Jason Bond of Bondir
Knowing how tricky it can be to feed large groups during the holidays (especially when juggling food allergies on top of turkey roasting), Bondir chef/owner Jason Bond serves a gluten-free sweet potato tart with chestnut crust and pecan vinaigrette that can “accommodate a mixed crowd of eaters at a holiday table.” Yielding two 9-inch or eight 3-inch tarts, the recipe is a riff on the versions at his Cambridge and Concord restaurants, where tarts filled with a variety of veggies are served as a first course or a vegetarian entree. And for the home cook, there’s an added perk: The dough can be prepped early and stored in the freezer.
For the chestnut flour dough:
· 8 ounces unsalted butter, cubed
· 4½ ounces confectioner’s sugar
· 4 ounces fresh chestnut paste (or any gluten-free flour)
· 2 eggs
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 12 ounces gluten-free flour
– In a large bowl, mix butter and sugar until pale. Combine chestnut paste and mix until fully incorporated. Add eggs one at a time. Slowly mix in salt and gluten-free flour.
– Whip on high for 1 minute and wrap in plastic to chill for one hour or overnight.
For the sweet potato filling:
· 4 sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
· Kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste
· Freshly grated whole nutmeg to taste
· 3 eggs
· ½ cup heavy cream
– Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the sweet potatoes for 1 hour or until tender. Scoop the flesh into a mixing bowl. Add a pinch of salt, a couple grinds of pepper and a couple scrapes of nutmeg. When it’s warm, but not hot, stir in the eggs and cream, and whisk to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
– Press the cold tart dough into a tart shell. Aim for a ⅛- to ¼-inch thickness.
– Bake the shell at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until the tart shell begins to brown. Spoon in the sweet potato filling and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the filling is set, with a little jiggle to it.
For the pecan vinaigrette:
· 1 cup olive oil
· 2 shallots, minced
· 1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
· 2 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar (or wine vinegar)
· Salt and fresh black pepper to taste
· 1 tablespoon chives, minced
– In a small saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil and shallots and cook covered until shallots are soft and translucent.
– Add the pecans, vinegar, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
– Finish with freshly chopped chives.
Taking Sides
Local toques talk everything but turkey, sharing updated versions of classic holiday fare.
By Meghan Kavanaugh | Photo Credit: Adam Detour; Food and Prop Styling: John Carafoli / Anchor Artists; Props: Mary Rose Antiques | Nov. 20, 2015
Cornbread Stuffing with Chinese Sausage, Shiitake Mushrooms and Caramelized Fennel
Asia Mei of Moonshine 152
When it comes to holiday feasting, Moonshine 152 chef/owner Asia Mei doesn’t waste any time with dry turkey. “All I ever really care about is stuffing, sides and gravy,” she says, sharing a recipe for the first with a layered and satisfying flavor profile. The cornbread brings the sweet, the shiitake mushrooms provide an earthiness and the Chinese sausage carries a salty-fatty-umami combo. “All of these slightly different takes on what would otherwise be a plain sausage-mushroom bake come together to make a more memorable, completely approachable Asian-influenced item.”
· ¼ pound butter
· 3 large shallots, diced
· 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
· 1 teaspoon chili flakes
· 1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
· 1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
· 2 tablespoons fresh sage chiffonade
· 2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
· 1 cup Chinese sausage, diced
· 1 quart shiitake mushroom caps, trimmed and sliced
· 1 quart fennel, sliced
· ½ cup white wine or sherry
· 3 quarts day-old cornbread, cubed
· 2 cups chicken stock
· Salt and pepper to taste
– Melt the butter in a large pot over low heat. Combine the shallots, fennel seeds, chili flakes, thyme, rosemary and sage. Stir until the shallots are translucent. Add the garlic and a couple pinches of salt. Continue to mix until the garlic gets slightly toasted.
– Add the sausage, shiitake mushrooms and fennel to the pot, and raise to medium heat, stirring occasionally until the fennel and mushrooms are cooked through, with the fennel developing a caramelized color. Add the wine to deglaze the pot, and reduce the liquid until it is almost dry.
– Mix the cornbread, chicken stock and salt and pepper to taste. Combine everything to evenly coat the cubes of bread with vegetables, sausage and herbs. (Additional stock or extra butter may be needed to saturate the cornbread pieces.)
– Serve straight out of the pot. To reheat later in the day, spread the stuffing evenly into a pan and heat at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the top is toasted.
By Meghan Kavanaugh | Photo Credit: Adam Detour; Food and Prop Styling: John Carafoli / Anchor Artists; Props: Mary Rose Antiques
Sweet Potato Tarts with Chestnut Crust
Jason Bond of Bondir
Knowing how tricky it can be to feed large groups during the holidays (especially when juggling food allergies on top of turkey roasting), Bondir chef/owner Jason Bond serves a gluten-free sweet potato tart with chestnut crust and pecan vinaigrette that can “accommodate a mixed crowd of eaters at a holiday table.” Yielding two 9-inch or eight 3-inch tarts, the recipe is a riff on the versions at his Cambridge and Concord restaurants, where tarts filled with a variety of veggies are served as a first course or a vegetarian entree. And for the home cook, there’s an added perk: The dough can be prepped early and stored in the freezer.
For the chestnut flour dough:
· 8 ounces unsalted butter, cubed
· 4½ ounces confectioner’s sugar
· 4 ounces fresh chestnut paste (or any gluten-free flour)
· 2 eggs
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 12 ounces gluten-free flour
– In a large bowl, mix butter and sugar until pale. Combine chestnut paste and mix until fully incorporated. Add eggs one at a time. Slowly mix in salt and gluten-free flour.
– Whip on high for 1 minute and wrap in plastic to chill for one hour or overnight.
For the sweet potato filling:
· 4 sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
· Kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste
· Freshly grated whole nutmeg to taste
· 3 eggs
· ½ cup heavy cream
– Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the sweet potatoes for 1 hour or until tender. Scoop the flesh into a mixing bowl. Add a pinch of salt, a couple grinds of pepper and a couple scrapes of nutmeg. When it’s warm, but not hot, stir in the eggs and cream, and whisk to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
– Press the cold tart dough into a tart shell. Aim for a ⅛- to ¼-inch thickness.
– Bake the shell at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until the tart shell begins to brown. Spoon in the sweet potato filling and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the filling is set, with a little jiggle to it.
For the pecan vinaigrette:
· 1 cup olive oil
· 2 shallots, minced
· 1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
· 2 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar (or wine vinegar)
· Salt and fresh black pepper to taste
· 1 tablespoon chives, minced
– In a small saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil and shallots and cook covered until shallots are soft and translucent.
– Add the pecans, vinegar, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
– Finish with freshly chopped chives.
By Meghan Kavanaugh | Photo Credit: Adam Detour; Food and Prop Styling: John Carafoli / Anchor Artists; Props: Mary Rose Antiques
Saffron Cranberry Jam
Louis DiBiccari of Tavern Road
Politics isn’t the only taboo topic at the holiday dinner table; cranberry sauce can be just as divisive. And while Team Canned may always prefer visible ridges, the from-scratch crowd may be able to tempt them with a twist on the classic recipe from Tavern Road chef/owner Louis DiBiccari. His saffron cranberry jam uses chili flakes, cinnamon and star anise to pack a serious flavor punch—and potentially change long-held opinions. “The use of bold ingredients to season the jam,” he says, “really helps set it apart from classic sauces that can otherwise be fairly predictable.”
· 6 bags fresh cranberries
· 3 cups sugar
· 1 cup red wine
· 1 tablespoon saffron
· 1 cup ginger, chopped
· 1 teaspoon dried chili
· 2 sticks lemongrass, smashed
· 4 cinnamon sticks
· 4 star anises
· 2 oranges, zested and juiced
· Salt to taste
– In a large stainless-steel pot, combine all ingredients, cover and cook over low heat. Remove cover to occasionally stir until cranberries break down to a jam consistency.
– Remove lemongrass, cinnamon and star anise. Add salt and more sugar to taste.
By Meghan Kavanaugh | Photo Credit: Adam Detour; Food and Prop Styling: John Carafoli / Anchor Artists; Props: Mary Rose Antiques
Potato Rösti
Matt Jennings of Townsman
When Townsman chef/owner Matt Jennings was starting out in the kitchen, potato rösti was one of the first dishes he had to master: “I remember my chef telling me to throw it out and start over so many times!” Now he has the Swiss dish down pat, noting that the finished product should have a creamy interior and a crispy exterior, with nearly charred edges. And he’s improved on the original with this 12-serving recipe, adding clotted cream and topping it with fresh truffle shavings and maple syrup. After all, he says, “Isn’t everything better with maple and truffle?”
· 4 cups heavy cream
· 4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
· 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
· 2 onions, thinly sliced
· 1 tablespoon apple-cider vinegar
· 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
· Freshly ground black pepper
· Flaky sea salt
· Fresh truffle
· Maple syrup
– Heat the oven to 180 degrees. Pour the cream into a large oven-safe pot. Cover the pot and heat in the oven for 8-12 hours until the clotted cream—a thick, yellowish skin—forms. Let the pot cool at room temperature, and then refrigerate for 8 hours. Remove the clotted cream from the top of the pot. (The cream underneath can still be used for other purposes.) Set aside the clotted cream.
– In a large pot of boiling salted water, soften potatoes for 15-20 minutes or just until a paring knife slides into the center with some resistance. Drain, transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and chill uncovered for 30 minutes or until cold.
– Place racks in the highest and lowest positions in the oven, and heat it to 425 degrees. Line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment and brush with 2 tablespoons oil. In a large bowl, toss onions, vinegar and 1 tablespoon salt. Let sit 5-10 minutes or until onions are softened.
– Meanwhile, grate potatoes using a box grater or cut using a julienne slicer. Place prepared pans on the lower rack and heat for 5 minutes.
– In the large bowl, add potatoes to the onion mixture and toss to combine; season with salt and pepper. Divide the potato mixture between the hot pans and use a thin flexible spatula to press firmly until compact. Place on lower rack and bake 45-60 minutes or until potatoes are very brown around the edges. Remove rösti from the oven and let cool slightly.
– Heat broiler. Broil rösti on upper rack for 2-4 minutes or until the top is completely golden brown. Cut around sides with a small knife or offset spatula to loosen. Turn rösti onto a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Carefully remove parchment paper (if potatoes stick, let them cool slightly). Brush top of rösti with more oil, sprinkle with sea salt and broil on upper rack for 2-4 minutes or until the second side is a deep golden brown.
– Dollop with clotted cream. Cover with shaved fresh truffle and maple syrup.
Tips: Clotted cream can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to four days. Potatoes can be softened one day ahead; once they’re cold, cover. Rösti can be made 3 hours in advance; store uncovered at room temperature (or keep warm in a 250-degree oven for up to 1 hour). Reheat in a 300-degree oven for 10 minutes before serving.
By Meghan Kavanaugh | Photo Credit: Adam Detour
Mole-Spiced Roasted Vegetables
Carolyn Johnson of 80 Thoreau
“Turkey and mole is a very traditional combo in Mexico,” says chef Carolyn Johnson of Concord eatery 80 Thoreau. Here, she extracts the sauce’s signature spices to enhance “the orange holiday veggies,” namely winter squashes and sweet potatoes. “The spice mix uses a lot of ingredients, but they all harmonize together to make a very rich and flavorful coating for the roasted vegetables,” she says, noting that you can adjust the amount of ancho chili seeds to control the heat. The spice mix recipe should yield more than enough for one batch, so Johnson recommends getting creative with leftovers—try seasoning different veggies or rubbing it on roast chicken or turkey for an extra kick.
For the spice mix:
· ¼ cup coriander seeds
· 1 cinnamon stick
· 2 cloves
· 4 dried ancho chilies
· 1 cup toasted almonds
· 1 cup toasted pepitas
· ¼ cup cocoa nibs
· ½ teaspoon cayenne
· 2 tablespoons masa harina
– Toast the coriander seeds, cinnamon and cloves in a small saute pan over medium heat. Cook 1-2 minutes or until the spices become fragrant. Set aside to cool.
– In the same pan, dry toast the ancho chilies until they puff a bit and become fragrant. When cool, remove the stems. Remove seeds, if desired. Gently crush the chilies to break them up into smaller pieces.
– Coarsely grind the coriander in a spice grinder.
– Break the cinnamon stick into a few pieces and grind with the cloves into a fine powder.
– Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and mix until they are a consistent size and all of the ingredients have incorporated together. (Be careful not to overmix into a paste.)
For the vegetables:
· 2 sweet potatoes
· 1 acorn squash
· 1 delicata squash
· ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
· 4 cloves garlic
· Salt and pepper to taste
– Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
– Wash the vegetables. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into half-moon shapes ¼-inch thick. Halve the squashes and scoop the seeds out. Cut into slices ½-inch thick.
– Toss the veggies in a bowl with the oil, garlic, salt, pepper and ½ cup of the spice mix.
– Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and golden.
By Meghan Kavanaugh | Photo Credit: Adam Detour; Food and Prop Styling: John Carafoli / Anchor Artists; Props: Mary Rose Antiques
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Blistered Shishitos and Black Garlic Dressing
Lucas Sousa of Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro
“Everyone loves roasted Brussels sprouts; there is nothing to dispute there,” says executive chef Lucas Sousa of Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro. But even die-hard fans may want to dig into something a little different every once in a while. That’s where black garlic—one of Sousa’s favorite ingredients—comes in. “It is usually always somewhere in my kitchen,” he says, adding that black garlic can be found at any local Whole Foods. Couple it with fellow Asian culinary staple shishito peppers, and “it definitely switches things up a bit.”
For the black garlic dressing:
· 8 pieces black garlic
· ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
· 2 tablespoons lemon juice
· 1 egg yolk
· ¼ cup water
· 1 ½ cups neutral oil
· Salt and black pepper to taste
– Blend garlic, cheese, lemon juice, egg yolk and water. Slowly add oil until thick, and season with salt and black pepper.
For the vegetables:
· 2 cups whole shishito peppers
· Neutral oil
· Salt and black pepper to taste
· 4 cups Brussels sprouts, halved
– Heat the oven to 400 degrees. On the stove, warm a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
– In a bowl, combine the peppers with a small amount of oil. Coat the peppers with salt and black pepper.
– Add the peppers to the skillet, leaving any excess oil in the bowl. Cook for 2 minutes or until the peppers are charred, stirring occasionally. Take the peppers out of the skillet and set aside.
– Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom of the skillet. Place the Brussels sprouts cut-side down in the skillet. Once the edges begin to change color, place the skillet into the oven for 5 minutes or until the Brussels sprouts are tender.
– Remove the skillet from the oven and add the peppers back into the skillet. Toss with ¼ cup of black garlic dressing to lightly coat. Serve warm.
By Meghan Kavanaugh | Photo Credit: Adam Detour; Food and Prop Styling: John Carafoli / Anchor Artists; Props: Mary Rose Antiques
Pão de Queijo
Tse Wei Lim and Diana Kudayarova of Ames Street Deli
They may appear on the breakfast menu at Cambridge’s Ames Street Deli, but the pão de queijo buns from co-owners Tse Wei Lim and Diana Kudayarova are a welcome addition to the dinner table. “They’re savory and chewy and squishy and distinctly crusty, every one a little boule of textural delight,” Lim says of the cheesy Brazilian street food. But don’t think you need to wait for a special occasion to break this bread. “More innately flavorful than the traditional biscuits or dinner rolls,” he says, “pão de queijo are perfect either for mopping the plate or munching contemplatively during a quiet post-prandial afternoon.”
· 1 cup milk
· ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 2 ½ cups tapioca starch
· 5 ½ ounces sharp cheddar, grated
· 1 teaspoon mustard powder mixed with 1 teaspoon of water
· 3 eggs
– Combine milk, oil and salt in a pot and bring to a boil. Add in tapioca and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon, on heat, until the starch is cooked, showing translucency and pulling away from the bottom of the pot in stretchy strands.
– Transfer the dough into a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Paddle it for a few seconds to release some steam. Add the cheddar and the mustard powder mix and paddle until integrated. Add the eggs and continue to paddle at medium speed until the batter becomes smooth and sticky. Store covered in the refrigerator until the batter is cold.
– Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Use a spoon to portion and shape the dough into balls with wet hands. Bake for 15 minutes or until browned.
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