Our Most Time-Consuming Recipes for the Longest Day of the Year

That’s right, because of the summer solstice, the sun will be at its northernmost point in the sky, making this special date the day with the most hours of sun. From Chinese zongzi to a baked Alaska flambé , here are the time-consuming (but, once again, worth it) recipes to make for the June solstice, also known as the longest day of the year.

The croissant’s perfection is twofold: an interior of infinitely spiraling paper-thin layers and a shatteringly flaky crust. This is by no means an everyday cake, but it’s worth the work that you’ll put in, and worthy of a special occasion. Get the method for Quebecois-Style Mixed Meat Pie (Cipaille) » New Orleans Doberge Cake New Orleans Doberge Cake Short Ribs with Fermented Pepper Harissa Tangy fermented pepper paste, the base of Burns’ harissa, can be customized to be as sweet or spicy as you prefer. “Mine is usually in the middle,” she states.

The sauce can be used immediately, but Burns says the leftovers will continue to improve in taste for up to 6 months and keep indefinitely in the refrigerator. Get the method for Short Ribs with Fermented Pepper Harissa » Sauternes Custard with Armagnac-Soaked Prunes The Ultimate Pot Roast A low and slow braise is the best way to transform tough cuts of meat into fork-tender morsels.

Get the method for The Ultimate Pot Roast » Brioche A slice of this rich, eggy bread straight out of the oven is transcendent. Get the method for Brioche » Chile and Cumin Lamb Kebabs (Yángròu chuàn) Rainbow Baked Alaska Five different flavors of sorbet are encased in meringue in this towering cake. Get the recipe for Rainbow Baked Alaska » Dominique Ansel’s Cassoulet Made with confit duck legs, pork belly, and two kinds of sausage, this meaty, resplendently rich cassoulet is worth treasuring all winter.

Get the recipe for Dominique Ansel’s Cassoulet » Layered Strudel Cake (Prekmurska Gibanica) Able to be assembled up to 2 days prior to baking, this multilayered pastry cake is stuffed with poppy seed, walnut, cottage cheese, and tart apple fillings. Get the method for Layered Strudel Cake (Prekmurska Gibanica) » The Ultimate Stuffed Cabbage (Lou Fassum) Lou fassum is most dramatic when presented whole, then sliced into thick wedges. The dish can as well be drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with fresh herbs, or ladled with chicken stock and topped with a dusting of grated cheese.

Get the method for The Ultimate Stuffed Cabbage (Lou Fassum) » Thai Steamed Coconut-Pandan Cake (Khanom Chan) Get the method for Thai Steamed Coconut-Pandan Cake (Khanom Chan) » Justin Smillie’s Peppercorn-Crusted Short Ribs with Lemon, Olives, and Radishes These short ribs are brined, steam-roasted, and then seared, making the meat succulent and turning the peppercorn rub into a thick, spicy bark. Get the recipe for Justin Smillie’s Peppercorn-Crusted Short Ribs with Lemon, Olives. Radishes » Step Up Your Chocolate Cake Game With This Baked Alaska Recipe Layers of ice cream are enrobed in fluffy meringue in a classic baked Alaska.

Mixed Spring Vegetables With Almond Cream Inspired by the vegetable dishes Laurent Gras cooked during his time at Monaco’s Le Louis XV, this celebration of trade fare is meant to be the centerpiece of a meal. The components are permutable—peas, tomatoes, and favas in summer; beets, potatoes, and parsnips in winter—but all are enhanced with a kombu stock glaze (chicken or vegetable stock will do the job too) and laid over a bed of almond cream.

Get the recipe for Mixed Spring Vegetables With Almond Cream » Chinese Sticky Rice Dumplings (Zongzi) The leaf-wrapped sticky rice dumplings zongzi (in Mandarin) or joong (Cantonese) are a snack enjoyed year-round in China, though they are especially popular in the spring. The long bamboo leaves are filled with either sweet or savory components, and often made. Enjoyed by families in the weeks leading up to the Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on the fifth day in the fifth month of the lunar calendar.

Get the method for Chinese Sticky Rice Dumplings (Zongzi) » Whole Wheat Mille Crêpe Cake Whole Wheat Mille Crêpe Cake Crispy Philippine Slow-Roasted Pork Belly (Bellychon) “This is my modern take on the traditional Lechon, which is a whole roasted pig.