Michael Ruhlman has written beautiful books on a number of topics—pediatric heart surgery, boat makers, and boarding schools, to name a few. But his soul, along with many of his most famous titles, seems to lie in food. He champions both the nutritional and emotional value of cooking: “[Cooking]'s just as important and takes just as long as showering,” he told us, “but I’d much rather you didn’t shower.” While making his delicious recipes for Panna, he continually reminded us to spend time with our partners any time we were waiting for the food to finish cooking.
We agree with Ruhlman: cooking is essential to living. And to really get the most out of it, Ruhlman wants to make chef-quality food accessible to home cooks. He’s partnered with renowned chef Thomas Keller to write three cookbooks, including The French Laundry Cookbook, and with Chef Brian Polcyn to co-author two books on cured meats. Ruhlman has also written over a dozen of his own cookbooks, on everything from sautéing to schmaltz.
Ruhlman came to the Panna studio to take us on a deep dive into one of our most popular ingredients: chicken. After years of cooking with some of America’s best classically trained chefs and editing their recipes, he’s honed all the necessary techniques—from trussing a simple roaster to flattening breasts (with a frying pan!) for an iconic chicken paillard with lemon-caper sauce. From Szechuan to yakitori to three kinds of chicken salad, Ruhlman will show you the many ways this humble bird can truly shine.
Michael's Books: