I thought I'd take a five minute break from cooking to put my feet up and share my Thanksgiving dinner menu in progress...
Tomorrow we'll start with a creamy kohlrabi and apple salad, followed by roasted kabocha squash soup with pancetta and sage. Fresh dinner rolls, also a big favorite, will appear next. The main course is herb roasted turkey with pineapple laced cranberries. The side dishes will be brussels sprouts with shallots and wild mushrooms, cornbread dressing, mashed yams, calliflower with cheese sauce, cider glazed delicata squash with apples and mashed potatoes with carmelized garlic and parsnips. For desert, of course, pumpkin pie!
Back to work!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Brussel sprouts
Brussels sprouts (I've always pronounced it Brussel sprouts, singular, but apparently I've always been wrong) are the ultimate vegetable. You start out with a little lettuce, move on to beets, think you've hit the big time with parsnips, and then you come to Brussels sprouts. This is the vegetable that brings all faint-hearted would-be herbivores to their knees. I'm about three steps short of becoming a vegetarian and even I have always struggled with these little characters. As a child, I called them "little cabages" and I remember liking them fairly well although I always thought they were a little bland. As an adult, I was turned off by Brussel sprouts' tart flavor. Learning how to cook Brussel sprouts is a right of passage for anyone who claims to be a foodie and critics love to rave about their favorite ways to prepare them.
I picked up my CSA box tonight and there was a full pound of fresh organic Brussel sprouts. The Farm Notes offered up a recepie that sounded amazing, so I thought I'd give them a shot this evening, even though I usually don't cook on week nights. The recepie, adapted from the November 2006 isue of Gourmet magazine (rest in peace) called for a large shallot, but I didn't have one so I used a large onion - twice the size, half the flavor. I also used less butter and twice as many chanterelles. The results are amazing. Besides the obvious (lots of butter makes just about anyting delicious), I think the key here is to overcook the Brussel sprouts. They were practically falling apart in the pan when I pulled it out of the oven and easily crushed by the tongs I used to pull them out pan. I think the problem I've been having the last few years is that I've tried hard not to overcook vegetables and, as a result, I've undercooked my Brussels.
Brussels Sprouts with Shallots and Wild Mushrooms
1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 cloves minced garlic
pinch of salt
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large shallot, cut crosswise into thin slices (3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
.4 lb mixed fresh chanterelle mushrooms, trimmed, quartered if large
a splash of dry white wine
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
a pinch of salt & black pepper
1/6 cup water
Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.
Toss Brussels sprouts with oil, garlic, salt, and pepper, then spread out in 1 layer in 2 large shallow baking pans (17 by 12 inches). Roast, stirring occasionally and switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until tender and browned, 25 to 35 minutes. Cook's note: tossing is a big pain. I threw them in the pan, covered them in olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder, rolled them over, did it all again, and called it good.
Heat oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until temperature measures 250°F (see cooks' note, below), then fry shallots in 3 batches, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per batch (watch closely, as shallots can burn easily). Quickly transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, spreading in a single layer. (Shallots will crisp as they cool.) Pour off oil from skillet (do not clean).
Heat 5 tablespoons butter in skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and tender, about 7 minutes.
Add wine, thyme, salt, and pepper and boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 2 minutes. Add water (1/6 cup) and remaining tablespoon butter and simmer, swirling skillet, until butter is melted. Transfer to a serving dish and stir in Brussels sprouts. Sprinkle with some of shallots and serve with remaining shallots on the side.
I picked up my CSA box tonight and there was a full pound of fresh organic Brussel sprouts. The Farm Notes offered up a recepie that sounded amazing, so I thought I'd give them a shot this evening, even though I usually don't cook on week nights. The recepie, adapted from the November 2006 isue of Gourmet magazine (rest in peace) called for a large shallot, but I didn't have one so I used a large onion - twice the size, half the flavor. I also used less butter and twice as many chanterelles. The results are amazing. Besides the obvious (lots of butter makes just about anyting delicious), I think the key here is to overcook the Brussel sprouts. They were practically falling apart in the pan when I pulled it out of the oven and easily crushed by the tongs I used to pull them out pan. I think the problem I've been having the last few years is that I've tried hard not to overcook vegetables and, as a result, I've undercooked my Brussels.
Brussels Sprouts with Shallots and Wild Mushrooms
1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 cloves minced garlic
pinch of salt
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large shallot, cut crosswise into thin slices (3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
.4 lb mixed fresh chanterelle mushrooms, trimmed, quartered if large
a splash of dry white wine
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
a pinch of salt & black pepper
1/6 cup water
Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.
Toss Brussels sprouts with oil, garlic, salt, and pepper, then spread out in 1 layer in 2 large shallow baking pans (17 by 12 inches). Roast, stirring occasionally and switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until tender and browned, 25 to 35 minutes. Cook's note: tossing is a big pain. I threw them in the pan, covered them in olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder, rolled them over, did it all again, and called it good.
Heat oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until temperature measures 250°F (see cooks' note, below), then fry shallots in 3 batches, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per batch (watch closely, as shallots can burn easily). Quickly transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, spreading in a single layer. (Shallots will crisp as they cool.) Pour off oil from skillet (do not clean).
Heat 5 tablespoons butter in skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and tender, about 7 minutes.
Add wine, thyme, salt, and pepper and boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 2 minutes. Add water (1/6 cup) and remaining tablespoon butter and simmer, swirling skillet, until butter is melted. Transfer to a serving dish and stir in Brussels sprouts. Sprinkle with some of shallots and serve with remaining shallots on the side.
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