Carol's Roast Turkey with Sherry Gravy

Roast turkey is our once a year Thanksgiving exaction. Come early November, we start feast planning, a task which has us drooling in anticipation. When you dine on food that's made just once a year, the mere thought of that meal is enough to whet our appetites.   

This year Thanksgiving has even more meaning. Pandemic restrictions have prevented big celebrations. Our extended family gathering has been cancelled. Travel plans postponed. But in all that disappointment, the meal remains intact. 

After experimenting with a few recipes, Carol Louis's turkey marinade has been my go to method for years. She shared this recipe many years ago, it becoming a family treasure. The turkey is marinated for two days, in a paste of spices, olive oil and lime juice, liberally applied  and dutifully massaged into the bird. Garlic mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes in herb butter, Cipollini onions and corn in creme fraiche, green beans and mushroom casserole, roasted Brussel sprouts, sausage and leek stuffing, cranberry sauce and a sherry-laden gravy complement the turkey. 

The thanks we declare is a traditional precursor to the meal. This year is more poignant with sacrifices and limitations felt acutely. Each of us make meaningful proclamations. Each avowal brings forth tears. As for me, I am deeply grateful and thankful for the daily hug I am enveloped in, from husband, daughter and son. A small gesture with enormous meaning.  

CAROL'S ROAST TURKEY

Serves 6-8

1 12lb Turkey (fresh or frozen)

2 teaspoons Chile Powder

3 teaspoons Paprika

5 tablespoons Garlic Paste

2 tablespoons Ginger Paste

1 teaspoon Oregano 

1 teaspoon dried Thyme

1 teaspoon Basil

1 teaspoon ground Black Pepper

3 teaspoons Kosher Salt

3 Limes, juiced

1/4 cup Olive Oil

6-8 Bacon rashers

GRAVY

2 tablespoons Turkey Drippings

2 tablespoons Flour

1 1/2 cups Turkey Stock

2 tablespoons Sherry

1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1/4 teaspoon ground Black Pepper

If you use a frozen turkey, defrost the turkey in the fridge  before marinating.  A fresh turkey  should be patted dry and then marinated.

Remove neck and other parts of turkey. Rinse and place them in saucepan to make stock for the gravy. Add enough water to cover the parts. Bring to boil, lower the flame and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Drain the stock, discard the parts and keep stock aside.

Mix all ingredients except the bacon, into a thick paste.

Place the turkey in a shallow container. 

Rub the paste all over the turkey. 

Spoon some paste into the inner cavity and rub into the flesh. 

Use a fork and pierce the breast and legs. Rub the paste once again into the turkey. 

Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Massage the turkey at least once a day.

Bring turkey to room temperature before you roast it. 

Heat oven to 375F/200C.

Place the turkey on the rack of the roasting pan. 

Drape bacon over the top of the turkey. 

Bake for 2 1/2 hours. 

Take turkey out of the oven and let it rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Pour the drippings from the pan into a bowl.

Make the gravy by whisking hot drippings and flour in a saucepan till dark brown.

Whisk stock in a little at a time till gravy is thick. 

Add sherry and simmer for 3-4 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper and pour into a bowl.

Serve turkey and gravy with your choice of sides.

Gluttony prevails. Dessert tempts. Food is put away. The couch beckons. We dream of the next day's sandwich. 

Hasselback Potatoes in Garlic Cream

These potatoes are a wow presentation! A show-stopper side meant to impress your dinner companions. Potatoes are the number one side by general consensus in our house, usually made to encompass global cuisines.  This humble spud baked with cream and garlic, elicits oohs and aahs at dinner! 

Not quite the hassle it might seem, potatoes are thinly sliced, not quite through and through. You stop a smidgen from the bottom. This is efficiently done by placing the potatoes on two chopsticks an inch apart. Slice vertically till your knife hits the chopsticks. A neat trick. Pour some garlic thyme flavored hot cream over them. Cover and bake. The results are mouthwatering, delicious....just the thing on a cold winter night!

HASSELBACK POTATOES IN GARLIC CREAM

Serves 4-6

12-14 three inch Yukon Gold or Red Bliss Potatoes

1 1/3 cup Cream

4 Garlic Cloves

4-5 Thyme sprigs

3/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Fresh ground Black Pepper

Wash and dry potatoes.

Place one potato on chopsticks placed 1" apart. 

Slice potato thinly, stopping just before you get to the bottom of the potato. The chopsticks prevent your knife from going all the way through. 

Alternately place the potato on your cutting board and cut 3/4 of the way down, stopping short of the bottom. 

Heat oven to 400F/220C.

Arrange potatoes in a baking dish.

Sprinkle salt and pepper over potatoes. 

Heat cream over a medium flame till it simmers.

Pound garlic cloves lightly and add to cream.

Add thyme sprigs to cream and simmer for 5 minutes. 

Pour cream evenly over potatoes. 

Cover dish tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. 

Uncover carefully and serve.

My dinner consists of a few potatoes....these perfectly cooked accordions are going to turn me into a couch potato! 

Easy Ramen

When I read a  ramen recipe, the foremost feeling is dread. The lengthy boil, the many additions, the preciseness of a particularly cooked egg...all the steps makes me quaver...everytime. Then I know my son does love his ramen. His trip to Japan has solidified that love. Pandemic problems have discouraged restaurant dining, hence this attempt. I aim to please him.

I start with homemade chicken broth, chicken cooked with peppercorns and leek greens. To that I add mushroom powder, ginger slices, scallions and a charred onion. The broth bubbles away, after which it is strained. The addition of white miso and shoyu round out that umami flavor. 

The toppings consist are chicken sauteed with oyster sauce and chili garlic paste. Scallion greens are finely chopped. Eggs are boiled. The crowning glory is a chile, garlic sesame seed sauce, the spicy condiment that takes it over the edge. 

EASY RAMEN

Serves 5-6

1/2 pound chicken thighs

1 Leek

1 teaspoon Peppercorns

1 tablespoon Mushroom Powder

6-7 Ginger slices

5 Scallions

1 Onion

4 tablespoons White Miso Paste

4 tablespoons Shoyu or Light Soy Sauce

3-4 cups cooked Noodles 

3 Eggs

3 teaspoons Oyster Sauce

2 teaspoons Chile Garlic Paste

1 teaspoon Soy Sauce

3 tablespoon Canola Oil

5 Garlic cloves

1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds

1 teaspoon Chile Powder

2 teaspoons Roasted Sesame Oil

Place chicken in large saucepan. 

Add 5 cups water to chicken. 

Cut leek into large chunks and add to chicken.

Add peppercorns in and bring the water to a boil. Lower flame and allow chicken to simmer for 1 hour. Skim the surface to remove any scum that forms. 

Take the chicken out of the broth. Cool and then shred into small chunks. Keep aside for the topping.

Trim scallion roots, Cut the white parts into 1" pieces. Save the greens for the topping.

Peel onion. Hold the onion over and open flame till the outsides are charred.

Add mushroom powder to broth.

Add ginger, scallion whites and onion to broth. Simmer for 1/2 hour. Top up the broth with more water if needed.

Drain the broth into a clean saucepan. Place saucepan over a medium flame and add miso and shoyu to broth. Simmer broth for 15 minutes.

Assemble the toppings. 

Chicken--Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a saucepan. Add shredded chicken to the pan along with oyster sauce, chile garlic paste and soy sauce. Saute for 5 minutes till slightly browned.

Eggs--Boil eggs for 8 minutes. Cover with cold water for 15 minutes. Peel and cut the eggs in half.

Scallions--Cut scallion greens finely.

Garlic Sesame Sauce--Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small saucepan. Mince garlic fine and add to oil. Cook till garlic is fragrant and light brown. Then ass sesame seeds and chile powder. Swirl the pan a couple of times and take off the heat. Scrape the sauce into bowl. Add sesame oil to sauce. 

Heat the broth till bubbling. 

Run the noodles through hot water. Divide the noodles and place them in the soup bowls. 

Spoon a portion of the chicken over the noodles. 

Next to the chicken add scallion greens.

Place the egg half on the other side of the chicken. 

Pour several ladlefuls of ramen broth over noodles, to the level of the noodles.

Drizzle garlic sesame sauce between the egg and the scallions. 

Serve the ramen piping hot.

Spoon in one hand and chopsticks in the other, Rehan has a few comments. The ramen isn't as salty as the ones he has eaten in the past. The noodles are not quite the right ones, But then he slurps his way to the bottom of the bowl...that's enough of a compliment for me!

Thai Spring Rolls

Our neighborhood Thai restaurant Basil Leaf Grill, is a culinary delight, with unusual and authentic food, which comes at a moment's notice. We drool in anticipation at the thought of  a meat-laden green curry, lemongrass pork chops, coconut noodles and their crispy spring rolls called po pia. Crackling brown cylinders filled with veggies and pork, are addictive. Since they only come in trios, I think I need to make some more to vanquish that spring roll hunger.

The filling starts with ground pork, bean thread noodles, grated carrot and onion and fish sauce. An unusual addition of quick sauteed garlic and coriander adds color and zest to the filling. Spoonfuls of filling are tightly wrapped into small cylinders and fried till golden brown and crisp. Dipped in a sweet chile sauce, the home crowd declares them better than takeout. I'll take that as a compliment. 

THAI SPRING ROLLS

Makes 15-20

1/2 pound ground Pork

1/2-3/4 cup  Bean Thread Noodles

4 Garlic cloves

1/2 cup roughly chopped Cilantro

1 teaspoon Canola Oil

1 Carrot

3 tablespoon minced Onion

3 tablespoons Fish Sauce

1 teaspoon Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Ground White Pepper

1 Egg

6 inch square Spring Roll Wrappers

Canola Oil

Place pork in a bowl. 

Place bean thread noodles in a shallow bowl. Cover the noodles with hot water. Leave them in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain them well so they are dry.

Cut bean thread noodles into small sections. Use kitchen scissors for an easy way to do this. Add then them to the pork.

Chop garlic and cilantro finely. 

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in small saucepan. When it shimmers add garlic and cilantro and saute for 30 seconds. 

Cool and add to the pork.

Grate carrot and add to the pork.

Add onion, fish sauce, sugar, salt and pepper to pork.

Whisk egg. Keep one tablespoon of egg aside and add the rest to the pork.

Stir pork so everything is well mixed.

Take one wrapper and place it on a board. Position it like a diamond.

Scoop 1 heaped tablespoon of filling onto the lower part of the wrapper. Smooth the filling into a log.

Brush the top of the wrapper with a little egg.

Fold the bottom end of the wrapper tightly over the filling. 

Bring the sides over into the middle over the log shape. 

Roll tightly away from you to form a cylinder. Smooth over the egg-washed end and place the spring roll seam side down on a plate. 

Make the remaining rolls the same way. 

Heat 2-3 cups of oil in wok or deep saucepan. 

Test the oil with a small bit of wrapper. It should spring immediately to the top. 

Fry 4-5 rolls over a medium high flame. Do this slowly as the pork has to cook well. Turn them often. When they are golden brown, drain them on paper. 

Serve them hot with sweet chile sauce.

 The pile disappears at an alarming rate...thats a good thing!

Strawberry Maple Scones

Birthday love begins with freshly baked scones. As my daughter celebrates, I venture outside my comfort zone to use whole wheat flour in place of regular AP flour. As I do, I hesitate. Firstly, making something I've never made before makes me nervous. Secondly, using whole wheat flour is something I'm leery of. But I take the plunge and explore a new dimension.

The scones call for blueberries. I use strawberries. Everything else stays the same in the recipe. Joanne Chang is on Shauna's amazing chef list. So it will be ironic if these scones fall flat in my face, but I hope birthday magic will turn them into keepers.

STRAWBERRY MAPLE SCONES

Loosely adapted from Joanne Chang

Makes 15

1 2/3 cup Whole Wheat Flour

1 cup all purpose Flour

1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

3/4 cup or 1 1/2 sticks COLD salted Butter

1/2 cup Creme Fraiche or Yogurt

1/2 cup Maple Syrup

1/3 cup Buttermilk

1 Egg Yolk

1 cup Strawberries

GLAZE

1/2 cup Confectioner's Sugar

3 tablespoons Maple Syrup

Place both flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Use a paddle attachment. Whisk the flour a couple of times.

Cut butter into small 1/2 inch cubes. Divide butter in half.

Keeping the mixer on a low speed, add half of the butter to flour and mix for 2-3 minutes, till butter is mostly incorporated.

Add the remaining butter and allow the dough to go for a minutes. Start and stop the mixer about 3-5 times. Butter will remain in large chunks. That's okay. This helps the scones to have a moist texture.

Whisk creme fraiche, maple syrup, buttermilk and egg yolk.

Trim strawberries. 

Place in food processor and pulse a few times till they are almost pulpy, but still retain their shape.

Scrape them into the liquid mix.

Add liquid to dough, keeping the mixer on a low speed. The dough should be soft and wet. Scrape the dough off the paddle and use a spatula to incorporate all loose dry ingredients. 

Spoon the dough into a smaller bowl, cover and refrigerate dough for at least an hour or overnight, as the flour will absorb most of the liquid. 

Heat oven to 350F/180C.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dust paper with a little flour.

Use a 1/3 cup measure to make scones. Place them 2 inches apart on baking sheet. 

Bake for 40-45 minutes, turning the sheet half way through the baking. 

Make the glaze by whisking sugar and maple syrup till smooth. 

Take scones out of the oven and coat tops with glaze. It will melt and slide down the scone. 

Enjoy these just warm from the oven!

They area huge success! What a relief! and I am a convert! Whole wheat flour has crept into my repertoire!

Chicken with Rice Cakes

I really enjoy the chewy texture of ttoekboki or Korean rice cakes. They are usually stir fried with gochujang, a fiery red but equally comforting fork food. Korean food also has an abundance of meat and rice cake combinations, as I am about to create. 

Chicken thighs are my choice of meat, flavorful and tender. Ginger, garlic, bok choy, a spicy sauce made with gochujang and black beans, rice cakes and scallions are the stars. Most Asian groceries have rice cakes in fresh or frozen form. The vacuum-sealed packages keep well in the freezer. Rice cakes need to be boiled before adding to them to any dish. Just a quick boil and rinse and they are ready to use. 

Saute and enjoy.

CHICKEN WITH RICE CAKES

Serves 4-6

1 pound boneless skinless Chicken Thighs

1 tablespoon light Soy Sauce

2 + 1 tablespoons Canola Oil

2 teaspoons minced Garlic

2 teaspoons minced Ginger

4 small Bok Choys

2 tablespoons Gochujang Paste

1 tablespoon Black Bean Paste

1/2 teaspoon Salt

Ground Black Pepper

2 cups Rice Cakes, fresh or frozen

2 Scallions, cut on a bias

Chop chicken into 1" pieces. Remove all visible fat. Place chicken in a bowl.

Season chicken with soy sauce. Keep aside for 10 minutes.

Wash and dry bok choy. Chop them into 1" pieces.

If you are using fresh rice cakes follow the instructions below. Frozen ones need to be defrosted before boiling.

Heat 4-5 cups of water in a saucepan. When it boils add rice cakes and cook for 3-4 minutes. Drain rice cakes and run cold water over them. Keep aside till needed.

Mix gochujang and black bean paste with 1/3 cup water till smooth. 

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a nonstick saucepan. 

When oil is really hot add chicken to the pan. Flatten the chicken out into a single layer. 

Leave chicken undisturbed for 8-10 minutes till the undersides turn brown. Turn the pieces so the flip side browns. Let the chicken brown for 5-6 minutes. Stir often till all the water has evaporated.

Remove chicken from the pan and place in a clean bowl. 

Add remaining oil to the pan. 

Drop ginger and garlic into hot oil, saute till light brown. 

Then add bok choy to the pan and saute over high heat till slightly wilted.

Return chicken to the saucepan. 

Pour the gochujang sauce over chicken and stir so chicken is coated with sauce. 

Add rice cakes to chicken and saute for 2-3 minutes. 

Season with salt and pepper.

Garnish with scallions and enjoy the chicken.

As I said I do enjoy that chewy texture. Paired with chicken in a spicy sauce, the rice cakes take on another delicious life.

Eggplant and Ricotta Dumplings

 

My love affair with Ottolenghi continues unabashed and unabated. His new cookbook is a treasure trove of ideas. This time I try an intriguing eggplant dumpling recipe. Having never heard of eggplants in a patty form, I am determined to master them. 

Cubed eggplants are roasted till soft and caramelized, then roughly mashed and mixed with a generous dollop of ricotta, some Parmesan, basil, eggs, spices and flour. Use your hands to form the patties as they are rather delicate. Gently fried in oil, the patties bake in a zesty tomato sauce. I am amazed how much they taste like the traditional eggplant parmesan! A close cousin draped in similar flavors!

 EGGPLANT AND RICOTTA DUMPLINGS

Loosely adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi

Serves 4-6

1 large Eggplant

1/2 cup fresh Breadcrumbs

1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

1 tablespoon Garlic Paste

1/2 cup minced Parsley

1/2 cup slivered Basil

1 Egg

2 tablespoons all purpose Flour

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Several grinds of Black Pepper

Olive Oil

Tomato Sauce

3 cups chopped Tomatoes

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

3-4 Garlic cloves, sliced thinly

1/2 teaspoon Chili Flakes

2 tablespoons Tomato Ketchup

1/2 teaspoon Paprika

1/4 cup slivered Basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

Heat the oven to 400F/200C.

Cut eggplant into 1 inch cubes. 

Splash olive oil onto a baking sheet. 

Drop eggplant onto sheet. Use your hands to coat the eggplant with oil. Add more oil if needed. 

Season with some salt. 

Roast eggplant till soft and golden, for about 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

Make the tomato sauce by blitzing the tomatoes for 10-15 seconds in  a blender or food processor.

Heat olive oil in a deep saucepan.

Add garlic slices. Allow garlic to turn fragrant and color slightly.

Pour tomato puree, chile flakes, paprika, tomato ketchup, basil leaves, salt and pepper. Bring sauce to simmer and cook for 15 minutes on a low flame.

Scrape the cooled eggplant onto a cutting board and dice cubes into a soft mash. Put the mashed eggplant into a bowl.

Add ricotta, parmesan, breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, basil, egg,  flour salt and pepper to the bowl. Mix well. 

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a nonstick saucepan. 

Form eggplant into small two inch patties. 

Slide them gently into hot oil. Cook till both sides are golden brown. 

Heat oven to 350F/180C.

Ladle a couple of spoons of sauce in a baking dish. 

Place patties over sauce, then cover them with remaining sauce. The tops of the patties should be visible, so try not to drown them. If you have sauce leftover, save it for another use.

Bake uncovered for 15 minutes.

Serve these hot from the oven with crusty bread.

Enjoy!

They are just delicious! A vegetarian's delight, the prep is well worth the concentration of flavors!