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A ‘Gourmet’ feast for fall

The October issue of Gourmet magazine features star chefs from around the country delighting readers with some of their favorite dishes. Chef Dean Fearing, of The Mansion on Turtle Creek, offers up some of his secrets. Check out his recipes.
/ Source: msnbc.com

Chefs across the country have taken on a star status of their very own, and for the cover of the October issue of Gourmet magazine, the editors brought together some great chefs and gave them the rock star treatment. Dean Fearing, the chef at “The Mansion on Turtle Creek” in Dallas, was one of the five chefs chosen for this special feature. He demonstrates some of his dishes on “Today.” Check out the recipes below.

SMOKED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH SPICY PECAN CREAM Serves 6-8

3 small butternut squash, halved and seeded

1 large onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeno, minced

1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/2 cup dry sherry

1 quart chicken stock (recipe to follow)

1 cup heavy cream

Salt to taste

White pepper to taste

Lemon juice to taste

Spicy Pecan cream (recipe to follow)

Fresh cilantro sprigs

Smoke 3 squash halves for 20 minutes. (See method below.)

Preheat oven to 350. Place squash halves in a flat pan, cut side down. Bake in preheated 350 oven for 1 hour or until soft. Scoop out pulp and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, sauté onion, garlic cloves, jalapeno and fresh thyme in butter over medium heat until soft, about five minutes. Add squash pulp and stir in sherry. Pour in chicken stock. Simmer for approximately 1 hour or until flavors mellow. Add heavy cream and bring to one boil.

Pour soup mixture into a blender and blend until very smooth. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Pour equal portions into warm soup bowls. Garnish with a dollop of spicy pecan cream. Top cream with a sprig of fresh cilantro. Serve immediately.

COLD SMOKE METHOD:

In a smoker or a grill with a lid, light 6-8 small pieces of wood charcoal or charcoal briquettes (a chimney-type starter that uses newspaper to ignite the coals is very handy for this). Mound the hot coals in the bottom of the cooker and let them burn down to gray ash. Lay soaked or green wood chips or pieces (such as hickory, pecan, apple or cherry) over the ash. This process lowers the heat of the coals to “cold smoke.” Usually, the bottom damper should be closed. The top vent, in the lid, should be open just a crack to draw the smoke. Place the item to be smoked on an aluminum pie pan and place on the grate above the coals, to the side, not directly over the coals. Smoke for about 20 minutes. If wood chips burn down, add fresh chips to keep smoke constant.

Gas grills can also be used for this process. Preheat one side of the grill for about 10 minutes or until thermostat registers “low.” Turn off heat. Place soaked or green wood chips or pieces on the preheated grill rocks. Place the item to be smoked on an aluminum pie pan and place on the grate above the coals, to the side, not directly over the coals. Smoke for about 20 minutes. If wood chips burn down, add fresh chips to keep smoke constant.

SPICY PECAN CREAM:

2 ounces shelled pecans

1/2 cup very cold cream

1 pinch of cayenne pepper

1 pinch ground cumin seed

1 pinch of ground coriander seed

2 teaspoons maple syrup

Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350.

Spread pecans on sheet tray and place in preheated 350 oven for 4 minutes or until golden, shaking tray half way through the cooking process.

When done, pour nuts on one-half of a thick kitchen towel and fold over other half. Rub nuts together between two layers of towel to remove skins. This procedure will remove most, but not all, of the skin. Expect a small amount to remain.

Place roasted pecans in a food processor. With the steel blade, pulse processor on-off /5-6 times, until nuts are roughly chopped.

Whip cream to soft peaks. Fold pecans, cayenne pepper, cumin and coriander into cream. Lightly stir to combine. Season to taste with salt. Use immediately.

CHICKEN STOCK:

1 chicken carcass

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup coarsely chopped onion

3/4 cup coarsely chopped carrots

3/4 cup coarsely chopped celery

3 sprigs fresh thyme

3 sprigs fresh parsley

1 small bay leaf

1 tablespoon white peppercorns

5 cups water to cover

Have butcher cut carcass into small pieces or use a cleaver to do so at home. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add carcass. Cook, stirring often, until well browned.

Add remaining oil with onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are golden brown. Pour off oil. Add thyme, parsley, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Stir to blend and add water to cover.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, skimming surface as necessary, until reduced to 4 cups.

Line a bowl with an extra fine sieve (preferably a chinois). Pour mixture into the sieve and strain, pushing solids with a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids. Skim off any surface fat. Refrigerate, tightly sealed, for no more than 2 days, or freeze in small quantities for ease of use for up to 3 months.

THE MANSION ON TURTLE CREEK ROASTED CHICKEN WITH APPLES AND ROSEMARY

1 5-6lb chicken

Salt to taste

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 large bunch of fresh rosemary

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons of thyme

2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes

1 large yellow onion, cut into thin slices

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into thin slices

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

2 cups of very rich chicken stock (recipe to follow)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Heat oven to 450 .

Rinse chicken under cold water inside and out and pat dry. Season the cavity with salt and pepper.

Place the chicken in a large roasting pan, breast-side up. Place rosemary underneath the chicken. Brush generously with olive oil and season all of the chicken skin with salt, pepper, thyme and crushed red pepper flakes. Place chicken in oven and roast 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Lower temperature to 375 and roast for 50 minutes or until juices run clear. Baste every 10 minutes with excess oil that has gathered in roasting pan (the rosemary will start to infuse flavor into the oil.) Add onions and apples to roasting pan, surrounding the chicken, during the last 20 minutes of cooking. To check for doneness, stick a cooking fork in-between the breast and the leg at the joint. If the juices run clear, the chicken is done. Remove pan from oven and carefully place chicken on a warm platter. As you lift the chicken, tilt it over the roasting pan so that all the juices run out of the cavity and into the pan. Allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Pour off excess fat from the pan making sure not to remove flavorful pan juices. Place the pan on top of the stove. Remove rosemary from pan. Saute onions and apples until golden brown, about 5 minutes add vinegar and reduce for 30 seconds and add lemon juice. Add the stock and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom vigorously with a wooden spoon and reduce by half recheck seasoning. Serve the sauce over the chicken or, for crisp skin, in a sauce boat.

CHICKEN STOCK:

1 chicken carcass

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup coarsely chopped onion

3/4 cup coarsely chopped carrots

3/4 cup coarsely chopped celery

3 sprigs fresh thyme

3 sprigs fresh parsley

1 small bay leaf

1 tablespoon white peppercorns

5 cups water to cover

Have butcher cut carcass into small pieces or use a cleaver to do so at home. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add carcass. Cook, stirring often, until well browned.

Add remaining oil with onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are golden brown. Pour off oil. Add thyme, parsley, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Stir to blend and add water to cover.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, skimming surface as necessary, until reduced to 4 cups.

Line a bowl with an extra fine sieve (preferably a chinois). Pour mixture into the sieve and strain, pushing solids with a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids. Skim off any surface fat. Refrigerate, tightly sealed, for no more than 2 days, or freeze in small quantities for ease of use for up to 3 months.

GRIDDLED ASPARAGUS

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 bundles of asparagus, trimmed, peeled and steamed

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon butter

In a large skillet over high heat add oil. When hot remove from heat and place asparagus evenly in pan. Use 2 batches if necessary. Do not crowd pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. When browned, after about 5 minutes, fold in butter and remove from heat. Keep warm until ready to serve.

TOMATO GINGER CHUTNEY

2 cups tomato juice

1/2 cup malt vinegar

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon ginger, minced into a fine dice

1 tablespoon corn starch

1 tablespoon water

1 cup concasse tomatoes,(blanch for 13 seconds, peel, seed and dice to 1/2 inch)

Salt to taste

Heat a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add tomato juice, vinegar, sugar and ginger and reduce to a ketchup consistency, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl add cornstarch and water and stir to combine. In a thin stream, slowly pour mixture into pot, stirring constantly, until thick like a smooth pudding.

Add the diced tomatoes to the mixture, bring to a boil, and remove from heat.

Season lightly with salt and chill until ready to serve.

CAULIFLOWER MASHED POTATOES

3 pounds boiling potatoes

1 large head cauliflower (about 2 1/2 pounds)

1 1/2 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 shallot finely minced

Squeeze of 1/2 lemon

Salt to taste

Peel and quarter potatoes. Cut cauliflower into 1 1/2-inch florets. In a 5-to-6 quart kettle cover potatoes and cauliflower with salted cold water by 2 inches and simmer 30 minutes or until very soft. Drain vegetables in a colander and transfer to a large bowl. Add milk, butter and shallot. With a potato masher mash potato and cauliflower mixture. Season with lemon juice and salt. Serve hot.

CRANBERRY GINGER UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE WITH SPICED ORANGE CARAMEL SAUCE

CRANBERRY MIXTURE:

1/4 cup butter

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups cranberries

In a small saucepan melt the butter and brown sugar together. Add the cinnamon and bring to a boil whisking all ingredients together. Have a 10” cake pan ready that is sprayed well with non-stick vegetable spray. Pour the brown sugar mixture into the pan and cover with the cranberries. Set aside.

GINGERBREAD:

8 1/4 ounce flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 ounces butter (softened)

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup molasses

3/4 cup water

Sift together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt; set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg followed by the molasses. Add the dry ingredients at once and slowly add water; scrape well.

Pour the batter over the cranberries into prepared pan. Bake for 45minutes to one hour. Test with a toothpick to see if the cake is done. Turn cake onto serving platter immediately to allow cake to cool.

SPICED ORANGE CARAMEL SAUCE:

1 pound sugar

1 cup orange juice

1/2 cup cream

zest from 2 oranges

1 star anise

2 cinnamon sticks

Caramelize sugar over medium high heat until sugar is a light amber color. Add the orange juice carefully, (mixture may splatter.) Add remaining ingredients and boil for 1 minute. Cool before serving.

Recipes provide by Dean Fearing, chef of The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas, Texas. Copyright 2003. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of Dean Fearing. To learn more about The Mansion on Turtle Creek, you can visit the hotel and restaurant’s Web site at: www.mansiononturtlecreek.com. And to learn more about the October issue of Gourmet magazine, you can find it on newsstands, or visit their Web site at: www.gourmet.com.