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moroccan b’steeya

SERVES 6 TO 8

Season the chicken a day ahead so it has time to absorb the flavors.

1 whole roaster chicken (about 4 pounds), cut into 8 pieces

Coarse salt

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/8 teaspoon crumbled saffron

½ teaspoon ground ginger

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

½ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

¼ cup unsalted butter, plus ½ cup melted (1½ sticks total)

6 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Freshly ground pepper

1¾ cups blanched whole almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, plus more for sprinkling

¼ cup orange-flower water

1 package (17 ounces) store-bought phyllo dough

1. Put the chicken and 1/3 cup salt in a medium bowl; toss to coat. Refrigerate 1 hour. Rinse the chicken with cold water; pat dry. Mix the chicken, onion, garlic, saffron, ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ cup parsley, and ¼ cup cilantro in a large bowl; cover, and refrigerate overnight.

2. Transfer the chicken mixture to a medium heavy pot. Add enough water to cover (about 4 cups). Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium. Add ¼ cup butter; cover, and simmer until chicken is falling off the bone, 1 to 1½ hours, adding water to cover if necessary. Transfer the chicken to a plate; let cool. Reserve the poaching liquid. Remove the meat from the bones and shred; discard the skin and bones. Set the chicken aside.

3. Bring the reserved poaching liquid to a boil over high heat; cook until reduced to ¾ cup. Reduce heat to medium-high. Slowly add the eggs; whisk constantly until the mixture is almost set, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the remaining ½ cup parsley, ¼ cup cilantro, and the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.

4. Stir together the almonds, sugar, and remaining ½ teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.

5. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush a 13-inch paella or pizza pan with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Stir together the remaining melted butter and the orange-flower water in a small bowl. Assemble the b’steeya: Brush a sheet of phyllo with butter mixture. Put it in the pan, leaving a 4-inch overhang. Repeat, buttering and adding 7 more sheets of phyllo, overlapping the layers and fanning out around the pan. (Keep unbuttered phyllo covered with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel.)

6. Arrange the chicken mixture evenly over the dough. Pour in the egg mixture. Top with 5 layers phyllo brushed with butter mixture. Sprinkle evenly with almond mixture. Fold up the edges of the phyllo to enclose. Top with 5 layers phyllo brushed with butter mixture; tuck the edges inside the pan. Slightly crinkle 2 unbuttered layers phyllo over top. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

TURKEY

perfect roast turkey

SERVES 12 TO 14

We brined our turkey for 24 hours, so leave plenty of time for this recipe. If you don’t brine yours, skip steps 1 and 2. The USDA recommends cooking the turkey until the thickest part of the thigh registers 180°F. For a moister bird, we cooked ours to 165°F; it continues to cook outside the oven as it rests.

3 cups coarse salt, plus more for seasoning

5 cups sugar

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped

2 medium leeks, white and pale-green parts only, rinsed and coarsely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped

2 dried bay leaves

3 sprigs fresh thyme

3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns, plus freshly ground pepper

1 fresh whole turkey (18 to 20 pounds), rinsed and patted dry, giblets and neck reserved for Gravy (recipe follows)

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened

1½ cups dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

Chestnut Stuffing (recipe follows)

Crab apples, fresh rosemary sprigs, and fresh sage, for garnish (optional)

1. Put the salt, sugar, onions, leeks, carrots,