When planning a menu, there are the stars of the show — a big Yom Tov meat, a dressed-up dessert, a 42-braid challah. Then there are the foundational items, like chicken, without which the meal would be lacking. Here are the chicken recipes we make that taste like Yom Tov in our homes!

Chinese Lemon Chicken

I originally created this recipe for Pesach, but my kids ask me to make it every Yom Tov, so it’s become a year-round favorite!

CHICKEN

• oil, for frying
• 6 chicken breasts, cut into finger-size pieces
• 1 cup potato starch

LEMON SAUCE

• 3 Tbsp oil
• 3 Tbsp potato starch
• 1 clove garlic, minced, or 1 cube frozen garlic
• ¹⁄₂ tsp minced ginger (or more to taste), or 2 cubes frozen ginger
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ²⁄₄ cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp apricot jam

Heat oil in a wok or a deep pot. Dredge each chicken finger in the potato starch and fry in oil until done, about 5–8 minutes, depending on the size of the fingers. Remove and set on a strainer to

let excess oil drip off. (It’s best to fry in batches of 4–6, so as not to lower the temperature of the oil too much.)

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat the oil for the sauce. Whisk in the potato starch and mix vigorously. Add the remaining ingredients in quick succession, whisking the entire time, and cook until the mixture is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the chicken nuggets and stir to coat. Heat just until warm.

—Estee Kafra, recipe columnist

Chicken Pastrami Roll-Ups

These are my family’s favorite Yom Tov chicken dish, with sweet ’n sour chicken nuggets coming in a close second (some without sauce, of course!).

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Marinate thinly sliced chicken breasts in Italian dressing. Working with one piece at a time, dip into seasoned bread crumbs and lay a slice of pastrami on top, trimming to fit. Roll up and place seam side down in a greased baking pan. Spray tops with cooking spray, drizzle with a bit of Italian dressing, and bake for 25–35 minutes, or until cooked through.

—Faigy Grossman, recipe columnist

Chicken Cutlets

I serve this chicken as a second main on Yom Tov, as an accompaniment to a heavier main dish. It’s colorful, pretty, and relatively easy to prepare.

In a wide frying pan, sauté 1 or 2 diced onions and 1 diced clove of garlic with 1 or 2 diced red or yellow peppers (or use both colors — it will look prettier). Dice a can of mushrooms and add them to the pan when the onions start to turn golden. After a few minutes, add a few Tbsp white wine, salt, black pepper, and ¹⁄₄ tsp thyme. Sauté a few more minutes, until most of the wine has evaporated.

In a bowl, prepare a mixture of flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. Dredge the chicken cutlets thoroughly in this mixture and lay them in a single layer on a pan covered with parchment paper. Spoon the pepper/ mushroom mixture evenly over the cutlets.

Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes at 350°F (175°C). (I find that 32 minutes is the perfect number.)

Note: Make sure not to position the pan too close to the heat source when reheating, so the chicken won’t dry out. If you use a hot plate, you can put it on top of another item to heat up, or put a double layer of parchment paper underneath it.

—Shana Friedman, editor in chief