Archive: Around Town

With the holiday spirit becoming palpable and because I’m a devout foodie, I engaged in a mental exercise regarding what might be my favorite holiday meal.  After a brief period of self-reflection I realized that I don’t really have a favorite holiday meal. Although I do enjoy the traditional basics like turkey, stuffing, cranberries, corn and potatoes, I don’t think there’s anything particularly celebratory about them in their traditional forms.

Consequently, my mind wandered back to a dinner I enjoyed about this time two years ago. I remembered that the chef had tweaked these basics into an innovative and unique dinner. Actually, it was November 21, 2009 and it was a five-course wine dinner prepared by Executive Chef John McNabb at Knapp Winery in Romulus, Seneca County.

It didn’t take much effort for me to recollect the specifics so I thought you might be interested in some of the details. 

The first course was wild mushroom and merlot soup with a rosemary and balsamic crème fraîche. The soup had four different types of mushrooms: cremini, shitake, hen of the woods, and button. Although McNabb and I prefer to drink Merlot blended with other red varieties, for example Cabernet Sauvignon, he likes it for cooking with mushrooms.

After the soup, I was served a golden corn fritter with red pepper and dill aioli adorned with lump crab and chive. Corn at Thanksgiving dates back to the early settlers but frankly I have a problem imagining them sitting around a campfire with Native Americans cooking fritters and topping them with a dill aioli.

The next course was Anna style sweet potatoes with a spiced pear and dark rum foster sauce.   Mcnabb referred to Pommes Anna, a French dish of layered potato slices baked with butter in a special casserole. The potatoes are crisp and brown on the outside and soft on the inside. In this case, a sauté pan is lightly buttered and the potato slices are carefully arranged in a fish scale pattern along the bottom of the pan.

The first layer is brushed with clarified butter and seasoned with granulated and brown sugar, nutmeg, and white pepper. Another layer of potatoes is added and the procedure is repeated until the pan is full. It’s cooked over high heat so the bottom layer will caramelize.  A layer of parchment paper is placed on the top and everything is pressed down with the weight of another pan. It’s baked at 350° for about a half-hour until fork tender. The pan is inverted onto a serving platter so that the caramelized bottom layer, with a fish scale pattern, is on top.  It’s topped with a rum caramel sauce that is basically brown sugar, butter, and rum.

The main course was grilled proscuitto wrapped turkey medallion served with a golden raisin, cranberry and brioche stuffing in a pool of wild blueberry and balsamic reduction.  The stuffing is made from a brioche because it’s a thicker, denser and richer alternative to ordinary bread. Dice then toast it briefly in the oven to dry. Soak the raisins and cranberries in Riesling overnight and then simmer in a saucepot to reduce. Mix in the diced brioche, an egg, and seasonings and bake at 350° until golden brown (about 35-45 minutes).

Dessert was spiced pumpkin mousse served in a bittersweet chocolate drizzled phyllo cup with a vanilla bean, lavender white chocolate sauce. This is made with roasted cooking pumpkin meat, mascarpone, and heavy cream mixed with nutmeg, all spice, and confectionery sugar. Incidentally, this recipe works better if you whip the cream before mixing it in. To prepare the cup, butter it, cut into large circles, press over large soup bowls to shape and then bake. Drizzle the outside with white chocolate and cool in the refrigerator. Fill a piping bag with the mousse and squeeze the mousse into the phyllo dough cups.

Traditionalists may not want to deviate from a roasted bird filled with day old bread stuffing and cranberry sauce on the side and I probably will never enjoy this particular feast again.  However I’m always on the lookout for interesting variations of traditional themes. If you feel the same way, maybe this article will inspire you to engage in some personal experimentation in your own kitchen.    

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