The 20 Best Recipes of 2024

In 2018, we named these 20 dishes our best recipes ever. Of the more than 24,000 recipes we’d published since 1978, these were the ones that we felt were so memorable, so revelatory, and so delicious that we were still making them four decades after we first tasted them. So pour a glass of something bubbly, fire up the oven, and celebrate our 40th birthday with us in true F&W style — let’s cook!

1,Grand Marnier Soufflé

In the inaugural issue of Food & Wine, legendary chef Jacques Pépin shared his recipe for the perfect soufflé. The accompanying text asked, “why their awesome mystique? Popular mythology has banished them to the thin-aired Olympus of personal valets and private jets. Why does the idea of making one turn fearless kitchen lions into cowering lambs?” Pépin, who had recently published his tome of French cooking, La Technique, and would go on become one of Food & Wine’s greatest contributing editors, was the perfect candidate to teach readers about “towering, golden-roofed, steamily fragrant” soufflés, giving detailed directions on everything from preparing the mold and the collar to beating the eggs properly. This ethereal recipe is as good today as it was in 1978, showing that some dishes are simply timeless.

Ingredients

Crème Pâtissière

2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk

Soufflé

3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Unsalted butter, softened, for greasing
Crème Pâtissière, at room temperature
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
Powdered sugar, for garnish

Directions
Make the crème pâtissière:
1. Whisk together sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla in a medium bowl until mixture is pale yellow and reaches the ribbon stage, meaning that when you lift the whisk, the mixture is aerated enough that it falls into the bowl in thick trails, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add flour; whisk until smooth.
2. Bring milk to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium, about 3 minutes. Gradually add milk to egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium, whisking constantly, about 3 minutes. Boil mixture, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl; press plastic wrap directly onto surface. Let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Mixture can be chilled, covered, for up to 3 days.
  
  Make the soufflé:
3. Preheat oven to 375°F with oven rack in lower third of oven. Stir together granulated sugar and flour in a small bowl; set aside. Cut a 24- x 12-inch piece of parchment paper; fold lengthwise 3 times (letter-style). Wrap paper around outside top of a 1-quart soufflé dish to form a collar extending 2 inches above rim; secure tightly with string. Rub inside of soufflé dish and parchment collar with butter. Dust with sugar mixture, shaking out excess. Chill dish at least 15 minutes.
4. Stir together crème pâtissière, Grand Marnier, and orange zest in a large bowl. Beat egg whites in bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer on medium speed until glossy and stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes. Whisk about one-third of egg whites into crème pâtissière mixture until well incorporated. Gently fold in remaining egg whites until just incorporated. Pour mixture into prepared dish. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake in preheated oven until soufflé is puffed and golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.
2,Potato and Egg Pie with Bacon and Crème Fraîche
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 7 1/2 ounces), plus more for dusting
- 9 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 2 large egg yolks, divided
- Ice water
- 1 1/4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 5 ounces thick-cut mild-smoked bacon slices, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
- 3 large or 4 small hard-cooked eggs, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon water
Directions
1. Stir together flour, butter, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Using your fingertips, rub butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal. Make a well in center. Stir together 1 egg yolk with enough ice water to equal 1/4 cup; pour into well, and stir into flour mixture until just moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough just until it comes together. Divide dough into 2 disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap, and chill at least 8 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Unwrap 1 dough disk, and roll into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface; fit into a 9-inch pie pan. Chill 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, soak potato slices in ice water to cover (to remove surface starch) about 5 minutes; drain and pat slices dry. Toss potatoes with parsley, pepper, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place bacon in a large skillet, and cook over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until wilted and just browned on edges, about 2 minutes. Drain bacon on paper towels.
4. Arrange half of potato slices in refrigerated pie shell, overlapping slices. Sprinkle evenly with bacon; top with remaining potato slices, overlapping slices. Spread crème fraîche over potatoes, and arrange egg slices on top. Unwrap remaining dough disk, and roll into a 10-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Place round on top of pie. Trim edges and fold dough under. Crimp edge as desired. Using the tip of a knife, prick top of pie twice.
5. Stir together 1 teaspoon water and remaining egg yolk; brush over top of pie. Bake pie in preheated oven on middle rack 20 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 350°F, and bake 50 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F, and bake until top is golden brown, about 10 minutes.
6. Let pie rest 10 minutes before serving.
3,Poulet au Vinaigre
Ingredients

3 tablespoon clarified unsalted butter (see Note) or 2 tablespoon unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon peanut oil

4 unpeeled garlic cloves

1 (2 1/2- to 3-pound) whole chicken, cut into 10 pieces

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup mild white wine vinegar or rice vinegar

3/4 pound very ripe red tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 200°F. Heat clarified butter and garlic in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high. (The skillet should be large enough to hold all the chicken pieces in 1 layer.) Cook until the sound of sizzling butter has faded, about 3 minutes. Add chicken pieces, and cook until pieces are lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes, flipping once after 3 minutes. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

Add vinegar, and bring mixture to a brisk boil over medium-high; top chicken with tomatoes and parsley. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes, flipping chicken pieces after 7 minutes. Transfer chicken to a baking dish, and keep warm in preheated oven.

Using a spoon, skim and discard fat from surface of vinegar mixture in skillet. Continue to cook over low, undisturbed, until reduced by one-third, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove garlic cloves; peel cloves, and mash garlic pulp into sauce with a wooden spoon until blended. Add salt to taste. Whisk in 2 tablespoons butter until creamy.

Transfer chicken to a platter; pour sauce over chicken, and serve immediately.

4,Soboro Donburi (Gingery Ground Beef with Peas over Rice)

Ingredients

1 pound 90% lean ground beef

1/3 cup sake

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup dashi or water

1 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/2 cup frozen English peas, thawed

1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger

5 cups hot cooked rice

2 tablespoon beni shoga (Japanese pickled ginger) or 1 large tomato, sliced

Directions

Stir together ground beef, sake, soy sauce, dashi, and sugar in a small Dutch oven or medium-size, heavy saucepan. Cook over medium-high, stirring often to break up large lumps of beef, 5 minutes. Stir in peas and ginger; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is mostly evaporated and beef is no longer pink but is still moist, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat.

Divide rice evenly among 4 large bowls. Spoon 1/2 cup beef mixture over each. Garnish with pickled ginger.

5,Poached Eggs with Red Wine Sauce

Ingredients

2 cups water

1/4 cup veal demiglace (such as D’Artagnan)

2 cups of dry red wine (such as Burgundy)

1 cup chopped tomato

2 shallots, thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup)

Bouquet garni: 5 flat-leaf parsley sprigs, 1 thyme sprig, and 1 fresh bay leaf, tied securely with butcher’s twine

1 (6-ounce) bacon slab, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/4 cups)

1 teaspoon unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

8 poached eggs

8 white bread slices (such as Pepperidge Farm), cut into 3-inch rounds and sautéed in butter and oil until browned

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Whisk together 2 cups water and demiglace in a large nonreactive saucepan over medium until demiglace dissolves, about 2 minutes. Stir in wine, tomato, shallots, and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil over high; reduce heat to medium-high, and simmer until reduced by half (about 2 cups), 50 to 55 minutes. Pour mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer over a small nonreactive saucepan. Discard solids, and set wine mixture aside.

While wine mixture reduces, heat a medium skillet over medium-high. Add bacon, and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain.

Stir together softened butter and flour in a small bowl until smooth to make a beurre manié. Bring reserved wine mixture to a simmer over medium, and gradually whisk in beurre manié. Cook, whisking constantly, until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cooked bacon, and season with salt and pepper.

To serve, place 1 poached egg on each fried bread round; spoon about 2 1/2 tablespoons wine sauce over each egg. Sprinkle evenly with parsley, and serve with remaining wine sauce.

6,Hakka Salt-Baked Chicken

Ingredients

One 3 1/2 – to 4-pound chicken, preferably free-range, rinsed and patted dry

1 1/2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

5 quarter-size slices of fresh ginger, lightly smashed

2 scallions, lightly smashed and cut into 1 1/2 -inch lengths

5 cilantro sprigs, plus additional cilantro leaves for garnish

1 star anise pod

1 tablespoon Rose Dew Liqueur or extra-dry vermouth

4 1/2 pounds kosher salt

Directions

Rub the cavity of the chicken with the rice wine and stuff with the ginger, scallions, cilantro sprigs and star anise. Place the chicken, breast up, on a rack and brush the outside with the liqueur. Let the chicken stand in a cool, airy place until the skin is dry to the touch, about 2 hours.

Truss the chicken with string. Wrap the chicken in a single layer of cheesecloth; bring the ends around and tie them together on top of the chicken breast with string. The chicken should be tightly wrapped in a neat ball.

Pour the salt into a large heavy stockpot or spun-steel wok that will hold the chicken snugly. Turn the heat to moderately high and stir the salt frequently until it is very hot to the touch, about 10 minutes. Carefully pour all but 1 inch of the salt (about 6 cups) into a heatproof bowl. Set the chicken in the pot, breast up, and cover completely with the reserved hot salt. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to moderate and cook the chicken undisturbed on top of the stove for 1 1/2 hours. Check for doneness by brushing off the salt and piercing a thigh with a sharp knife. If the juices are still pink, re-cover with salt and continue to cook for another 15 to 30 minutes.

Push the salt aside and carefully remove the chicken, holding it by the knotted cheesecloth; try not to tilt the chicken and spill the juices. Set the chicken on a large platter and remove the cheesecloth and trussing strings. Discard the salt. Carve the chicken or use a cleaver to chop it Chinese-style into bite-size pieces. Serve hot or at room temperature, garnished with cilantro leaves and accompanied by the Hakka Dipping Sauces.

7,Ultimate Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients

8 ounces semisweet dark chocolate, broken into 1/2-inch pieces

6 large eggs, separated

3 tablespoon water

1/4 cup sweet liqueur (such as Chartreuse, amaretto, mandarin, or Grand Marnier)

2 cups heavy cream

6 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

Whipped cream and grated chocolate, for garnish

Directions

Place chocolate in top of a double boiler over simmering water, and cook over low, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat, and set aside.

Place egg yolks and 3 tablespoons water in a heavy saucepan; cook over very low, whisking vigorously and constantly, until yolks begin to foam and thicken, about 6 minutes. Whisk in liqueur, and cook, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. (The sauce should achieve the consistency of a hollandaise or sabayon.) Remove from heat. Pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl; discard solids.

Fold melted chocolate into sauce. Transfer chocolate mixture to a large bowl, and set aside.

Beat cream with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes, beating in 2 tablespoons sugar toward the end. Fold into chocolate mixture.

Using electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks start to form, about 1 minute. Beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Fold into chocolate-cream mixture.

Spoon mousse into a bowl, and chill until ready to serve, 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Garnish servings with whipped cream and grated chocolate.

8,Shrimp Creole

Ingredients

⅓ cup plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

⅓ cup plus 1 teaspoon hot paprika, divided

¼ cup freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup garlic powder

3 tablespoons onion powder or dried minced onion

2 tablespoons plus 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided

2 tablespoons dried thyme

2 tablespoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

5 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 ¼ cups chicken stock or canned chicken broth

4 fresh bay leaves

2 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes

3 scallions, chopped

1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon Louisiana-style hot sauce (such as Crystal)

½ teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 ½ pounds peeled and deveined raw medium shrimp

Directions

Add 1/3 cup kosher salt, 1/3 cup hot paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper, thyme and oregano to a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside Creole seasoning.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened but not browned, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add chicken stock, 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning, remaining 1 teaspoon hot paprika, remaining 1/8 teaspoon cayenne, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high; reduce heat to medium, and simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

Stir in scallions, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring often, until thick but still a little saucy, about 10 minutes. Set aside Creole sauce.

Heat oil in a separate large skillet over medium-high; swirl to coat. Add shrimp; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning (or to taste), and cook, stirring often, until slightly pink, about 1 minute.

Add Creole sauce to shrimp; cook, stirring, until shrimp are pink, cooked through, and coated in sauce, 3 to 4 minutes

9,Garlicky Braised Lamb Shanks with Sweet Peppers

Ingredients

4 lamb foreshanks (about 5 pounds)

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon black pepper, divided

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

12 unpeeled garlic cloves plus 24 peeled garlic cloves (from 4 heads), divided

6 fresh bay leaves

6 thyme sprigs

3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock

1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips

1 medium-size yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Sprinkle the lamb with salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium until foamy. Add 2 of the lamb foreshanks, all of the unpeeled garlic cloves, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs, and cook, turning occasionally, until the lamb is browned all over, about 15 minutes. Transfer the browned foreshanks, unpeeled garlic, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs to a platter, and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and the remaining 2 foreshanks to the Dutch oven, and cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over, about 15 minutes, reducing the heat as needed to prevent over-browning. Return the browned foreshanks, unpeeled garlic, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs to the Dutch oven. Cover the Dutch oven and transfer it to the preheated oven. Cook, flipping shanks every 20 minutes, until very tender, 2 hours to 2 1/2 hours.

Remove the lamb shanks from the Dutch oven, and set aside. Pour chicken stock into the Dutch oven, and bring to a boil over high, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of the Dutch oven. Remove it from heat; use a ladle to skim off fat from surface, and discard. Return the stock to a boil over high, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 2 cups, 5 to 8 minutes. Pour the stock mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a large measuring cup; discard solids. Wipe the Dutch oven clean and pour the strained stock into the Dutch oven.

Add the peeled garlic cloves to the strained stock, and gently simmer over medium-low until the garlic is slightly tender, about 20 minutes, flipping the garlic cloves after 10 minutes. Stir in the bell peppers and thyme leaves and return the lamb to Dutch oven. (The lamb can be cooked up to a day ahead. Refrigerate, covered; reheat before proceeding.)

Cook over medium-low, moving peppers and lamb occasionally, until the peppers and garlic are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the lamb shanks to warm serving plates. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and remaining 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to sauce, and stir until creamy. Season with additional salt to taste. Spoon the sauce with bell peppers and garlic cloves around the lamb shanks and serve.

10,Deep-Dish All-American Cinnamon Apple Pie

Ingredients

1/3 cup apricot preserves, melted and strained, divided

3 pounds Rhode Island Greening or Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 teaspoon cornstarch

Directions

Brush inside of baked pie shell with 2 tablespoons apricot preserves.

Place apples, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl; toss to combine. Let stand until apples release about 1/2 cup liquid, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Drain apple liquid into a small, heavy saucepan. Set drained apples aside. Add butter to pan, and bring to a boil over medium-high; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to about 1/3 cup, 3 to 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss drained apples with cornstarch. Arrange half of apples on bottom of pie shell; drizzle with half of the reduced apple syrup. Arrange remaining apples in overlapping concentric circles on top, starting from outside and working in; drizzle with remaining apple syrup. (The apples will be heaped above the top of pie shell but will sink down during baking.)

Cut a round of aluminum foil to fit over top of pie; pull edges of foil up and crimp in 3 or 4 places to create a small dome. Tent pie with foil, and bake in preheated oven until apples are tender when pierced with a paring knife, 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Remove aluminum foil, and bake until tops of apples are lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes.

Warm remaining apricot preserves, and brush over top of hot pie. Cool pie in pan on a wire rack 30 minutes. Transfer pie from pan to a serving platter. Serve warm, or cool to room temperature.