Freshly-ground wild boar from the Texas Hill Country is mixed with chopped yellow onions, Italian sweet chili powder, fresh garlic, sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Formed into patties, then fried in sage brown butter and served over two-corn polenta (fresh kernel corn and stone-ground yellow flint corn) with sweet peppers and fresh chives..
Savory Wild Boar Sausage with Fried Sage, Two-Corn Polenta
Locally pastured, bone-in heritage pork loin chops are brined in a 5% sea salt solution with rubbed sage and cracked black pepper, then patted dry and grilled over an open wood fire. Basted with a mixture of melted maple butter, raw apple cider vinegar, more sage, salt and pepper and finished to medium doneness. Served with stock-simmered brown and wild rice with sautéed brown mushrooms and sliced spring onions..
Maple, Sage & Black Pepper-Grilled Pork w/Mushroom & Onion Wild Rice Blend
Ethically-produced pork is raised on open pasture, with plenty of fresh air and sunshine. They are free to dig, root and run as they please. Unlike industrial pork confined in foul and fetid cages, these animals are clean and healthy, receiving no antibiotics, hormones, or artificial supplements over their entire lifetime.
Support your local farmers!
A densely nutritious meal from the Boreal forest, true Northern wild rice is cooked in roasted fowl stock with fresh lingonberries, then tossed with torn pieces of pan-fried smoked turkey, wild onions, fresh sage and rosemary. Drizzled with hot stock and pan drippings..
Wild Rice with Smoked Turkey, Lingonberries,Wild Onions and Fried Sage
1 wild rice (if the instructions on the package call for less than 1 hour of cooking, it probably isn’t true wild rice)
2-3/4 cups homemade fowl or vegetable stock, boiling
1/2 cup fresh lingonberries, stemmed, rinsed and picked over (substitute cranberries)
1 tablespoon rendered turkey or chicken fat
pinch of sea salt
1 smoked turkey leg, skinned, pulled and torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup wild onions (both green and white sections), trimmed and cut into to 1/8-inch thick slices
12 whole, fresh sage leaves, stemmed
1 heaping tablespoon fresh rosemary needles
2 tablespoons rendered turkey or chicken fat
freshly-cracked black pepper
Heat 1 tablespoon rendered turkey or chicken fat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add wild rice and stir to coat. Continue cooking and stirring for 5 minutes until each grain is coated and glossy.
Add 2-1/2 cups boiling stock and berries and stir to separate rice. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until just tender, about 1 hour. Salt to taste.
Heat 1-1/2 tablespoons rendered turkey or chicken fat in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add turkey and onions and quickly sear. Add sage and rosemary and cook until herbs are crisp, about 2-3 minutes.
To serve, combine rice and turkey in warm soup bowls. Stir the reserved stock and pan drippings together and drizzle over the top. Season with freshly-cracked black pepper.
The species of wild rice most commonly harvested is the annual Zizania palustris. Native Americans and non-Indians harvest wild rice by canoeing into a stand of plants, and bending the ripe grain heads with wooden sticks called knockers, so as to thresh the seeds into the canoe.
The size of the knockers, as well as other details, are prescribed in state and tribal law. By Minnesota statute, knockers must be at most 1 inch in diameter, 30 inches long, and one pound in weight. The plants are not beaten with the knockers but require only a gentle brushing to dislodge the mature grain. The Ojibwa people call this plant manoomin meaning “good berry”. Some seeds fall to the muddy bottom and germinate later in the year.
Several Native American cultures, such as the Ojibwa, consider wild rice to be a sacred component in their culture. The rice is harvested with a canoe: one person vans (or “knocks”) rice into the canoe with two small poles (called “knockers” or “flails”) while the other paddles slowly or uses a push pole. For these groups, this harvest is an important cultural (and often economic) event. –Wikipedia
A twist on the chicken-fried steak familiar throughout the South (likely first introduced to Texas as Schnitzel by German immigrants in the 1800’s) , this decidedly delicious comfort food favors lean, wild venison over cube steak and adds dried herbs, fresh sage and bacon. The result is surprisingly light, crispy and deeply flavorful..
Chicken-fried Venison with Cream Gravy, Sage and Bacon
Serves 2
8-10 ounces wild venison backstrap (boneless loin, similar in texture to filet mignon but much more flavorful)
2-3 strips bacon
1/4 cup (loose) fresh sage leaves
beef tallow (flavor neutral) for frying
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons organic, whole wheat flour, divided (sprouted flour preferred)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon dried grilling spices (thyme, rosemary, garlic, etc.), crushed
1 pastured egg
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 tablespoons pastured butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1/4 cup homemade chicken stock
1/2 cup fresh cream
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cut the backstrap into equal portions of about 4-5 ounces each. Place between pieces of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to pound evenly into 1/4 inch thick slices. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and allow to stand 10 minutes on an absorbent surface.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the foam subsides, whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour and stir continuously until a thick paste is formed and the flour has lost its “raw” taste, about 5 minutes. Whisk in chicken stock and buttermilk and bring to a boil then immediately lower to a simmer. Whisk in cream and allow to simmer 10 minutes. Season to taste with sea salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
Combine 1/2 cup flour, paprika and dry spices in a bowl or on a plate large enough to hold the pounded venison. Crack the egg into another bowl and whisk with 1/3 cup milk.
Dredge the venison in flour, shake of the excess then dip into the egg wash. Hold over the bowl to drain for a moment, then dredge in the flour a second time. Transfer the breaded venison to a plate and allow to stand 10 minutes.
Cook the bacon in a heavy skillet until crisp then add the sage leaves and fry about 1 minute. Transfer bacon and sage to the side to drain for a moment, then chop coarsely and keep warm.
Add enough tallow to the pan so the the melted volume is about 1/4 inch thick and heat to about 350 degrees. Carefully lay the breaded venison in the pan and shallow fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to the side to drain for a moment, then position on a dinner plate. Spoon gravy over the top, dress with bacon and sage and serve immediately.
The primary diet of axis deer is grass, and they will graze on new weeds and forbs. When grass is not in sufficient quantity, they may browse. Axis graze successfully on native Texas grasses such as curly-mesquite, Indian-grass, side oats grama, big and little bluestem. They do well on improved grasses, such as Klein. Seasonally, they do well on winter wheat. Browse species include live oak and hackberry. Mast includes acorns and mushrooms.
This post is part of Real Food Wednesday!
The elk is one of the largest species of deer in the world and one of the largest mammals in North America. Ranging in forest and forest-edge habitat, elk are ruminants, feeding on grasses, bark, forbs and tree sprouts. High in protein and low in fat, this animal was wild-harvested deep in the Texas hill country..
Pan-Seared Elk Medallions with Herb-Infused, Crushed Chipotle Demi-Glace
Allow one 5-7oz portion per person, depending on accompaniments
Medallions of wild elk loin, cut about 1 inch-thick
coarse sea salt
freshly-ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of tallow
Season elk medallions on all sides with salt and pepper, wrap loosely in butchers’ paper and refrigerate 4-6 hours or overnight.
Remove from refrigerator, blot dry and allow to stand 30 minutes at room temperature. Pan-sear with a little tallow or grill over a wood fire until just medium-rare, then allow to rest 10 minutes before serving over chipotle demi-glace.
Crushed Chipotle Demi-Glace, Home Version (adapted from Saveur)
1/4 lb. uncured bacon, finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup sprouted wheat, spelt or rye flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2-1/2 quarts beef or game stock, divided
1/4 cup good sherry (not cooking wine)
10 sprigs fresh parsley
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 leaves fresh sage
2 chiles chipotle en adobo, crushed
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Render bacon in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes. Add onions and carrots and cook until somewhat softened, about 8 minutes. Use a sifter to sprinkle flour over the vegetables and cook another 10 minutes. Add sherry, herbs and 8 cups of stock and simmer uncovered until reduced in volume by three-quarters, about 2-1/2 to 3 hours.
Strain sauce, discarding solids. Return to pan with chiles chipotle en adobo and remaining stock and simmer until reduced by half, about 2 hours. Demi-glace may be kept in the refrigerator for up to one week.
This post is part of Real Food Wednesday!
Sweet and russet potatoes are boiled and mashed with sprouted wheat flour, pastured egg, sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper and served in a sauce of fried sage, shallots and garlic with fresh cream, steamed nettles and grated Parmesan. Topped with toasted pine nuts and shaved Asiago..
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Stinging Nettles and Parmesan Cream
For the Gnocchi
3/4 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 pound russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup sprouted wheat flour
1 large, pastured egg
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
bowl of ice water
olive oil
Boil potatoes until soft then use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a cutting board (reserve cooking water). Mash the still-hot potatoes with ricer or a large fork until mostly smooth, then allow to cool 5-10 minutes.
Gather the potatoes into a mound and create a well in the center. Sprinkle the flour over the top, then crack an egg into the center. Add salt and pepper and stir into the flour and potatoes as you would regular pasta. Knead gently until nearly dry, about 4 minutes.
Roll dough into 3/4″ diameter cylinders, then cut into 1″ lengths. Squish each gnocchi against the back of a fork then drop into boiling water and cook until they float, about 1 minute. Transfer to ice bath and allow to cool. Drain, lightly coat with olive oil and hold until ready to use.
For the Cream Sauce
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 clove garlic, slivered
8 fresh sage leaves, torn
1 tablespoon butter
1 oz white wine
1 cup fresh cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 1/2 cups fresh nettles, steamed, drained and chopped as you would for fresh spinach
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add shallot, garlic and sage and fry until slightly crisp. Add wine and reduce until nearly dry. Reduce heat to medium low and slowly whisk in cream. Cook until reduced in volume by about 1/3, then stir in Parmesan and nettles. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then add the gnocchi to the pan and heat through.
To serve, spoon gnocchi and cream sauce onto a plate or shallow bowl and garnish with toasted pine nuts and shaved asiago.
This post is part of Meatless Monday!
The term ‘foodshed’ is similar to the concept of a watershed: while watersheds outline the flow of water supplying a particular area, foodsheds outline the flow of food feeding a particular area. Your foodshed encompasses the farm, your table and everything in between. –foodroutes.org
Our foodshed, the Edwards Plateau of central Texas, offers an amazing abundance of food from deer, rabbit and feral hog to freshwater crayfish, bass and catfish and every manner of fruit and vegetable.
This local dish features whitetail deer, smoked bacon, sage, cranberries, sweet potatoes, parsnips and green garlic..
Pan-seared Venison Loin with Roasted Root Vegetables and Cranberry Port Reduction
For the Reduction
1/2 cup fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over
1/3 cup filtered water
1 teaspoon clarified butter
1 teaspoon freshly-squeezed Mayer lemon juice
1 teaspoon more-or-less guajillo honey
1 teaspoon shallot, minced
1 tablespoon port wine
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Heat butter in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add shallots and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Add cranberries and water and simmer until cranberries pop and begin to soften. Add port wine and simmer until reduced in volume by about half. Stir in lemon, season to taste with salt and pepper and add just enough honey to smooth out the tartness (the sauce should be balanced rather than sweet). Keep warm.
For the Vegetables
A seasonal variety of root vegetables, perhaps including sweet potatoes, green garlic, carrots and parsnips, cut in smallish pieces
1 teaspoon pastured butter, melted
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Toss vegetables in melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, then remove and set aside. Vegetables will be underdone at this point.
For the Venison (serves 2)
12 oz fresh, unsliced venison loin (backstrap)
2 pieces applewood-smoked bacon, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons sage, crumbled
1 tablespoon pastured butter
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Fry bacon in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat until crisp and all the fat has rendered. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon and sage to a side dish, leaving the hot bacon fat behind. Rinse the venison, pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium and add butter to bacon fat fat. Once shimmering, add the venison and sear until well browned, about 3 minutes per side. Add par-roasted vegetables to the pan and place in a 400 degree oven until the venison is about 125-130 degrees at the thickest part (use a thermometer). Remove from oven and allow to stand at least 5 minutes.
To serve, spoon cranberry reduction onto the center of a serving plate. Slice venison into 3/4 inch-thick medallions and arrange around the plate along with roasted vegetables. Garnish with crumbled bacon and sage and dress with a spoonful of pan juices. Offer coarse salt on the side.
A slightly different take on a classic dish, these Potatoes Gratiné forgo the usual cheese and cream in favour of bacon, onions and fresh tri-color sage..
Potatoes Gratiné
Serves 2-3 as a side dish
approx. 18-20 fingerling potatoes, quartered
1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 pound un-cured bacon or fresh pork belly, diced
1 small bunch tri-color sage (Salvia officinalis Tricolor)
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground smoked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
2 pieces of stale bread
1 tablespoon pastured butter
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Sauté bacon or pork belly in a heavy skillet until about half cooked, then add potatoes. Cook, stirring often, until the potatoes are golden brown and tender and the bacon is nearly crisp. Add onions, garlic and sage and cook until onions are translucent. Pour of excess fat then season potatoes to taste with sea salt and smoked pepper. Transfer to a small casserole and set aside.
Cut or tear stale bread into small pieces and combine with chopped parsley and melted butter. Scatter the gratin over the top of the potatoes then place the casserole 8 inches under the broiler until toasted.
Semi-boneless quail seasoned with sea salt and smoked pepper and stuffed with wild rice, pecans, scallions and porcini mushrooms. Served with blackberry jus lié.
I wish the plate presentation were better, but I was scrambling like mad before losing the light. Oh, well..
Pan-Roasted Quail with Wild Rice Stuffing and Blackberry Jus Lie
Serves two
For the Rice
1 cup wild rice
chicken stock instead of water, in the quantity specified on the rice package
2 whole porcini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 chopped pecans
1 clove garlic, minced
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
sea salt and black pepper
Cook the rice and set aside to cool. Sauté mushrooms, pecans, garlic, scallions and sage until the pecans are golden brown then stir into the cooled rice. Add 1/4 cup of chicken stock and season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
For the Quail
4 semi-boneless quail
2 tablespoons pastured butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon poivron rouge
sea salt and smoked blacked pepper
Rinse and pat dry the quail. Tuck the wing tips. Use a teaspoon or your fingers to stuff in as much rice as the bird will comfortably hold.
Transfer the birds to a skillet. Mix together the melted butter and paprika and use that to paint the birds with. Place in a 375 degree oven until golden brown and the juices run clear, about 18 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cover loosely with foil.
For the Jus Lié
2 pieces uncured, applewood-smoked bacon, diced
1 shallot, minced
1/4 cup blackberries
2 oz port
2 tablespoons glace de poulet
2 tablespoons filtered water
Sauté bacon and shallots in a tablespoon of the drippings from the pan that the quail was roasted in. Once the bacon is crisp, de-glaze the pan with port and add the blackberries. Stir and cook until the berries begin to break apart, then add demi-glace and water. Cook until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, then strain or not, as you see fit.
To Serve
Split quail in half lengthwise and spoon sauce over the top. Serve immediately.
Loin of rabbit with pancetta, porcini, wild onions, garlic and sage..
Sauté pancetta in a teaspoon of clarified butter until most of the fat has been rendered. Turn the heat up to medium-high, then add thick pieces of porcini mushroom and continue to cook until golden brown.
Season strips of rabbit loin with sea salt and freshly-ground pepper and add to the hot pan with garlic, onions and sage. Let the rabbit brown, but keep it to no more than medium doneness.
De-glaze the pan with an ounce of Armagnac and stir up all the brown bits with the edge of a wooden spoon. Add 1/4 cup of chicken stock and reduce slightly.
Reduce heat to medium-low and add a couple of ounces of fresh cream and a good spoonful of coarse mustard. Stir until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Toss in some coarsely-chopped curly parsley and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
Serve over rye spaetzle or egg noodles.
You might also like this recipe for Zuni Roast Chicken with Bread Salad
Roast chicken and vegetables is a densely nutritional, healing meal. Here’s a really tasty all-in-one-pan recipe using olive oil, lemon and fresh herbs..
Herb Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables
Partially peel and par-boil a few potatoes in salted water. Drain, bash and set aside.
Wash a fresh, pastured chicken inside and out with plenty of kosher salt and cold, filtered water. Pat dry.
Stuff the cavity of the bird with fresh rosemary, sage and thyme and set in a large heavy skillet.
Surround the bird with potatoes and coarsely chopped garlic, leeks, purple carrots, beets or whatever root vegetables you have on hand.
Cut a lemon in half and squeeze the juice over the contents of the pan. Add fresh herbs and drizzle everything with olive oil and season with sea salt and cracked pepper.
Roast at 400 degrees until juices run clear, about 1 hour. Allow to rest 10 minutes before carving and serving with pan juices.
Save the bones for soup stock.
Sometimes described as metallic or overly strong tasting, mushy or tough or simply uninteresting, beef liver has gotten a bad rap over the years. It doesn’t have to be that way..
Liver and Onions with Bacon and Sage
click to enlarge
Pastured beef liver fried with bacon, just-dug onions, brown mushrooms and fresh sage leaves brings this inexpensive, nutritional powerhouse back to the dinner table. Even the kids will dig it.
Select only the freshest, pastured beef liver, never the frozen feed-lot stuff from the supermarket. Cut into 1/2 strips and lightly dredge in sprouted flour seasoned with sea salt and cracked pepper. Set aside.
Fry uncured, pastured bacon until crisp and all the fat has rendered out.
Add sliced onions and continue to cook until well browned.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon grease and reserve for another use.
Add 2 tablespoons pastured butter to the hot pan and swirl to combine with the remaining bacon fat.
Add sliced brown mushrooms (I like the dark, earthy-flavored varieties) and sauté until they begin to crisp on the edges.
Make sure that the skillet is still good and hot, then add strips of floured liver and coarsely chopped fresh sage and flat-leaf parsley. Cook until well browned, turn and brown on the other side.
Arrange on a plate, drizzle with pan juices and enjoy.
Pan-fried beef liver is a good source of Iron and Zinc, and a very good source of Protein (approx. 22g per 4oz), Vitamin A, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Phosphorus, Copper and Selenium.
This post is part of the Pennywise Platter at The Nourishing Gourmet
How to turn a can of beans into a healthy, hearty meal..
Recipe serves two
1 BPA-free can of organic cannelloni beans, drained, liquid reserved
1/4 head organic green cabbage, cut into large dice
3 large cloves organic garlic, coarsely chopped
2 inches mid-section organic leeks, sliced
2 stalks organic celery, leaves included, sliced
1 organic carrot, diced
3 inches Spanish chorizo, sliced
3 tablespoons fresh sage
olive oil
pastured butter
chicken stock
marjoram, parsley, sea salt and cracked pepper
Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add cabbage and cook until browned, about 2 minutes.
Add 1 tablespoon pastured butter, carrots and celery and sauté 2 minutes.
Add garlic, chorizo and leeks and sauté 2 minutes more.
Add beans and enough chicken stock and reserved liquid to almost cover. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, fry slices of crusty bread in pastured butter with marjoram and parsley.
Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with parsley and bits of roasted red pepper, serve with warm croûtons.
Served with maple butter glazed sweet potatoes and sautéed haricots verts with shiitake mushrooms..
Trimmed pork tenderloin dredged in seasoned flour, dipped in egg wash with a little sweet sorghum syrup and cider vinegar then rolled in chopped pecans, walnuts, pistachios, almonds and fresh sage, rosemary and thyme.
Sorghum cooking at Sandhill Farm
Seal tightly, pressing nuts into the pork. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
To cook, unwrap pork and place in a 350 degree oven until internal temperature reaches 150 degrees (mine took about 25 minutes). Transfer meat to cutting board and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, deglaze the skillet with a little bourbon then add some stock and quickly reduce in volume by half. Add heavy cream and continue to reduce until thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in a spoonful of coarse mustard and finish with a knob of whole butter.
Arrange sliced pork tenderloin on a platter and dress with the bourbon sauce.
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Wild mushrooms, stock, sharp feta or goat cheese, fresh sage, pork tenderloin filets, garlic, shallot, S&P and port. Assorted vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, fennel and beans.
Toss the vegetables with S&P and a little bit of olive oil. Roast in a 425 degree oven for 30 minutes, turning once.
Saute mushrooms, garlic and shallots in butter until browned and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
Season filets with S&P and saute in olive oil until well browned and internal temperature reaches 140 degrees, about 8 minutes per side. Set aside.
Deglaze the pan with port, scraping up all the brown bits. Add stock and bring to boil. Reduce volume by half.
Meanwhile, fry the sage by making a thin batter of 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup water and S&P. Holding the stem between your thumb and forefinger, dip the leaves into the batter and then into hot olive oil. Fry for a minute or so then transfer to a plate to drain.
Add the filets and mushrooms back to the pan with the port and heat through, about 5 minutes.
Serve topped with crumbled goat or feta cheese and fried sage.
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For the bird: fresh sage, dry rub, garlic, butter, honey, stock, bourbon. remove the bird from the brine and rinse it thoroughly inside and out. Pat dry. Cream together softened butter, snipped sage and minced garlic. Use your fingers to carefully seperate the skin from the flesh, creating a pocket on either side of the breast. Put the butter mixture into these pockets, pressing with your fingers to distribute as far as possible. See how the whole breast area looks yellow now? Thats the herb butter. Dress the outside of the bird with melted butter, honey, bourbon and dry rub mixture. Put into a preheated 500 degree oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350 degrees.
For the garlic mashed potatoes: diced red potatoes with some skin left on, garlic, onion chives, milk, truffle butter and S&P.
For the dressing: dried herbs, celery, onion, parsley, baguette, stock, butter and S&P.
After 30 minutes, baste the bird with honey and bourbon and return to the oven.
For the bean dish: haricot vert, half & half, mustard seed, mushrooms, onion, buckwheat flour (I made this by grinding hulled buckwheat in a spice grinder), olive oil, nutritional yeast and S&P.
Toast the bread for the dressing. Saute the celery, onion, herbs and spices. Moisten with stock, then put the pan in the oven with the bird.
Remove the bird when the internal temperature reaches 155-160 degrees – it will continue to cook a little while on the counter.
Boil the potatoes. Drop the bundle of beans in the same pot for 3 minutes, then remove to a bowl of ice water.
Dredge thinly sliced onions in seasoned buckwheat flour and fry in olive oil until golden brown. Set aside to drain.
Saute the beans and mushrooms. Add half & half and cracked mustard seed and reduce over medium-low heat until thickened. Season with S&P.
Mash the potatoes with milk, onion chives, garlic and truffle butter. Season with S&P.
Assemble the plate: thick slices of honey bourbon roasted fowl, bread dressing, green beans with mushrooms and fried onions, garlic mashed potatoes with pan gravy and cranberry rhubarb chutney with sliced persimmon. Serve with a glass of chilled hibiscus mead.
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Brining solution: kosher salt with peppercorns, herbs and garlic, honey, bourbon and fresh sage. Bring a small pot of water to the boil and add the salt and bourbon, stirring until the salt is dissolved. Turn off the heat and add snipped sage and honey. Allow to cool to room temperature before pouring over the bird with sufficient additional water to submerge the bird. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Mead: Add simmered hibiscus calyses to traditional mead. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Cranberry rhubarb chutney: cloves, ginger, coarse mustard, onion, rhubarb, cranberries, salt, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, non-refined sugar, raisins and apple cider vinegar. Cook rhubarb, cranberries, onions and sugar together until the cranberries pop and the juices that are released dissolve the sugar, about 15-20 minutes. Add raisins, mustard, ginger, vinegar and spices and cook over low heat until thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
Turkey stock: celery, carrot, thyme, bay, peppercorns, parsley, onion and turkey necks. Brown the necks in a little until well colored, about 15 minutes. Add vegetables and cook until glazed, about 5 minutes. Cover necks and vegetables with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and skim away any foam. Add herbs and simmer 4 hours. Strain into a clean container and allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
A one-skillet dinner, adapted from a recipe at the always-tasty What Geeks Eat
Fresh rosemary, sage and thyme, celery, onion, potato, carrots, milk, baking powder, S&P, roasted chicken stock concentrate, all-purpose flour, white wine, butter and bone-in chicken thighs.
Prep the vegetables. Cook the potatoes to about half done in a little olive oil and butter. Add the rest of the vegetables and continue to cook until colored but slightly underdone (the flavor of root vegetables is enhanced by browning). Set the vegetables aside.
Add a little more butter & olive oil to the pan and brown the chicken well on all sides. Continue to cook the chicken until slightly underdone. Set the chicken aside.
Deglaze the pan with white wine, scraping up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add herbs, liquid chicken stock and a spoonful of the concentrate to pan and reduce over high heat until reduced by half. Sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Add the chicken and vegetables back to the pan and simmer over low heat while preparing the biscuits.
Make a basic biscuit dough from flour, salt, baking powder, milk and cold butter. Roll the dough into a cylinder then cut into 1 inch thick biscuits. Place biscuits on top of chicken then put the skillet into a 400 degree oven until the chicken is cooked through and the biscuits are golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
Serve 2 thighs and biscuits per adult.
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Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained. Chicken stock, olive oil, cream, cipolline onions, garlic, pepper, sea salt, Italian herbs, rubbed sage and mult-grain ficelle.
Saute the onions and garlic until they begin to brown, then add the sage and cook another minute.
Add the beans and chicken stock, reduce the heat and simmer about 20 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender, then add the cream, salt and pepper and a little butter. I’ve added a chiffonade of red chard for color.
Grill the bread with olive oil and Italian herbs, whisk the soup and enjoy!
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