Chicken

If you plan to use the stock for a specific recipe, begin making it at least 12 hours ahead of time, and refrigerate for 8 hours so the fat has a chance to collect on top and can be removed.

For the best poultry gravy, do not roast the turkey or chicken in a nonstick roasting pan: It keeps the flavorful bits of meat and skin from cooking onto the pan.

For more-generous portions, cook one hen per person. If you do, use two roasting pans, and double the other ingredients.

Pomegranate molasses is sold in many ethnic markets and health-food stores.

If you can’t find precut chicken quarters, ask your butcher to quarter a 5-pound chicken and remove the backbone.

Season the chicken a day ahead so it has time to absorb the flavors.

You can bake the chicken wings a day ahead and store them, covered, in the refrigerator; bring them to room temperature before grilling.

These can be made up to 1 day ahead or frozen up to 1 month ahead. Bring to room temperature before baking.

Hard cider has been fermented, so it contains alcohol. It is a traditional ingredient in Normandy, France, but you can substitute dry white wine.

This recipe yields excess chicken stock. The excess can be kept in plastic containers and frozen for several months.

The potatoes must be parboiled so they will be done at the same time as the chicken.

Serve this stewlike chicken dish over couscous or mashed potatoes, or with a crusty baguette to soak up the flavorful broth. We used Cerignola olives from southern Italy; they are large and firm enough to hold up to slow cooking methods like braising.

This dish was inspired by one of cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey’s lamb curries.