A Thanksgiving for the Space Age (Part II)

Well, as science predicted, the food turned out spectacularly. The turkey was super-moist and tasted of turkey. Easily the best turkey I've eaten. The stuffing was rich and flavorful. Vanessa's cranberry sauce rung a sharp, sweet note to counteract the richness of the meat. The gravy was amazing. I could go on, but you can just look for yourself.

Dessert was wholly my idea. I had help (by way of recipe) with the pumpkin cake portion. The rest of it was composed by me. I have to say that I was pleased with the wonderful, autumny flavors. Nice contrast of hot and cold, soft and crunchy.

Sous-Vide Thanksgiving Turkey, Sous-Vide Stuffing and Turkey Gravy

TURKEY STOCK
bones from the turkey carcass, chopped up into chunks
1 cup white wine
1 large onion, chopped
4-5 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrot, chopped
1 bay leaf
water, to cover

TURKEY
1 turkey
2 bunches sage
1 large bunch thyme
6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 sticks butter, cut into 3 chunks each, divided use

STUFFING
275 g butter
350 g onion
240 g celery
4 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1 cup sage, packed, roughly chopped
2 loaves whole wheat bread, medium dice
4 large eggs
400 g TURKEY STOCK
21 g salt
27 turns black pepper mill
1 handful dried prunes, chopped
1/2 cup Armagnac or other brandy or cognac (optional, but HIGHLY recommended)

GRAVY
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
3 ladlefuls turkey stock
1 knob butter

TURKEY STOCK
Take the turkey carcass and bones that you butchered and place them in a super-hot pan with a bit of oil. Leave them alone. Try to burn them! Go ahead, Try! Whatever you do, don't shake the pan for at least 5 minutes. Wait until they brown, then move them around.

Deglaze the pan with wine... about a cup. Let the alcohol burn off and scrape the tasty bits off the bottom.

Meanwhile, you have cut up a good sized onion, 4 or 5 stalks of celery, some carrots, bay leaf, and sweat them in the pan briefly with the bones and wine. Then transfer all of that into a larger pot and cover with water. Let that simmer for the 3 hours that the turkey is cooking... or a bit longer. You want to reduce it by at least half. Strain through a chinois or fine mesh strainer and put in the fridge to cool.... I like to do that to remove the fat easily the next day, but you could also skim it off.

TURKEY
Heat a large pot of water to 170-175F.

Prepare two large freezer bags. Joint the turkey into 2 whole legs and two breast halves. Place the legs in one bag and the breasts in another. Add to each bag one small bunch of sage, 5-6 sprigs of thyme, 1 stick of butter and season generously with salt and pepper.

Place the freezer bags in the water and cook at 170-175F temperature for 2.5 to 3 hours, monitoring the water temperature, making sure it holds steady. Meanwhile, make the turkey stock.

When the time is up, remove the turkey from the bags into a bowl and wipe off excess fat. Place breasts and legs on a paper towel briefly to remove a bit of the fat. Get a pan ripping hot (smoking) with a bit of oil in the pan. Sear the sous-vide cooked turkey on there skin side down until golden brown. If your pan is hot enough this will happen faster than you think.... salt and pepper to taste. Slice breasts and present on platter. You now have tender, juicy turkey.

STUFFING
Sweat the butter, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaves and thyme together over medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.

Dump the cooked onion and celery mix into a bowl with the bread, eggs, turkey stock, salt and pepper.

Now you have choices here... do you like it mushy with no big bits? get in there and work it with your hands. Like some crunchy bits and plan to broil or saute it at the last minute? then leave the bread a bit bigger. Like mushrooms? Cranberries? Add them now.

In either case, put it in a bag and into the water with the turkey... 2 to 3 hours. Remove from bag and either serve... or leave it in the fridge overnight and let it set up. Then slice and broil or saute to get it browned.


GRAVY
Make a roux... I do a simple butter and flour mix and cook it in a pan stirring constantly for 10 to 15 minutes -- a couple tablespoons of each should do it. After 10 minutes of cooking over high heat you want the consistency to be like sand in the beach when a wave comes up... if you draw a line in it with the back of your wooden spoon it should briefly leave a line then fill back in. Slowly it will turn brown... when it gets chestnut colored, it is time to add the stock.

If your roux is ripping hot, you will add cold stock... and watch out. This is the fireworks part. Stir vigorously adding a bit of stock... this will get super thick... add stock until you get a just slightly too watery consistency. Then simmer it down a bit until it thicken to your preferred consistency... add salt and pepper to taste. I strain mine through a mesh strainer once again just to make sure no lumps remain. I will sometimes add a bit of butter at the end as well just to give it a bit of sheen.

Cranberry-Grand Marnier Sauce

1 pound cranberries
½ cup sugar, plus more to taste
½ cup water
3 tablespoons Grand Marnier, to taste

Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves and the syrup had bubbled some. Add the cranberries and cook until they begin to pop; reduce the heat the low, stirring regularly.

After the cranberries have cooked for a few minutes (most of them have popped), add the Grand Marnier and continue to stir and cook for a few more minutes. Taste for balance of tartness, sweetness and booziness.

Serve warm or cold.

"Pumpkin" Cake with Cinnamon-Vanilla Ice Cream, Pecan Tuile and Salted Bourbon-Caramel Sauce

CAKE
1 Kabocha or butternut squash
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus a little for the pan
½ vanilla bean
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ cups whole milk
1 ¾ cups heavy cream
3 extra-large egg
1 tablespoon honey

ICE CREAM
1 vanilla bean
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
9 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons

TUILE
15 g egg white
30 g ground pecans
25 g icing sugar
20 g flour
20 g butter, soft
crumbled pecans, to top

SAUCE
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup bourbon
1 splash heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 knob butter

CAKE
Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Cut the squash in half lengthwise and place on a baking sheet, cut side up. (Don't remove the seeds yet; they give extra flavor.) Cover with foil, and roast about 1 hour, until very tender. Let cool 10 minutes, and then scoop out the seeds and discard them. Puree the warm squash through a ricer or food mill and measure out 1 1/2 cups. (You can reheat any leftover puree, season it with salt, pepper, and butter, and eat it for dinner!)

Turn the oven down to 350°F.

Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 10-inch round cake pan. Brush the bottom of the pan with a little butter and then line it with the paper. Place the 8 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan. Slice the vanilla bean lengthwise down the center, and use a paring knife to scrape the seeds and pulp onto the butter. To make sure not to lose any of the seeds, run your vanilla-coated knife through the butter (don't use your fingers, because the seeds will stick to them). Add the vanilla pod to the pan, and cook the butter over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the butter browns and smells nutty. Remove the vanilla pod and discard.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a large bowl. Add the salt. Make a well in the center. In another large bowl, whisk the reserved 1 1/2 cups squash puree, milk, 1/4 cup cream, eggs, and honey to combine. Pour the liquid into the well in the dry ingredients, and whisk until incorporated. Stir in the brown butter, scraping with a rubber spatula to make sure you get all the brown bits from the pan. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 25 minutes, then remove the cake from the oven and sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top. Bake the cake another 45 minutes, until the topping is crisp and the cake has set. (The center of the cake will still be somewhat soft and won't pass the toothpick test.) Cool the cake on a rack for at least 15 minutes.

ICE CREAM
Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and, using a paring knife, scrape
the seeds and pulp into a medium saucepan. Add the vanilla pod, cinnamon, milk, half of the sugar and cream, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat, cover, and allow the flavors to infuse about 30 minutes.
Return the mixture to the stove, and bring it back to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When it boils, turn off the heat.


Whisk the egg yolks and remaining sugar together in a bowl. Whisk a few tablespoons of the warm cream mixture into the yolks to temper them. Slowly, add another 1/4 cup or so of the warm cream, whisking constantly. At this point you can add the rest of the cream mixture in a slow steady stream, whisking all the time. Pour the mixture back into the pot, and return it to the stove.


Cook the custard over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently with
a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan. The custard will
thicken, and when it's done it will coat the back of the spatula. Strain the mixture,
and chill at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. Process in an ice cream maker
according to the manufacturer's instructions.

TUILE
Mix all the ingredients together, add in the egg white and stir till smooth. Spread out the mass in any shape or size you wish, place some crushed pecans on top for some crunch, bake them for 6-8 minutes at 350°F and cool.

SAUCE
Put the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until the sugar dissolves and starts to bubble. Add a splash of bourbon and continue to cook until the caramel goes thick, then add the salt and cream. Stir to incorporate. Cook and when thickened, pull off the heat then add the butter and whisk in until melted and combined.

FINISH
Cut the cake into six equal squares. Put into a warm oven to reheat. Place on a cold plate and put a quenelle of ice cream opposite. Put one end of the tuile in the ice cream and rest the other end on the cake. Drizzle with sauce and serve.

A Thanksgiving for the Space Age (Part I)

Let me start off by saying that, honestly, I hate turkey. Of all of the birds, I find it the most tasteless, probably due to its ridiculously low fat content. No, I would rather eat ANY other bird before I would choose turkey. On top of its genetic flaws, most people don't know how to cook it properly, and thus, it turns out dried out. But everyone is polite about it and washes each bite down with some water or wine and trudge their way through the rest of it until they collapse later, over-sated.

Not that great things can't be done with turkey leftovers. My issue is with the connection to tradition which precludes actually cooking a piece of meat properly. I mean, if you had an oven big enough, would you put a whole cow in there and expect it to come out which each part of the animal perfectly done? Of course not. So it goes with turkey.

The problem is the difference in cooking time between breasts and legs. The doneness temperature of turkey is 170F. The problem with the oven is that you have to crank it way higher (probably 400F) to get the turkey to 170F. Surely, you see the room for error here.

What if you could cook something in a medium that stayed a constant 170F? What if you could find a way to harness all of the aromas and flavor (and add some much needed fat into the equation), and ensure none of this would be lost from the turkey?

The method is called 'sous vide' (pronounced 'soo-veyed' (where 'veyed' is pronounced like 'keyed')). It is a French method that means 'under vacuum'. The idea is, if you vacuum seal everything in a bag, and cook it in a medium (water) heated to a precise temperature, two important things happen:

1) No aroma, juice or any other flavor is lost to the pan or the air, it all stays contained within the meat itself because it has nowhere else to go.

2) You cannot overcook the meat because the water (if you monitor it) will not rise above 170F, the perfect doneness temperature for turkey. The turkey, submerged in the liquid and surrounded by this liquid, cannot go higher than 170F.

This thanksgiving is inspired by the cooking of Grant Achatz, award winning chef of Alinea (currently ranked #10 in the world) in Chicago. I am happy to say that Vanessa and I will be eating there Sunday night! We are looking forward to it. You can google 'grant achatz thanksgiving' and it should come up with two videos which will walk you through how he does it.

It's pretty simple:

-break the turkey down into parts
-put them in bags with butter herbs, salt and pepper
-seal them up
-the stuffing goes into a bag, too!
-cook everything in a pot (or pots) of water at 170F for 3 hours.
-briefly brown the turkey off in a hot pan to crisp the skin
-serve

The next post will show the recipes and how it all turned out. Looking forward to it!

The Man Who Brought Pork Belly to Minnesota (and other delights)

Fans of the blog know that, while in England, we adopted quite the fascination with pork belly. It's just the best cut of pork around. Cheap. Delicious. IMPOSSIBLE to overcook. I could go on, but you have heard it all before.

Well, we've been talking about it ever since we've come back, and finally, we found a butcher shop who was willing to call someone and get their hands on it. We wound up with 14 pounds of bone-in, skin on pork belly for $27. If this cut had been broken down into a rack of ribs (which is on the bottom) and individual strips of bacon (which is what pork belly is, really, a big slab of bacon), the cost would probably quadruple. At least.

Anyhow, only a grandiose dinner would suffice for our pork victory, and with that much of it, we had to enlist the help of our great friends Molly and Roy. Vanessa and set about making what I believe to be a fantastic dinner.

Vanessa made the amuse bouche, a simple and delicious little number out of the prestigious French Laundry cookbook, and also made the dessert, a wonderfully rich and chocolate-y Toblerone souffle. The souffle recipe is by Alain Roux, a French culinary legend. Certainly among the more aggressive cooking attempts by Vanessa, and both turned out beautifully!

I took the pork belly and put it with a nice rutabaga puree, with a great, sweet, bourbon-y sauce. I could go on about the pork, but I'll say simply that a few people realized what they have been missing out on all these years with pork belly. Plus the little added treat of the ribs laying in what is quickly becoming my favorite sauce to accompany pork. I hope you give this all a try.


Amuse-Bouche: Parmigiano-Reggiano Crisps with Goat Cheese Mousse

PARMESAN CRISPS
1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

GOAT CHEESE MOUSSE
6 ounces fresh goat cheese
4-6 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon parsley, minced
salt and black pepper

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

FOR THE PARMESAN CRISPS:

Line a baking sheet with a Silpat (see Sources, page 315), or use a nonstick baking sheet. Place a 2 1/2" ring mold (see Sources, page 315) in one corner of the Silpat and fill it with 1 tablespoon of the grated cheese. Using your finger, spread the cheese into an even layer. Repeat to make 8 rounds, leaving at least 1 inch between them. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the crisps are a rich golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for about 30 seconds to firm the crisps enough so you can remove them with a spatula. One by one, remove the crisps and gently press each one into a hollow in the egg carton to form a tulip shape. After a few minutes, remove the cooled crisps from the carton and make 8 more crisps.

FOR THE GOAT CHEESE MOUSSE:

Place the goat cheese in a food processor and process (depending on the cheese used, it may look smooth or crumbly). Pour 1/4 cup of the cream through the feed tube and continue to process until the mixture is smooth but will hold a shape when piped; if necessary, add a little more cream. Add the parsley and salt and pepper to taste and mix just to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning. The mousse can be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days; let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes to soften slightly before piping.

Place the mousse in a plastic bag fitted with a medium star tip. Pipe 2-3 teaspoons of mousse into each Parmesan crisp and serve.

Main: Spice Rubbed and Slow-Roasted Pork Belly with Swede Puree and Bourbon-Ancho Chile Sauce

PORK BELLY
7 pound pork belly, skin on, bone-in, skin scored
3 T small handful salt
3 T handful pepper
1 T cayenne pepper
1 T chipotle powder
1 T cumin

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Rub all of the salt and spices into the skin, making sure to work it into the scored skin. Put on a roasting rack inside of a roasting tray.

Roast for 3 hours. Reduce the temperature to 250F and roast for another 1-3 hours. It doesn't really matter... it will come out fine no matter what you do. This is the most forgiving piece of meat ever.

Swede (Rutabaga) Puree

2 large swede (rutabaga), peeled
1 small potato, peeled
100 g unsalted butter
1 pinch cinnamon
1 pinch cumin
salt and white pepper

Chop the swedes and potato into pieces of equal size so that they cook evenly, then place them in a suitable pan with just enough water to cover. Add a pinch of salt, bring to the boil and simmer until very soft.

Drain in a colander and press gently to squeeze out the excess water. Pass the mix through a vegetable moulis and then a fine drum sieve. The puree base can be stored in the fridge at this point until required.

Return the fine puree to a clean pan and slowly beat in the butter. Season with the salt,pepper, cinnamon and cumin.

Serve the puree straight away: if it is kept warm for too long the butter can split out of the mixture and spoil it.

Bourbon-Ancho Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 cups bourbon, plus 2 T
3 ancho chiles, soaked, seeded, and pureed
5 cups Enriched Chicken Stock or low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup thawed apple juice concentrate
8 black peppercorns
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
Kosher salt

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the 2 cups bourbon, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to a few tablespoons, 5 to 6 minutes.

Add the ancho puree, stock, apple juice concentrate, peppercorns, and brown sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, 15 to 20 minutes.

Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, return the mixture to the pan, and reduce over high heat to sauce consistency, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the 2 tablespoons bourbon, cook for 2 minutes, and season with salt. This can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Reheat before serving.

FINISH THE MAIN

Pull the pork out of the oven and let it rest for 20 minutes or so, while you get the rest of the components together. After it has rested, cut away the top layer of ultra-crispy skin and cut into little strips. Go ahead and eat some, because you won't be able to resist it. Cut the rack of ribs away from the bottom away and cut into individual ribs.

Cut the pork belly into individual portions now. On a warmed plate, put a swoosh of warm swede puree, place a piece of pork belly on top. Top with some sauce and put some pieces of crispy skin on top.

With the rest of the sauce, put it into a bowl and put the pork ribs in it. Serve the plates to your amazed guests and leave the bowl of ribs on the table to pass around and eat by hand.

Dessert: Warm Toblerone Souffle

a little softened butter
75 g caster sugar, plus 30g for coating
200 g Toblerone, chopped
2 teaspoons plain (all-purpose) flour
7 egg whites

Brush the insides of four 3 1/4" ramekins, 1 1/2" deep, with softened butter. Put the 30g (2 1/2 tablespoons) of caster sugar in one of the dishes and rotate it to coat the inside thoroughly. Tip the excess sugar into the next dish and repeat, coating them all with sugar in
this way.

Put 140g (5 oz) of the Toblerone in a bowl and place it over a pan of simmering water, making sure the water isn't touching the base of the bowl. When it has melted, remove from the heat and stir in the flour.

Beat the egg whites with the 75g (6 1/2 tablespoons) of sugar until they form semi-firm peaks. Using a whisk, mix one-third of the whites into the melted Toblerone, then delicately fold in the rest with a spatula or a large metal spoon. Scatter the remaining chopped Toblerone over the surface and mix gently. Divide the mixture between the ramekin dishes. Smooth the surface with a palette knife (metal spatula) and use the tip of the knife to ease the mixture away from the edge of the dishes.

Place on a baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes in an oven preheated to 200C/400F. Serve immediately.

Chicken Marsala

This is an old favorite, which Vanessa had been dying to have for awhile. I had promised my brother and sister-in-law that I would cook some dinner for them when I came back home, and this was the dish we chose to make. I am happy to report that it turned out wonderfully.

Note: Pick a good marsala wine. I stand firmly against wines that label themselves as being a 'cooking wine'. A good rule of thumb is: don't cook with anything you wouldn't drink. It is advice which will serve you well.

We served this over a bed of spinach simply sauteed in olive oil with salt, pepper and some pine nuts.

⅔ cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon dried marjoram or oregano
1 teaspoon fennel seed, toasted and ground (see note)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, rinsed and patted dry
2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces pancetta, chopped
8 ounces cremini or shiitake mushrooms, sliced (stem shiitakes)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large shallot, minced
1 ⅔ cups sweet Marsala wine
¾ cup low-salt chicken stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
½ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus sprigs for garnish

In a small bowl, combine the flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 3/4 teaspoon pepper, marjoram or oregano, and ground fennel. Stir to blend. Transfer to a pie plate. Coat both sides of the chicken breasts, shaking off the excess. Set aside on waxed paper.

In a large saute pan or skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over high heat until the surface shimmers. Add the chicken and brown on one side for 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the chicken, using tongs, and cook on the second side until golden brown on the outside and opaque throughout, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and keep warm in a low oven until ready to serve.

Heat the same pan, over medium heat, and saute the pancetta until crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.

Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to the pan and saute the mushrooms until they begin to brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and shallot and cook for 2 minutes. Add the Marsala and stir to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the stock, tomato paste, and pancetta. Simmer to reduce the sauce until thickened. Add the balsamic vinegar and juices accumulated on the plate holding the chicken. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the minced parsley.

Lamb Meatballs Stewed with Hot Tomatoes (Kefta)

We only have a few weeks at my parents' house, so we've been trying for a culinary tour of the world of sorts. We've done some Thai, Italian, Greek and Japanese (sushi - a big first for my Mom) so far.... this one has more of a North-African-meets-Middle- Eastern feel to it.

The recipe has a few components, and they all come from the Culinary Institute of America (the other CIA). I had to jack the harissa and cumin levels in the finished product to make the North African flavors pop...but then again I love cumin and spicy things. It went down a treat.

I just did a simple couscous done with butter melted into some hot chicken stock, with salt, pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice and some parsley. Everything worked well together and was fragrant and delicious.

Harissa

4 ounces dried New Mexico chiles
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
¾ teaspoons ground caraway
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon olive oil

Remove the stem and seeds from the chiles and place in a bowl. Add enough cold water to cover them and let them soak for 15 minutes. When the chiles are softened, drain them well and press to remove any excess water. Chop the chiles coarsely.

Transfer the chiles to a food processor and puree with the garlic, lemon juice, caraway, and coriander to a fine paste. Add the olive oil through the feed tube with the machine running until completely incorporated. Transfer the harissa to a jar and hold, covered, under refrigeration until ready to serve.

Tomato Sauce

2 cups whole plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded
1 cup tomato puree
2 tablespoons butter, sliced and chilled
salt and pepper
Puree the whole tomatoes in a food processor until a coarse paste forms. Transfer the tomatoes to a saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Add the tomato puree and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes. Scatter the sliced butter over the tomato sauce and swirl the pan until the butter is incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Lamb Meatballs Stewed with Hot Tomatoes (Kefta)

MEATBALLS
1 lb. ground lamb or beef
½ cup coarsely grated yellow onion
¼ cup dry bread crumbs
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon minced garlic
¾ teaspoons ground cumin
¾ teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon minced ginger root
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
3 tablespoons water
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon salt or as needed
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper or as needed

DISH
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup chopped yellow onion
¼ teaspoon HARISSA (shown above)
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2-3 saffron threads, lightly crushed, optional
3 cups TOMATO SAUCE (shown above)

Combine the lamb or beef, grated onion, bread crumbs, parsley, garlic, cumin, paprika, ginger root, cardamom, water, 2 tablespoons cilantro, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Mix by hand with a wooden spoon until slightly sticky. Chill at least 1 and up to 8 hours before shaping into oval meatballs about 1 inch in diameter.

Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the meatballs to the oil and cook, turning as necessary, until they are browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a plate and set aside.

Add the chopped onion, harissa, cumin, cinnamon, and saffron, if using, to the pan. Saute, stirring frequently, until the onion is tender and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the tomato sauce to the pan, stirring well to dissolve any browned bits in the pan. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Return the meatballs to the sauce along with any juices they may have released. Simmer the meatballs over low heat until they are cooked through and the sauce is very flavorful, about 15 minutes.

Stir in the remaining cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve at once on heated plates.

Roasted Eggplant and Garlic Soup

Nice, hearty soup here. Roasty and thick, the roasty flavors revealed themselves more and more as we went through it. I am sure it will improve after a night in the fridge. All you need is a drizzle of olive oil and a few twists of pepper.

4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 cups peeled, cubed eggplant
1 yellow onion, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 celery stalk, diced {about 1/2 cup}
1 carrot, diced (about 1/3 cup)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow or white potato, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
1 quart chicken broth
1 sprig fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons tahini
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, or to taste
Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350·F. Wrap the garlic cloves in a square of aluminum foil. Combine the eggplant, onion, celery and carrot in a baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Place the garlic directly on the oven rack. Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables. Cover the pan and roast 20 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat to 400°F and roast until the eggplant and garlic are very soft, about 15 minutes.

When cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic from its skin. Combine the roasted vegetables with the potato, broth, and thyme in a soup pot and simmer until the potatoes are tender enough to mash easily, about 25 minutes. Remove the thyme and discard. Add the tahini salt, pepper and lemon juice to the soup and whisk to combine the ingredients well. Simmer the soup, 2-3 minutes.

Puree the soup. Return it to medium heat and simmer, 5 minutes, or until reduced to the desired consistency. Season with the salt, pepper and/or lemon juice. Serve in heated bowls.

Buffalo Burgers with Goat Cheese, Mango Ketchup and Red Slaw with Grilled Corn on the Cob with Garlic Butter, Fresh Lime and Queso Fresco

This recipe was originally written for buffalo, but when I rolled up into the supermarket, I saw that they had wagyu beef (AKA the highest quality beef in the world) for a mere $8.99 per pound. This was a no-brainer.

This is classic Bobby Flay cooking; bold flavors, a bit of heat and a nice balance between the rich (beef, goat cheese), the acidic (red slaw), sweet (mango ketchup) and spicy (mango ketchup). It really hits all corners of your mouth.

The corn has been done a few times, and I keep going back to it, escpecially since I was finally able to get ACTUAL queso fresco, instead of using feta or something.

Lots of oohs and ahhs over this one, and pretty easy to make.

Buffalo Burgers with Goat Cheese, Mango Ketchup and Red Slaw

MANGO KETCHUP
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon honey
1 pinch ground cloves
1 small habanero chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup red wine vinegar
salt and black pepper

RED SLAW
1 large head red cabbage, finely shredded
3 cups red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

BUFFALO BURGERS
2 ½ pounds buffalo meat, finely ground
16 slices soft goat's cheese
olive oil, for brushing
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 hamburger buns

MANGO KETCHUP
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft. Add the cinnamon, allspice, honey, cloves, and habanero pepper, and cook an additional minute. Add the mango and continue cooking until softened, 15 to 20 minutes.

Place the mango mixture in the bowl of a food processor, add the mustard and vinegar, and process until smooth, Season with salt and pepper to taste. May be refrigerated for 1 day; serve at room temperature. Makes about 2 cups.

RED SLAW
Place the cabbage in a large bowl. Place the vinegar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat, add the honey and oil, and mix well. Pour the mixture over the cabbage, stir to combine, and season with salt, pepper, and poppy seeds. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes. May be refrigerated for 1 day; serve at room temperature.

BUFFALO BURGERS
Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to high.

Shape the meat into 8 burgers, brush with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Grill 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium rare. (Don't overcook, because the longer you cook, the less juicy they well be.) About 30 seconds before the burgers are done, top each with 2 slices of goat cheese and close the cover to melt the cheese. Split the buns and toast on the grill, cut side down, until golden.

Serve on buns, topped with Mango Ketchup and Red Slaw.

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Garlic Butter, Fresh Lime and Queso Fresco

FOR THE GARLIC BUTTER
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, slightly softened
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE CORN
8 ears corn, silks removed but husks left on, soaked in cold water for at least 10 minutes
2 fresh limes, quartered
½ cup crumbled queso fresco or mild feta

GARLIC BUTTER
Combine the butter and garlic in a food processor or with a mixer until smooth. (To mix by hand, let the butter get very soft, then beat in the garlic, finely minced, with a large wooden spoon.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. (The garlic butter can be made in advance, covered, and kept refrigerated up to 2 days, or frozen for a week. Bring to cool room temperature before serving.)

CORN
Heat your grill to high.

Place the corn on the grill, close the grill hood, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until steamed through and hot but still crisp (test by carefully piercing with a knife). Unwrap the husks from the corn and immediately spread or brush with garlic butter.

Squeeze the limes on top and and sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.

Rosemary and Sea Salt Focaccia Pizza with Lots of Yummy Toppings

We did quite a bit of pizza back in the UK, but our pizza stone is now packed safely away with 95% of our other belongings. We had the jones for pizza and had to devise a new way.

We had not done focaccia for awhile and figured we could do it in a cast-iron skillet (which gets nice and hot) and top it with all kinds of good things. In this case, we topped it with prosciutto, asiago and smoked mozzarella cheeses, cherry peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and a mixture of sage, rosemary and thyme. A good pinch of sea salt and you're off to the races.

We did the recipe as shown below, but with 5 minutes left in the baking, we turned the broiler on, put the toppings on, and gave it another 5 minutes under the broiler to melt the cheese and stuff. It came out wonderfully!

3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion
1 sprig rosemary, leaves only
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
oil, for greasing

Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir in the yeast, then make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour in the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Mix well to make a dough, adding a little more water if the mixture seems too dry.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it for about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled in bulk. Punch down and knead the dough all a lightly floured surface for 2-3 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425°F and grease a baking sheet. Roll the dough to a circle 1/2" thick, transfer to the baking sheet and brush with remaining oil.

Halve the onion and chop it into thin slices. Press the slices lightly onto the dough, with the rosemary and sea salt. Using a finger, make deep indentations in the dough. Cover the surface with oiled plastic wrap, then let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Remove and discard the plastic wrap and bake the loaf for 25-30 minutes, until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve in slices or wedges.

Whole Roasted Chicken on a Bed of Root Vegetables

As many of you may heave heard, I would choose a perfectly roasted chicken as my deathbed meal. The beauty is in the simplicity.

Thomas Keller's new book, Ad Hoc (which I have been using a bit lately), had this recipe which spoke to me right away. It is getting into autumn time and nothing beats roasted root vegetables. Except maybe a perfectly roasted chicken. But why decide? Put them BOTH into a cast iron skillet, and you're a little over an hour from paydirt.

One cool tip I learned doing this recipe is his technique for achieving crispy skin. Namely, leave the chicken out in the fridge, uncovered, for two days before you want to use it. This will dry the skin out prior to roasting, which aids dramatically in crisping it up. It's the first time trying this method and IT WORKS like crazy. I will be doing all chickens like this in the future.

As I've said before, it's worth getting a temperature probe for ANY meat cookery. Especially for this wonderful chicken!

4-4.5 pound chicken
salt and black pepper
6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
6 sprigs thyme
2 large leek
3 tennis ball-sized rutabaga (swede)
2 tennis ball-sized turnips
4 medium carrot, peeled, trimmed, cut in half
1 small yellow onion, trimmed (leaving root end in tact), and cut into quarters
8 small red-skinned potatoes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until it comes to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 475F.

Remove the neck and innards if they are still in the cavity of the chicken. Using a paring knife, cut out the wishbone from the chicken. (This will make it easier to carve the chicken.) Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper, add 3 of the garlic cloves and 5 sprigs of thyme, and massage the inside of the bird to infuse it with the flavors. Truss the chicken.

Cut off the dark green leaves from the top of the leeks. Trim off and discard any darkened outer layers. Trim the root ends, cutting around them in a 45 degree angle. Slit the leeks lengthways almost in half, starting 1/2 inch above the root ends. Rinse the leeks well under warm water.

Cut off both ends of the rutabagas, Stand the rutabagas on one end and cut away the skin, working from top to bottom and removing any tough outer layers. Cut into 3/4" wedges. Repeat with the turnips, cutting the wedges to match the rutabagas.

Combine all the vegetable and the remaining garlic cloves and thyme sprig in a large bowl. Toss with 1/4 cup of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables in a large cast-iron skillet or a roasting pan.

Rub the remaining oil all over the chicken. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Make a nest on the center of the vegetables and nestle the chicken in it. Cut the butter into 4 or 5 pieces and place over the chicken breast.

Put the chicken in the oven and roast for 25 minutes. Reduce the heat to 400F and roast for an additional 45 minutes, or until the temperature registers 160F in the meatiest portions of the bird - thighs, and under the breast where the thigh meets the breast - and the juices run clear. If necessary, return the bird to the oven for more roasting; check every 5 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a carving board and let rest for 20 minutes.

Just before serving, set the pan of vegetables over medium heat and reheat the vegetables, turning them and glazing them with the pan juices.

Cut the chicken into serving pieces, arrange over the vegetables, and serve.

Scallops with Pistachio, Parsnip Creme and Crispy Prosciutto

We just spent a much-too-short weekend with our great friends Dave and Karena out in San Francisco. It was a great trip in many respects, but the highlight was certainly our trip to The French Laundry. This was formerly the world's number one restaurant, and its chef, Thomas Keller, is widely regarded as America's best chef.

This was Dave and Karena's first real "world-class" restaurant experience, and Vanessa and I had been DYING to get in there for awhile now. Needless to say (but I'll say anyway), it was absolutely amazing and is easily in the top 2 meals I have ever eaten. Here is some photographic proof...
Anyhow, we're back now in San Antonio in what is to be our last week here until we head up to Minnesota for a few weeks. We bough Marcus Wareing's "Nutmeg & Custard" before we left the UK and spied this recipe in it. Wonderful, rich flavors at work here... sweet parsnips, meaty scallops, salty prosciutto, a bit of spice from the curry powder. Vanessa's mom was a fan and so were we.
PARSNIP CREME
15 g unsalted butter
2 parsnip, peeled and diced
1 pinch curry powder
½ teaspoon table salt
150 milliliters whole milk
1 tablespoon honey

SCALLOPS
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 large scallops, roe removed
¼ teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon table salt

FINISH
4 rashers prosciutto
25 g pistachio nuts

Place the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over a medium heat. When melted, add the parsnips, curry powder and salt. Cook gradually, coloring slightly, for 10 minutes. Add the milk and honey, and allow to simmer very gently until cooked through. Blend and pass through a fine sieve.

To cook the scallops, heat the oil in a heavy-based non-stick pan. When smoking, season the scallops with the curry powder and salt, then place them in the hot oil. Cook evenly all over, obtaining a nice golden color.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F or the grill to high. Place the prosciutto on a baking tray and bake or grill until crispy. Slice finely.

To serve, place a spoonful of the hot parsnip puree on each plate and drag your spoon through. Slice each scallop into three and lay on each plate. Sprinkle with the pistachio crumb and prosciutto strips and serve immediately.

Roast Bone Marrow and Parsley Salad

This is the most ridiculously, stupidly good thing I've made in awhile.

This is on the menu at World #15 restaurant St. John in London. The menu changes daily, but Chef Fergus Henderson has vowed that this dish will never come off the menu. We have eaten this there a few times, and it is Vanessa's favorite dish to eat there.

This restaurant is the most inconspicuous, non-flashy place. It is in the meat district (near Smithfields) and the building used to be a smokehouse. You walk in there, and it is all white cinderblock walls, no fuss, completely austere. The menu is wonderfully hearty, British food. Totally uncomplicated. This dish really encompasses what the restaurant is all about: good, simple, honest food.

The twist? They take the stuff no one else uses, and make wonderful dishes out of it. This recipe is the best reflection of this philosophy. And it's dirt cheap.

Serve this with a ridiculously expensive red wine.

MARROW
12 pieces middle veal marrowbone, 7-8cm

SALAD
1 bunch parsley, picked
2 shallot, peeled and very thinly sliced
1 handful capers

DRESSING
juice of 1 lemon
extra-virgin olive oil
1 pinch sea salt and black pepper

DISH
toast (preferably sourdough)
coarse sea salt

Put the bone marrow in an ovenproof frying pan and place in a hot oven (450F). The roasting process should take about 20 minutes depending on the thickness of the bone. You are looking for the marrow to be loose and giving, but not melted away, which it will do if left too long (traditionally the ends would be covered to prevent any seepage, bur I like the coloring and crispness at the end).

Mean while lightly chop your parsley, just enough to discipline it, mix it with the shallots and capers, and at the last moment, dress.

Here is a dish that should not be completely seasoned before leaving the kitchen rendering a last-minute seasoning unnecessary by the actual eater: this, especially in the case of coarse sea salt, gives texture and uplift at the moment of eating. My approach is to scrape the marrow from the bone onto the toast and season with coarse sea salt. Then a pinch of parsley salad on top of this and eat. Of course once you have your pile of bones, salad, toast, and salt it is 'liberty hall'.