Thanksgiving 2018
This might have been the best Thanksgiving meal I've cooked to date. There was a consistency as well as a high bar maintained throughout that was pretty special.
Thanks to Nancy and Char for being fabulous, helpful and appreciative guests!
Thoughts on the meal....
Egg Custard - this came out pretty ideally. The black truffle was ethereal and the texture was perfect. The only changes I'd make in the future would be to use a much smaller tuile and to serve on a black plate. Pro-tip: cook at least one extra custard.
Roasted Apple - there is nothing I'd change about this dish. I cooked the apple just enough to convert sugars, but not enough to lose the crunch. The addition of the bourbon to the compote resulted in a complexity that was fantastic. Pro-tip: let the apples cool, then caramelize the surface with a brulee torch.
Blini - again, absolutely nothing I'd change here, a fantastic dish. Warm blini topped with Kewpie mayo, slices of cold smoky roast turkey breast, dressed greens, pomegranate and crumbled Benton's bacon. Pro-tip: put a layer of Benton's bacon between the skin and the breast of the turkey before roasting and actively baste to get the smoky flavor.
Crab - a simple dish that relies upon great crab, which we have this year. I liked serving in a small mason jar. The only change I'd make is to go with a slightly less assertive remoulade using less garlic. Pro-tip: make the remoulade a day in advance to let the flavors combine well.
Mushrooms - my favorite dish of the day. Whole maitake coated in a 50/50 mix of melted butter and olive oil, heavily salted and tossed with fresh thyme. Roasted hot and turned periodically. Removed from the oven when 99% cooked and tossed in a warm roasted garlic butter. Finished with smoked salt. Deep, layered and incredibly satisfying. Pro-tip: use the best possible mushroom you can find.
Chicken with Caviar - the Barry White of this menu... sexy as fuck. Boned-out, butterflied, skin-on chicken thighs that we marinated in salted buttermilk for 10 hours. I used a seasoned mix of 50% wheat flour and 50% corn starch to maximize crunch and cooked hot (350f). Pro-tip: you'll want to rest the chicken before plating to avoid the creme fraiche melting.
Pear in Puff Pastry - a lovely finish to the meal that relied upon the startling and pleasing combination of buttery puff pastry, sweet and funky cold roast pear, exotic tonka bean and the sharpness of fresh mint. In the future, I'd plate this differently. Pro-tip: roast the pears the day before and undercook them to protect the texture.
Until next year!
Thanks to Nancy and Char for being fabulous, helpful and appreciative guests!
 |
| Menu |
 |
| Truffle |
 |
| Black Truffle Egg Custard with Parmesan Tuile and Chips |
 |
| Roast Apple with Cranberry-Bourbon Compote |
 |
| Blini with Turkey, Pomegranate and Greens |
 |
| Dungeness Crab Remoulade with Ritz Crackers |
 |
| Roast Maitake Mushrooms with Smoked Salt |
 |
| Fried Chicken with Caviar, Creme Fraiche and Chives |
 |
| Roast Pear in Puff Pastry with Tonka Cream |
Thoughts on the meal....
Egg Custard - this came out pretty ideally. The black truffle was ethereal and the texture was perfect. The only changes I'd make in the future would be to use a much smaller tuile and to serve on a black plate. Pro-tip: cook at least one extra custard.
Roasted Apple - there is nothing I'd change about this dish. I cooked the apple just enough to convert sugars, but not enough to lose the crunch. The addition of the bourbon to the compote resulted in a complexity that was fantastic. Pro-tip: let the apples cool, then caramelize the surface with a brulee torch.
Blini - again, absolutely nothing I'd change here, a fantastic dish. Warm blini topped with Kewpie mayo, slices of cold smoky roast turkey breast, dressed greens, pomegranate and crumbled Benton's bacon. Pro-tip: put a layer of Benton's bacon between the skin and the breast of the turkey before roasting and actively baste to get the smoky flavor.
Crab - a simple dish that relies upon great crab, which we have this year. I liked serving in a small mason jar. The only change I'd make is to go with a slightly less assertive remoulade using less garlic. Pro-tip: make the remoulade a day in advance to let the flavors combine well.
Mushrooms - my favorite dish of the day. Whole maitake coated in a 50/50 mix of melted butter and olive oil, heavily salted and tossed with fresh thyme. Roasted hot and turned periodically. Removed from the oven when 99% cooked and tossed in a warm roasted garlic butter. Finished with smoked salt. Deep, layered and incredibly satisfying. Pro-tip: use the best possible mushroom you can find.
Chicken with Caviar - the Barry White of this menu... sexy as fuck. Boned-out, butterflied, skin-on chicken thighs that we marinated in salted buttermilk for 10 hours. I used a seasoned mix of 50% wheat flour and 50% corn starch to maximize crunch and cooked hot (350f). Pro-tip: you'll want to rest the chicken before plating to avoid the creme fraiche melting.
Pear in Puff Pastry - a lovely finish to the meal that relied upon the startling and pleasing combination of buttery puff pastry, sweet and funky cold roast pear, exotic tonka bean and the sharpness of fresh mint. In the future, I'd plate this differently. Pro-tip: roast the pears the day before and undercook them to protect the texture.
Until next year!
posted by chris | 9:27 AM
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