French Flageolet Beans

Servings: 6-8
Preheat: 300
Prep Time: hours
Source: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/french-flageolet-beans-2137547

Ingredients: 

1 pound dried flageolet beans
2 tablespoons good olive oil
4 ounces bacon, diced
2 cups medium-diced yellow onion (2 onions)
2 cups medium-diced fennel, trimmed and cored
2 carrots, scrubbed and medium-diced
4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
2 cups canned beef or vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
1 large sprig fresh rosemary
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions: 

The night before cooking, place the beans in a large bowl and cover them with water by 1 inch. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Drain the beans, rinse well, and drain again. In a large ovenproof pot such as Le Creuset, heat the olive oil over medium to medium-low heat, add the bacon, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the bacon starts to brown. Add the onion, fennel, and carrots and cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften but aren’t browned. Add the garlic and saute for 1 to 2 more minutes.

Add the flageolets to the pot and stir in the broth, bay leaves, and rosemary. (Don’t be tempted to add salt! The beans will become tough.) Add 2 cups of water, which should just cover the beans, and bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Cover the pot tightly and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the lid, stir in 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, and return the pot to the oven without the lid. Raise the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 45 more minutes. The beans will be very tender and there will be just a little liquid in the bottom of the pan. (If the beans are dry, add a little more water.) Discard the bay leaves and rosemary. Taste for seasonings and serve hot.

Mie Goreng (Mee Goreng)

Servings: 2-3
Preheat: 
Prep Time: 1 hour
Source: https://www.recipetineats.com/mie-goreng/

These noodles tossed in a sticky savoury sweet sauce originates from Indonesia but is also popular in Malaysia. With chicken, prawns, vegetables and the signature egg ribbons, it’s pretty fully loaded! They’re commonly made by street vendors with instant noodles which give it the familiar crinkly noodle look, but feel free to use any noodles you want. (PS Ketchup is authentic!)

Ingredients: 

NOODLES – Use one of the following (Note 1):
3 instant noodle cakes (I use this)
250g/8oz fresh egg noodles , thin to medium
150g / 5oz dried egg noodles , thin to medium

SAUCE:
2 tbsp kecap manis (or dark sweet soy sauce) (Note 2)
2 tsp light soy sauce (or normal soy, Note 3)
2 tsp dark soy sauce , or more light soy sauce (Note 3)
1 tbsp oyster sauce (Note 4)
2 tbsp ketchup (yes really!)
1 tsp sambal oelak, chilli paste or Sriracha (adjust spiciness to taste)
2 tsp sesame oil

STIR FRIED NOODLES:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs , lightly whisked
3 garlic cloves , finely chopped
120g/4oz chicken breast or thigh , sliced thinly into small bite size pieces
100g/3.5oz prawns/shrimp , raw, peeled and deveined (smaller are better)
2 cups cabbage , finely sliced (any green or white cabbage)
1 cup beansprouts
3 green onions , cut into 5cm/2″ lengths (green and white part)

Directions: 

Mix the Sauce in a bowl.
Prepare noodles per packet directions just before cooking.

EGG RIBBONS:
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Pour in egg, swirl to coat base. Cook 1 minute until mostly set, then flip (do your best!).
Slide onto cutting board, roll up into loose “wrap”. Slice into 1cm/ 1/3″ thick pieces – you now have egg ribbons!

COOKING:
Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in same skillet over HIGH heat.
Add garlic and chicken, cook until half surface turns white.
Add prawns and cook for 1 minute until chicken is mostly cooked.
Add cabbage and bean sprouts, toss for 1 minute until a bit wilted.
Add noodles, green onions and Sauce, toss for 1 – 2 minutes until Sauce reduces and noodles caramelise a bit.
Toss through egg ribbons and serve immediately!

Note 1. Noodles – use any yellow / wheat noodles you want, not rice noodles. Instant noodles (like you get in ramen and Maggi Noodles packets) is actually quite commonly used across South East Asia! I love the crinkly look – it’s familiar and authentic!

Note 2. Kecap Manis – sweet, intense flavoured soy sauce. Syrupy consistency, sauce used in Indonesian and Malaysian cooking (like Indonesian Nasi Goreng – Fried Rice). Sold in Asian section at large supermarkets in Australia (Woolies, Coles). OR use Dark Sweet Soy Sauce (very similar).

Note 3. Soy sauces – the dark soy sauce stains the noodles darker brown and has a more intense soy flavour than light soy sauce. Light soy adds saltiness to dishes but doesn’t stain noodles. Can sub Dark Soy with more light soy or all purpose. DO NOT sub the light soy with more dark soy sauce – too intense!

Note 4. Oyster Sauce – if you can’t consume, sub with Vegetarian Mushroom “Oyster Sauce”, now available at major supermarkets in Australia like Woolies.

Note 5. Recipe source – Original source from a cookbook I borrowed from the library many years ago, unfortunately I can’t remember the name!

Hot Buttered Soft Pretzels

Servings: 8 pretzels
Preheat: 475
Prep Time: 1 hour
Source: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/hot-buttered-soft-pretzels-recipe

Pretzels are available crisp and hard from your grocery or, if you’re lucky and in the right place, soft and chewy from street vendors. Our recipe is for the soft kind, made nicely chewy thanks to the use of King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour. Melted butter brushed over the crust is a bonus street vendors don’t offer!

To make sweet pretzel bites: Roll the eight pieces of dough into 10″ ropes. Cut each rope crosswise into 6 to 10 equal pieces. Dip the pieces into the baking soda solution, place on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, and top with pearl sugar, if desired. Bake in a 400°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove them from the oven; if they haven’t been topped with pearl sugar, roll the bites in melted butter (about 6 tablespoons should do it). Then shake in a paper bag with 6 tablespoons cinnamon-sugar.

To make savory pretzel bites: Roll the eight pieces of dough into 10″ ropes. Cut each rope crosswise into 6 to 10 equal pieces. Dip the pieces into the baking soda solution, place on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, and top with pretzel salt or sea salt. Bake in a 400°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven, and roll the bites in melted butter; about 6 tablespoons should do it.

Ingredients: 

Dough

2 1/2 cups (298g) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (7g) instant yeast
7/8 to 1 cup (198g to 227g) warm water*
*Use the greater amount in the winter, the lesser amount in the summer, and somewhere in between in the spring and fall. Your goal is a soft dough.

Topping

1 cup (227g) boiling water
2 tablespoons (28g) baking soda
coarse, kosher or pretzel salt, optional
sesame seeds, optional
3 tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, melted

Directions: 

1. To make dough by hand or with a mixer: Place all of the dough ingredients into a bowl and beat until well-combined. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for 5 to 8 minutes, until it’s soft, smooth, and elastic, then proceed to step 4.

2. To make dough with a bread machine: Place all of the dough ingredients into the pan of your bread machine, program the machine for dough or manual, and press Start. Allow the dough to go through its kneading cycle, then proceed to step 4.

3. To make dough with a food processor: Place the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in the work bowl of a food processor equipped with the steel blade. Process for 5 seconds. Add the water and process for 7 to 10 seconds, until the dough starts to clear the sides of the bowl. Process a further 45 seconds, then proceed to step 4.

4. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 30 minutes.

5. To make the topping: While the dough is rising, prepare the topping. Combine the boiling water and baking soda, stirring until the soda is totally (or almost totally) dissolved. Set the mixture aside to cool to lukewarm (or cooler).

6. Preheat your oven to 475°F. Prepare a baking sheet by spraying it with vegetable oil spray, or lining it with parchment paper.

7. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into eight equal pieces (about 70g each).

8. Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Pour the baking soda/water into a 9″ square pan.

9. Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (about 28″ to 30″ long), and twist each rope into a pretzel shape. Working with four pretzels at a time, place them in the pan with the baking soda/water, spooning the water over their tops; leave them in the water for 2 minutes before placing them on the baking sheet. This baking soda bath will give the pretzels lovely golden-brown color.

10. Transfer the pretzels to the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle them lightly with coarse, kosher, or pretzel salt, if desired. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

11. Bake the pretzels for 8 to 9 minutes, or until they’re golden brown.

12. Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Keep brushing the butter on until you’ve used it all up; it may seem like a lot, but that’s what gives these pretzels their ethereal taste. Eat the pretzels warm, or reheat them in an oven or microwave.

New Orleans-Style Anasazi Beans and Rice

Servings: 8
Preheat: 
Prep Time: 
Source: https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/new-orleans-style-anasazi-beans-and-rice

In New Orleans, red beans and rice, affectionately called “red and white,” is traditionally served on a Monday as a way to use up Sunday dinner’s ham bone. Here, smoked sausage lends its spicy flavor to the rice and meaty Anasazi beans. For this recipe, it’s not essential to keep the beans’ shape intact—you want them to be very soft.

Ingredients: 

1 lb. (2-1/2 cups) dried Anasazi beans
1 Tbs. pure olive oil
6 oz. fully cooked andouille or other spicy smoked sausage, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
3 medium celery stalks with leaves, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 medium scallions, thinly sliced
1 medium green or yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 dried bay leaf
1 tsp. fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 cups long-grain white rice
Hot pepper sauce, for serving
Jarred pickled jalapeños, for serving

Directions: 

Spread the beans out and pick through them, discarding any rocks, bits of debris, and shriveled beans. Rinse the beans under cold water to remove any dust or dirt. Put the beans in a large metal bowl with enough cool water to cover by about 3 inches. Soak at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours, adding more water if the level gets low. To see if the beans have soaked long enough, cut one in half. It should be the same color at its center as it is at the edge. Drain and rinse.

Put the beans in a 6-quart Dutch oven. Add 2 quarts cool water, or enough to cover the beans by about 3/4 inch. Bring just to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally and adding hot water if necessary to keep the beans submerged, until they begin to soften, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring often, until browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in the celery, scallions, bell pepper, onion, 1/2 cup of the parsley, the bay leaf, thyme, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the sausage mixture to the beans and return to a simmer. Continue to simmer, stirring often, until the beans are very tender and the liquid is very thick, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring 4 cups water to a boil in a heavy-duty 3-quart saucepan over high heat. Add the rice and 1-1/2 tsp. salt, stir once, reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes

Discard the bay leaf from the beans, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup parsley, and season to taste with salt and hot pepper sauce. Serve the beans over the rice, with the hot pepper sauce and pickled jalapeños with their liquid on the side.

Smitten Kitchen’s Parmesan Dutch Baby with Creamed Mushrooms Recipe

Servings: 4
Preheat: 425
Prep Time: 
Source: Smitten Kitchen Everyday

I used to make Dutch-baby pancakes-the crape’s tousled, melodramatic cousin-all the time as a treat: gingerbread-spiced at the holidays; with cherries and toasted almonds in Lune; with lemon and powdered sugar the rest of the year. Nothing made one feel like more of an Instagram/Pinterest/ Snapchat-ready domestic diva than pulling one of these fluffy, crispy-edged beauties out of the oven and shrugging off how easy they are to make-and telling the truth. You take the milk, eggs, and flour you’d use to make a crape but move the melted butter directly to the skillet, and generously There’s no ladling or brushing pans with melted butter or fragile high-stakes flipping techniques only oohs and oohs when the timer rings. The oven does all the work; you get all the credit.

Eventually, though, the reality of dinnertime got me plotting a savory version that would be just as special. This became our instant favorite. Where there was nutmeg, there’s salt and pepper. Powdered sugar becomes Parmesan, and instead of lemon juice, we make a rubbly sauce of mushrooms that have been sautéed with shallots in butter before being swirled with cream. Suddenly what seemed like the highest calling of a breakfast pancake becomes the most luxurious calling of a weeknight dinner, easily split between two people with a side salad, or among four perhaps with some grilled sausages or an additional vegetable on the side.

Ingredients: 

MUSHROOMS
2 tablespoons (25 grams) unsalted butter
1 shallot. minced
1/2 pound (225 grams) cremini (small brown) mushrooms. cleaned, chopped into small bits
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon (15 ml) dry white wine or white vermouth
3 tablespoons (45 ml) heavy cream

PANCAKE
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (120 ml) milk (whole is ideal, but any kind will work)
1/2 cup (65 grams) all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons (45 grams) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons (25 grams) finely grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

Directions: 

MAKE THE CREAMED MUSHROOMS
In a 12-inch cast-iron or other over proof skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallot, and cook until soft. 1 to 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste, and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, during which the mushrooms will release and then cook off their liquid and brown a little at the edges. Add the wine, reduce the heat to medium-low, scrape up any stuck bits, and cook off the wine, 1 to 2 minutes, Add the cream, and as soon as it simmers (i.e., almost immediately), scrape the whole mixture into a bowl and set aside.

MAKE THE PANCAKE
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Wipe out the pan, add the butter, and place in the oven to melt until very hot and sizzling.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the salt and pepper. Add the flour, and whisk until mostly smooth. Whisk in the milk. Lumps are fine.

TO FINISH
Remove the skillet from the oven. Swirl the butter around to evenly coat and pour in the batter all at once and return the skillet to the oven. Cook for 15 minutes after which the pancake should be browned in places and rumpled. Sprinkle with Parmesan, and return to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes, until it has melted. Remove it from the oven, and immediately dollop the mushroom sauce in pockets all over the pancake, and scatter with chives. Divide onto two or four plates.

New Classic Brownies

Servings: 16 brownies
Preheat: 400
Prep Time: 
Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017218-new-classic-brownies?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share

For a brownie almost as dark and dense as a chocolate truffle, there is Alice Medrich’s innovative method for New Classic Brownies: the pan goes directly from a high-heat oven to a bath of ice water, and the just-baked batter slumps, becoming concentrated and intense.

Ingredients: 

8 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
½ cup all-purpose flour
⅔ cup lightly toasted walnuts or pecans (optional)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line an 8-inch-square metal baking pan with foil. In top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, or on low power in a microwave, melt butter and chocolate together. Stir often, and remove from heat when a few lumps remain. Stir until smooth.

Stir in sugar, vanilla and salt. Stir in eggs one at a time, followed by flour. Stir until very smooth, about 1 minute, until mixture pulls away from sides of bowl. Add nuts, if using. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare a water bath: Pour ice water into a large roasting pan or kitchen sink to a depth of about 1 inch. Remove pan from oven and place in water bath, being careful not to splash water on brownies. Let cool completely, then lift out and cut into 1-inch squares or wrap in foil.

Crab Toast with Lemon Aioli

Servings: 
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 1 hour
Source: 

Ingredients: 

Lemon Aioli:
1 large egg yolk
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
2 tbsp (or more) fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
1 cup vegetable oil

Crab Toast:
8 oz lump crabmeat, picked over
2 tbsp chopped fennel fronds
1 to 2 serrano chiles, seeded, finely chopped
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt
4 3/4″-thick slices country-style sourdough bread
lemon wedges, for serving

Directions: 

Lemon Aioli:

Whisk egg yolk, garlic, lemon zest and juice, mustard, and a large pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in oil, drop by drop at first, until aioli is thickened and smooth; season with salt and more lemon juice, if desired.

Crab Toast:

Toss crabmeat, fennel fronds, 1 chile, and 2 tbsp oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt; add more chile, if desired.
Drizzle both sides of bread with remaining 4 tbsp oil; working in batches, toast in a large skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.
Spread each piece of toast with 1 tbsp aioli. Top with crabmeat; cut each toast into 4 pieces. Place a small dab of aioli in center of each piece; serve with lemon wedges. (Extra aioli can be used for dressings or dips.)

Do ahead:

Aioli can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Crabmeat mixture can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Note: Raw egg is not recommended for infants, the elderly, pregnant women, or people with weakened immune systems.

Buttered Stuffing With Celery and Leeks

Servings: 8-10
Preheat: 375
Prep Time: 1 1/4 hours, plus overnight drying
Source: ALISON ROMAN – New York Times; https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020600-buttered-stuffing-with-celery-and-leeks

Those of you who love stuffing know that it might be the only reason to host Thanksgiving. This version is an updated classic — no dried fruit, no surprise ingredients, no “twists” — just a very buttery, deeply savory stuffing made with garlic, leeks and a lot of celery. The bread is crusty and torn, never cubed (for those crisp, craggy edges), and the whole thing is baked in a baking dish, never inside the turkey (to keep it light and fluffy with a custardy interior and a golden-brown top). All stuffing needs two trips to the oven: once, covered, to cook it through and twice, uncovered, to crisp up the top. You can do the first bake ahead of time if you like, or do one after the other if the timing works out that way.

Ingredients: 

1 large loaf good, crusty bread, preferably sourdough or ciabatta (about 1¼ pounds)
¼ cup olive oil
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 large leeks, white and light green parts, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 celery stalks, thinly sliced, leaves reserved for garnish if available
½ cup dry white wine
½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken, turkey or vegetable broth
3 large eggs
½ cup finely chopped parsley
¼ cup finely chopped chives
2 tablespoons finely chopped marjoram, oregano or thyme

Directions: 

Using your hands, tear bread, crust and all, into 1 1/2- to 2-inch pieces. (Alternatively, you can cut the bread with a knife, but I prefer the way the craggy bits toast and soak up the goods.) Place chunks on a rimmed baking sheet, and let sit uncovered at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. If you’re short on time, you can toast the chunks in a 300-degree oven instead, tossing occasionally, until lightly crisped, but not browned, on the outside.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, combine olive oil and 4 tablespoons butter. Once butter has melted, add the garlic and leeks. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are bright green and totally softened, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add celery, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until bright green and tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add white wine, and cook until reduced by about three-quarters, 3 to 4 minutes. Add red-pepper flakes, if using, and remove from heat.

Whisk together broth and eggs in a medium bowl. Place bread in a large bowl (you want a lot of room for mixing, so go big), and add the leek and celery mixture, parsley, chives and marjoram. Stir to coat so that everything is evenly distributed, trying not to totally crush the bread. Pour the egg mixture over everything and toss a few times. Let sit a minute or two and give another toss. Repeat twice until all the liquid has absorbed and evenly distributed to each and every piece of bread.

Transfer mixture to a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish (a 9-by-13 pan also works), making sure not to pack it too tightly. (You want to keep the bread in the stuffing as light as possible.) Dot the top with the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, making sure to pay extra attention to the corners, where the stuffing will get the crispiest.

Cover with foil and bake until the stuffing is sizzling at the edges and completely cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. If it’s not yet time to serve, remove stuffing from oven and set aside. (If you are nearly ready to serve, proceed directly to the next step and continue without pausing.)

When ready to serve, remove foil and increase temperature to 425 degrees. Bake stuffing until crispy, crunchy and impossibly golden brown on top, 20 to 25 minutes. Scatter with celery leaves, if using, and serve.

Brown turkey gravy

Servings: 1 quart
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 30 minutes, 2 hours total
Source: Brendan Webster

After the turkey, it’s the gravy that makes the Thanksgiving dinner. While the turkey cools down, you prepare this finale, piping hot, flavorful, and in abundance. Make a well in each serving of mashed potatoes with the ladle full of gravy, spoon it over the turkey, stuffing and wild rice.

You can make your turkey gravy stock way ahead of time. When the turkey is done and the roaster de-greased, blend the gravy stock into the roasting juices.

Ingredients: 

For the brown turkey stock:

The turkey giblets (neck, heart, gizzard)
4 tbs cooking oil
2 C each chopped onion and carrots
1 C dry white wine or 2/3 C dry white French vermouth
2 C chicken stock or canned broth
Water as needed
Salt
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried, or 1 tbs chopped fresh, thyme and sage

Finishing the gravy:
(These are approximate amounts)
1/2 C of the liquid fat from the turkey
1/2-3/4 C flour
All of the juices from the turkey pan, poured through a gravy separator; set the fat and juices aside in separate bowls
The giblet stock
The coagulated juices from the turkey (these will remain in the roasting pan which you will use for preparing the gravy)

Directions: 

For the stock:

Chop the neck into 2-inch pieces, quarter the gizzard, and halve the heart. Dry in paper towels. Heat oil in a heavy 3-qt saucepan, stir in the giblets and brown them rapidly on all sides, regulating heat so oil does not burn. Remove giblets and stir in the vegetables; cover and cook slowly 5-8 minutes until tender. Then uncover, raise heat, and brown lightly for several minutes. Return giblets to pan, add wine, stock, and enough water to cover ingredients by an inch. Salt lightly, add herbs, and simmer partially covered for 21/2 to 3 hours. Strain, pressing the juices out of the vegetables. Taste for seasoning.

Finishing the gravy:

Pour the fat into the roasting pan. Tipping the pan slightly so that the fat is toward you, scoop 1/3 of the flour into the pan above the fat. Work the flour into the fat, a bit at a time, while also scraping the pan drippings into the resulting roux. When all the flour has been incorporated into the fat, you will have a thick brown roux. Cook this carefully for a couple of minutes, then turn the heat off, and gradually add the drippings (juices) from the turkey. You will have a very thick sauce to which you add your giblet stock a cup at a time with the heat turned to low. Keep adding stock, thinning your gravy until it is the consistency you like. Turn your heat down very low as you carve the turkey. When you are ready to serve, check for consistency, adding as much stock as the roux will bear so that you will have as much gravy as you need.

Pour the gravy into gravy boats for the table.

Blueberry buttermilk scones

Servings: 9 or 10 scones
Preheat: 350
Prep Time: 30 min
Source: Huckleberry

These scones taste traditional in every sense. The problem with most blueberry scones is they have been overmixed – the blueberries get smashed and result is a very off-putting grayish-blue dough. I avoid this problem by mixing the dough almost completely without the blueberries and then rolling them in, like you would a cinnamon roll, at the very last minute. These steps will leave you with a much cleaner-looking pastry. You can also make great lemon buttermilk scones with this recipe; just omit the blueberries and add the zest of three more lemons. I love to serve these scones with very lightly sweetened whipped cream or fresh-made jam, honey, or maple syrup.

Ingredients: 

3¼ cups + 2 tablespoons (420 grams) plain flour
½ cup + 2 tablespoons (130 grams) granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
¼ cup (55 grams) brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (230 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-in cubes
¾ cup (180 ml) buttermilk
zest of 1 lemon
1½ cups fresh blueberries
Egg wash – 2 egg yolks and 2 tablespoons cream whisked together

Directions: 

In a very large bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Throw in the butter and work with your fingertips until the pieces are pea-and-lima bean-size. Add the buttermilk and lemon zest. Lightly toss to distribute.

Immediately dump everything onto a clean surface with more than enough space to work the dough. Using only the heel of your palm, quickly flatten the dough. Gather the dough back together in a mound and repeat. After two or three repetitions, the dough should begin holding together. Don’t overwork the dough, it should still be quite crumbly – this is what creates the most luscious short buttery scones ever.

Pat down the dough to a 3/4-in/2cm thickness , about a 9-by-12-in/23-by-30.5cm slab and spread the frozen blueberries evenly on the top. Roll the long side of the dough, like a jelly roll, into a log with the blueberries enveloped inside. Shape the dough into a 12-in-/30.5-cm-long cylinder. Lightly flatten the top so that it is a little less than 1/2in/12 mm thick and cut out nine or ten triangles. Transfer them to an ungreased sheet pan and freeze for at least 2 hours before baking, or up to 1 month, tightly wrapped.

Preheat your oven to 350F/180C. Remove the scones from the freezer. Space them with plenty of breathing room on two ungreased sheet pans, brush with the egg wash, and sprinkle liberally with granulated sugar. Bake from frozen until cooked through, nicely browned, and easily lifted off the pan, about 25 minutes.