Ginger and Shaoxing rice wine give a deep, round intensity to chicken, turning it into something sumptuous. The salty savor of country ham and chewy, dense chestnuts help make each forkful a hit.
Shortening is the secret to extra-flaky pie crust, but nothing compares to the flavor of butter. Use both, as in this super-luxe beef pie, and you're golden.
A full ½ cup of fish sauce goes into this recipe: half into a garlicky marinade and half into a sauce with dried chiles, cilantro stems, and sautéed shallots.