Best 3 Chef Johns Panettone Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S PORCHETTA

Steps:

• Place pork roast on a work surface. Use a sharp knife to make a lengthwise cut about 1 inch from the edge of the meat, slicing down but not cutting through. Open the meat flat along the cut. Keeping the knife parallel to the cutting board, continue to slice the roast open so you can unroll it into a large, flat piece. (You can also ask your butcher to butterfly the roast for you.) When the meat is unrolled, make small slashes through any connective tissue or extra-thick parts so the roast is as even in thickness as possible.
• Drizzle cut surface with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Rub oil into meat and generously season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt, black pepper, sage, rosemary, orange zest, garlic, and crushed fennel seeds. Press seasonings in firmly with your hand, roll up the pork roast, and tie the roast in several places with kitchen twine.
• Place the pork roast on a rack, set the rack on a plate, and sprinkle meat with remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Refrigerate the roast uncovered overnight to dry-age.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Lightly oil a baking dish and place roast into dish. Rub meat with 2 teaspoons olive oil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until outside is seared, 15 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) and continue to roast until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the center of the roast reads 145 degrees F (65 degrees C), about 1 hour more. Loosely cover roast with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice thinly to serve.
• Mash anchovy fillet in a small bowl and add red pepper flakes, white wine vinegar, and Italian parsley. Stir to combine. Serve drizzled on pork.

PANETTONE

Steps:

• Make the first dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer, stir together sugar and 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon warm water. Fit mixer with the dough hook attachment and add egg yolks to bowl; mix to combine. Add yeast starter in tablespoon-size pieces, mixing well after each addition; continue mixing 2 to 3 minutes more. Add both flours and mix until well combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Add butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Butter a large bowl and transfer dough to prepared bowl. Brush top of dough with olive oil and let stand in a warm place until tripled in size, about 15 hours.
• Make second dough: Transfer dough to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. With the mixer on medium speed, slowly add both flours. Mix until well combined, about 10 minutes.
• Add salt and mix for 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon sugar; mix until well combined. Repeat process two times with remaining egg yolks and sugar. Scrape vanilla bean seeds into a small bowl; add butter and mix to combine. Increase mixer speed and add butter mixture gradually, mixing well after each addition. Continue mixing until dough is smooth and glossy, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Stir in candied orange peel and raisins. With the mixer running, slowly drizzle in 2 1/2 teaspoons water; mix until water is fully incorporated. Let dough rest in bowl for 10 minutes.
• Turn dough out onto work surface and divide into 4 equal pieces. Form each piece into a round and let stand 30 minutes. Transfer each piece of dough to a 5 1/4-by-3 3/4-inch panettone paper mold. Loosely cover each piece of dough with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until dough reaches the top of the mold, 7 to 8 hours.
• To make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place almonds, hazelnuts, 1/3 cup pearl sugar, and maizena in the bowl of a food processor; process until powdery. With the mixer running, slowly drizzle in eggs whites. Transfer mixture to a disposable pastry bag; snip 1/4-inch opening from the bottom. Pipe mixture over the top of each panettone leaving about a 1 1/2-inch perimeter; sprinkle with remaining 3 tablespoons pearl sugar. Garnish each with 6 to 8 roasted almonds and dust with confectioners' sugar. Place panettone on a baking sheet and transfer to oven; bake until dark brown, 40 to 45 minutes.
• Remove panettone from baking sheet. Insert two or three 8-to-12-inch knitting needles through the bottom half of each panettone and suspend each upside down between two boxes for 6 hours before serving.

CHEF JOHN'S BOSTON CREAM PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Spray 2 (8-inch) cake pans with cooking spray.
• Stir yellow cake mix, 3 eggs, water, and vegetable oil in a bowl until moistened. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
• Divide cake batter between the two prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cakes have risen and are lightly golden brown, 33 to 38 minutes. Check for doneness after 25 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes should come out clean. Allow cakes to cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the pans. Cool cakes completely, about 40 minutes.
• Whisk 3 eggs, cornstarch, and sugar in a large bowl until well mixed and lemon colored, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.
• Heat 1 cup heavy whipping cream, whole milk, and 1/2 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to boil.
• Reduce heat to low; pour egg mixture into cream mixture and whisk until thick, about 1 minute.
• Pour egg and cream mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl; discard any chunks.
• Whisk vanilla and salt into the egg and cream mixture until combined. Cover with a layer of plastic wrap pressed against the surface. Chill in refrigerator to form a pastry cream texture, 3 to 4 hours.
• Place chocolate in a large bowl. Heat 1 teaspoon butter and 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream in a saucepan over medium heat until butter is melted. Pour cream mixture over chocolate and whisk until smooth. Set aside until cooled, but still pourable, about 20 minutes.
• Place one cake layer on a plate, flat side up. Spread pastry cream to within 1-inch of the edge of cake. Place second cake layer on top, rounded side up. Press gently to push pastry cream to the edge. Pour chocolate mixture over top of the cake and spread so it drips over the edge.