Thanksgiving ideas from Chef Doug

Here's some Thanksgiving recipes from Chef Doug that you could try!!! 

Check out Chef Doug at www.funwithfoodcatering.com

Turducken

Serves:

25 servings, as main course

Ingredients

Brine:

• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 gallon water
• 18 to 21-pound turkey, skin intact and boned except for drumsticks
•  
• House seasoning, recipe follows
• Cornbread Dressing, recipe follows
• 3 to 4-pound duck, boned
• 3 to 4-pound chicken, boned
• Paprika

Directions

To make the brine: Mix salt and sugar with the water. Brine is ready when the mixture is completely dissolved. If the water is heated to quicken the process, make sure it is cooled to room temperature before placing meat in. Let the 3 birds sit in brine in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat roaster to 500 degrees F.

Lay turkey skin side down on a flat surface. Dust turkey with House Seasoning and add 1/4-inch layer of cornbread dressing. Lay duck skin side down on top of dressing. Dust duck with House Seasoning and add 1/4-inch layer of dressing. Repeat with the chicken.

Begin trussing up the turkey at the neck. Insert metal skewer about 1/2-inch from the edge and up through the other side. Run butcher's twine between skin and skewer and tighten to draw both sides together. Continue down to legs. With every other skewer, draw together the duck and chicken skin. Tie together turkey legs to resemble standard turkey. Dust turkey skin with paprika.

Roast turducken for 15 minutes. Then turn the roaster down to 225 degrees F to finish, approximately 3 hours. Remove turducken from roaster once the internal temperature in the chicken reaches 155 degrees F. Let rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.

Cut across the middle of the breast completely through. Plate thin slices containing turkey, duck and chicken.

House Seasoning:

• 1 cup salt
• 1/4 cup black pepper
• 1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together

Cornbread Dressing:

Cornbread:

• 1 cup self rising cornmeal
• 1/2 cup self-rising flour
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
•  

Dressing:

• 7 slices white bread, dried in warm oven
• Cornbread
• 1 sleeve saltine crackers
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 8 tablespoons butter
• 7 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
• 5 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the cornbread, combine all ingredients and pour into a greased shallow baking dish. Bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

To make the dressing, crumble dried white bread slices, cornbread and crackers. Mix together and set aside. Saute chopped celery and onion in butter until transparent, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Pour over corn bread mixture. Add stock, mix well and add salt, pepper, sage, and poultry seasoning. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Follow instructions above to stuff birds.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Sweet Potato Pecan Pie

Pastry:

·         3 tablespoons butter

·         2 tablespoons sugar

·         1/2 beaten egg

·         2 tablespoons milk

·         1 cup flour

Filling:

·         1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potatoes

·         1 tablespoon butter

·         1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

·         1 tablespoon vanilla

·         1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

·         1/8 teaspoon each nutmeg and allspice

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         1/2 beaten egg

·         2 tablespoons sugar

·         1 tablespoon heavy cream

·         1/2 cup chopped pecans

·         3/4 cup sugar

·         2 eggs

·         3/4 cup dark corn syrup

·         1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted

·         Pinch salt

·         Pinch cinnamon

·         2 teaspoons vanilla

·         Pastry (see recipe)

·         Chantilly cream (see note)

Pastry:

1.

Cream butter and sugar, until light and fluffy.

2.

Add egg and milk; beat about 2 minutes..

3.

Stir in flour to moisten ingredients. Refrigerate at least one hour.

4.

Roll out dough into 14-inch circle on lightly floured wax paper. Place in deep 9-inch pie plate; remove wax paper. Press pastry into plate and flute edges.

Filling:

5.

Combine potato, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, spices, beaten egg, sugar and cream; beat at medium speed until mixture is smooth. Spread on bottom of pastry shell; sprinkle with pecans.

6.

Combine 3/4 cup sugar, 2 eggs, corn syrup, melted butter, salt, cinnamon and vanilla and beat well. Pour over pecans.

7.

Bake at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Cool. Top each slice with dollop of Chantilly Cream.

YIELD

1 nine-inch pie

·         NOTE

Chantilly cream: For each cup of cream use 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon each of orange liqueur and Cognac.

Aloo Gobhi Stuffing

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter plus additional for buttering pan
1 (24-inch) baguette, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (8 cups)
3 medium onions, coarsely chopped
3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 1/2 lb russet (baking) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 (2-lb) head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch-wide florets and stem pieces
2 1/2 teaspoons curry powder (preferably Madras)
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (12 fl oz)
1 1/2 cups unsalted roasted cashews (7 oz)

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a shallow 3-quart baking dish (13 by 9 inches).

Spread bread cubes in 1 layer in 2 large shallow baking pans and bake, switching position of pans halfway through baking, until dry, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven.

Increase oven temperature to 450°F.

Cut 1 stick butter into pieces, then heat in a deep 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides. Add onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Add cauliflower and cook, stirring, until cauliflower is crisp-tender, about 8 minutes.Stir in curry powder, salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with bread cubes. Add broth and 1 cup cashews, then toss to coat.

Spread stuffing in baking dish and cover tightly with buttered foil (buttered side down). Bake in upper third of oven until heated through, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cashews over top, then bake until top is browned, about 10 minutes more.

Gourmet British Dishes

GOURMET FRIDAY 8-24-12

Chef Doug excepted my challenge to prepare a few British dishes that he would bring into a 5 star hotel in London if he were trying to get a job!

Below are the recipes and you can check out all things Chef Doug at www.funwithfoodcatering.com

                                                                                                       Lancashire Hot Pot
Serves 4


1 TBS olive oil
1.75# diced lamb
2 onions, peeled and sliced
2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunky pieces
1 medium rutabaga peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 ½ cups lamb stock or beef stock
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2# of potatoes, peeled and cut into thin slices
butter
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 350*F. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the meat in batches and fry it until browned on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon to a large casserole dish as it browns. Set aside.

Once all the meat it browned and removed from the skillet add the vegetables to the pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring them occasionally. Return the lamb to the skillet and pour over the stock. Add the Worchestershire sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix it all in well and then carefully pour the mixture back into the casserole dish. Tuck the two sprigs of thyme into the mixture, burying it.

Cover the top of the mixture with a layer of half of the sliced potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and then dot with butter. Finish layering with the remaining potatoes and adding a final dusting of salt and pepper and dot once again with some butter. Cover with foil.

Bake in the heated oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the foil and bake for a further hour until the meat is very tender and the "thatch" (potatoes) is nicely browned in places and tender as well. Serve hot with plenty of crusty bread to mop up the delicious juices.

Toad in the Hole

Ingredients

Serves four to six people

·        3.5oz A&P flour

·        2 eggs

·        1 cup milk

·        ¼ cup water

·        1/2 teaspoon salt

·        8 good quality pork sausages

·        1 large onion (1/4 inch diced)

·        2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation

You need a large baking dish that will take all the sausages and the Yorkshire pudding mix in one and have space to allow it to rise as it bakes. So it's best to choose a dish that looks slightly too large for the quantity you're cooking.

Make the pudding mixture first, so it has time to rest while you're cooking the sausages.

But before you start any cooking follow the first rule of Yorkshire pudding making: get your oven very hot. That means gas 450 degrees. Start it now!

While the oven heats, mix the flour, salt and eggs together, then gradually beat in the milk until the batter is smooth and creamy. Then set it aside to stand.

In a heavy frying pan heat a couple of tablespoons of oil. When hot add the sausages and brown them quickly all over. Turn the heat down a little, add the chopped onion and cook until the onions are soft and slightly browned.

While the onion is still cooking, add a little oil to your baking dish and place in the hot oven.

When the fat is sizzling hot remove the tin from the oven. Add the sausages and onions and pour in the batter and place in the oven.

Bake the Toad 10 minutes at 450 then reduce the heat to 400 and bake 25-30 minutes until well risen and golden.

Apple Crumble

Serves 6

Ingredients

For the apple filling

·        2.75 oz. caster (superfine) sugar

·        2.2# Braeburn ( or Granny Smith) apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks

·        2 vanilla pods, seeds scrapped out or ½ tbsp vanilla extract

·        1 oz. crystallized ginger, finely chopped

·        1 orange, zest

·        3.5 oz. raisins

·        3.5 oz. dried cranberries

·        4 star anise

·        A few tbsp of water to loosen

For the crumble topping

·        3.5 oz. A&P flour

·        Pinch of salt

·        1.75 oz. butter, chilled and cut into small cubes

·        1.75 oz.  blanched hazelnuts, toasted and crushed

·        1.5 oz.  oatmeal

·        2.5 oz. light turbinado sugar

·        Pinch of ground cinnamon

·        Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

·        1 orange, zested

To serve

·        Vanilla ice cream to serve

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2. Heat a sauté pan until hot. Add the caster sugar and melt to form a light caramel. Add the chopped apples and vanilla seeds, and heat for 2-3 minutes tossing frequently. Stir in the crystallized ginger, orange zest and continue to cook for a further 4-5 minutes to soften, adding a few tablespoons of water if the mixture becomes dry.

3. Stir in the raisins, dried cranberries and star anise to the apple mixture and continue to cook for a further 5-6 minutes, tossing frequently until the pieces feel just tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. It may be necessary to add a splash of water to loosen throughout cooking. Remove from the heat and cool slightly while you make the topping. Remove the star anise and discard.

4. Place the flour, salt and butter in a bowl and using your fingertips work together until a breadcrumb texture has been achieved. Lightly crush the hazelnuts in a large bowl using the end of a rolling pin. Add the oats, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest and crushed hazelnuts and mix until fully incorporated.

5. Layer the fruit into the bottom of your baking dish, scatter the crumble topping over the fruit. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the topping is nicely browned. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.