Mom's Birthday Dinner - Foie Gras, Magret, and Delectable Desserts

OK, so the delectable desserts were not my doing - the birthday cake of tradition is my dad's gateau success, and we were also bestowed with a buche and a plethora of chocolate marvels from our good friend C - but I did manage to pull off the remainder of the meal thanks to acquisition of some crucial ingredients. Thanks to the consultation of a friendly local wine merchant the evening began with a sparkling Spanish wine - cava - which was a big hit with some none-homemade cheese biscuits, brioche toasts with a melting blend of gruyere and emmenthaler cheeses and slices of cornichons, and baguette toasts of onion jam and French Saucissons slices. When the bottle and snacks were reduced to droplets and crumbs, we sat down to the main meal, a substantial part of which I had been able to prepare in advance, with only a few last-minute details to manage.

We began with a baby spinach salad with a warm dressing of caramelized onions and apples, toasted walnuts, homemade croutons, and topped with gently seared slices of fresh foie gras. The main course featured magret - duck breast - that had been seared and quickly broiled in a hot oven, and was accompanied by dishes of roasted brussels sprouts and carrots with slivered almonds and dried cranberries, as well as duck fat-roasted potatoes. Other than saying that the company and flavors created an ideal evening, I won't write more of the experience and instead provide the details of the ingredients and procedures upon which I relied.

Baby spinach salad with a warm caramelized onion and apple dressing, toasted walnuts, and homemade croutons.

Dressing:

1 apple - any firm variety would be a good choice (I used Braeburn) - peeled, cored, cut into 12 wedges

1 onion, thickly sliced

3 tblsp vegetable oil

1/2 cup apple cider

1/4 cup cider vinegar,

salt and pepper

1) Begin by heating 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a small saucepan over minimal heat. Add the apple wedges, and onion slices. Cover the saucepan and cook the apple and onion gently until both are soft and slightly caramelized.

2) At this point add the vinegar and apple cider, increase the heat, and boil all uncovered until you are left with about 2 - 3 tablespoons of liquid. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil should the flavor of the dressing be a little too pungent. Season to taste.

Croutons

2 cups of bread cubes - a crusty bread is ideal

1 tsp dried parsley

2 tblsp duck fat

salt and pepper

1) Melt the duck fat in the microwave and toss in a large bowl with the bread cubes, dried parsley and seasoning. Turn the evenly coated bread cubes out onto a sheet pan and bake for 30 minutes at 250 degrees.

Salad

1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

1 tsp duck fat

1 quantity of baby spinach - as little or as much as you deem appropriate for your crowd

1/4 -1/3 lobe fresh foie gras, in 1/3" thick slices

Croutons

Dressing

Salt and pepper

1) Heat a small non-stick pan over medium high heat and add the duck fat. Toss in the walnuts and seasoning and toast them for about 5 minutes until they turn golden and fragrant - remember to shake the pan on occasion so that they will toast evenly.

2) Wash and dry the spinach and put it into large bowl with the croutons, and walnuts. Add the warm dressing, and toss everything together. Divide the salad among the necessary number of plates.

3) Heat a small pan over high heat, and when it is searing add your pieces of foie gras. Cook for less than a minute per side and sprinkle with a little coarse sea salt. Top each salad with an even portion of foie gras and serve immediately.

Dressing

Baby Spinach Salad

Seared magret with a blood orange and balsamic jus

Sauce:

1 cup veal stock - or other homemade stock

2 blood oranges, juiced

1 tblsp balsamic vinaigrette

1 tsp maple syrup

Salt and Pepper

1) Begin by boiling down your stock until you have about 1/4 of well concentrated liquid. Add the blood orange juice and balsamic vinaigrette and reduce again. Finally add the maple syrup and seasoning to your liking and put aside until ready to serve.

Duck:

6 duck breasts with fat

Salt and pepper

1) Preheat a broiler to high. Place a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Meanwhile put the breasts, skin side up on a cutting board. Score the fat diagonally in both directions to achieve a diamond pattern. Turn the breasts over so that they are skin side down and season the flesh with salt and pepper and any other herbs/spices that you wish.

2) When the pan is searing hot, add three breasts, again skin side down to the pan. Cook the breasts for about 5 minutes on the first side. Turn each breast over and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Remove the breasts to a sheet pan and repeat this procedure with the remaining three breasts.

3) Place all 6 breasts on the sheetpan in the preheated oven and allow them to finish cooking until you reach your desired temperature - note that duck is best served rare or medium rare.

4) To serve remove the breasts to a cutting board and slice thinly and arrange on a presentation platter. Rewarm the sauce to just below a simmer and pour over the duck slices.

Roasted brussels sprouts and carrots with slivered almonds and dried cranberries

1-2 lbs brussels sprouts, washed and trimmed

3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4"-thick coins

2 tblsp duck fat

1 tsp dried parsley

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup slivered raw almonds

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2) Melt the duck fat in a microwave and pour it into a large bowl with the prepared vegetables and seasonings

3) Turn the vegetables out onto a sheetpan and roast for 20 minutes until tender. Add the almonds and cranberries and roast for a brief 3-5 minutes to warm everything through.

 

Duck fat roasted fingerling potatoes

3 lbs fingerling potatoes

1/2 cups duck fat

2 tsp dried parsley

Salt and Pepper

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2) Cut the potatoes lengthwise into quarters. Put into a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling cook the potatoes for 5 minutes.

3) Drain the potatoes in a large colander and shake so that the pieces begin to become jagged.

4) Melt the duck fat in the microwave and pour into a large roasting pan. Add the potatoes and the seasoning and toss to coat everything evenly.

5) Roast the potatoes in the preheated oven for 30 - 40 minutes, tossing occasionally so that they crisp up evenly. Serve hot with duck and roasted veggies.

There is perhaps no better occasion to revive my inspiration to blog than Thanksgiving - a holiday devoted to the preparation and sharing of food and thanks. This year I was eager to tackle the turkey and its dressings of stuffing and gravy. Although one of my favorite sources of culinary information, Cook's Illustrated, presented a preparation method involving glazing and butterflying that was very intriguing, I opted for the same method I used last year. I also discovered this method from the aforementioned publication, and found it so successful that I couldn't resist trying it out on our Hogwash Farm turkey this year.
Firstly I must promote the process of making one's own stock, as it is so simple and yields superior tasting dressing products. Because my current professional position privileged me to obtain an extra set of turkey giblets, I simply used the two necks along with some aromatics (bay leaf, peppercorns, celery heart, and leek trimmings) to make my stock. I simmered everything together in a pot of about 4 cups of water for 2 to 3 hours. I then strained off and discarded the aromatics, reserved the turkey necks to pick at during further preparations, and used a cup and a half of stock for my stuffing, and the rest for the gravy - for which a recipe also follows.
Initially the preparation involves dry-brining the bird by rubbing about 2 tablespoons between the skin and the flesh, which is easily done after separating the two using the handle of a wooden spoon. Next I proceeded by wrapping the turkey tightly in plastic wrap and letting it refrigerate/brine for nearly 48 hours. On the morning of Thanksgiving Thursday, I removed our bird from the plastic wrap, dried it all over using paper towels, poked some holes into the fat deposits, and rubbed its outer layer with a 50-50 mixture of salt and baking powder to help it brown during roasting. I then let the turkey rest at  room temperature for an hour or so, which was not part of the original instructions, but would allow for more even roasting. After preparing the stuffing to a respective point- my recipe for which can be found at the end of this posting - I used half of my prepared stuffing to fill the cavity of the bird, and then tied the legs together. I next turned the bird so that its breast side was facing downwards in a roasting rack and pan, and finally laid salt pork over its back before placing it in the 350-degree preheated oven. I let the bird roast for a good three hours in order for it to reach the recommended temperature of 130 degrees. At this stage I took the bird out of the oven, turned the over up to 450 degrees, removed the turkey on its rack to a sheet pan, took off the crispified salt pork (also to be reserved for picking), turned over the bird, cut the twine binding the legs, removed the stuffing to add it to its other half, poured the pan drippings into a fat-separating gravy boat, and returned the turkey to the pan and the newly preheated oven. Although this may seem like quite a process to have to go through in the middle of preparing a full Thanksgiving menu, I can attest that the results are well-worth any inconveniences! The bird remained in the hot oven for another good hour - keep in mind that this year the Bothe family acquired a 15 pound and some odd ounce bird, and that it is necessary to adjust cooking times according to other sized birds. The final temperature of the thick part of the breast should read a recommended 160 degrees while the thick part of the thigh should read 175 degrees. I allowed the bird to rest for 30 minutes or so as I picked away at the neck and salt pork and finished cooking the stuffing.

Chicken and Butternut Squash Lasagna

This weekend I was honored with a visit from some very dear Boston friends, "R" and "M", who have quickly become some of my favorite people to cook for simply because they are so willing to try whatever I happen to prepare for them. This weekend, as "R" seemed keen to try some homemade pasta, I decided to go with lasagna. However I didn't much feel like going with the traditional meet, cheese, and tomato version - obviously a wonderful classic, but one that leaves out the tasty array of autumnal produce - and so I opted to try out some flavor combinations, making use of some seasonal produce as well as some leftovers in the fridge. What I forgot to think about is that "M", being from the Midwest, prefers the carnivore side of being an omnivore. Nevertheless he did manage to taste and hold down some butternut squash, which I found highly admirable. In exchange I accepted his request for a chocolate souffle for dessert, which turned out to be a group effort. Without further ado, my recipe for chicken and butternut squash lasagna:

Fresh Pasta
100g type '00' flour
1 egg
pinch of salt

1) Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until the dough just begins to come together. Turn out the dough onto a work surface and kneed together with hands. Kneed until the dough is smooth and elastic, wrap in plastic wrap and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.
2) Pass the dough through a pasta roller, cutting as necessary into manageable pieces. I like lasagna sheets to be fairly thin, and so went until the sixth setting. However if you would like your sheets to be a little thicker, you may need to prepare more dough - the ratio is easy, one egg per 100g of flour.
3) Lay the pasta sheets on a clean kitchen towel - they will dry out over time - until you're ready to use them.

Chicken and Butternut Squash Lasagna
4 whole chicken legs or breasts, cooked and cooled, and meat torn into bite-sized pieces - I was using leftovers, and so had roasted meat, but you may choose to cook them however you choose
1 butternut squash, peeled
3 red onions, peeled, halved, and sliced thinly
1 tblsp honey
2 cups shredded cheese - I chose Fontina because it melts so wonderfully, but a nice cheddar would work really well also
10 leaves of fresh sage, roughly chopped
2 tblsp butter
2 tblsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tblsp flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup cream

1) Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and then again crosswise. Remove the seeds from the bottom rounded halves. With the narrower half turn each piece onto their cut sides and slice each so that you have 1/4" half moon shapes. Place these on a sheet pan, season, and coat with 1 tblsp of olive oil. Roast in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, and turn each piece over. Return to the oven and roast for another 20 minutes until squash is tender.
2) Cut the remaining squash into cubes. Heat a pan over medium heat and add the remaining tblsp of olive oil, the cubed squash, and the sage. Saute for 5 minutes or so until the squash just begins to soften then add enough water to just cover the top of the cubes. Allow to simmer stirring occasionally until the water has evaporated. If some pieces of squash are still too firm add more water and allow to evaporate 1/4 cup at a time until you achieve your desired texture - I was going for almost a puree. Season your mixture and remove to a bowl to cool slightly.
3) In another pan melt 1 tblsp of butter over medium-low heat and when it begins to foam add the red onion slices. Allow to sweat then add the honey and continue to cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the onions will caramelize evenly. Set these aside as well and have all your ingredients ready to layer.
4) Combine the chicken pieces, the stock, and the cream in a saucepan and bring to just below a simmer. Combine the remaining tblsp of butter with the flour until a thick paste forms, and add a spoonful of this to the hot chicken and liquid, stirring after each addition and stopping after you have achieved your desired sauce consistency.
5) Boil a large pot of salted water, and cook the lasagna sheets for 3-5 minutes - it is better if they are more than just slightly al dente, as they will finish cooking and absorbing juices in the oven. Drain the pasta and run cool water over them and dry on a clean kitchen towel.

6) To assemble you lasagna, butter the bottom and sides of any oven-safe pan you wish to use. First place the sliced, roasted butternut squash pieces in the bottom of the pan and cover with a layer of the lasagna sheets. Next add a layer of all the thickened chicken mixture as well as a layer of shredded cheese and cover with another layer of pasta. Put the butternut squash almost-puree on top with a layer of the cheese and a final layer of pasta. Lastly spread the caramelized onions evenly over the surface of the lasagna and top with the last bit of cheese. The lasagna is now ready for the oven and should be nicely heated through when baked for 30 - 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Serve with a green salad dressed with a maple-balsamic vinaigrette.

Inventive Cooking

During the past month or so I have had opportunity to engage in some adaptive cooking. The first cause of this challenge - as I like to look at it from the perspective of a "reality cooking program" - was the result of the fact that since my return from France, and up until last Thursday, I had no use of a real oven. Apparently a crucial component of our oven had decided to breakdown during my parents' preparation of a roast one weekend during my absence, and said component had to be sent first to Canada and then to Illinois in order to undergo 400 dollars-worth of repair. Incidentally, the lack of an oven this past month has commanded that I rely primarily on a good old-fashioned stove-top method for most of my culinary escapes. However this has not been the only reason I have chosen to partner with the stove in cooking this fall. Since the weather has changed from summery and humid to autumnal and crisp, I have been longing for dishes that invite comfort and warmth, and cook-top braises have provided for precisely that.
It was thus with this mindset that I headed off to Boston for a weekend of reuniting with some of my favorite people from my Alma Mater. Because we had been sequestered to dorm life for four years together we were never presented with the opportunity to cook together, so on this occasion I was determined to be able to prepare a meal for us that didn't come from a dining hall/dorm room microwave. The principal ingredient I decided would be chicken and what better way to feed a group than to have everything come from one pot - well I suppose I should say multiple pots as some size-constraints did limit how much I could fit into one vessel?
Thus I set to work in "R's" and "M's" kitchen to prepare my meal of braised chicken - a la Charlotte - with garlic bread, crudites and chips with chickpea and spinach and artichoke dips to start, and apple crumble to finish. The following are general guidelines and quantities I used, but I cannot guarantee precise accuracy as I did everything by taste for this occasion.


Chickpea Dip
1 can chickpeas, drained and juices reserved
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 tblsp lemon juice
1 tblsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin powder - I actually forgot this, but it really does add a nice flavor
salt and pepper to taste

1) Combine the chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and seasonings into the food processor and add 1-2 tblsps of the reserved chickpea juices. Process until smooth, season, and transfer to a serving bowl to be eaten with crudites and chips.


Spinach and Artichoke Dip
1/4 package frozen spinach, defrosted and drained- or fresh spinach sauteed until wilted in a little bit of oil
1 8 oz package Philadelphia cream cheese - you can even use the spinach and artichoke flavour if you want
1 8 oz jar artichoke hearts, drained
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 green onions, chopped - I really only added these because they were there and I like a little oniony flavor

1) Combine the spinach, cream cheese, artichoke hearts, Parmesan and green onions into the food processor. Process until smooth, season if necessary, and transfer to a serving bowl to be eaten with crudites and chips.


Braised Chicken with Mirepoix and Tomatoes
12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs - natural, organic preferred
6 tblsp olive oil
2 tblsp butter
dried thyme leaves
salt and pepper
1/4 cup red wine
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped finely
2 whole carrots peeled and chopped
2 ribs of celery, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes

1) Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tblsp of olive oil and 1 tblsp of butter. Season all the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and dried thyme leaves. When the butter has melted place six thighs into the pan and allow to sear for roughly 5 minutes. Turn the pieces of chicken over and cook the same on the other side. Remove these thighs to a large heavy-bottomed pot, and repeat the procedure with the remaining six pieces of chicken, 2 more tblsps of olive oil and 1 more tblsp of butter.
2) once all the chicken has been transferred, add the 1/4 cup of red wine to the hot pan to deglaze. Add these juices to the pot with the chicken and top it off with cold water - enough to cover all the chicken. Put the pot over high heat to bring it to a simmer, then reduce the heat so that the contents is at a bare simmer. Allow to cook uncovered while you prepare the rest of the meal - I think I had it going for about an hour or so - at which point the liquid should have reduced significantly.
3) Return the pan you used to sear the chicken to the heat and add the final 2 tblsp of olive oil. Allow the onions to sweat for five minutes first, then add the garlic, carrots, and celery. Cook these also slowly over low heat until all the veggies are tender. Remove from the heat.
4) Once the chicken has achieved your desired tenderness - I like it so that one doesn't even need a knife to cut it, and rather it just falls apart by itself - add the diced tomatoes with their juices. Heat through and finally add the vegetables. Stir until everything is evenly distributed. Bring to the table/floor with garlic bread after your friends have enjoyed their appetizer/hors d'oeuvres course.


Garlic Bread
1 loaf of your favorite crusty bread
1 stick unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped finely
2 tblsp fresh parsley, chopped - or 1 tblsp dried parsley
1 tsp salt - or to taste

1) Combine the stick of butter, parsley, and salt together in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute, stirring when done.
2) Cut your loaf of bread into even slices, being sure not to slice all the way through the bottom so that the butter cannot escape. Put the loaf into a nest of aluminum foil and onto a baking sheet.
3) Brush the butter onto both sides of every slice - any remaining butter can be brushed over the top of the loaf afterwards. Bake the bread in the oven for five to ten minutes until the crust is nice and crispy and the inside pieces are piping hot. Serve with your entree.


Apple Crumble
This recipe definitely needed some tweaking, so I will try to get back to you on it - thanks to "E" though for all her hard work pealing the apples!


THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO FIVE CAMELS: "S", "R", "J", "C" and "E"

Welcome October!

The combination of a truly inspirational trip to the Norwich farmer's market, the opportunity to sift through stacks of years and years worth of cooking magazines, and the emergence of seasonal temperatures had me devoted to the kitchen this weekend. I began with some preparation for the week's meals by making a fully flavorful batch of tomato soup - thanks to the beautifully ripened fruit that "W" offered me earlier in the week. I then moved onto a Normandy-style chicken braise, which combined seared then poached Misty Knoll chicken pieces in a sauce of white wine, apple, mushrooms, and cream; and which served as Saturday night's dinner. Next came the initial preparations for some wild Alaskan salmon gravlax, involving cling-wrapping a marvelously pink filet of salmon with a mixture of 50% sugar and 50% sea salt, and 30 grams of chopped dill. The salmon is currently resting in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped beneath the weight of two liters of tomato soup, and will remain there for the next 24-48 hours until it has been "cooked" through. In addition to these preparations, I also composed two different, yet dilectable salads using the last of the season's beets, tomatoes, lettuces, radishes, green beans, etc...
Thus, it was all in all a sumptuous weekend dedicted to primarily savory tastes. I did however find myself yearning to attempt a slightly more ambitious project, and this afternoon embarked upon the making of one of my favorite candies - soft, chewy, and mouthwatering nougat. I learned how to make this traditional French "Nougat Montelimar" during a chocalate and candy-making course I took while in England. Although the process of making it can seem quite daunting due to cooking various combinations of sweeteners to fairly exact temperatures having to do multiple tasks simultaneously, it proves fully satisfying to complete and then eat! Here is the recipe and technique in adapted quantities.

Dark Chocolate Nougat Montelimar
1 egg white
200 g honey
200 g caster sugar
200 g glucose
100 g dark chocolate couverture
72 g whole roasted hazelnuts
100 g roasted almonds (I used slivers rather than whole ones)
1 sheet of A4-sized rice paper, cut in half

1) Whisk the egg white to a stiff foam - this is best done in a stand mixer as it allows you to have both hands free to accomplish the other preparations, however a hand mixer works fine as I discovered myself.
2) Meanwhile cook the honey to 120 degrees celcius and pour it in a steady stream onto the whisking egg whites. Whisk untill all the honey is incorporated and keep the stand mixer running if you have that luxury.
3) The the sugar and glucose together to 138 degrees celcius and repeat the same process of pouring it steadly into the egg white and honey misture - again all while whisking.
4) Turn the mixer off and melt the chocolate either in a microwave or over a low temperature on a stove top. 5) Add the roasted nuts to the chocolate, mix and then quickly fold the combination into the whipped, significantly sweetened egg white mixture and turn out the lot into a small-sized baking tray lined with one piece of rice paper. Smooth out the top and place the second piece of rice paper over the sticky surface. Allow the whole tray to cool to room temperature and then cut into desired pieces and shapes.

Photos Culinaire de la France

The quotation above comes from the start of my three-week trip to France, and very accurately reflects the culinary experiences that highlighted my days in what I consider to be the forerunning country in all cuisine - from the traditional and basic to the haute and gastronomic. Following are pictures - mostly from markets - of the many delights that I tasted throughout my trip.

 

 

Hamburger Heaven

Just a quick post to share my own Cheeseburger Rossini featuring all local and fresh ingredients!

Bun: Brioche roll from Allechante, Norwich, VT

Pate de Campagne - sorry this is not a local product and hoping to find one similar in the Upper Valley

Beef: Ground grass-fed beef from Luna Bleu Farm, South Royalton, VT

Cheese: Ascutney Mountain from Cobb Hill Cheese, Hartland, VT

Onion: From Hurricane Flats, South Royalton, VT

Tomato: Heirloom variety from Cedar Circle Farm, Thetford, VT

Lettuce: Boston Head Lettuce from Killdeer Farm, Norwich, VT