SCALLOPED POTATO GRATIN

Is there anything better than a molten, golden-topped potato gratin? I don’t think so, either. This one stays fairly classic — scented with sage, garlic and nutmeg, then showered with lots of nutty Gruyère. My tweak is in form rather than flavor. Instead of piling the potatoes an inch or two deep in a gratin dish, I shingle the slices in a shallow sheet pan.

It gives the whole thing a more elegant look, and you get maximum browning and crunch on top. There’s less of the gooey center, but what it loses in ooze it makes up for in increased surface area for the crisp-edged baked cheese. Total time: 1 1/2 hours

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

1/4 cup unsalted butter

(1/2 stick), plus more for greasing the aluminum foil, at room temperature

3 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh sage

leaves

4 fat garlic cloves, finely

grated or minced

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated

nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt,

plus more as needed 5 large eggs

4 pounds russet potatoes (about 6 large or 8 medium)

Freshly ground black

pepper

2 1/4 cups grated Gruyère (8 1/2 ounces)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees, and brush 1/4 cup butter on a rimmed 17-by-13inch baking sheet. Brush one or two pieces of foil (enough to cover the top of the pan) with more butter. Set the foil aside.

2. In a medium pot, bring the cream, sage, garlic, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt to a simmer. Simmer until reduced by a quarter, about 15 minutes.

3. In a large heatproof bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Beating constantly, gradually add a little of the hot cream to the eggs, then slowly pour in the rest of the hot cream, whisking to prevent the eggs from curdling. Set aside.

4. Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, slice the potatoes into ⅛-inch-thick rounds.

5. Arrange one layer of potatoes on the buttered baking sheet, slightly overlapping the slices. Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, add pepper to taste, then pour half the egg mixture over the potatoes. Top with

1/2 cup cheese. Repeat the layers of potato, seasoning and egg mixture. Top with the remaining 1 3/4 cups cheese. Cover the baking sheet with the foil (buttered-side down) and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the potatoes and cheese are browned and bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly, then serve.

Tip: You can assemble the gratin up to 4 hours before baking. Store it, loosely covered, in the fridge. The gratin can also be baked 4 hours ahead, kept uncovered at room temperature, and then reheated in a 450-degree oven until the top is shiny. It’s not quite as gooey as when freshly baked, but it’s still quite good.

SPATCHCOCKED CHICKEN WITH HERB BUTTER

Spatchcocking (also called butterflying) a chicken helps it to roast more evenly and much more quickly, giving you perfectly tender, juicy meat with golden skin. This one is slathered with herb butter, making it extra fragrant.

Total time: 1 hour, plus at least 2 hours’ chilling

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

1/4 cup unsalted butter

(1/2 stick), at room temperature

4 garlic cloves, finely

grated or minced 2 teaspoons minced fresh

parsley leaves 2 teaspoons minced mixed fresh herbs — any mix of mint, oregano and marjoram

1 1/2 teaspoons minced

fresh thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh

rosemary leaves

1 3/4 teaspoons fine sea salt 1 teaspoon herbes de

Provence

1/2 teaspoon finely grated

lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground

white pepper

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground

black pepper

1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) chicken, spatchcocked and dried with paper towels (see Note) Lemon wedges, for garnish

1. In a medium bowl, mash together the butter, garlic, parsley, mixed herbs, thyme, rosemary, salt, herbes de Provence, lemon zest, white pepper and black pepper. Rub three-quarters of the mixture all over the chicken, including under the skin. (Reserve the remaining herb butter for serving.) Place the chicken, breast-up, on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate it, uncovered, for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

2. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Roast chicken until it is just cooked through (the meat will no longer be pink and the juices will run clear; an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh will read 165 degrees), 40 to 55 minutes. Let the chicken rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before carving. Serve it topped with the reserved herb butter and lemon wedges.

Tip: To spatchcock a chicken, place the bird breastside down on a work surface. Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, start at the tail end and cut along one side of the backbone. Open the chicken up like a book, flip the chicken over, and press down on it to flatten it. Press firmly on the breastbone. You’ll feel it pop.

CAMPARI OLIVE OIL CAKE

When I posted a photo of this very modest-looking cake on Instagram, I was blown away by the response. Honestly, it didn’t look like much — a generic yellow cake with a golden top. I think just the very notion of putting Campari and olive oil in a cake is what made people stop and“like”it. And it is a pretty terrific flavor combination: The citrusy bittersweet character of the Campari goes really well with the fragrant oil, to which I also add melted butter for richness, as well as lots of fresh citrus juice and zest. On its own, the cake is a pretty plain-looking thing, but you can dress it up for a party, adding orange segments, berries and dollops of whipped cream or crème fraîche to the top. If you want to go one step further, simmer some Campari and a bit of sugar down to a syrup, and drizzle that all over the cake. It turns the cake more pink and accentuates its boozy flavor.

Total time: 1 1/2 hours

Yield: 8 servings

1/4 cup (55 grams) unsalted butter (1/2 stick), melted, plus more for greasing the pan

2 cups (255 grams) allpurpose flour

1 ⅔ cups (330 grams)

sugar

1 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda ⅔ cup (160 milliliters)

whole milk

⅔ cup (160 milliliters) mild

olive oil

3 large eggs

⅓ cup (80 milliliters)

Campari

1 tablespoon grated

grapefruit zest 1 tablespoon grated orange

zest

1 teaspoon grated lemon

zest

1/4 cup (60 milliliters) fresh

grapefruit juice 2 tablespoons fresh orange

juice

1 tablespoon fresh lemon

juice

Whipped crème fraîche or whipped cream, sweetened or not as you like, for serving

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper. (You can use a regular 9-inch cake pan that is at least 2 inches deep, but the cake will be harder to unmold.)

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In a large bowl, whisk together butter, milk, oil, eggs, Campari, citrus zests, and citrus juices. Fold in the dry ingredients, then scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

3. Bake until the top is golden and springs back when lightly pressed in the center, 45 minutes to 1 hour. (A cake tester might emerge with a few crumbs, which is OK.)

4. Let the cake cool completely in the pan. Then run a butter knife around the edges and release the sides. Serve with dollops of whipped crème fraîche. This cake is best served on the same day that it’s baked.