Recipes with cornstarch

Burgundy and tarragon poached chicken simmers boneless breasts in chicken broth, red wine, and fresh tarragon, then thickens the poaching liquid into a glossy pan sauce. A lean French weeknight chicken with bistro elegance.

Rich chocolate fudge cake with a hidden cream cheese butter cream layer baked right in the middle. Topped with glossy chocolate frosting, this three-layer showstopper serves 16.

Sole fillets folded around savory bulgur stuffing into elegant turban shapes, then poached in a Provencal sauce of tomatoes, white wine, mushrooms, and garlic.

Beijing's most famous dish, Peking Duck is traditionally served with Mandarin pancakes, and green onions for brushing on the hoisin sauce.

Grilled Hawaiian fish in basil-coconut curry sauce pairs firm island white fish (mahi-mahi, ono, or ahi) with a quick Thai-style coconut curry bright with lemongrass and ginger.

Chow Gee Yok Har is a Chinese pork and shrimp stir-fry with Smithfield ham, bamboo shoots, dried mushrooms, peanuts, and ginkgo nuts in a hoisin-soy sauce.

Quick orange beef stir-fry with marmalade glaze, ginger, carrots, and green onions served over rice. Uses leftover cooked beef for a glossy, citrusy 30-minute dinner.

Authentic hot and sour soup with shredded pork, wood ear mushrooms, seaweed, and bean curd in a tangy black-pepper-and-vinegar broth. The Sichuan-style takeout classic, made from scratch.

Stir-fried chicken with cantaloupe and honeydew melon balls, ginger, honey, and a dash of sesame oil. A sweet-savory Asian-inspired dish with fresh fruit.

Light almond sponge cake layers stack with blueberry ricotta filling and whipped cream, then get crowned with fresh berries for a patriotic red, white, and blue celebration dessert.

Shrimp and scallops in white wine cream sauce served over rice. A simple seafood main with cornstarch-thickened cream and dry white wine for a crowd-friendly elegant dinner.

Banana double cream pie: blind-baked pastry shell layered with fresh banana slices, silky vanilla pastry cream, and a whipped double cream border. British classic.

Mandarin soup simmers pork, dried mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and bean curd in chicken broth with a silky egg ribbon finish. Classic Chinese soup for cold nights.

This tantalizing dish is made with pineapple chunks and cranberries which gives it a distinctive fruity taste.

This tantalizing dish is made with pineapple chunks and cranberries which gives it a distinctive fruity taste.

I used Cornish Game Hens, but you could also use a cut up chicken. If you can't get winter melon, watermelon will work. Winter melon is white, very mild tasting and a tad denser than watermelon. I think you could get away using something like Honeydew too.