All

If you ever fancied a holiday dinner straight out of Dickens story, here you go.

Roast Goose with Prunes and Chestnuts

Recipe abridged from Cooking Meat.

 

Serves 6 to 10, depending on the size of the goose

Ingredients:

1             (9–11 pounds) whole goose
1             orange
2 cups   dried prunes (divided)
6             bay leaves (dried is fine, divided)
Salt and pepper
1 cup     honey
4             shallots, chopped
1 cup     dry red wine
1 cup     Madeira
1 cup     prune juice
2 cups   Beef Stock
2 Tbsp   reserved rendered goose fat from the roast
2 Tbsp   all-purpose flour
1 cup     peeled chestnuts, roasted until golden

Method:

1. Have a roasting pan with an elevated roasting rack ready.
2. Three hours before you plan to eat, remove the goose from the fridge and inspect it for small feathers and feather “plugs”). Place the goose, breast side up, on your cutting board and remove the wishbone to making carving easier. To do this, lift the flap of fatty skin from the front of the goose and use your fingers to locate the wishbone. It runs in an inverted “V” down from where the two breasts meet. Using a paring knife, cut the meat away from each side of the wishbone, slowly exposing it. Wriggle your fingers in, grasp the wishbone, and pull it out. Save it for the pan sauce. Use the paring knife to score the goose breast in a crosshatch pattern at ¼-inch intervals, making sure that you’re only cutting through the skin and not into the meat of the breast.
3. Roll the orange on your work surface to break up the cells of the fruit inside. Using the tip of the paring knife, poke 8 to 10 holes all around the fruit. Place the orange, 1 cup of the prunes, and 4 of the bay leaves inside the cavity of the bird.
4. Truss the goose to seal the cavity. Season the goose all over with salt and pepper, place it on the roasting rack, and set the roasting pan on the center rack of a cold oven.
5. Turn on the oven to 400˚F. Roast the goose until the skin is golden, about 20 minutes from when you turned the heat on. Turn down the oven to 300˚F and roast for another 2 hours.
6. Fifteen minutes before the goose is due to be finished roasting, heat the honey in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove the goose from the oven, brush it all over with the honey, and return it to the oven for the final 15 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165˚F. Remove the goose from the oven, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes.
7. While the goose is resting, make the sauce. Drain the fat and roasting juices from the pan into a bowl and set aside. Set the roasting pan on the stovetop over medium heat and add the wishbone and shallots. Cook, stirring well and scraping up any bits of roast that are stuck to the bottom of the roasting pan, until the shallots are translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the remaining 2 bay leaves, red wine, and Madeira, bring to a simmer, and reduce by half. Add the prune juice and reduce by half again. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
8. Using a tablespoon, skim the fat from the top of the reserved roasting juices and reserve 2 Tbsp of it (refrigerate any excess for another use—roast potatoes are ideal). Add the roasting juices and beef stock to the saucepan, bring to a simmer, and reduce by half again. Season with salt and pepper.
9. To thicken the sauce, mix the reserved goose fat and flour in a bowl to make a paste. Slowly whisk this paste into the sauce, bring the sauce to a simmer, and allow it to thicken for about 5 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan. Add the remaining 1 cup of prunes and the chestnuts and simmer for 5 minutes.
10. Carve the goose and arrange on a platter. Spoon some of the prunes and chestnuts from the sauce around the goose and serve with the remainder of the sauce on the side.

Duck Confit

Recipe abridged from Cooking Meat

Serves 6

 

Ingredients:

1 cup salt
1 cup granulated sugar
6 garlic cloves, crushed with the side of your knife
2 Tbsp whole peppercorns
15 thyme sprigs
4 bay leaves

6 duck legs, preferably from smaller hens

1 quart rendered duck fat

 Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the salt, sugar, garlic, peppercorns, thyme, and bay leaves. Add the duck legs and toss well to coat them completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight. 

2. Preheat the oven to 275°F. 

3. Melt the duck fat in a large ovenproof pot over low heat. Rinse the duck legs under cold, running water to remove the surface cure, add them to the pot, and bring to a simmer. Cover and braise in the oven until the duck meat is pulling away from the bone, 2½ to 3 hours. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the fat. 

4. About 20 minutes before you plan to serve the confit, preheat the oven to 450°F. Place a sheet of parchment paper in the bottom of a frying pan large enough to hold all the duck legs (or use two pans). Have ready some paper towels or a kitchen towel. 

5. Arrange the duck legs, skin side down, in the pan, add a few tablespoons of duck fat, then set on the lower rack of the oven and roast until the skin is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove the duck legs from the oven and allow to cool on the towel. 

6. To serve, arrange the duck legs on a serving platter and serve hot.

Chicken Liver Mousse
Recipe abridged from Cooking Meat

Serve this mousse with some gherkins and crusty French bread.

Makes about four 1-cup jars

Ingredients

1 lbs                     chicken livers
½ cup                   milk
To taste               Salt and pepper
3 Tbsp                  vegetable oil
1 cup                    cold butter, diced, plus 1 Tbsp butter for cooking
1 cup                    minced shallot
2 Tbsp                  minced garlic
1 Tbsp                  chopped thyme
1                            bay leaf
½ tsp                    paprika
½ cup                   brandy
¼ cup                   rendered chicken schmaltz or duck fat

Method

1. Clean the livers by trimming them of any visible fat, green bits (which would be from the connected gall bladder), or excess membrane. Place the livers in a bowl, cover with the milk, and allow to soak for 1 hour. Discard the milk, rinse the livers well, and dry them completely using a towel. Remove as much moisture as possible so they fry well.
2. Season the livers liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, add half the livers to the pan and cook until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked livers to a plate to cool. Repeat with the remaining livers. Turn down the heat to medium.
3. Melt 1 Tbsp of butter in the pan, then add the shallots, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and paprika, and sweat until the shallots are translucent. Deglaze the pan with the brandy, scraping all the bits off the bottom of the pan, and cook until the brandy is reduced by half, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
4. Place the chicken livers and shallot mixture in a blender and purée on high speed. Gradually add the remaining 1 cup of cold butter, stirring until fully emulsified. Season, if needed. Strain the purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean measuring jug.
5. Have ready four sterilized 1-cup jars with lids. Melt the schmaltz (or duck fat) in a pot over low heat.

6. Fill each jar three-quarters full with liver mixture, then spoon 1 Tbsp of the hot fat over each mousse to prevent it from oxidizing. Tightly seal the lids and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to develop. The mousse will keep, refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks.

Spiessbraten means “spit-roasted” in German. The recipe originated in Rheinland-Pfalz, in southwest Germany, and was created by local gemstone prospectors who adapted the gaucho tradition of roasting meats over wood that they had learned while in South America. If you like smoky pork, I urge you to try this delicious dish. Serve with sweet mustard, dill pickles, and potato salad.

Recipe abridged from Cooking Meat.

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients:

8 pounds             boneless pork butt, butterflied open
6                            garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp                  ground juniper berries
to taste                Salt and pepper
3                            Spanish onions, thinly sliced (divided)
3 cups                  wood chips

1. Season the pork butt with the garlic and juniper, and salt and pepper. Layer half the onions in the bottom of a nonreactive pan, place the pork on top, and cover with the remaining onions, ensuring the pork is completely covered. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
2. The next day, transfer the pork from the pan to a cutting board, leaving the top layer of onions on the meat. Roll up the shoulder like a pinwheel, enclosing the onions within the meat, then tie up the roast.
3. Fill a smoker with wood chips. Preheat the smoker to 250°F. If you don’t have a smoker, you can use a charcoal barbecue for this dish. Arrange the charcoal on one side of the grill and preheat the barbecue to 250°F. Soak 3 cups of wood chips in cold water for 30 minutes, then scatter them on the hot coals to create the smoke. Close the lid of the barbecue and adjust the air vents so the temperature inside remains around 250°F.
4. Place the pork roast either in the smoker, or on the “cool” side of the charcoal grill, and smoke for 5-6 hours, adding more wood chips every couple of hours and checking the temperature and the smoke periodically. (The pork will become too dark and bitter if the heat is too high). Make sure you have enough charcoal to get you through the 6 hours. To do this, you can heat up more charcoal in your starter chimney before adding it to the kettle. Cook the pork until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat reads 160°F.
5. Remove the roast from the smoker/charcoal BBQ and wrap it first in aluminum foil and then in a towel so it retains its moisture as it cools.
6. Once the roast reaches room temperature, unwrap and slice thinly. Arrange slices on individual plates and serve.

Traditionally this dish is made with a rooster, an older animal in need of a long bath in a hot stock, but I use regular chicken legs. They turn out tender and supple when stewed.

Recipe abridged from Cooking Meat

Serves 4

Ingredients

¼ cup                   all-purpose flour

To taste               salt and pepper

4                            chicken legs

4 Tbsp                  butter (divided) + 1 Tbsp butter, cold, cubed

1 pound               button mushrooms, cleaned with a brush or towel (don’t wash them)

1 cup                    pearl onions

¼ pound              slab bacon, cut in medium dice

2 Tbsp                  brandy

1                            herb bundle made of 8 parsley branches, 6 thyme branches, 2 bay leaves

3 cups                  red wine

1 Tbsp                  minced Italian parsley

 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place a heavy-bottomed ovenproof pot over medium heat.
2. Place the flour in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Dredge the chicken legs in the seasoned flour, and shake gently to remove any excess. Set aside.
3. Melt 3 Tbsp of the butter in the pot, then add the chicken legs and brown both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the onions. Fill a bowl with ice water. Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat. Using a paring knife, cut the root ends off the pearl onions. Plunge the onions into the boiling water for 30 seconds, then drain and refresh in the ice bath. When cool, drain the onions, and slip them out of their skins.
5. Once the chicken is browned, turn the heat under the heavy bottomed oven proof pot down to medium low. Melt 1 Tbsp of the butter in the pot (no need to wipe it out first) and add the mushrooms, stirring to release their moisture and help pick up any bits of browned chicken stuck to the bottom of the pot. Continue cooking, stirring once in a while, until the mushrooms are slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
6. Once the mushrooms have browned, transfer them to the plate with the chicken and place the bacon and pearl onions in the pot. Turn the heat back up to a medium and sweat until they are just starting to get golden, about 8 minutes. Deglaze with the brandy, then return the chicken and mushrooms to the pot. Add the herb sachet and then the wine. Bring to a simmer, cover, and transfer to the oven to braise for 1 hour, or until the chicken falls away from the bone.
7. Transfer the chicken legs to a serving platter, leaving everything else in the pot. Discard the herb sachet, place the pot over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Turn the heat off and add the 1 Tbsp cold butter and parsley, stirring continuously until the sauce is emulsified.
8. To serve, pour the sauce over the chicken legs and divide among individual plates.

Sometimes, when there is a chill in the air, nothing warms your bones like a slow-cooked piece of beef. Adapted from Cooking Meat, this pot roast recipe is a braise, and it works well with any tough cut of beef.

Simple Beef Pot Roast

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

1 (4 pounds)                      blade roast, trimmed and tied
to taste                               Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp                                 vegetable oil
4 slices                                bacon, medium diced
1                                           large onion, chopped
4                                           garlic cloves, chopped
2                                           medium carrots, chopped
2                                           celery stalks, chopped
1 cup                                   chopped rutabaga,
1 Tbsp                                 tomato paste
1 cup                                   red wine
1 herb bundle                   (4 rosemary sprigs, 4 thyme sprigs, 3 bay leaves, tied together)
3 cups                                 Beef Stock
2 Tbsp                                 cornstarch
2 Tbsp                                 cold water

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Season the beef liberally with salt and pepper, then rub it with the oil. Place the beef in roasting pan on an elevated rack and roast until golden brown all over, about 30 minutes.
3. While the beef is browning, place the bacon and onions in a large ovenproof pot over medium heat, stir well, cover the pot, and let cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, celery, and rutabaga, stir, and cover again, sweating all of the vegetables until fragrant and softened, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir well, then deglaze the pot with the wine.
4. Add the herb bundle to the pot and season the contents of the pot with salt and pepper. Add the browned beef and turn down the oven to 300°F.
5. Add the stock to the pot and bring it to a simmer over medium heat, ladling off and discarding any scum as it rises to the surface. Once it’s simmering, cover the pot and place in the oven for 1 hour.
6. Lift the lid, turn the beef over, and return to the oven until fork-tender, about 1½ hours. Carefully transfer the meat to cutting board and tent it loosely with aluminum foil to keep it warm. Discard the herb bundle.
7. Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the solids. Place the liquid in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed.
8. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water. Slowly pour the cornstarch slurry into the braising liquid, whisking to incorporate, and simmer until thickened. If the sauce seems too thin, make a little more slurry and add it in the same way.
9. To serve, slice the beef and arrange it on a serving platter. Drizzle with some of the sauce and pour the rest into a gravy boat to serve alongside.

Adapted from my book, Cooking Meat, this recipe for a North African tagine of lamb will warm your kitchen and bellies on these cooler nights.

A tagine is a cone-shaped cooking vessel traditionally used in Moroccan cooking. You don’t need a tagine to make this dish—a Dutch oven will do the trick—but the flavor of the broth will be more intense if you do. Tagines are traditionally made from ceramic or unglazed clay and placed directly over a fire, so if you’re using one, cook directly over a gas flame or on a charcoal grill. (The tagine could crack if placed on a heated electric or ceramic-topped element, but to prevent this you can use a heat diffuser, which are widely available online). Serve with steamed couscous and plenty of flatbread to mop up the delicious juices at the bottom of the pot.

Serves 2

1½ tsp harissa paste

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 tsp salt (divided)

2 lamb shanks, about 12 oz each

1½ tsp pepper

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp smoked or regular paprika

2 shallots, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rings

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 small carrot, quartered lengthwise, and cut in 2-inch lengths

1 medium potato, peeled and cut in ½-inch wedges

1 celery stalk, cut in 2-inch lengths

¼ bulb fennel, cut in ½-inch wedges

10 black olives, pitted or whole

6 dried apricots

1 preserved lemon, peel only

3 bay leaves (dried are fine)

2½–3 cups Chicken Stock

 

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the harissa, oil, and 1½ tsp of the salt to form a paste. Using your hands, rub the paste all over the shanks, cover, and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
2. If you don’t have a gas stove, preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, mix together the remaining 1½ tsp salt, the pepper, cumin, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, and paprika.
3. Line the base of your tagine or Dutch oven with the shallots. Sprinkle the garlic over the top, and then place the lamb shanks on top of the shallots, crossing one on top of the other. Sprinkle half of the spice mix over the meat and shallots.
4. Arrange the vegetables over the lamb in a pyramid. Sprinkle the vegetables with the rest of the spice mix.
5. Scatter the olives, apricots, preserved lemon skin, and bay leaves around the vegetables. Pour 2½ cups of the stock into the base of the tagine or Dutch oven (don’t pour it over the vegetables and meat).
6. To cook on a gas stovetop, cover the tagine (or Dutch oven) and place over very low heat. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook for 2 hours. (If you’re using the oven, cover the Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid, bring to a simmer over medium heat, then transfer to the oven until the meat is tender, about 2 hours) After 2 hours, check the tagine. If the liquid has reduced to a sauce consistency, add another ½ cup of stock and cook until the meat pulls away from the bone, about 1 hour.
7. Remove the tagine from the heat and allow it to cool for 20 minutes. Bring the dish to the table and remove the lid in front of your guests for a “wow” effect.

 

This wet-roast method of roasting whole birds works particularly well with game birds, as the liquid braises the legs while the breasts get browned by the dry heat. It also produces a particularly tasty sauce: a pool of butter-enriched red wine that the chicken swims lazily in.

Red Wine Roasted Chicken
abridged from Cooking Meat

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

1                            whole chicken, trussed (about 3½ pounds) 
to taste                Salt and pepper
1                            small lemon
2 Tbsp                  vegetable oil
4 Tbsp                  butter, cold, cubed (divided)
1                            small onion, diced
4                            garlic cloves, minced
1                            carrot, diced
1                            celery stalk, diced
4                            thyme sprigs
2                            dried bay leaves
1                            cup dry red wine
1 cup                    Chicken Stock

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Using your hand and a bit of pressure, roll the lemon on your work surface to “loosen” the juice by breaking up the pulp. Using a toothpick or a fork, poke a few holes in the lemon and place in the cavity of the chicken.
3. Run the bird with the oil. Place the chicken on a roasting rack and roast for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Turn the oven down to 350°F.
4. While the bird is in the oven, melt 1 Tbsp of the butter over medium-low heat in an ovenproof pot large enough to hold the bird. Add the onions, stirring frequently, until translucent. Add the garlic and sweat for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the carrots and celery and turn up the heat to medium, stirring constantly until the vegetables have softened. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Add the thyme and bay leaves, then deglaze the pot with the wine. Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduce by half, about 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
6. Transfer the chicken to the pot, along with any cooking juices from the roasting pan. Bring the liquid to a simmer again, then place the pot in the oven, uncovered, and roast for about 1 hour. The chicken is cooked when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F. Remove the pot from the oven and let sit, still uncovered, for 20 minutes.
7. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Strain the roasting juices into a saucepan (discard the solids) and bring to a light boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the sauce by one-quarter, about 5 minutes, and season with more salt and pepper, if necessary.
8. Turn down the heat to a simmer. Gradually add the remaining cold butter, whisking constantly to emulsify the sauce. Do not let the sauce come to a boil after adding the butter or it will split. Once the butter is incorporated, turn off the heat and set the sauce aside.
9. To serve, carve the chicken. Arrange the meat on a deep platter and pour half the sauce over the chicken. Pour the remaining sauce into a gravy boat and serve on the side.

One of our many kitchen offerings is red wine demi-glace, which is heavily reduced veal stock flavoured with red wine.  It is great to use in a pan sauce, and now I want to give you two options for how to best use it with a steak (maybe a striploin that’s on sale this weekend?). These recipes are to be made in a pan which a steak had just been cooked (which will have all the delicious bits of beef remnants (aka “fond” from the steak), and are meant for approximately 2 steaks.

Peppercorn Sauce

Ingredients:

1 tbsp                   unsalted butter
1 tbsp                   shallots, minced
2 branches          fresh thyme
2 tsp                     cracked black peppercorns
3 tbsp                   brandy
1 tbsp                   green peppercorns (optional)
3 tbsp                   demi-glace
1 tbsp                   35% cream
to taste                salt

Method:

1. Drain any excess fat from the pan you had just used to cook a steak.
2. Return the pan to a medium heat and add the butter. When melted, add the shallots, thyme, and cracked pepper. Use a wooden spoon to stir well for a couple of minutes, picking up any bits of the fond as you stir.
3. When the shallots are translucent, add the brandy. Reduce by half.
4. Add the green peppercorns (if using) and the demi-glace. Reduce by a quarter.
5. Add the cream, bring to a simmer, then take off the heat. Remove the thyme branch, taste for seasoning, and serve, poured over your recently cooked steak.

 

Red Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cups                  red wine (preferably something juicy that you would drink yourself, but also cheap and cheerful)
½ cup                   port wine
1 tbsp                   unsalted butter
1 tbsp                   shallots, minced
2 branches          fresh thyme
1                            bay leaf (dry or fresh)
4 tbsp                   demi-glace

Method

1. Pour the red wine and port into a small sauce pot, then place over medium high heat. Reduce the wine until a quarter cup remains.
2. While the wine is reducing, drain any excess fat from the pan you had just used to cook a steak.
3. Return the pan to a medium heat and add the butter. When melted, add the shallots, thyme, and bay leaf. Use a wooden spoon to stir well for a couple of minutes, picking up any bits of the fond as you stir.
4. When the shallots are translucent, add the wine reduction and bring to a simmer.
5. Add the demi-glace and reduce by a quarter and the sauce is glossy and coats the back of a spoon.
6. Remove the thyme and bay leaf and serve alongside your steak. If you want a totally smooth sauce, strain the shallots out as well using a fine mesh strainer.