On Today’s Holiday kitchen, famed chef Thomas Keller says great cooking is about the process and attention to detail. Even in the humblest dish, the extra thought is evident, which is why his food tastes amazing. His new book, “Bouchon,” has many of those techniques, also from executive chef Jeffrey Circiello.
Roast Chicken With a Ragout of Wild Mushrooms
Ingredients:
-Two 2 1/2 pound chickens, brined for 6 hours as directed - and drained.-Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper-2 tablespoons canola oil-2 pounds assorted wild mushrooms (king trumpets, black trumpets, clamshells, porcini, and chanterelles, cleaned-3 tablespoons canola oil-1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt-1 tablespoon unsalted butter-3 tablespoons minced shallots-1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves-3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper-1 cup Chicken Jus-2 tablespoons unsalted butter-4 Italian Parsley sprigs-leur de sel
For the Chickens:-Preheat the oven to 475-degrees. Season and truss the chickens, then roast
For the Mushrooms:1. Keeping each type separate, trim away any tough stems and tear larger mushrooms into small pieces. It is important to cook each mushroom type separately, since cooking times will vary. Divide the remaining ingredients proportionately according to the amount of each type of mushroom you have.
2. Coat a large sauté pan with a thin film of canola oil and heat over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, add the first batch of mushrooms, season with salt, and sauté for about a minute. The mushrooms will absorb the oil; they should not weep any liquid at this point.
3. Add the appropriate amount of butter, shallots, thyme, and black pepper and sauté, tossing frequently until the mushrooms are tender, 2-4 minutes longer.
4. Transfer the mushrooms to paper towels and drain. Wipe the pan out with a paper towel and cook the remaining mushrooms in batches.
5. When the chicken is done, remove from the oven and let sit in a warm spot for 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, return all the mushrooms to the skillet along with 1/4 cup of the chicken jus. Bring the liquid to simmer over medium-high heat. Stir in the 2 tablespoons of butter until melted.
7. To serve - carve the chicken. Ladle one-quarter of the remaining jus onto each serving plate and arrange the mushrooms in the center. Place 2 pieces of chicken over the mushrooms on each plate and garnish the chicken with a sprig of parsley an da sprinkling of fleur de sel.
Bibb Lettuce Salad
Ingredients:-4 heads Bibb lettuce-Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper-2 tablespoons minced shallots-2 tablespoons minced chives-1/4 cup Italian parsley leaves-1/4 cup tarragon leaves-1/4 cup chervil leaves-1/2 cup House vinaigrette-1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice.
1. Carefully cut out the core from each head of lettuce and separate the leaves, but keep each head of lettuce together; discard any tough outer leaves. Because each head of lettuce will be reassembled, the easiest way to work is with one head at a time. First, place the leaves in a bowl of cold water to refresh them and remove any dirt, then life out an spin-dry in a salad spinner.
2. Place the leaves from a single head of lettuce in a bowl. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, a few grinds of pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the shallots and chives, and 1 tablespoon each of the parsley, tarragon and chervil. Then toss gently with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Repeat with the remaining heads.
3. For each serving, arrange the outer lettuce leaves as a base on the plate and rebuild each head of lettuce, ending with the smallest, most tender leaves.
House Vinaigrette:
-1/4 cup Dijon mustard-1/2 cup red wine vinegar-1 1/2 cups canola oil
1. Combine the mustard and vinegar in a blender and blend at medium speed for about 15 seconds. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the 1/2 cup of the oil. Don't be tempted to add all the oil to the blender or the vinaigrette will become too thick. It should be very creamy.
2. Transfer the vinaigrette to a small bowl and, whisking constantly, slowly streaming in the remaining 1 cup oil. Drizzle over bibb lettuce.
Gnocchi with Mushrooms and Butternut Squash
Ingredients:
-One 2 1/2 - 3 pound butternut squash (with long neck)-Canola Oil-1 tablespoon unsalted butter-Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper-12 small sage leaves
Mushrooms:
-12 ounces shiitake mushrooms, cleaned-Canola oil-1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt-1 tablespoon unsalted butter-3 tablespoons minced shallots-1 tablespoon minced thyme-3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper-Extra virgin olive oil-4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter-1/2 recipe Herb Gnocchi-Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper-2 tablespoons minced chives-1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley-1/2 lemon
Prepare the Squash:
1. Cut off and discard the stem end of the squash, then cut off the neck. Use a paring knife or sharp vegetable peeler to slice away the peel deep enough to reach the bright orange flesh of the squash. Trim the neck to straighten the sides, then cut it lengthwise to 1/2-inch-thick slices. Cut the slices into 1/2-inch dice (you need about 3 cups diced squash).
2. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
3. Heat a thin film of canola oil over medium heat in a skillet large enough to hold the squash in a single layer (or cook the squash in two batches). When the oil is hot, add the butter and brown it lightly. Add the squash, salt and pepper to taste, and the sage leaves. cook, stirring the pieces to brown them on all sides for 4-6 minutes or until tender throughout.
4. Reduce the heat as necessary to cook the squash and brown it lightly, without burning. Drain the squash on one end of the paper towel-lined baking sheet and set aside the sage leaves for the garnish. wipe out the skillet with a paper towl and set aside.
Prepare the Mushrooms:
1. Trim away the tough stems and cut the caps into 1/4-inch thick slices.
2. Heat a thin film of canola oil in the same skillet over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, add the mushrooms and salt and sauté for about a minute. The mushrooms will absorb the oil and should not weep any liquid.
3. Add the butter, shallots, thyme, and pepper - then toss and sauté until the mushrooms are cooked - about 3-4 minutes. Drain the mushrooms on a paper
towel-lined baking sheet. The gnocchi should be cooked in two skillets: Wipe out the mushroom skillet with paper towels and add a light coating of olive oil to it and a second to the large skillet.
To Complete:
1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to each skillet. When the butter has browned, divide the gnocchi between the two sillets and season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Once the gnocchi have begun to brown, shake and rotate the skillets, tossing the gnocchi so that they brown and crisp on all sides, about 2 1/2 minutes.
3. Add the squash, mushrooms and chives and heat just through. Spoon the gnocchi and vegetables onto serving plates and return one skillet to high heat.
4. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cook until it is a rich brown, then quickly add the parsley to crackle for a few seconds. Standing back - the butter will spatter - add a squeeze of lemon half. Spoon the brown butter and herbs over the gnocchi and around the plates. Garnish with the reserved sage leaves.
PROVENÇAL VEGETABLES:
Ingredients:
-1/4 cup canola oil-1 cup sliced onions (halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch long slices)-1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch wide julienne slices-1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch wide julienne slices-1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch wide julienne slices-Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper-1 cup thinly sliced zucchini-1 cup thinly sliced Japanese eggplant-1 cup thinly sliced yellow squash-12 ounces tomatoes (6 small) peeled and thinly sliced.-2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil-1/4 teaspoon minced thyme
1. Preheat oven to 275-degrees.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, peppers and season with salt & pepper - and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are softened but not browned. Spread the mixture in an even layer in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet or round baking dish.
3. Arrange the sliced vegetables over the onions and peppers, beginning at the outside of the skillet and working toward the center, alternating and overlapping the slices. Mix the garlic, oil, thyme, salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle over the vegetables.
4. Cover the skillet with aluminum foil, crimping the edges to seal or with a tight-fitting lid and bake for 2 1/2 hours.
5. Remove the lid and check the vegetables (the eggplant will take the longest to cook). They should have softened and be almost cooked through. Return to the oven, uncovered and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
6. The vegetables can be served immediately or cooled to room temperature and then refrigerated for a day or two. Reheat in 350-degree oven until warmed through.
Lemon Tart
Ingredients for Pine Nut Crust:
-10 ounces (2 cups) pine nuts-1/3 cup sugar-1 pound (3 cups) all-purpose flour-8 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature-1 large egg-1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. Place the pine nuts in a food processor and pulse a few times. Add the sugar and flour and continue to pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Transfer mixture into a large bowl.
2. Add the butter, egg and vanilla extract and mix to incorporate all the ingredients. Divide the dough into three equal parts. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes. (The extra dough can be frozen, wrapped well, for up to 1 month).
Ingredients for Lemon Tart:
-Butter and flour for the tart pan-1/3 recipe Pine Nut Crust-2 large eggs, cold-2 large egg yolks, cold-3/4 cup sugar-1/2 cup fresh lemon juice-6 tablespoons (3 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces.
For the Crust:
1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Generously butter and flour a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and refrigerate it while the oven preheats.
2. Remove the tart pan from the refrigerator. Use your fingertips to press the chilled pine nut dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim off any excess dough.
3. Bake the crust for 10-15 minutes, then rotate it and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the crust from the oven and let cool while you make the filling.
For the Lemon filling:
1. Bring about 1 1/2 inches of water to a boil in a pot that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the bowl you will be using for the sabayon.
2. Meanwhile, in a large metal bowl, whisk eggs, yolks, and sugar for about one minute or until mixture is smooth. Set the bowl over the pot and using a large whisk, whip the mixture while you turn the bowl (for even heating). After about 2 minutes, when the eggs are foamy and have thickened, add one-third of the lemon juice. Continue whisking vigorously and when the mixture thickens again, add another one-third of the lemon juice. Whisk until the mixture thickens again and add the remaining lemon juice.
3. Continue whisking vigorously, still turning the bowl, until the mixture is thickened and light in color and the whisk leaves a trail in the bottom of the bowl. The total cooking time should be 8-10 minutes.
4. turn off the heat and leave the bowl over the water. Whisk in the butter a piece at a time. The sabayon may loosen slightly, but it will thicken and set as it cools. Pour the warm sabayon into the tart crust and place the ban on a baking sheet.
5. Preheat the broiler. While the sabayon is still warm, place the tart under the broiler. leaving the door open, brown the top of the sabayon, rotating the tart if necessary for even color; this will take only a few seconds, so do not leave the oven. Remove the tart from the broiler and let sit for at least one our before serving. Serve at room temperature or cold.