutes, then lower the temperature to 190°C (375°F) and bake for a further 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean.
  7. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 30 minutes before covering with a slightly damp tea towel to help keep the moisture in. Leave to cool completely before slicing.
  8. Note: The bread starter gives its best after four or five bakes so be patient – you’ll soon be achieving optimal results. Store it in the refrigerator, topping it up every week with 125 ml (4 fl oz/ ½ cup) water and 220 g (8 oz) rye flour. It’s also important you use coarse rye flour to make the loaf, as water quantities will vary greatly depending on the density of flour used.


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