Chefs We Love
3 Crowd-pleasing Family Recipes From Cory Vitiello
Updated on July 26, 2023
Chef, dad and Flock Rotisserie + Greens founder Cory Vitiello (pictured) has written his first cookbook, Dad in the Kitchen, which focuses on crowd-pleasing dishes for the whole family. With help from food writer Chris Johns, Cory gives us pages of bright-tasting, summery dishes including Crushed Cucumber Salad, Seared Scallops with Fresh Corn Polenta and outstanding chicken dishes like the Roast Chicken over Pommes Boulangère. These delicious and easy-to-make recipes will appeal to even the pickiest eaters you might have at home.
Crushed Cucumber Salad
“When I started out cooking at Scaramouche in the late ’90s, this often appeared as part of our staff meal before the shift started. Depending on who was cooking, you’d get flavors and dishes from all over the world. We’d gather together every night before the craziness in the kitchen began to enjoy a civilized moment together. This was always one of my favorite sides, made by an old friend.”
Get the recipe here.
Seared Scallops with Fresh Corn Polenta, Fava Beans, Cherry Tomatoes & Herb Oil
“This dish is a perfect date night meal. It’s filling but not overly so, and just fancy enough. The bright green and deeply flavorful herb oil tastes fantastic, but also gives a real visual slap thanks to the way it sets off the bright yellow of the polenta. The polenta by itself is a star, and though it cooks for quite a while, the time is mostly hands-off, and it can be used in any number of recipes to highlight the flavor of peak season summer corn. Serve it anywhere you would creamed corn: as a side with baked ham, barbecued ribs, or fried chicken.”
Get the recipe here.
Roast Chicken over Pommes Boulangère
“None of the great French chefs of the world would consider this a true, classic pommes boulangère, but that’s where the inspiration comes from. What makes this recipe especially exciting is that as the potatoes cook, they soak up all the luscious fat and flavor from the chicken dripping down into them. Also, the chicken will be done slightly before the potatoes, so it forces you to let the bird rest (always a good habit to get into) before you carve it. The result is a beautifully roasted chicken and a batch of incredible potatoes with a crisp, dark exterior and a luscious, almost molten, interior. All that for what is probably 20 minutes of prep time, all of which can be done ahead, so you just need to throw it in the oven when you’re ready to eat.”
Get the recipe here.
Paula Wilson
Excerpted from Dad in the Kitchen: Over 100 Delicious Family Recipes You’ll Love to Make and They’ll Love to Eat by Cory Vitiello and Chris Johns. © 2023 Cory Vitiello and Chris Johns. Photographs by Paula Wilson. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.