Category Archives: Potatoes

Desserts, Drinks, Holidays, Miscellaneous, Potatoes, Poultry

Cider-brined Turkey with Maple Chili Glaze, Homemade Stuffing, Bourbon Sweet Potato Puree, Roasted Winter Vegetables, and Nutmeg Maple Cream Pie

I know what you’re thinking — it’s only November 9th and she already has her entire Thanksgiving menu planned? I could try to blame it on the blog and say that I just wanted to get these recipes out there so that anyone who wanted to make any of them would have them well ahead of time so they can plan accordingly themselves … and that’s partly true. It’s also true that I’ve been making most of these recipes for years now, so I’m more or less just sticking to my tried-and-tested menu. But it’s also true that I had my children’s big Christmas presents ordered in July. I can’t help it — as a third-generation Virgo, planning ahead is just in my blood.

I should point out that this turkey recipe only uses the crown, which means you won’t get that Norman Rockwell moment of bringing a whole gloriously roasted turkey to the table. But honestly, don’t most people prefer the breast meat anyway? I find that using only the crown makes it easier and less time consuming to cook, not to mention that it takes up a lot less space in my fridge. Having said that, though, you could easily play around with this recipe to adjust it for a whole turkey. For anyone curious about the method behind the madness of brining a turkey, there are some interesting articles about it here and here. As for me, I’ve been brining turkey for years and think it’s the only way to go.

Poinsettia Cocktail
from Nigella Christmas by Nigella Lawson

Makes 8 to 9 glasses

1 x 75cl bottle of Prosecco or other fizzy dry wine, chilled
120 ml Cointreau, Grand Marnier or Triple Sec, chilled
500 ml cranberry juice, chilled

Mix all the ingredients in a large pitcher. Pour into wine glasses or champagne flutes and serve.

***

Cider-brined Turkey with Maple Chili Glaze 
adapted from A Kitchen Year by Paula McIntyre

Serves 8

1 x 11-lb (5‑kg) turkey crown
4 oz (110 g) butter, softened
salt and freshly ground black pepper

for the brine solution:
9 oz (250 g) sea salt
3 cups (510 g) Demerara sugar or light brown sugar
8 cups (2 litres) cider
8 cups (2 litres) water
2 cinnamon sticks
juice and zest of 2 oranges
1 onion, chopped
handful fresh chopped sage, rosemary and thyme

for the maple chili glaze:
1 red chili
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup (180 ml) cider
salt

To make the brine, bring all the brine ingredients to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool completely and add the turkey. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Remove from the brine and pat dry with paper towels.

To make the glaze, soak the chili in boiling water for 20 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove the seeds and chop roughly. Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and add the onion. Cook until the onion is soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add the chopped chili, maple syrup, vinegar and cider and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half. Blend to a smooth puree in a blender or food processor and pass through a fine-meshed sieve (if you have one; don’t worry about it if you don’t). Return to the pan and simmer until it has reached a syrupy consistency, about 10 minutes. Check the seasoning.

To cook the turkey, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Place the turkey on a roasting rack and rub all over with the softened butter. Season well with salt and pepper. Cover with tin foil and place in the oven. Cook for 1 hour. Remove the foil and brush the glaze all over. Return to the oven and baste every 10 minutes. A good rule of thumb for cooking turkey is to allow 30 minutes per 2 1/4 lb (1 kg) plus an extra 15 minutes’ cooking time. A 11-lb (5‑kg) turkey breast will take just over 3 hours to cook and the internal temperature should register at least 160°F (70°C). Allow to rest at least 20 minutes before carving.

***

Homemade Stuffing
adapted from The New Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas

Serves 10 (or enough for a 16 to 20-lb (7 to 9‑kg) turkey or 2 medium casseroles)

Homemade stuffing isn’t nearly as hard to make as you might think, and it tastes so much better than Stovetop. This is the recipe I use for every Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner at our house now. It’s not as fancy or elaborate as a lot of stuffing recipes, but I like it for its unfussy simplicity. If you want to make this ahead (though not more than 1 day), make it up to the point where you spoon it into the casserole, then cook it in the oven when you want to serve it (though it might need longer in the oven than the 45 minutes given here).

3/4 cup (170 g) butter
2 cups chopped onions (2 or 3 onions)
2 cups sliced or chopped celery (3 or 4 stalks of celery)
1 to 2 teaspoons salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 teaspoons dried sage
3 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1/2 cup (10 g) chopped fresh parsley
2 to 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 quarts (about 4 liters) of 1/2‑inch bread cubes
2 cups (480 ml) vegetable or chicken broth, or both

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Melt the butter in a large pot and saute the chopped onion and celery in it until they are soft and just starting to color. Add about a teaspoon of salt, pepper to your taste, the herbs and the cider vinegar. Stir well and remove from the heat.

Put the bread cubes into the pot with the sauteed vegetables and herbs with all their butter, tossing everything together until it’s thoroughly combined. Drizzle on half the broth, toss again, and test. You’re aiming for a mixture that’s soft and moist throughout, but not soggy or soupy. Keep adding broth, a little at a time, mixing everything up well after each addition, until you have the consistency you like. The amount of broth used will vary quite a bit, depending on what kind of bread you use and how dry it is. If you’re roasting a turkey and plan to bake the stuffing separately but want the flavor of the turkey in it, you could add some drippings in place of part of the broth. In that case, however, cut down a little on the butter. If, on the other hand, you plan to stuff a turkey, leave the stuffing just a little on the dry side. When the texture feels right, taste and correct the seasoning with more salt or pepper if needed.

Spoon the stuffing into two buttered casserole dishes, or one very large one, cover well, and bake for about 45 minutes. Alternatively, spoon it into a turkey that’s been prepared for roasting.

***

Cranberry Sauce
adapted from The New Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas

Serves 6 to 8

This keeps in the fridge for about 1 week, so is an ideal dish to make ahead.

12 oz (340 g) fresh cranberries
zest of 1 large orange
1 cup (240 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves

Wash the cranberries and discard any that are soft or spoiled. Combine the orange zest and juice in a heavy-bottomed saucepan with the sugar, cinnamon and cloves and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the cranberries, return to a boil, and stir over a medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Use a long-handled wooden spoon, as the cranberries can really spit at you as they cook and pop. When most of the cranberries have popped and the liquid is somewhat thickened, the sauce is done. Pour it into a serving dish and allow it to cool, then chill.

***

Bourbon Sweet Potato Puree with Mascarpone and Caramelized Maple Pecans

Serves 6 to 8

These caramelized pecans (or you could use walnuts) would also make a wonderful accompaniment to an after-dinner cheese plate. They can also be made up to a few days in advance to save time on the day. If you like this puree, you’ll also like these bourbon-mashed sweet potatoes.

for the sweet potato puree:
3 lb (1.4 kg) sweet potatoes (2 or 3 large potatoes)
3 tablespoons bourbon
1/2 cup (120 ml) mascarpone

for the caramelized maple pecans:
1/3 cup (75 g) sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 cup (100 g) pecans

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Prick the potatoes with a fork and place them on the baking sheet. Bake for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are tender. (If using very large potatoes, make sure they are cooked all the way through.)

Meanwhile, to make the caramelized maple pecans, place the sugar, maple syrup and pecans in a small saucepan on a medium heat. Allow the sugar and syrup to caramelize slightly, without stirring, which will take about 15 minutes. Gently swirl the pan to spread the sugar evenly, then replace the pan on the heat to allow the sugar to caramelize completely. Once all the sugar has melted and has nicely browned and caramelized, carefully pour the pecans onto parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Allow the pecans to cool and harden, then break up the mixture to separate the nuts. Set aside.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and transfer to a food processor. Add the bourbon and mascarpone and process until the mixture is smooth.

Transfer the potato puree to a large gratin dish or casserole dish and smooth the top. Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until heated through. Sprinkle the caramelized pecans evenly over the top and serve.

***

Roasted Winter Vegetables
adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten

1 lb (450 g) carrots, peeled
1 lb (450 g) parsnips, peeled
1 large sweet potato, peeled
1 small butternut squash, peeled and seeded (about 2 lb/900 g)
3 tablespoons good-quality olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

Cut the carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, and butternut squash into 1‑inch cubes. All the vegetables will shrink while baking, so don’t cut them too small. Place all the cut vegetables in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Drizzle them with olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss well. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender, turning once with a metal spatula. Sprinkle with parsley, season to taste, and serve hot.

***

Nutmeg-maple Cream Pie
pie is adapted from The New York Times and the crust from Orangette

Serves 8

Pastry is not my forte, but I’ve had good results with this crust from Orangette. If you have your own favorite pie crust recipe, by all means use that instead, or use a store-bought pie shell. Smitten Kitchen has two helpful pie crust tutorials here and here.

for the nutmeg-maple cream pie filling:
3/4 cup (180 ml) maple syrup
2 1/4 cups (540 ml) heavy cream
4 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

for the crust:
4 tablespoons ice water, plus more as needed
3/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups (180 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons (4 1/2 oz/130 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

To make the crust, combine the 4 tablespoons of  ice water and the cider vinegar in a small bowl or measuring cup.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse to blend. Add the butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal; there should be no pieces of butter bigger than a large pea. With the motor running, slowly add the water-vinegar mixture, processing just until moist clumps form. If you pick up a handful of the dough and squeeze it in your fist, it should hold together. If the dough seems a bit dry, add more ice water by the teaspoon, pulsing to incorporate. (Molly at Orangette sometimes finds that 1 additional teaspoon is perfect.)

Turn the dough out onto a wooden board or clean countertop, and gather it, massaging and pressing, until it just holds together. Shape it into a ball, and press it into a disk about 1 1/2 inches thick. If the disk cracks a bit at the edges, don’t worry; just pinch the cracks together as well as you can. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and then press it a bit more, massaging away any cracks around the edges, allowing the constraint of the plastic wrap to help you form it into a smooth disk. Refrigerate the wrapped dough for at least 2 hours. (Dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before using.) Before rolling it out, allow the dough to soften slightly at room temperature.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a circle wide enough to fit a 9‑inch removable-bottom pie dish. Transfer the dough gently into the dish and ease it into the corners and up the sides. Trim the edges to extend about 1/2 inch beyond the dish, then fold the overhang inward and press it against the side of the pan to reinforce the edge.

To par-bake the pie crust, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line the pie shell with foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until it’s beginning to set. Remove the foil with weights and bake for 15 to 18 minutes longer, or until golden. If the shell puffs during baking, press it down with the back of spoon. Cool on a wire rack.

To make the pie filling, lower the oven to 300°F (150°C). In a medium saucepan over a medium-high heat, reduce the maple syrup by a quarter, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the cream and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and egg. Whisking constantly, slowly add the cream mixture to the eggs. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a cup or bowl with a pouring spout. Stir in the salt, nutmeg and vanilla.

To assemble, pour the filling into the crust and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the pie is firm to the touch but jiggles slightly when moved, about 1 hour. Let cool to room temperature before serving.

One-pot wonders, Potatoes, Poultry

Maple Chicken and Ribs with Bourbon-Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Roasted Parsnips and Carrots

I love Nigella Lawson and have all her cookbooks. When Nigella Express was published two years ago, I even went to the bookstore on the day it was released to get my hands on a copy hot off the presses. The first thing I made was the instant chocolate mousse, which was perfectly fine (though actually a little too sweet for my taste). The second thing I made from the book was lamb shanks and beans. I’m not a big fan of lamb at the best of times, but when I made this I was in my first trimester of pregnancy, with the usual ailments — sensitive to smell and with occasional morning sickness. I could barely stand the smell of the lamb as it was cooking, and after just one bite, I gave one of the shanks to the dog and threw the rest straight into the wheelie bin outside so I wouldn’t be able to smell it anymore. After that, I didn’t really use that cookbook for the next two years.

But seeing as how the whole premise of the Nigella Express cookbook is fast, easy meals, which I’m in need of lately, and because I still love Nigella as much as ever, lamb shanks notwithstanding, I pulled the book back off the shelf again last week to give it another chance. And to think that I had this maple chicken and ribs recipe all that time and never made it! It’s the easiest, tastiest chicken I’ve made in months, and the maple flavor really comes through, unlike in a lot of dishes that use maple syrup. I’ve included a recipe for bourbon-mashed sweet potatoes as part of the dinner, but if you want to keep things as simple as possible, then just use plain mashed sweet potatoes that have been boiled on the stove top.

As always, Nigella says it best when describing this dish: “Your input is minimal, but what you get out is a big feast that feels homey and welcoming and makes everyone happy, you included.”

maple chicken

Maple Chicken ‘n’ Ribs
adapted from Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson

Serves 6 to 8

You can easily decrease the quantities here if you don’t want to make 6 to 8 servings, or make this only using ribs or chicken instead of both (I just made chicken).

12 pork spareribs
12 chicken thighs, skin and bone still on
1 cup (240 ml) apple juice, as sharp as possible
4 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 star anise (optional; by all means use them if you have them, but I wouldn’t get them just for this recipe)
1 cinnamon stick, halved
6 cloves garlic, unpeeled

Put the ribs and chicken pieces in a couple of large freezer bags or into a dish. Add the remaining ingredients, squelching everything together well, before sealing the bag or covering the dish. Leave to marinate in the fridge overnight or up to 2 days.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Pour the contents of the bag into one or two large roasting tins (making sure the chicken is skin-side up), place in the oven and cook for about 1 1/4 hours, by which time everything should be sticky and glossed chestnut brown.

***

Bourbon-Mashed Sweet Potatoes
adapted from Emeril Legasse’s recipe in Food Network Favorites

Serves 4 to 6

1 3/4 to 2 lb (800 to 900 g) sweet potatoes
1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
1/4 cup (60 ml) bourbon whiskey
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses or black treacle
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Place the potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet and prick each potato once or twice with a fork. Bake until they are tender and starting to ooze sugary syrup, about 1 hour and 15 minutes, depending on their size. Remove from the oven and let them sit until they’re cool enough to handle.

Cut a slit down each potato and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Discard the skins. Add the cream, bourbon, brown sugar, molasses, and salt and beat on high speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Cover to keep warm, or gently reheat before serving.

***

Roasted Parsnips and Carrots
adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten

Serves 4

The original recipe calls for the vegetables to be roasted at 425°F (220°C), but I’ve adapted it here to be 400°F (200°C), which is the temperature that the chicken and ribs are cooked at, meaning you can easily prepare both dishes in the same oven.

2 lb (900 g) parsnips, peeled
1 lb (450 g) carrots, unpeeled
3 tablespoon good olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or parsley

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

If the parsnips and carrots are very thick, cut them in half lengthwise. Slice each one diagonally into 1‑inch-thick slices. The vegetables will shrink while cooking, so don’t make the pieces too small. Place the cut vegetables on a baking tray. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper and toss well. Roast for 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the vegetables, tossing occasionally, until the parsnips and carrots are just tender. Sprinkle with dill or parsley and serve hot.

Desserts, Entertaining, Potatoes, Poultry

Chicken Braised with Chicory and Crème Fraîche, Green Beans with Lemon and Olive Oil, Roast New Potatoes, and Baileys Cream Pots

In the short story ‘Simon’s Luck’ by Alice Munro, a woman, Rose, goes to the grocery store to stock up before a guest arrives:

“You must’ve brought home company,” said the woman who kept the store. She spoke with no surprise or malice or censure, just a comradely sort of envy.

“When I wasn’t expecting it.” Rose dumped more groceries on the counter.  […] “Look at that bacon. And cream.”

“I could stand a bit of it,” the woman said.

What’s this then? You mean not everyone includes bacon and cream as part of their weekly shop? I never considered them to be foods reserved only for guests, since they’re pretty much staples in my fridge. Still, when I have company, I do tend to pull out all the stops at the grocery store, like Rose, and all my recent entertaining meant there was plenty of bacon and cream to go around.

This is my go-to menu if we have company for dinner. The great thing about it is that you can prepare the chicken, then bang it into the oven to happily cook for an hour, giving you plenty of time to clean up the kitchen before your guests arrive, plus visit with them before dinner. The roast potatoes can cook in the hot oven along with the chicken and the Baileys cream pots can be made up to a day ahead, so all you have to do is prep the green beans ahead of time, then boil them when you’re just about ready to sit down to eat. I know chicken braised with chicory and crème fraîche might not sound like much on paper, but I think everyone I’ve ever served this to has asked for the recipe afterward, with some friends stopping just short of licking their plates. But don’t wait for company to come over to make this — it’s a great meal for any weekend when you have a bit of extra time to cook (and when you can lick the plate with no one watching).

Chicken Braised with Chicory and Crème Fraîche
adapted from Real Food by Nigel Slater

Serves 4

Don’t worry if you can’t get chicory, I make this without it more often than not and it’s still fantastic.

3 tablespoons groundnut oil
a thick slice of butter
4 chicken breasts
4 heads of chicory, cut in half lengthwise
1 tablespoon brown sugar
4 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup (175 ml) medium-dry white wine
1 cup (240 ml) crème fraîche
a few sprigs of parsley, chopped

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Heat the groundnut oil with the butter in a large, deep, heavy casserole, ideally one to which you have a lid, on the stove top. When the butter starts to bubble, carefully put in the chicken (in 2 batches if you need to) and cook them until they’re golden brown on each side. Try not to move them too often, that way you’ll get a nice brown crust on the skin.

Lift the chicken out of the pan and set aside. On no account get rid of the sticky bits on the bottom of the pan, that’s where much of the flavor is. Put the chicory in the dish, then season with the sugar and some salt and pepper. Let it cook over a moderate heat until the outside leaves start to caramelize and darken and soften, about 5 minutes. (If you’re not using the chicory, add the sugar, salt and pepper along with the shallots and lemon juice in the next step.)

Add the shallots and lemon juice, then return the chicken to the pan. Pour over the wine and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the wine and cooking juices have reduced a bit. Spoon in the crème fraîche, season with salt and pepper and stir as best you can so that the juices mingle with the cream. Cover with a lid (or just tightly with aluminum foil) and put in the oven for about 1 hour. Move the pieces of chicken and chicory around halfway through cooking.

After 1 hour, lift the chicken and chicory out of the sauce with a draining spoon and put on the plates. Add the parsley to the sauce in the pan, give it a bit of a stir, then pour the sauce over the chicken. (If the sauce is too thin, simmer it on the stove top for a few minutes until it thickens.)

***

Green Beans with Lemon Juice, Sea Salt and Olive Oil
adapted from Rachel’s Favourite Food by Rachel Allen

Serves 4 to 6

Not only is this good hot, served with fish or chicken, but it’s also great served at room temperature. You can also use it as a base for a fresh, light salad –- add thinly sliced red onions, some cannellini beans or chickpeas (drained from the can), canned tuna and crumbled feta cheese for a fabulous and nutritious packed lunch or summer supper (also good in a pitta bread).

1 level teaspoon salt
1 lb 2 oz (500 g) green beans
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Top and tail the beans and cut in half at an angle, if you wish. Add to the boiling water and put the lid back on until the water comes back to the boil. As soon as it does, take the lid off to keep the beans’ bright green color and continue to cook on a high heat until the beans are just cooked, but still have a bit of bite. Drain and immediately add the olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt and pepper to taste. You must dress the beans while hot so that they soak up the fresh citrus flavor.

***

Bailey’s Cream Pots
from Full on Irish by Kevin Dundon

Serves 4

1 1/4 cup (300 ml) cream
4 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream
1/4 cup (60 ml) freshly brewed espresso, cooled (or very strong coffee)
9 oz (250 g) mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons icing sugar, sifted, plus extra for dusting

to serve:
chocolate curls (optional)
cocoa powder (optional)
shortbread cookies

Whip the cream in a bowl until soft peaks have formed. Place the Baileys in a separate bowl with the coffee, mascarpone and icing sugar. Beat until well combined, then fold in the cream. Divide between four ramekins or small cups and chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

To serve, arrange the Baileys pots on serving plates and decorate with chocolate curls. Add the shortbread on the side and lightly dust with icing sugar and cocoa powder.

Fruit, Holidays, Potatoes, Poultry

Roast Chicken with Bacon and Coffee Spice Rub, Sweet Potato Puree and Apple Cranberry Oat Crumble

I love bacon and I love coffee, so when I read about this roast chicken recipe last month, taken from Zingerman’s Guide to Better Bacon, it immediately got my attention. I usually gloss over recipes that call for highly specific, hard-to-find ingredients like this coffee rub*, but it just so happens that my in-laws live in Ann Arbor, Michigan, home of the Zingerman’s deli that sells it. It also just so happens that my father-in-law recently came over to Ireland, so I asked him if he could pop into Zingerman’s to pick up a jar of this rub for me, with the promise that I’d make this recipe for him when he came to see us if he did. He came through and got me a jar, and I held up my end of the deal and made this dinner.

For the menu planning, I took my cue from Caroline Russock at Serious Eats, who said this recipe is like a one-dish Thanksgiving dinner, and she was right (and in fact, the rub was originally developed to season Thanksgiving turkey). The layers of bread, onions and apples underneath the chicken basically turn into stuffing — but stuffing that has been flavored with the butter and lemon juice from the chicken as well as its drippings. I kept things simple by only serving a sweet potato puree alongside the chicken and stuffing, but like Caroline says, this recipe lends itself to any of your favorite Thanksgiving or holiday side dishes. If you’re starting to think about what to serve for the holidays this year, try this coffee spice rub on the turkey or even roast potatoes for a change from your usual standbys.

*US customers can buy Zingerman’s Coffee Spice Rub online. But don’t dismiss this recipe if you can’t get the rub — this is still delicious if you simply season the chicken with salt and pepper. I did just that on a quarter of the chicken because I was making this meal to serve to my two little kids as well, and I knew the coffee rub would be too strong for them (plus it does have some zip to it). When I run out of this rub, I’ll continue to make this just with salt and pepper.

Roast Chicken with Bacon and Coffee Spice Rub
adapted from Zingerman’s Guide to Better Bacon by Ari Weinzweig (recipe via Serious Eats)

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into thin half-circles
4 stalks celery, cut into 1/8‑inch-thick slices
1 1/4 lb (570 g) tart apples (3 medium or 4 small apples), unpeeled and chopped into 1/2‑inch dice
1 cup (160 g) dried currants (or raisins)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup (10 g) parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons butter, plus extra for greasing the roasting tin
1/2 loaf leftover counrty bread, such as a good crusty white loaf, sliced 3/4‑inch
6 slices of bacon
1 roasting chicken (3 to 4 lb/1.4 to 1.8 kg), split in half and backbone removed (get your butcher to do this for you)
2 to 3 tablespoons Zingerman’s Coffee Spice Rub (or substitute coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a low heat. Add the onion and celery. Cover and sweat, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until soft. Add the apple, currants, garlic, thyme, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Stir to mix. Cook, covered, until the onions and celery are translucent, about 5 to 7 more minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley and set aside.

Lightly smear the bottom and sides of a 15-inch oval roasting pan (or other large ovenproof casserole dish) with butter. Arrange the bread slices to cover the entire bottom of the baking dish. (If the bread is too big to fit easily, simply cut the slices into smaller pieces so that they tile the entire bottom of the dish properly.)

Layer the onion and apple mixture on top of the bread. Place the chicken, skin side up, over the onion mixture and bread. Rub it with 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 to 3 tablespoons of the coffee rub (or just season generously with coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper). Pour the lemon juice over the chicken, then lay the bacon slices across the top of the chicken.

Place the entire dish in the oven and cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes. After this time, check that the bacon has crisped on top of the chicken. Once it has, pull it off the chicken and lay it directly onto the bread mixture so that the chicken can brown. Change the oven function to broil, but continue at 400°F (200°C). The chicken should be done in 15 to 20 minutes; the skin should be nicely crisped and the juices should run clear when the bird is pricked with a fork.

Remove the pan from the oven and remove the chicken to a cutting board and cut it into quarters. Draw a sharp knife through the bacon, bread, and onion mixture to break it up. Spoon some of the mixture onto each plate and place the chicken on top.

***

Sweet Potato Puree with Goat’s Cheese and Smoked Paprika*

Serves 6 to 8

*Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs chose this recipe as one of their editors’ picks at Food52!

If you’re making this for the holidays (or any day) and are pressed for time or oven space, you can just boil the potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 10 to 15 minutes, though you’ll lose that extra depth of flavor you get from roasting them.

3 lb (1.4 kg) sweet potatoes
4 oz (110 g) goat’s cheese
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Prick the potatoes with a fork and place them on the foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are tender. (If using very large potatoes, make sure they are cooked all the way through.) Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them or scoop out the flesh with a spoon and transfer to a food processor. Add the goat’s cheese and smoked paprika and process until the mixture is smooth. Taste the puree to see if it needs more paprika. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Gently reheat the puree either in a saucepan over a medium heat or in a microwave. Serve immediately.

***

Apple and Cranberry Oat Crumble
adapted from Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson

Serves 8 to 12

This crumble is best served the day it’s made, but any leftovers can be wrapped in clingfilm and kept at room temperature for 2 or 3 days. Reheat in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until warm.

for the topping:
2 cups (200 g) rolled oats
1 1 /2 cups (180 g) flour
1 1 /3 cups packed (230 g) brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, melted

for the fruit filling:
8 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4‑inch thick (3 1/2 lb/1.5 kg prepped)
2 cups (225 g) cranberries, fresh or frozen, or 1 cup (100 g) dried cranberries
1 1/3 cups (275 g) sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or custard, to serve

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter a 3‑quart (3‑liter) baking dish.

To make the topping, mix the oats, flour, brown sugar and salt together in a bowl. Stir in the butter, then press the topping together with your hands to form small clumps. Put the topping in the freezer while you assemble the filling.

To make the filling, toss the apples, cranberries, sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Transfer the filling to the prepared pan and spread it out, pressing the fruit down into the corners.

Press the oat crumble evenly over the fruit, then bake for 60 to 70 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes or so to temper the heat before serving, then top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a small dollop of whipped cream or warm custard served on the side.

Beans, Mexican food, Potatoes, Salads, Vegetarian main dishes

Chard Tacos with Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salad

Remember how I was recently lamenting the fact that greens rarely get to be the star of the show at dinnertime? If you want to eat more greens but aren’t sure how to incorporate them, these chard tacos are another great recipe, and can use either chard or spinach. When paired with this sweet potato and black bean salad, it makes a fresh, filling dinner that still has an autumnal feel.

chard tacos

Chard Tacos
adapted from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless

Serves 2

Rick Bayless says that to make a heartier meal, you could add some shredded leftover chicken or steak to the greens during the final few minutes of cooking. Flaked tuna or smoked salmon is a nice add-in, but to keep it vegetarian, you could also try smoked firm tofu.

12 oz (340 g) Swiss chard, thick lower stems cut off, OR 10 oz (280 g) spinach, rinsed well
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
1 large white or red onion, sliced 1/4‑inch thick
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup (120 ml) chicken or vegetable broth or water
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 warm corn tortillas (though flour ones will also work fine, as you can see from the photo I used here; you may need fewer flour ones)
1 cup (100 g) crumbled Mexican queso fresco, feta or goat’s cheese
3/4 cup (175 ml) salsa

Cut the chard crosswise into 1/2‑inch slices (small spinach leaves can be left whole). In a large skillet, heat the oil over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown but not entirely soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir for a few seconds, then add the broth or water, salt and the greens. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the greens are almost tender, anywhere from 2 minutes for baby spinach to 5 minutes for Swiss chard.

Uncover the pan, raise the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring continually, until the mixture is nearly dry. Taste and season with additional salt if you think it needs it. Serve with the warm tortillas, crumbled cheese and salsa.

***

sweet potato and black bean salad

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salad
adapted from Mark Bittman at The New York Times

Serves 4 to 6

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
1 large red onion, cut into large chunks
olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 x 14-oz (400‑g) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
juice and zest of 1 lime
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Place the sweet potatoes and red onion on a baking tray. Drizzle with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper, tossing well to make sure all the vegetables are coated with oil. Roast in the hot oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are just tender and taking care not to let the red onion burn.

When the potatoes and onion are done, transfer them to a large bowl. Add in the black beans and chopped red pepper. Whisk the lime juice and zest and olive oil together until emulsified (or shake to combine in a screw-top jar), then pour over the salad in the bowl, stirring gently to make sure everything is coated with the dressing. Add in the chopped cilantro and stir well again. Season to taste with salt and pepper. This can be served warm or at room temperature.

French food, Potatoes, Seafood

Salmon Provencal and Roast Herbed Potatoes with Balsamic Vinegar

I’ve been enjoying every minute of our Indian summer. On Tuesday, we spent the entire afternoon at the beach with some of my daughter’s new school friends, the first time we were able to play at the beach like that all summer. It was the kind of day I’ve been imagining having every summer since my daughter was one year old, but which I’ve never really been able to have because of the constant wet weather every summer since then — packing a big bag of toys and blankets and a picnic lunch, drinking tea and coffee with the other parents while the kids made a huge sand mountain, complete with a moat and driftwood for a bridge, and my baby playing happily in the sand at my feet. But as wonderful as it’s been to have an entire straight week of dry, sunny days (and with more still forecast!), the warmth has gone out of the air, I’ve started to turn on the heat in the mornings to take the chill off, and I know my summery meals — and the summer itself, such as it was — are finally coming to an end.

salmon provencal

It’s National Organic Week in Ireland! Click here for a listing of events throughout the country.

Salmon Provencal
adapted from Simply Recipes and Wolfgang Puck

Serves 4

4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped fine
3 shallots, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or sherry vinegar
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 x 6‑oz (170‑g) salmon fillets
1 cup (240 ml) vegetable stock
2 carrots, julienned
1 leek, white part only, julienned
2 stalks celery, julienned

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

In a large bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes, shallots and fresh herbs. In another bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar and lemon zest and juice (or shake to combine in a screw-top jar). Add to the tomato mixture and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Arrange the salmon fillets on an oiled baking sheet without crowding. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until the salmon is barely cooked through and lightly browned on the edges, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the vegetable stock to boil in a large saucepan. Add the julienned carrots, leek and celery and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender but still crisp. Drain and set aside.

To serve, divide the julienned vegetables among 4 plates. Arrange the salmon fillets in the center of the vegetables and top each fillet with a couple tablespoons of the tomato mixture. Serve immediately.

***

Roast Herbed Potatoes with Balsamic Vinegar
adapted from Avoca Café Cookbook

Serves 6

1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
2 lb (900 g) new potatoes, halved (skin left on)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 head garlic, split into cloves but left unpeeled
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
balsamic vinegar or good-quality red wine vinegar

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

Pour the olive oil into an ovenproof dish (one big enough to hold all the potatoes without overcrowding them) and put it into the oven to heat the oil. (Just don’t leave it in too long, or the oil will start to smoke. Five to 10 minutes is enough.)

Bring a pot of water to boil. Drop in the halved potatoes and parboil for 5 minutes only. Drain.

Remove the dish from the oven. Carefully add the potatoes to the hot oil, turning them to make sure they’re all coated in the oil. Season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Put into the oven to roast for 10 minutes. Add the garlic and half the herbs and continue to roast for a further 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes and garlic are tender. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool slightly, then sprinkle with the vinegar and remaining herbs. Check the seasoning and serve.

Potatoes, Poultry

Garlic and Fennel Barbecue Roasted Chicken, Herbed Goat’s Cheese Mashed Potatoes, and Steamed Green Beans

Necessity really is the mother of invention. Today I decided to make a special roast chicken dinner for the family since my errand load was light and Sam, my two-year-old, was in day care for most of the day. I spent a good half hour prepping and stuffing the chicken. When I went to put the chicken into my preheated oven, the oven gave me a big, cold surprise — a broken ignitor and no way to bake my chicken. After scurrying around for the oven’s owner manual and briefly contemplating broiling a whole chicken (the broiler unit still worked), I quickly lit a heap of coals in our Weber, threw on the chicken a few minutes later, and hoped for the best. Fortunately, my last-minute experiment was a complete success. The chicken took on a smoky flavor that wonderfully complimented the fennel stuffed inside it. Thank goodness for cooking disasters. Modern eating might become too boring without them.

Fennel Garlic Chicken


Garlic and Fennel Barbecue Roasted Chicken
adapted from Bon Appétit, October 2003

Serves 4 to 6

1 large or two small fresh fennel bulbs, trimmed, each cut into 6 to 8 wedges
5 tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
whole chicken (about 3 1/2 lb/1.5 kg)
1 lemon, halved

Cook the fennel in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender when pierced with a knife, about 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Mix in 2 tablespoons oil, the garlic, 1 tablespoon each thyme and rosemary, then the salt and pepper.

Preheat the grill for indirect cooking. Rinse chickens inside and out and pat dry. Rub the chickens inside and out with lemon, squeezing some of the juice into the cavities. Rub the outside of the chickens with 3 tablespoons oil, then the remaining herbs. Sprinkle the chickens generously with salt and pepper. Loosely stuff the chickens with the fresh fennel mixture. Tie the legs together and place the chicken, breast side down, in a roasting rack.

Roast the chicken on the grill using indirect heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, flipping the bird every 30 minutes. When ready, the chicken juices run clear when pierced with a fork in the thickest part of the thigh and the leg should move easily away from thigh. Transfer the chicken to a platter and garnish with fennel fronds.

***

Herbed Goat’s Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Serves 4

4 potatoes, any variety, peeled and cut into 1‑inch cubes (I used large russet potatoes)
2 oz (60 g) goat cheese with herbs, crumbled
1/4 cup (60 ml) half and half
1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
2 tablespoons (30 g) butter, diced
salt and pepper, to taste

Place the potatoes in a large pot of water set over a high heat. Heat to boiling, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and roughly mash them with a potato masher. Mash in the goat’s cheese, half and half, 1/4 cup of milk and the butter until well combined. Mix in additional milk until the potatoes reach the desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I added about 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper).

30-minute meals, Cakes, Fruit, Italian food, Potatoes, Vegetarian main dishes

Gnocchi with Tomato, Spinach and Ricotta and Brandied Plum Cake

One of the great things about cooking is that the more you do it, the easier and faster it gets. (Though I’ve also become my own worst enemy in that regard — I do almost all the cooking, even on weekends when I could otherwise have a break from it, because I’m so much faster at it than my husband.) When you know that you can pull together a dinner in the time it takes for water to boil and some pasta to cook, or that you can cook some fresh fish in less than 10 minutes, frozen pizzas start to lose their appeal.

But even though I love to cook, there are plenty of days too when I don’t have the energy or am pressed for time to get something on the table for two hungry little kids. And as much as I prefer to cook from fresh, unprocessed ingredients, there are certainly worse convenience foods to have in your pantry than a jar of pasta sauce and a packet of potato gnocchi. Store-bought potato gnocchi cooks in 2 or 3 minutes, making it the ultimate fast food, plus a nice change from pasta. Check out all the quick and easy recipes for gnocchi from the UK’s Olive magazine for more inspiration.

If you like the sound of brandied plums but don’t have time for the cake, just make the plums on their own, which takes only 10 minutes. Serve them with vanilla ice cream, with the syrup drizzled over — no one will complain about not having them in a cake.

IMG_9243

Gnocchi with Tomato, Spinach and Ricotta
adapted from Olive, November 2005

Serves 6

You could vary this recipe by using your favorite pasta shape instead of gnocchi, and stirring 1 tub of ricotta cheese directly into the sauce along with the spinach to make it nice and creamy. Do I even have to say that bacon would be good in this too?

2 x 18-oz (500‑g) packs store-bought potato gnocchi
2 x 14-oz (400‑g) good-quality jars of tomato sauce
7 oz (200 g) baby spinach, washed
2 x 9‑oz (250‑g) tubs of ricotta cheese
a handful of freshly grated Parmesan, to serve

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Cook the gnocchi according to packet instructions and drain. Meanwhile, heat the tomato sauce, add the spinach and stir until wilted. Put the gnocchi in a lightly oiled ovenproof dish, pour the sauce over and dot with blobs of ricotta. Scatter the grated Parmesan over and pop into the hot oven until bubbling and golden, about 10 minutes.

***

Brandied Plum Cake
inspired by The Kitchen Diaries by Nigel Slater

Serves 12

This cake is very moist, so it doesn’t really need the brandy syrup drizzled over it at the end, though it’s a nice touch. Instead, you might like to save it in the fridge to drizzle over vanilla ice cream another time. If you have any leftover plums that won’t fit on top of the cake, save them to have with yogurt for breakfast.

for the brandied plums:
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons brandy
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
16 ripe plums, stoned and quartered

for the cake:
3/4 cup (160 g) butter
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup (90 g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup (100 g) ground almonds
1/2 cup (50 g) walnuts, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9‑inch springform pan and line the base with a piece of parchment paper.

To make the brandied plums, combine the sugar, brandy and cinnamon in a frying pan. Cook over a high heat, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat, add the plums and cook until they are soft but still hold their shape, about 5 minutes. Transfer the plums to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve the brandy syrup left behind from the plums.

Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar. Sift the flour and baking powder together and fold them gently into the mixture with a spatula. Fold in the ground almonds and chopped walnuts.

Scrape the mixture into the lined springform pan. Place the quartered plums on top of the cake mixture (they will sink into the cake as it bakes). Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. If you think the top of the cake is browning too much, cover it with tin foil. Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before releasing the sides of the pan. Serve with some of the reserved syrup spooned over the top of each slice.