| Chef2Chef Recipe Club - Volume 1 Number 045 - November 16, 2001. If you have any questions, a quick way to an answer is our Recipe Club Discusson Forum at http://forums.chef2chef.net ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Good Friday Morning. It seems hard to believe that Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Chef June Jacobs CCP shares a Southern Thanksgiving with us. A Creole Roast Turkey, Wow! Chef June tells me that the Creole Butter is definitely great on other things, like fish fillets. So keep some in your freezer! We'd like to thank Chef June for her wonderful recipes and invite her back again real soon. Next week we'll have some Thanksgiving recipes Monday through Wednesday. Then a few recipes to help you deal with the leftovers on Friday. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Friday: I'm not including the "whole" Thanksgiving menu here, just the turkey, dressing and dessert. Everyone needs to incorporate a few "old family recipes," even when presenting a few new ideas. Can't mess with "tradition" completely... Chef June Jacobs CCP Creole Roast Turkey If my way of roasting turkey reminds you of Julia Child's, I can tell you in all honesty that she taught me (via "From Julia Child's Kitchen") how to cook a turkey. This method has always been successful, so "if it's not broke, why fix it?" The massage with Creole Butter comes from my love of Louisiana cooking. It won't make the turkey "hot," just gives it a warm "glow!" For the perfect dressing, you'll want to make Flora's Cornbread Dressing, which follows. For a 16- 25-pound turkey 1 fresh, free-range turkey Sea salt Handful of celery tops 2 cups coarsely chopped carrots and onions Handful of parsley sprigs Fresh herbs of choice Creole butter 6 reserved whole sage leaves 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Remove any loose fat from inside the cavity. Cut off the wing tips and add to the ingredients for stock. 2. Rinse and thoroughly dry the turkey with paper towels. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons salt in the cavity. Put celery, parsley, sage and cooked vegetables from the stock preparation inside. Carefully run your fingers under the breast skin to loosen it. Rub under the skin with Creole butter, then insert 6 whole perfect sage leaves in a pattern under the skin. Rub skin all over with Creole butter. Skewer the neck skin and vent. Tie with kitchen twine to hold legs and wings in place. Place turkey, breast side up, on rack in roaster. Tent with heavy-duty foil, shiny side in. 3. Roast in the preheated oven, lifting the tent to baste, first with cooking oil, then with the accumulated pan drippings. About 1 1/2 hours before it is done, add the 2 cups of carrots and onions to the pan to flavor the pan juices. Teacher's Tips: 1. The most reliable way to tell if your turkey is nearly done is to insert an instant read thermometer. It should register 165 degrees F. The turkey will continue to cook as it rests. 2. After you remove the turkey from the oven, put an upside-down salad plate on a large sheet pan. Rest the turkey (breast side down) against the plate with its tail in the air. Cover the whole thing with a foil tent and place in the still-warm oven (with the heat turned off) while you finish the gravy. Pounds Hours at 325 Rest Period Safe Total Time 8-12 3-1/4 - 4 20 20 4-1/2 - 4-3/4 12-16 3-1/2 - 4-1/2 20 20 5-1/2 16-20 4 - 6 30 30 5-1/2 - 7 20-25 5-1/2 - 7-1/2 30 30 7 - 8-1/2 Turkey Stock and Gravy Giblets (except the liver) and wing tips 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 cups chopped onions 1 cup chopped carrots 1 cup chopped celery 2/3 cups dry white wine or vermouth 2 cups chicken stock or water Sea salt 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon fresh thyme 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 3 tablespoons potato starch mixed with 1/4 cup cold chicken stock 2 tablespoons Armagnac 1. Chop neck into 2-inch pieces, quarter the gizzard, halve the heart. Rinse and dry with paper towels. 2. Heat oil in a heavy 2 1/2 - 3-quart saucepan. Stir in giblets and brown rapidly on all sides. Don't let the oil burn. Remove giblets and stir the vegetables into the pan; cover and cook 5 to 8 minutes, until tender. Then uncover, raise heat and brown lightly, for several minutes. Remove half the vegetables and put into the turkey cavity. Return the giblets to the pan. Add vermouth, stock and water to cover ingredients by 1 inch. Add salt and herbs, and simmer partially covered for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Strain, degrease, return to pan. Beat in starch mixture, simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Chill. 3. Finishing Spoon excess fat out of roasting pan. Pour in turkey stock and stir over moderately high heat for several minutes, scraping bottom of the pan to get all the coagulated juices incorporated into the sauce. Strain into a saucepan, pressing all the juices out of the vegetables. Degrease the gravy again, and correct seasonings. To reheat just before serving, add 2 tablespoons Armagnac and ignite. When the flames have all gone out, pour into a warm bowl or gravy boat. Wine Tip: Normally, there are a wide variety of wine choices to accompany the holiday bird. However, the Creole "glow" on this one leads me to prefer the great American Zinfandel above the rest. I especially like a big one from Shenandoah. Creole Butter This is almost as essential to my Thanksgiving turkey as the bird itself. Try it! You'll also find MANY other uses for this incendiary butter. The secret is that when you use it with meats, fish or vegetables, it doesn't make them spicy. Rather, it imparts a warm glow to everything it meets. As with all butter, it freezes well. Makes about 2/3 cup 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature 3 medium garlic cloves, mashed 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons fresh thyme 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1/2 teaspoon each white, black, red peppers Blend all in the food processor until smooth. Transfer to bowl. Teacher's Tip: To freeze, wrap securely in plastic wrap and then in a zip lock freezer bag. Be sure to label it with the date! Turkey Shopping List: 1 fresh, free-range turkey Bunch flat-leaf parsley Fresh herbs of choice Vegetable oil 5 or 6 onions 2 bunches carrots Bunch celery (make sure to get one with leaves!) Dry white wine or vermouth Chicken stock Sea salt Bay leaf Crushed red pepper flakes Potato starch Armagnac Unsalted butter 1 head garlic Hot pepper sauce Worcestershire sauce Fresh thyme Rubbed sage Ground allspice White, black, red peppers Flora's Cornbread Dressing I consider this an "heirloom recipe." It's from my "other mother," Flora Hayden. All Flora's kids LOVE this dressing and make it for every occasion. In addition to serving this with turkey, I use it to recreate Flora's Baked Chicken and Dressing (browned pieces of chicken are "buried" in the dressing in a deep roaster and baked for about 1 1/2 hours) and to stuff double-thick pork chops. Once you've mastered the recipe, you'll think of many ways to enjoy it. Makes enough dressing to accompany 2 chickens or 1 medium-sized turkey. 2 or 3 celery stalks, finely chopped 1 large green bell pepper, finely chopped 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1 8-inch pan cornbread 8 slices crisp toast 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 teaspoon celery seed 2 cups chicken stock (home made is best, or use More than Gourmet or Perfect Addition) 2 teaspoons rubbed sage 1 teaspoon powdered sage 2 extra large eggs Sea salt and pepper to taste 1. Sauté celery, bell pepper and onion in 2 tablespoons melted butter. 2. Mash all the ingredients together in a bowl. Add more stock if necessary to thoroughly moisten the mixture. (Be careful not to make it too mushy.). 3. Place in an oiled baking dish, cover with foil, shiny side in, and bake for 1 hour in the 325 degree oven with the turkey. Teacher's Tip: "I never stuff anything with dressing/stuffing. I LOVE dressing and if you stuff something, there just wouldn't be enough!" - quote from Sheila Thomas. Dressing Shopping List: Bunch of celery 1 large green bell pepper 1 large onion Unsalted butter 1 8-inch pan cornbread 8 slices crisp toast 1 head garlic Celery seed Chicken stock (home made is best, or use More than Gourmet or Perfect Addition) Rubbed sage Powdered sage 2 extra large eggs Sea salt Whole black peppercorns Sweet Potato Pie Now, this is my favorite dessert in the whole world. I do not like marshmallows and oranges, et al in my sweet potatoes as part of the main meal. I want mine for dessert! When Sweet Potato Pie is GOOD, it has no competition as far as I'm concerned. Don't disagree with me until you've tried it. Makes 2 9-inch regular or 1 10-inch deep dish pie(s) 4 large sweet potatoes 1 stick (4 ounces / 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter 1/2 cup clover honey 3 extra large eggs 3/4 cup whole milk (or maybe not quite that much) 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon ground mace 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Unbaked pie shell(s) (Use your favorite pie crust recipe, or try the one's Pillsbury packages in the red boxes in the refrigerator case at your supermarket) 1. Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Cook sweet potatoes in large pot. When potatoes are done, remove peelings and mash in large mixing bowl. Mash VERY well. Add butter and stir until it has melted through the potatoes. Add honey, then eggs. Stir well. 2. Add milk a little at a time, taking care the mixture doesn't get too thin. Add vanilla and spices. Taste and adjust seasonings. Pour into unbaked pie shell(s). 3. Bake for about 45 minutes. The center of the pie will still appear runny. Don't worry, the pie continues to cook as it cools. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving with whipped cream or homemade Vanilla ice cream. If you'd like a fancier pie crust, this one is delicious, and you don't have to worry about rolling it out - just pat it into the pan. Crunchy No-Roll Pie Crust 1 1/4 cups unbleached flour Pinch of sea salt 1 tablespoon cane sugar 3 tablespoons toasted, chopped hazelnuts 2 tablespoons shredded, unsweetened coconut 1/4 cup unsalted butter, very cold/cut into 8 pieces 1/4 cup Crisco, very cold 2 tablespoons Frangelico liqueur About 2 tablespoons ice water 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Mix flour, sugar, salt, nuts and coconut in a stainless steel mixing bowl. [Metal works best because your fingers will warm the butter, and the metal will help to keep the ingredients as soon as possible during the process.] Cut Crisco into 8 small pieces. Add Crisco and butter to the dry ingredients. With your [very clean!] fingertips, work the shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. 2. Add the Frangelico and work into the flour mixture. Now, add the water, a few drops at a time, until the mass forms a dough and holds together. It is important not to add any more liquid than is necessary, or you will end up with a mushy mess. 3. Put the mixture into the pie pan and press with your fingertips to form a pie crust. Bake the crust for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Pie Shopping List: 4 large sweet potatoes Unsalted butter Clover honey Extra large eggs Whole milk Pure vanilla extract Ground mace Ground cinnamon Unbaked pie shell(s) (Use your favorite pie crust recipe, or try the one's Pillsbury packages in the red boxes in the refrigerator case at your supermarket) And for the crust... Unbleached flour Fine sea salt Pure cane sugar Hazelnuts Shredded, unsweetened coconut Unsalted butter Crisco Frangelico liqueur ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Chef2Chef Recipe Club - Simply the best daily recipe Club on the Web! Free delicious recipes delivered daily via email. Encourage your family and friends to subscribe! http://chef2chef.net/news/subscribe.htm Discussion Forum: http://forums.chef2chef.net Unsubscribe requests honored instantly http://chef2chef.net/news/subscribe.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |