Wine

White asparagus spears are generally thicker than their green counterparts, so be sure to trim the tough ends of the stalk and cook until they are perfectly crisp-tender.

Be careful when transferring the fish from the baking dish to the plate—flounder is a fragile fish that falls apart easily.

You can serve this dish hot, cold, or at room temperature. Cook the fish in batches if your oven is small. Dried beans work best, but you can substitute 6 cups of drained, rinsed canned beans; begin with step 3.

The USDA recommends cooking duck breasts until they register 170°F. For a moister breast, we cooked ours to 125°F; after it rests, the duck will be cooked to medium-rare. Chicken is also delicious in this recipe: Substitute four 12-ounce boneless skin-on chicken breast halves for the duck. In step 3, don’t score the breasts. To cook, heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Flip the chicken, and transfer to the oven. Cook until the chicken reaches 175°F, about 25 minutes. For the sauce, substitute dry white wine for the red wine.

Add the giblets and neck to the pan with the turkey 1 1/2 hours after the oven temperature is reduced to 350°F in step 5 (recipe above).

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.

Serve this stewlike chicken dish over couscous or mashed potatoes, or with a crusty baguette to soak up the flavorful broth. We used Cerignola olives from southern Italy; they are large and firm enough to hold up to slow cooking methods like braising.

This sauce was created by chef Pierre Schaedelin.

Red onions, cut at an angle, form a V-shaped roasting rack for the chicken.

Serve with Polenta (page 377).