SCISSORS
BUTCHER CHICKEN
Cutting up a whole chicken can be a challenge. You don’t know where the blade is going and you end up hacking the bird into awkward pieces. Scissors make it much easier to cut through cartilage. Just be sure to use sturdy poultry shears.
STEP 1 Set the chicken breast side down on a work surface. Cut off the wingettes and wing tips.
STEP 2 Cut along either side of the backbone to remove it.
STEP 3 Turn the chicken breast side up. Cut between one thigh and one side of the breast (where the skin is loose) to remove the leg. Repeat to remove the other leg.
STEP 4 Set the chicken breast side down on the work surface and flatten to expose the center breast bone, then remove it with your hands. Cut between the breast halves to split them.
Oven-BBQ Chicken
Active
45 min;
Total
1 hr 30 min;
Serves
6
1¼ cups ketchup
¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
4¼ Tbsp. distilled white vinegar
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
Two 3¼-lb. whole chickens, wingettes and wing tips removed, chickens cut into 4 pieces each
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
Kosher salt and pepper
Lime wedges, for serving
1. In a medium saucepan, whisk the ketchup, sugar, gochujang, vinegar and garlic. Bring to a boil over moderately high heat, then simmer over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Let cool. Transfer ¼ cup of the sauce to a small bowl and reserve for serving.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with heavy-duty foil. Arrange the chicken parts on the prepared baking sheets, brush them all over with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Roast the chicken in the upper and lower thirds of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the skin is very lightly browned. Brush the chicken with some of the sauce and roast for 10 minutes, until glazed. Flip the chicken and brush with sauce. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes longer, turning and brushing every 8 minutes, until the chicken is nicely glazed and an instant-read thermometer inserted in each piece registers 165°. Transfer to a platter and serve with lime wedges and the reserved sauce.
MAKE AHEAD The BBQ sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
SNIP HERBS
You could chop herbs with a knife, but why dirty up a cutting board if you don’t have to? It’s so much easier to grab a handful of herbs and cut them with kitchen shears right into your bowl.
Snip fresh herbs with a pair of scissors until you reach the thick stems.
Herb and Bulgur Salad with Sunflower Seeds
Total
35 min;
Serves
6
1 cup medium bulgur
2 cups boiling water
Kosher salt and pepper
One 2-oz. bunch of parsley
One 2-oz. bunch of cilantro
One 1-oz. bunch of chives
One 1-oz. bunch of dill
¼ cup salted toasted sunflower seeds
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1. In a large heatproof bowl, cover the bulgur with the boiling water. Add a generous pinch of salt, cover with plastic and let stand until the bulgur is tender and the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
2. Hold the herb bunches together in one hand. Using scissors, snip the herbs over the bulgur until you reach the thick stems (you should have about 1¼ cups each of parsley and cilantro and ¾ cup each of chives and dill); discard the stems. Add the sunflower seeds, lemon juice and olive oil to the bulgur and toss well. Season with salt and pepper and toss again. Serve at room temperature.
MAKE AHEAD The bulgur salad can be made early in the day. The cooked bulgur can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
TRIM GREEN BEANS
Pinching off the woody stems of green beans one by one takes forever. It’s so much easier to use a pair of kitchen scissors to slice off a bunch at a time.
Hold green beans with the woody stem ends all facing in one direction. Snip off the ends with scissors.
Charred Green Beans with Apricots
Total
20 min;
Serves
4
I add sweet apricots to these fiery and fresh-tasting sautéed green beans.
1¼ Tbsp. canola oil
¼ lb. haricots verts, trimmed
3 apricots—halved, pitted and cut into ¼-inch-thick wedges
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. Asian fish sauce
1 Thai chile, thinly sliced
1 cup mint leaves, chopped Kosher salt
In a large skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the green beans and cook over high heat until charred on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the apricots, lime juice, fish sauce, chile and mint. Season with salt. Transfer to a platter and serve.
More Foods to Scissor
PIZZA You may think it’s crazy to cut pizza with scissors, but this is how lots of places in Italy do it, so you know it’s legit. It’s also less messy than cutting with a knife.
MEAT If you’ve ever gone to a Korean barbecue restaurant, you’ll know this is how the servers cut up bite-size portions of grilled beef and pork. You could also use scissors to slice up ham and other cold cuts for salads.
CANNED TOMATOES If I need to chop canned whole tomatoes, I never pull out my cutting board. I just stick a pair of kitchen shears directly into the can and scissor away.
LINE A CAKE PAN
STEP 1 Fold a 12-inch square of parchment paper in half to form a rectangle. Fold it in half again to form a square. With the folded edges on the left and bottom, bring the bottom right corner up to meet the left edge, making a triangle; fold the same way again.
STEP 2 Hold the sharpest point of the triangle in the center of an inverted round cake pan. Using scissors, cut the paper where it lines up with the edge of the pan.
STEP 3 Unfold the parchment and line your cake pan perfectly. For a video, go to: foodandwine.com/video/mad-genius-cooking-tips .
Espresso Snack Cake
Active
40 min;
Total
2 hr 15 min
Makes
one 9-inch cake
CAKE
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus more for greasing
1 cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1¼ Tbsp. instant espresso powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. kosher salt
1 large egg
1 cup sugar
¼ cup buttermilk
¼ cup whole milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
GANACHE
⅓ cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. instant espresso powder
2 tsp. light corn syrup
3¼ oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1. Make the cake Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan and line it with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, beat the egg with the sugar and 4 tablespoons of butter until pale, then whisk in both milks and the vanilla. Whisk in the dry ingredients all at once until combined.
2. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely, about 30 minutes.
3. Make the ganache In a medium saucepan, whisk the cream with the sugar, espresso powder and corn syrup and bring just to a boil. Remove from the heat. Add the chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth. Let cool slightly.
4. Invert the cake onto a plate, remove the parchment, then invert it onto a platter. Spread the ganache evenly on top, letting it drip down the side. Let stand until the ganache is set, about 30 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.