All
the Necessary Ingredients for a Perfect
French Style Thanksgiving
By
Executive Chef Jean Francois Meteigner, La Cachette
Restaurant in, Los Angeles
Celery
Root Salad
Ingredients:
(6
people)
2 large celery roots peeled and cut in 4 pieces
1 lemon juice
3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
Procedure:
Shred celery root in Cuisinart, add lemon juice,
salt, pepper and
mayonnaise. May be prepared 1 hour before cold
serving.
Red
Beet Salad
Ingredients:
(10 people)
4 lbs. of large red beets
Raspberry vinegar
Olive oil
5 Shallots chopped fine
1/4 red onion chopped fine
Procedure:
Cook Red Beets in water with a little salt until
soft in the center. Peel and cut red beets in
medium dices. Mix 5 tbs. raspberry vinegar with
1 tbs. olive oil. Season red beets with vinaigrette,
add shallots and onions. Serve as salad before
turkey.
Turkey
and Gravy
Ingredients:
1 turkey 18 to 20 lbs.
1 cup croutons or cubed bread
2 large duck legs - deboned and ground
1 cup chestnuts poached in milk
1/2 cup spinach, blanched
Nutmeg
Black pepper
Salt
Procedure:
1. Mix duck meat with chestnuts,
spinach and croutons. Season to taste with nutmeg,
salt and pepper. Melt 1/2 cup of butter and
2 tbs., honey. Stuff turkey. Brunch turkey with
honey. Ad salt & pepper on top. Roast in
a 350† degree oven for 1& 1/2 hours until
top of bird is brown. Lower oven to 200† for
another 3 hours. Baste turkey.
2. Gravy sauté neck
& trimmings together until carrot, celery,
onions, garlic, thyme and rosemary. Deglaze
with 1/2 cup of white wine and 1 cup of port
wine. Add 3 cups of duck stock or chicken stock
and 1 cup water. Cook 2 hours. Strain stock
and reduce 1/3rd of volume. Put aside.
3. In a pan cook 2 tbs butter
with 1 tbs flour for 5 minutes to a light brown
color. Add cold stock to flower with a whisk.
Cook 1/2 hour. Sauté 10 sliced mushrooms
with garlic, salt and pepper. Add to sauce.
You may add 1/3rd of a cup of cream to sauce
for a richer consistency. Take stuffing out
of turkey as soon as bird is cooked.
Corn
Gratin
Ingredients:
(6
servings)
6 to 8 corn-on-the-cob
2 tbs. flour
2 tbs. butter
2 cups milk
1/8 tsp.ground nutmeg
Salt
Ground pepper
Grated Swiss cheese or parmesan cheese
Procedure:
Sauté corn with 1 tbs olive oil - 10
minutes. Put aside. Melt butter than add flower.
Cook for 2 minutes in low heat. Flower mix should
be white. Add milk, nutmeg, salt & pepper
Slowly cook for 5 minutes, add corn into the
white sauce. Put aside. In a small soufflé
mold, add corn mix (leave 1/2 inch space). Top
with cheese and bake at 370† for 15 minutes.
Finish in broiler for nice brown color.
Pecan
Tart
Ingredients:
(1 tart)
4 oz. butter
8 oz. of pecans
5 oz. sugar
1 cup eggs
3/4th cup corn syrup
1/8th tsp. salt.
Procedure:
Mix all ingredients and put in a mold.
Place on top of dough. Bake at 375† for 45 minutes.
Pate
Brisee
Ingredients:
1 lb. butter
2 lbs. flour
1⁄2 tsp. salt
Procedure:
Mix together and add 1cup water. Prepare dough
2 or 3 hours ahead (best one day in advance).
Pumpkin
Soup with Spices
Ingredients:
(10 people)
4 lb. Peeled and diced pumpkin or 4&1/2
of baked pumpkin flesh
2 teaspoon ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 large leeks, diced, washed twice
3 onions diced
1 large celery root diced
Procedure:
Saute' leek onion & celery root 5 minutes
with 3 tablespoons of virgin olive oil. Add
salt (no pepper). Add the remaining spices and
diced or baked pumpkin. Cover with chicken stock
for raw pumpkin. Cook 40 minutes and blend.
For baked pumpkin cook for 25 minutes then blend
and serve.
Tips:
1. When pureeing the pumpkin
in the blender, wait until the soup is warn
to avoid accident. Ginger Snap Cookies would
be good with this soup!
2. The finished dinner is light,
delightful and makes a smashing presentation
for your Thanksgiving table. Bon Appetit!
Other
Great Related Links:
|
