With one of my all-time favourite holiday meals approaching, I am dedicating this column to the love of all things Thanksgiving. I have been fortunate to eat the bird cooked in a variety of ways, each of them delicious in their own right: brined, roasted, roasted upside down, rotisseried, barbecued, and yes, deep-fried. Yet while we pretend the turkey is the main event, I think we all know what Thanksgiving dinner is really about: side dishes.
The side dishes are where Thanksgiving gets personal. The first time you eat Thanksgiving at a friend’s house or have your first non-parent potluck Thanksgiving, you learn that every family has their own special touch they like to put on the meal’s accompanying dishes. At the Chan family table, no turkey dinner is complete without a large batch of savoury sticky rice, cooked with diced Chinese sausage and mushrooms. This substitution for mashed potatoes has weirded out a number of my friends, but no less than sweet potato casseroles covered in marshmallows and drowned in maple syrup has mystified me.
So, in honour of the side dish, here are a few of my favourite recipes to help kick your family Thanksgiving meal up a notch (and maybe start a new tradition). It’s an all-request, all-recipe Thanksgiving Edible Witness. Happy Turkey Day everyone!
Roasted Brussels sprouts with Pancetta and Balsamic Vinegar
Serves 8
2 lbs Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (quartered if very large)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup pancetta, diced
1-2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup water
drizzle Balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
1. Preheat oven to 450F. In a large bowl, toss together sprouts, garlic, pancetta and olive oil. Season with fresh ground pepper and only a light sprinkle of coarse salt (the pancetta is salty).
2. Transfer mixture to a 13×9 roasting pan or baking dish, arranging in a single layer. Roast in upper half of oven for about 25 minutes, or until sprouts are browned and fork-tender — be sure to turn sprouts halfway through cooking time to brown evenly.
3. Immediately after removing from oven, pour water over sprouts, using a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up browned bits on the bottom of pan. Drizzle lightly with balsamic vinegar and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve warm.
Chorizo and Apple Stuffing
Serves 8-10
Note: This stuffing is meant to be cooked outside the bird. If you want to stuff a bird with it, leave out the chicken stock.
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb spicy Portuguese cured Chorizo *, diced
2 large leeks, chopped (white parts only)
2 celery stalks, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 apples, peeled, cored and diced (I like a tart variety like Granny Smith for this)
small handful chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp chopped fresh sage
10 cups stale French bread, crusts removed, cut into 1-inch cubes **
1 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
1-2 cups chicken broth
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
* You could also substitute bulk pork sausage, diced bacon or pancetta if you prefer, or if can’t get your hands on good Chorizo. Mexican chorizo would work well here too.
** To dry out fresh bread, slice and remove crusts, then arrange on a baking sheet and toast in a 300F oven for about 20 minutes, then break or cut into cubes (don’t overtoast; you just want them to be dried out, not browned)
1. Preheat oven to 325F. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat, then add chorizo and brown until sides are slightly caramelized and fat begins to render (with bulk sausage, bacon or pancetta, make sure meat is cooked through and drain if there’s too much excess fat).
2. Using a slotted spoon, remove sausage to a large mixing bowl. Reduce heat to medium and cook celery, leeks, garlic and apples in remaining fat until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add vegetables to bowl with bread, parsley, thyme and sage, stirring well to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in 1 cup broth to coat, then more if necessary (the apples will release some moisture, so you want the stuffing to be moist but not saturated).
4. Transfer to a large casserole or baking dish. Pour melted butter over top of stuffing, then bake, covered with foil, for about an hour. You can crisp up the top a bit by removing the foil for the last 15 minutes or so (or broiling at end for a few minutes).
Cranberry-Onion Chutney
Makes about 2 1/2 cups
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup water
1 12 oz bag whole cranberries
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 2-inch strip of orange zest
salt and pepper to taste
1. In a medium saucepan, heat oil on medium-low and gently caramelize onions until lightly browned. Add vinegar, water, cranberries, brown and white sugars, thyme and orange zest, stirring together.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer gently until berries burst and sauce begins to thicken, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat, adjust seasonings with salt and pepper to taste. Cool completely before serving. Can be made 1 week in advance and kept in fridge.
Apple-Pear Ginger Crisp
Adapted from Harvest Pear Crisp with Candied Ginger at Epicurious.com
Serves 8-10
Topping:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 3/4 cups old-fashioned oats
3 tbsp minced crystallized ginger (optional) *
Filling:
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 firm but ripe pears, peeled, cored and sliced thin (Bosc or Bartlett are good)
3 apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin (Gala or Spy work well)
* I like to use the candied ginger found in Chinatown — the kind that comes in a small heart-shaped clear plastic box — but any crystallized ginger will do.
To make topping:
1. Whisk first four ingredients in medium bowl. Add butter. Working quickly so butter does not soften, rub in with fingertips or using a pastry cutter until moist, pea-sized clumps form. Stir in oats and ginger. Chill while preparing filling. Can be made one day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
To make filling:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss. Transfer to 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit mixture.
2.Bake until topping is crisp and golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 50 minutes. Serve warm (with vanilla ice cream!). Can be made ahead and reheated in oven.
Sara Chan is a recently called Toronto lawyer. Her favourite food group is pork. Sara’s column appears every other Tuesday here on lawandstyle.ca.