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Cracker me upTo me, the brilliance of Sue Li’s new recipe for quick fish chowder isn’t the tender pieces of cod floating among cubes of Yukon Gold potato. Nor is it the aromatic fennel she uses in place of celery to give the dish a subtle anise perfume. It’s not even the clam juice added to the half-and-half as an easy way to bring a little saline depth to the broth. The thing that makes me giddy is the crunchy saltine topping: The crackers fried in butter and smoked paprika and then crumbled on top give this dish its outsize panache. Featured Recipe Quick Fish Chowder With Hot Butter CrackersSue’s recipe got me thinking about how crackers can add such distinct texture and flavor to all sorts of dishes. Here’s how some of our New York Times Cooking contributors love to cracker it up: Ritzy Cheddar chicken breasts: Taking a cue from crispy schnitzel, Eric Kim coats chicken cutlets in sour cream, shredded cheese and crumbled crackers before baking them at high heat until thoroughly golden and very crunchy. Scallion-miso mac and cheese: Kay Chun adds miso, mustard and a lot of scallions to her baked mac and cheese, giving the usually mild dish a salty, savory makeover. The crushed Ritz crackers sprinkled on top add texture along with their inimitable buttery flavor. Korean BBQ-style meatballs: Another cracker-forward recipe from Kay, these beef meatballs have the caramelized, sweet-sour character of Korean barbecue. Be sure to start cooking your rice first; these speedy flavor bombs will be ready to pile on top in just 20 minutes. Broccoli cheese casserole: This nostalgic broccoli and rice casserole from Sarah Jampel features a creamy, peppery béchamel coating the broccoli florets and a nubby cracker crust. Serve it as a deluxe side dish or as a hearty meatless main course on its own. Oven s’mores: Are graham crackers really crackers, or are they cookies in disguise? Do we care? Not one bit, especially when they are sandwiched with toasted marshmallows and melty squares of milk chocolate. Pro tip: Ritz crackers make an unexpectedly salty-sweet substitute. For a limited time, you can enjoy free access to the recipes in this newsletter in our app. Download it on your iOS or Android device and create a free account to get started.
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