Sage and Onion Sourdough Stuffing

                                                                                                 Photographs by Rachel Horesovsky

Over the years I have made a lot of different kinds of stuffing.  Oyster, chorizo and cornbread, apples pecan and sausage, wild rice with nuts and dried fruit, you name I have made it!  I love them all, but sometimes they are too complicated and tend to overshadow the rest of the meal.  This is always one of my favorite stuffings.  It's basic and simple and is packed with subtle herb and onion flavors.  This stuffing is the perfect partner to every flavor, and is just delicious as a leftover on its own with some turkey gravy.

The trick to an exceptional stuffing is to start with the best bread you can find.  For me that meant a trip to our local German bakery, Guglhupf, for a loaf of sourdough bread and a loaf of rosemary olive oil bread.  I will buy the bread a full week before thanksgiving, cut it into 1-inch cubes and place it in the turkey roasting pan and let it slowly dry out in the oven (no heat).  I just toss it once a day to make sure everything dries out equally.  This way the bread is ready to absorb all the flavor you are going to add, without becoming a soggy dense brick.

I also recommend making your own turkey stock for this.  How do you make turkey stock before thanksgiving you ask?  Easy!  Buy two large uncooked turkey wings and about 6 turkey necks, roast them at 350 for three hours, then add them to a pot with one large onion, 3 stalks of celery and a cup of carrots, some rosemary and thyme and slowly cook, covered, overnight on low heat (about 6-8 hours).  Strain through a colander and you are good to go!  The flavor difference in remarkable!

Sage and Onion Sourdough Stuffing
(makes enough to stuff a 21 pound turkey and make a 9x13 pan of dressing)

one loaf sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes and air dried
one loaf rosemary olive oil bread, cut into 1-inch cubes and air dried
2 large onions chopped
2 large shallots diced
5 stalks celery, diced
1 1/2 sticks butter
2 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
1/4 cup fresh sage minced
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 tsp salt
4 cups turkey stock, preferably homemade (or chicken stock)
3 eggs, beaten

In a large deep skillet melt butter.  Add onions, shallots and celery and cook over medium high heat, tossing occasionally until onions are translucent, about 20 minutes.  Add rosemary,sage, thyme, pepper and salt, and cook for 5 minutes longer.  Add turkey stock and stir.  Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, place the dried bread cubes, and pour turkey stock mixture over.  Toss to coat.  Add 3 eggs beaten slightly and toss to combine. 

Stuffing mixed and ready to be baked both in the bird and in a separate baking dish

Stuff Turkey.  Place remainng stuffing in a well-buttered 9x13 pan.  Top with additional pats of butter.  Cover with foil.  Bake stuffing 30 minutes at 350F, covered with foil.  Then remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Panko-Crusted Crab Cakes with Arugula Salad

                                                                                                                                 Photographs by Rachel Horesovsky

I first had these crab cakes at the legendary Fearrington House in Fearrington North Carolina.  I think they are the perfect crabcake.  Very moist and meaty with loads of flavor.  There is just enough binder to hold these delicate patties together.  YUM.

I have made a few modifications to the Fearrington recipe.  I substitute fennel for celery.  I think the anise flavor is a perfect companion to the sweet crab.  I also added a simple panko crust to the outside because I love the crunch of panko.

Scallion, red bell pepper and fennel...

For a perfect first course to a meal, these are best served on a very simple arugula salad with a light champagne vinaigrette.

A large platter of crab cakes and arugula salad...

Panko-Crusted Crab Cakes with Arugula Salad
makes 2 dozen small crab cakes

1 lb lump crabmeat
1/2 cup finely diced fennel
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
3 Tbsp butter
4 scallions, thinly chopped
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 cup, plus 2 cups panko bread crumbs
2 egg whites, whisked until just frothy
1 stick butter for frying.

Gently squeeze handfuls of crab to remove excess water.  Place crab in a medium bowl.

In a large skillet melt 3 tbsp butter.  Add fennel and red pepper and scallions and saute for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat. 

In a large bowl combine lemon juice, pepper, salt, mayonnaise, egg, mustard and worcestershire sauce.  Whisk to combine.  Add sauteed vegetables to bowl. and mix gently.  Add crab to bowl and toss gently to combine.  Add one cup of the panko to the crab mix and toss gently until just combined.  Gently press mixture into 24 small patties.

On two small plates, place frothy egg whites, and 2 cups panko crumbs.  Carefully dip crab cakes in egg whites and then roll lightly in panko.  Place on wax paper until ready for frying (These can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to fry).

In a large non-stick skillet melt 1 stick of butter.  When butter is melted add half of the crab cakes and fry over medium heat until cakes are golden brown, flipping once.  Serve immediately with arugula salad.

Arugula Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette
1 lbs baby arugula, rinsed and patted dry
2 Tbsp champagne vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/8 tsp salt and pepper
4 Tbsp olive oil.

Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until combined.  Drizzle dressing over Arugula and toss to coat.

Gougere with Wild Mushroom Duxelles

                                                                                                                                 Photography by Rachel Horesovsky

Doug has been having fun teasing me about the name of this dish.  He has been mincing around saying, "for Thanksgiving we are having faw faw faugh faw faw " in an affected, cartoonish french accent.  What can I say?  I could call these Cheese Puffs with Mushroom Paste, but that really wouldn't do this dish justice. 

These were a huge hit at our Thanksgiving dinner this year.  I like to serve the hot gougere (cheese puffs) on a large platter and put a bowl of the hot duxelles (mushroom paste) next to it.  The Gougere are crispy and light and scream of gruyere cheese, and are wonderful eaten on their own.  Or tear the top of them and fill them with Duxelles for an out of this world flavor explosion of cheese and wild mushrooms.  Faw faw faw indeed! 

Everyone loves crispy cheesey Gougere!

This is one of those dishes that is really pretty simple to make, looks very rustic, but is the essence of autumnal elegance.  The Gougere dough is simply a pate choux with milk and cheese.  As far as the mushrooms go, I think patience is key in slowly sauteing them, and when you are using such amazing mushrooms as Morels and Chanterelles, less is more when it comes to seasonings. While Duxelle is usually made with ground mushrooms, I prefer a more chunky duxelles and just chopped them finely.

Beautiful fresh chanterelles!

Gougere with Wild Mushroom Duxelles
makes 2 dozen bite-size appetizers

Gougere

1 cup milk
1 stick unsalted butter (4 oz.)
1 tsp salt
1 cup all purpose flour
4 eggs plus one egg, separated
1/2 lb grated gruyere cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium sized pot, combine milk, butter and salt over high heat.  Cook until butter is melted and milk comes to a boil.  Remove from heat, and add flour.  Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture pulls together in a ball.  Let dough rest 15 minutes off heat to cool.

Add eggs to dough, one at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon after each adition until egg is completely incorporated.  After all 4 eggs have been added, add reserved egg white to dough and mix in.  Add gruyere cheese and stir into dough.

Drop spoonfulls of dough onto parchment lines baking sheets, about an inch apart.  In a small bowl, mix reserved egg yolk with 1 tsp water, and then brush egg glaze on top of dough.  Sprinkle glazed gougere with grated parmesan cheese.

Cheesey pate choux ready for the oven...

Freshly baked, crispy gougere!

Bake 30 minutes until gougere are puffed and very golden.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

Wild Mushroom Duxelles

1 pound fresh wild mushrooms (I used chanterelles), finely chopped
1/2 oz. dried morel mushrooms
1 cup boiling water
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 shallot finely minced
1/4 cup tawny port
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced (or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled)
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, minced (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt

Combine dried morels and 1 cup boiling water, allow to steep 30 minutes.  Remove morels from liquid and chop finely, reserving mushroom soaking liquid.  Strain grit out of reserved mushroom soaking liquid by pouring liquid through 2 layers of cheesecloth in a sieve.  Reserve liquid.

Strain the steeping liquid through a sieve lined with a double layer of cheesecloth

Have everything ready to go before cooking!

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium high heat.  When butter is melted add garlic and shallot and cook 20 seconds.  Add chopped mushrooms to pan and saute.  Mushrooms will eventually sweat out their liquid, continue to cook until liquid is reduced and mushrooms are slightly caramelized (about 15-20 minutes).

Mushrooms will sweat a lot of liquid, cook until this liquid is 

completely reduced and mushrooms are caramelized.

Deglaze pan with port and cook until liquid is reduced (about 1 minute).  Add honey, rosemary, thyme, pepper and reserved steeping liquid.  Cook until completely reduced and no liquid remains.  Season with 1 tsp kosher salt.

Serve with freshly baked Gougere.

(Duxelles, can be transfered to an airtight container while hot, and refrigerated for several days before using).

Thanksgiving 2011

Well, it's that time of year again.  Time to begin obsessing about holiday menus... I love it!  After some debate, we have finalized the Thanksgiving menu.  This year we decided to put an emphasis on clean and simple flavors, avoiding heavy sauces or drowning things in cream, and also avoiding overly trendy gimmicky food.


I intend to post most of these recipes on the blog in the next few weeks, some are already here, and some still need to be written.   I hope you will try some of these during the holiday season and let me know what you think!

Thanksgiving Menu 2011

Rosemary-Scented Pecans

Warm olives with Lemon Thyme

Wild Mushroom Gougere

Crab Cakes and Arugula Salad

Smoked Corn Chowder

Cider-Brined, Maple-Glazed Roast Turkey

Sage and Onion Sourdough Dressing

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Roast Brussels Sprouts with Red Grapes and Walnuts

Haricots Vert in Brown Butter

Roasted Winter Vegetables with Honey and Thyme 

(butternut squash, rutabaga, parsnip, carrots and golden beets)

Pecan Pie

Apple Pie

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Mama Ozzy's Beef Stew with Mushrooms and Red Wine.

There is something about an autumn Sunday afternoon and beef stew.  The two were just made for each other.

Doug and I are working on a fairly involved restoration project in the "World Famous Tiki Lounge" (our garage-cum-cocktail lounge in the backyard).  We discovered some fairly extensive dry rot over the garage door and so we have decided to install some new french doors in place of the old garage door.  It's perfect weather for construction work, cool and sunny.  And while we work, this beef stew is happily simmering away inside, just waiting for us to come in for dinner.

 

Doug looks a little too happy to be using a buzz saw...

The new french doors!

I started this stew early this morning, and am going to let it just... well, stew all day.  The trick to an excellent beef stew is to get a really good sear on the beef.  And the best way to do that is to cook the beef a few pieces at a time over medium high heat.  Just like Julia Child says, you must not overcrowd the beef!  Caramelizing the beef like this develops a rich brown patina in the pot that gives a really intense beef flavor.

This recipe makes a gracious plenty, which is never a problem around here.  This stew reheats perfectly in the microwave and makes an excellent brown bag lunch!

Mama Ozzy's Beef Stew with Mushrooms and Red Wine
(serves 10)

4 lbs beef, cut into bite-sized cubes
3 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp butter

2 medium onions, diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 lb mushrooms, quartered
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup flour
2 cups red wine
4 cups beef stock
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 bay leaves
2 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
4 unpeeled medium russet potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
2 cups mixed frozen vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans and corn)

In a large heavy stock pot, heat oil and butter over medium high heat until butter is melted.  Add  beef cubes 1 lb at a time, do not over crowd, and cook turning frequently until beef is very well seared on all sides.  Transfer browned beef to a large bowl and repeat until all the beef is browned.

Add onions and celery to beef drippings and cook 10 minute over medium high heat until onion wilts.  Add Mushrooms and cook, tossing frequently until mushrooms are very soft.  Add thyme, black pepper, tomato paste and stir well.  Add flour and stir until mixed.  Add wine and stir until a very thick sauce is made.  Add Beef stock and stir.  Add rosemary sprigs, bay leaves, salt, sugar and worcestershire sauce.   Add beef cubes back to pot and bring just to a simmer.  Reduce heat to low, cover pot with a lid and simmer 4 hours.

Add potatoes and continue to cook 1- 2 hours, stirring occasionally until beef and potatoes are very tender.  Remove rosemary sprigs and bay leaves.


Add frozen vegetables, stir and cook 10 minutes.  Serve hot.

Parsnip Gnocchi with Madeira-Creamed Mushrooms and Toasted Walnuts

 

Are you looking for a showstopper dish for your next dinner party?  This is it!  It is decadently rich and has a beautifully balanced autumnal flavor.  Even better, it is completely vegetarian (though the addition of  crumbled bacon would make it even better).  The spicy sweetness of the parsnips balances perfectly with the madeira and cognac.  The paradoxically light but chewy gnocchi pair perfectly with the meaty mushrooms, and everything is held together with a rich herbal cream sauce.  Finally crunchy toasted walnuts give a perfect counterpoint that will have everyone at the dinner table calling for more. 

I have been promising my daughter Emma to make this dish for several weeks now, and since she is moving to Massachusetts tomorrow, today was the day.  It was the perfect meal for a crisp cool and clear fall day.

If mushrooms at your local grocery are too expensive, try checking out the produce section at an Asian supermarket.  For me, in Durham that means a visit to Li Ming Global Mart.  The produce is always incredibly fresh, the selection is staggering and the prices are insanely affordable.

I hope you'll take the time to try this dish sometime, it is well worth the effort and is definitely not your run-of-the-mill dinner party fare.

Parsnip Gnocchi with Madeira-Creamed Mushrooms and Toasted Walnuts
(serves 8)

1 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted
Preheat oven to 350 F.  Coarsely chop walnuts and place in a pie pan.  Toast for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

Parsnip Gnocchi
12 oz. parsnips peeled and chopped into chunks
12 oz. Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks
4 eggs
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 cups flour plus cup for dusting the work surface

Place peeled and chunked parsnips and potatoes in a large pot.  Cover with water by 1 inch.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Once boiling, cook uncovered until tender, about 5 minutes.  Drain potatoes and parsnips and press through a ricer into a bowl.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

Make a well in the center of the riced potatoes and parsnips, and add eggs, parmesan, salt and nutmeg to the well.  Mix gently with your hands until just combined.   Add one cup flour and fold into mixture.  Add remaining cup of flour, 1/4 cup at a time, mixing with hands gently.  Do not over work!

Divide dough into four parts.  Heavily flour a work surface and turn out 1/4 of the dough onto the flour.  Roll the dough gently into a rope about 1/2 in diameter.  Cut dough into 1-inch lengths and transfer to a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.  Cover uncooked gnocchi with a tea towel until ready to cook. (Alternatively, gnocchi can be frozen on the baking sheet and stored in a plastic bag until ready to use).

To cook gnocchi bring a large pot of salted water to a vigorous boil.  Ad 1/2 the gnocchi to the boiling water.  When gnocchi float to surface, remove with a slotted spoon and place in the prepared mushroom sauce.

Madeira-Creamed Mushrooms
1 small onion, finely diced
1 cup celery, finely diced
1 cup carrots, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs mushrooms. thickly sliced (I used shiitake and oyster mushrooms)
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup cognac
1/4 cup madeira
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

In a large skillet, melt butter.  Add onions, celery, carrots and garlic and cook over medium high heat until tender, about 10 minutes.  Add sliced mushrooms to pan and cook until tender , tossing frequently.  Add Thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.  Add cognac and madeira and toss.  Add cream and cook until slightly reduced.  Add cooked gnocchi to sauce and gently toss.  Add toasted walnuts and toss.  Serve hot with grated parmesan cheese.

Coq au Vin

Welcome fall!  Red leaves, grey skies, pumpkins and cold weather.  All these things put me in the mood for french food.  Not Haute cuisine french food either, but real flavorful country french food like Coq au Vin (which means rooster in wine).  This dish will scent the entire house with an incredible aroma of bacon and chicken and wine.
Coq au Vin is traditionally made with a whole cut-up chicken slowly cooked in red wine.  This is my version.  I actually prefer chicken breasts and a sweet white wine for this dish.  Chicken breasts are meaty and juicy and the white wine enhances the flavor of the carrots.  YUM.  This dish doesn't require any special techniques, or special equipment.  The key is patience.  Make sure to slowly render all the fat from the bacon, and then slowly brown the chicken pieces until they are a deep golden brown... this coaxes the maximum flavor from the simple ingredients.
Please do make sure to use bone-in skin-on chicken pieces, the difference in flavor is remarkable.  I like to serve this with a nutty wild or brown rice (or combination of the two) cooked in chicken stock, and a crispy french baguette for sopping up all the delicious wine sauce.  Food doesn't get much better than this!

Bon Appetit!

Coq au Vin
(serves 6)

6 slices of bacon, cut into 1 -inch pieces
1/2 stick butter
6 large chicken breasts, rinsed, and patted dry
salt and pepper
3 cups baby carrots
1 lb. button mushrooms, quartered
3 large shallots, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 cups white wine (I like Riesling for its sweetness)
salt and pepper
3 bay leaves

In a large deep heavy skillet with a lid, cook the bacon over medium heat, tossing occasionally until bacon is browned and fat is completely rendered, about 20 minutes.  Remove bacon from pan and reserve.

Add butter to hot bacon fat and increase heat to medium high.  Place seasoned chicken breasts, 3 at a time, into hot pan, skin side down, and cook until well-browned (15-20 minutes).  Remove chicken from pan and brown remaining chicken.

Brown the chicken very well in bacon fat and butter

After chicken is browned and removed from pan, add baby carrots.  Cook carrots over medium high heat for 15 minutes until they begin to brown.  Add shallots and mushrooms.   Cook for 10-15 minutes, scraping browned bits from the bottom of the pan as the vegetables begin to sweat.   The mushrooms will initially soak up most of the fat and then as they become fully cooked they will once again release the fat.  When the mushrooms release the fat, add thyme and stir.  Add flour and toss to coat.  Add the wine and stir to make a gravy.  Season the sauce with salt and pepper.   Add bay leaves.

Return the bacon to the sauce, and then nestle the chicken back in the skillet.  Bring just to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low, cover with a lid and cook for one hour to completely poach the chicken in the sauce.

Serve chicken hot with rice and french bread.