Mia Stainsby
Sun
We called on the experts to pull us through hosting Christmas dinner. Here are a few pointers from some of Vancouver’s best and brightest.
DENNIS GREEN
Bishop’s Restaurant
– Cut down on turkey roasting time by cutting out the thigh bone. You can’t be a klutz, though, as you need a small, sharp knife and some skill. “Sever at the knee and hip and pull out,” he instructs. The bird won’t lose its svelte shape, especially if you fill the cavity with stuffing. It will cut roasting time on a 20-pound bird by 21/2 to three hours, he says.
– Peel and prep vegetables ahead of time for cooking at the last minute. Make mashed yams or potatoes the day before in a casserole dish and reheat in microwave before dinner.
– Rest the turkey 30 to 45 minutes after cooking, in which time you can make gravy. Use red wine or port as well as stock. Instead of wrestling with a big roasting pan on your stove top, bring the gravy to a simmer in a 350 F oven. “Don’t worry about lumps at the beginning. A fine sieve does miracles,” Green says.
ROB FEENIE
Lumiere, Feenie’s
– Brine the bird! “The great thing about brining is it helps with people’s biggest worry — overcooking the turkey breast. It saves you,” says Feenie. Brines, which keep the bird moist, are made with salt, sugar, water and if you wish, herbs and spices and recipes can easily be found in cookbooks and web recipes. If you want to get really fancy, you can add vegetables and cook a “brine stock” (which must be cooled) for even more flavour. Feenie’s trick is to add a twenty-sixer of Jack Daniels for a peaty flavour.
– Use some white wine or even a little red wine in the gravy.
– If cooking for a small group, you don’t have to cook a whole bird. Do two turkey breasts or some turkey legs and don’t forget to brine. You can make stuffing separately or insert underneath the tenderloin of the breast. If you want flavour, tuck a strip of bacon in as well. You can even stuff the leg — get the butcher to debone it and use the space for the stuffing.
– To zoot up brussels sprouts, braise in stock after blanching. “The best combination is brussels sprouts and bacon. There are so many cool bacons out there. Or good Oyama sausage. Add chili flakes and bread crumbs for a little more interesting flavour,” says Feenie.
ANGUS AN
Gastropod
– An revisits his past for turkey leftovers ideas. He makes Chinese noodles with julienned turkey meat, vegetables, bean sprouts and thinned sesame paste. “It’s like a salad,” he says. A legacy from his days in Montreal, he loves cold turkey sandwiches on rustic french bread with gravy and cheese curd for a poutine-like creation. “In London, I knew a couple of guys who put french fries in there, too.”
– To give the turkey a flavour boost, slip some tarragon butter under the breast skin. “Make a tarragon compound butter, open up the skin and smother it on the breast.”
SEAN HEATHER
Irish Heather, Salt, Salty Tongue, Lucky Diner and soon,Pepper
– Since he cooks both a ham and a turkey, Heather often doesn’t cook a whole turkey. “I do the breast with stuffing inside. I use sausage meat, herbs, mushrooms and dried apricots for moisture and flavour. There’s no waste and it cooks faster.”
SUSAN MENDELSON
Lazy Gourmet
– Buffets make for lighter work and “People can eat what they want and you don’t miss out on conversation,” she says.
– To appease dieters, have lots of salads. Dress salads lightly and have extra on the side. Have grated cheese on the side as some guests might be lactose intolerant.
– Use the freshest, most wonderful ingredients so you can make simple dishes that taste delicious.
– Print out the menu for the buffet table. “People love to know what’s in the dish and what it’s called.”
– Do as much ahead as possible. “Set the table ahead of time. You’re wrong if you think it takes 15, 20 minutes.”
– Make mint tea, or add fresh mint to black tea at the end of the meal. “It’s a beautifully refreshing end.”
– – –
Bishop’s chef Dennis Green suggests this comfort dessert to end a traditional Christmas meal. With late-harvest wine in the compote and rum in the cake, it’s no ordinary comfort dish.
For the dried fruit, he suggests using cherries, apricots or figs or a combination of them. The compote can be made the day before to develop flavour and even the cakes can be made the day before and warmed up in a microwave oven. Individual little cakes look better but you if want less fuss, you can make it in an 8-inch square pan.
HAZELNUT SPICE CAKE WITH DRIED FRUIT AND LATE-HARVEST RIESLING COMPOTE
Compote
1 cup dried fruit
1 cup late-harvest Riesling or other late-harvest wine
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup honey
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
Cake
1/2 cup hazelnuts
11/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of cardamom
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup dark rum
Compote: Roughly slice large dried fruits such as apricots or figs. Leave cherries whole.
Place wine, water, honey, cinnamon and star anise in a saucepan on medium heat. Once the mixture simmers, add dried fruit. Cover with a lid, then simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, leave covered and let cool. Remove and discard cinnamon and star anise. Refrigerate until needed, up to 7 days.
Cake: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and flour six 1/2-cup ramekins.
Place hazelnuts on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until fragrant and golden. Transfer to a clean tea towel, then rub them gently to remove the skins. Let cool.
Combine hazelnuts, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom in a food processor. Pulse until the nuts are finely ground.
Cream butter and sugar in electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Lightly mix in buttermilk and rum. Add the dry ingredients and mix batter well.
Pour batter into the ramekins. Bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cakes come out clean.
To serve: Dip the bottom of the ramekins in hot water. Run a knife around the edge of the cakes, then gently unmould them. Place a warm cake on each plate and spoon some compote on top. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Makes 6 servings.
© The Vancouver Sun 2006