Deep-Dish Strawberry Pie with Chocolate Crust

prep: 40 minutes
bake: 10 minutes
resting: 3 hours

makes one 9-inch pie, 8 servings

you’ll need…
1 package chocolate wafer cookies
1⅓ cup sugar, divided
⅓ cup melted butter
1 lb. strawberries, divided
1 envelope gelatin
¾ cup cold water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 egg whites

let’s get to it…
Place oven rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Crush cookies and ⅓ cup sugar in a food processor. Transfer crumb mixture to a large bowl and add the melted butter. I don’t add the butter to the food processor because it can get clumpy.
Press the crumb mixture into the deep-dish pie pan, including the sides (your crust will be thick). Bake 8 to 10 minutes; remove from oven and set aside to cool.
Remove the stems from the strawberries. Place 12 ounces of the strawberries (about ¾ of all of the strawberries) and ½ cup sugar into a food processor and purée; set aside.
Pour water into a small saucepan and sprinkle on gelatin; soften for 5-minutes. Add remaining ½ cup sugar, lemon juice, and salt to saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until sugar dissolves (don’t boil!). Pour gelatin mixture into a large mixing bowl and let cool for 15 minutes.
Pour strawberry mixture from food processor into cooled gelatin; stir.
Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold egg whites into strawberry mixture. Pour into baked chocolate piecrust. Use a spatula to remove all the eggs whites from the bowl.
Garnish with remaining 4 ounces of strawberries (you can slice them, or just put them on whole). Chill pie for at least 3 hours.

bon appétit inspired Skillet-Fried Chicken

prep: 3 hours
cook: about an hour
serves: 6

you’ll need…
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
• 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 3–4-lb. chicken (not kosher), cut into 10 pieces, backbone and wing tips removed
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 3 1/2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Peanut oil (for frying)
• special equipment:
A deep-fry thermometer

let’s get to it…
Whisk 1 tablespoon of the salt, 2 teaspoons of the black pepper, the paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic and onion powder together in a small bowl.  Rub the chicken with the spices in a medium bowl. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours (you can also let it sit overnight).

Rest the chicken out of the refrigerator for 1 hour before cooking. Set a wire rack inside a large rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.

Whisk the buttermilk and eggs in a medium bowl. Whisk the flour, the cornstarch, remaining 1 tablespoon of salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon of pepper in  in a 9x13x2″ baking dish (like a lasagna pan).

Pour the oil into a 10″–12″ cast-iron skillet or other heavy straight-sided skillet (not a nonstick pan) to a depth of ¾-inches. Prop up the deep-fry thermometer (or clip it to the side of the pan) in the oil so the bulb is submerged. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until thermometer hits 350°F.

Dip the chicken in the buttermilk mixture one piece at a time, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl. (I like to use one hand for wet ingredients and one hand for dry ingredients.)

Dredge the chicken piece in the flour mixture and shake off the excess. Place several pieces of the chicken in the skillet (don’t crowd the pan!). Fry the chicken, turning with tongs every 1–2 minutes and adjusting heat to maintain a steady temperature of 300°F–325°F, until skin is deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 165°F, about 10 minutes for wings and 12 minutes for thighs, legs, and breasts.

Remove the chicken from the skillet, allowing excess oil to drip back into skillet and place on the wire rack. Repeat as directed until the chicken is cooked. Cool for 10 minutes before diving in!