Something Old, Something New, Something Turkey

 What’s cooking? Turkey Sliders with Cranberry Sauce

In a world where many of us will be cooking Thanksgiving dinner for two, it seemed unnecessarily drudge-y to make myself perform the turkey ritual just for the sake of tradition. Nothing else about this holiday has been traditional, and the Kitchen Goddess needed a challenge to her ingenuity.

We had a similar moment when, a few years ago, my son and his wife and their children were arriving the day after Thanksgiving. Not wishing to mess the house up, I served us a version of a Cuban sandwich, using turkey instead of roast pork. It was quite good and had the right amount of ease in the assembly as well as the clean-up. But it lacked imagination... inspiration... fun. So this week, I thought about turkey meatloaf, a roast turkey breast, turkey soup,... nah.

I got excited when I read in The New York Times about a place in NYC that was selling confit turkey legs – cured, then slow cooked in duck fat – and all you have to do is reheat them. Taste buds salivating, I called the store, Dickson’s Farmstand Meats at Chelsea Market. Yes, they ship them, ...but they were sold out. Apparently, I was not the only NY Times reader to see confit turkey legs as a great idea.

Finally, my brain barked, and I thought about turkey sliders. A bit of research determined that I was not the first to imagine such a treat, so I had several thoughtful presentations to consider. I most liked the one that suggested basting the burgers with cranberry sauce. And in lieu of the canned cranberry sauce suggested by Valerie Bertinelli, of all people, I knew I could make the Kitchen Goddess’s famous Cranberry Sauce with Pinot Noir. OMG -- the smells wafting from the kitchen will be enough to drive you mad.

On its own, turkey is a relatively tasteless bird, so I figured I’d goose up the savory aspect of the burgers to balance the sweetness of the cranberry sauce. I sautéed some shallots in a tiny amount of olive oil and stirred dried thyme into the shallots while they were still warm. A little ground ginger for sharpness, some garlic powder because... well, garlic. And for the pièce de résistance, a dash of fennel pollen. Oh, my. The basting kept them from drying out, and the arugula in the sandwich itself makes a real difference. I started with fresh spinach, which was quite good, but the pepperiness of the arugula really adds to the final product.

I’ll be serving mine with sweet potato fries and cole slaw, and we’ll finish the meal with Pumpkin Chiffon Pie, of course. A few traditions are really important.

Kitchen Goddess note about panko: You may already be familiar with panko breadcrumbs, which are a staple of Japanese cuisine (think tempura). These breadcrumbs are made from a crustless white bread which is processed into flakes and then dried. They have a dryer and flakier consistency than regular breadcrumbs, and as a result they absorb less oil.

Turkey Sliders with Cranberry Sauce

Makes 8 sliders.

Ingredients
½ cup panko breadcrumbs (or regular breadcrumbs, if that’s what you have)
2 tablespoons half-and-half
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ cup finely chopped shallots (no more than ¼-inch dice)
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound ground turkey (light/dark mix is more flavorful, IMHO)
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley (leaves only)
¼ teaspoon (rounded) ground ginger
¼ teaspoon (rounded) garlic powder
¼ teaspoon (rounded) fennel pollen (use ground fennel seeds if no pollen, but you really should get             some fennel pollen)

1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
PAM cooking oil spray (or a teaspoon of oil) for the pan
⅔ cup cranberry sauce (canned or homemade – try KG’s Cranberry         Sauce with Pinot Noir)

8 slider buns (I bought Pepperidge Farm)
Arugula (you’ll need at least 2 cups – it’s worth piling on)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450º.

In a small bowl, mix the panko with the half-and-half until the liquid is evenly spread among the breadcrumbs. Set aside.

In a small skillet (non-stick is ok), heat the oil over medium-low, and stir in the shallots. Sauté, stirring often so the shallots don’t burn, for 8-9 minutes, until the shallots turn soft and transparent. Remove from the heat and stir in the thyme for about 30 seconds, to warm the herb. Let the mix rest for a few minutes to cool.

In a large bowl, mix the turkey, the panko/half-and-half, the shallots/thyme, and the parsley, ginger, garlic powder, fennel pollen (if using), and the salt/pepper. Using your hands, mix the ingredients just enough to get an even distribution of everything without overmixing. As with any ground meat, overhandling the meat will compact it and make your burgers tough.

Divide the mixture into 8 portions, and form into patties 2½-3 inches wide (which is almost exactly the width of the buns). Arrange the patties in a lightly oiled quarter-sheet pan (9x13 inches), and bake 5 minutes. The Kitchen Goddess lines her pan with baker’s parchment and sprays that with oil, and even that didn’t stop the cranberry liquid from running around and making a burnt sugar mess. But we must suffer for art.

Meanwhile, heat the cranberry sauce just enough to get it loose. Then, after that first 5 minutes of baking, remove the pan from the oven and ladle a couple of spoonfuls of the warm sauce over each burger. Return the pan to the oven and cook for about 20 minutes more. If you test with a meat thermometer, the center of the patties should be at least 165º.

Remove the pan from the oven and flip the patties. Spoon a little more warm sauce on them while they’re hot. Let them sit in the pan – not in the oven – for another 5 minutes, when they’ll be ready to serve.

I like to toast the buns, which takes less than a minute in a hot oven, but it’s not necessary. Pile a small bunch of arugula on the bottom of the bun, and top it with a burger. (The greens on bottom is a technique I got from one of my many foodie podcasts. The theory is that the greens keep the bread from getting soggy.) Spoon on some cranberry sauce (get some of those nice fat berries into the act), and add the top of the bun. Serving them warm is lovely, but I had one of my leftovers straight from the fridge for lunch today and it was still good. Mmmm...

We had the test batch with spinach, but the one I had today with arugula was much improved.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all. Despite the many traumas of the year, we have made it this far and for that we can be extremely grateful.

Still Thankful

What’s cooking? Side Dishes for Two

Last year, in my traditional marathon of sides for Thanksgiving, I made so many veggies that I had to invite all my friends over to help eat them. That won’t be happening this year. In fact, a lot won’t be happening this year, but we still have many things to be thankful for. Frankly, one of those, for me, is that I don’t have to cook a turkey.

I cooked a turkey last year, and it was terrific. In usual fashion, the Kitchen Goddess took over – starting with spatchcocking the bird. (In which you split open the carcass along the backbone, allowing you to flatten it for more even cooking.) A dry brine for a couple of days, followed by a day without any covering in the fridge, followed by an herb butter that she shoved under the skin of the damn thing. It was an exhausting procedure, which produced an excellent turkey, flavorful and all parts cooked to the right doneness. A triumph, in fact, but it left the KG in... well, a foul mood, if you’ll pardon the pun, and a desire to sleep for a couple of days straight.

This year, my hubby and I are left to ourselves. We’ve got friends coming over for dessert on the porch, but the main meal will be a duet. One son let me know that his girlfriend is researching recipes that are specifically for two. So I thought I’d help out.

Recognizing that many of you will also be doing a Thanksgiving duet, I’ve waded through the past 6-7 years of my “sides marathons,” looking for the ones that – while still tasty – can be easily ramped down to serve 2 or 4. (If you click on the name of each dish, it will link you to the relevant post.)

I start with one potato dish:

Crushed Potatoes with Spiced Oil – notable for the excellent and unusual texture and the speed of the whole process.

More than any other type of dish, salads are easily scalable, up or down. Here are two I really like, and they're both festive:

Fennel-Celery Salad with Lemon and Parmesan – light, fresh, and so lovely I think it belongs on my own table next week. But this year, I’ll take my advice (check the recipe) and add matchstick pieces of pear.

Mâche, Watercress, and Endive Salad with Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette – another gorgeous salad, with more traditional ingredients. This time of year is good for watercress, and if you can’t find mâche, just throw a little more watercress in. Don’t forget the pomegranate seeds – I found gorgeous pomegranates at my grocer this week, and the seeds are perfect for a dash of color.

Two yellow/orange veggie dishes – this is starting to remind me of the 12 Days of Christmas...:

Butternut Squash with Royal Trumpet Mushrooms  – The recipe says it serves 6, but it’s easily halved, and if you have a little left over,... sounds like lunch the next day.

Smashed Carrots with Feta and Mint  – You won’t want to have both the crushed potatoes and the smashed carrots, or your family/friends will think you have a lot of pent-up hostility. Even if you do, it’s better to have more varieties of texture on the plate. But if you aren’t interested in the crushed potatoes, check this out. One of my hubby’s faves.

Two green veggies...

Lemony Green Beans with Frizzled Leeks – fun to say, easy, easy, easy to make; and the frizzled leeks add a nice bit of sweetness to the dish.

Spinach and Sautéed Mushrooms – a classic, dressed up with umami-laden mushrooms, which are in high season.

And a partridge in a no, no, no – a Pumpkin Chiffon Pie. You can’t really make this just for two, but I’ll be layering it in balloon wine glasses for easier, safer serving, and, as I mentioned, sharing it with another couple who’ll be joining us for dessert. I’m also gifting a neighbor with a couple of servings, which leaves the last two for us on Black Friday. This pie is nothing less than amazing, and never fails to please. And I’ll be updating the recipe – with any luck – this weekend. After reading the original post, which was an early one for this blog, I realized that the instructions could be considerably more helpful.

I really need to get a photo of a piece of the pie with whipped cream on it, sprinkled with bits of candied ginger... some day soon.

And now, you may be wondering what the Kitchen Goddess and her prince will be having. Well, ... [drum roll] turkey sliders with cranberry sauce condiment. Using ground turkey. I’ll be testing them this weekend and will let you know on Monday how they turn out.

Stay safe and keep cooking!

 

Hahahahaha! – In Case You’ve Forgotten How

What’s Cooking? Pasta with Clams – Two Ways

Today’s image is from a Shannon Martin greeting card, the full and hilarious collection of which –

 including note pads, luggage tags, and cocktail napkins – can be found at this website. 

Are you tired of worrying or obsessing about the election – from either side? The other night, after watching another episode of Jeopardy and contemplating our choices of the various series we’ve followed, my sweet husband said, “I’d just like to watch something light. Without a murder.”

As we browsed our collection of Roku channels for a movie, I spotted Moneyball. Which, even though we’ve both seen it, seemed just right: no one dies, there’s no violence (unless it’s when Billy Beane throws a chair through a window), a few players get traded, the divorce in it seems amicable, and the story is true and actually interesting. About halfway through it, my mate said, “You know, I’d forgotten how much fun this one is.”

I think we’re all in need of a break – from Covid-19 news, election news, climate change news, Supreme Court news, .... As an antidote to reality, since March, the Sunday New York Times has been running a section called At Home, with puzzles, craft ideas (mostly for making things out of newsprint), recipes, and thoughts of what to do each week to take your mind off whatever. This past week, that included an essay on the health benefits from laughter.

The article quotes Dr. Michael Miller, a cardiologist at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, who says that laughter causes the body to release nitric oxide, a chemical that relaxes blood vessels, reduces blood pressure, and decreases clotting. Other salient research notes that laughter improves short-term memory – as well as the capacity to learn – in older adults; it reduces the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, and increases life-affirming endorphins. Most relevant today, it helps people stay resilient in the face of troubling circumstances.

Also, if you laugh more, the “mirror neurons” in the brains of those around you kick in and they will also laugh. A win-win – improving your environment and your health at the same time.

If you’re having a hard time getting started, here are a few suggestions:

■ Watch the 1963 original production of The Pink Panther (streaming on Max Go, Cinemax Amazon Channel, DIRECTV);

■ Read A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson;

■ Call your 6-year-old grandson and have him tell you his latest knock-knock jokes.

* * *

Now that you’re at least smiling, here are a couple of fast and nutritious paths to a delicious pasta dinner with canned clams and without a lot of work. I see that look -- keep reading.

One of my mother’s specialties – and there weren’t too many – was what our family always referred to as Clam Spaghetti. It seemed exotic – probably because clams aren’t much of a Southern dish, and in those days, fresh clams were generally NOT something you could get at your grocery store. And even though you can now find them at many grocery stores and fish markets, buy them only if you know you’ll be cooking them by tomorrow.

What if you just decided that’s what you want for dinner? Maybe you’re just looking for something fast yet not fast food. Try the canned version. After a bit of research (the KG’s fave activity), I’ve learned that:

■ The canning process cooks the clams, so all you really have to do is heat them.

■ Like tuna, canned clams keep forever – ok, maybe not forever, but my sources say 3-5 years is the general guideline, and even longer if the can hasn’t been damaged.

■ They’re impressively cheap – in a cursory survey online, I found whole clams at 21 cents/ounce, and chopped clams for 26 cents/ounce.

■ Also like tuna, canned clams are a terrific source of lean protein, rich in vitamins, minerals, and Omega-3 fatty acids. They promote sexual health (!); and have been found to have cancer-preventing properties. So... no cancer and lots of sex -- what’s not to like?

My mother kept cans of chopped clams in her pantry, and that’s what I’ve used for years. But in shopping for these recipes, the Kitchen Goddess found canned whole baby clams, which she likes a bit more for the texture. And let us be honest -- anything with the word “fancy” on the label is a draw for her.

What you’re getting in the can are generally Atlantic surf clams – sweet in flavor and with a firm texture, and you can find chopped clams in almost any grocery store. Look for products from the U.S. Tinned whole clams are brinier and more delicate than chopped clams, so salt your dishes accordingly. Apparently, you can also find jarred whole tiny clams from Italy, but they have thus far eluded the KG. 

The original authors of the two recipes that follow both claim to need less than a half hour. But remember: they have minions. The KG needs a good 10-15 minutes just to get the garlic peeled and chopped. Nevertheless, both dishes can be accomplished in an amazingly short time, including the search through your pantry. And they’re both well worth the effort. Just add a salad and some garlic bread.

Kitchen Goddess note on the ingredients: (1) Both of these recipes called for 1 pound of pasta in the original version, but the Goddess thinks that’s way too much pasta, so she has scaled back both recipes to 12 ounces. You, of course, are free to use as much as you like. (2) And both original recipes called for red pepper flakes (a.k.a, crushed red pepper). As frequent readers will know, the KG much prefers Aleppo pepper for its more complex flavor profile. It’s not as hot as red pepper flakes, but you can always add more, or even add red pepper flakes; and in the meantime, you will have a huge difference in flavor. The KG has purchased Aleppo pepper from Burma Spice and Penzey’s, and there are lots of other places. Bon Appetít calls it “about half as hot as ...crushed red chile flakes... and easily twice as flavorful. Like salt, Aleppo-style pepper is a flavor enhancer. It marries slow-building heat with earthy, cumin-y undertones and a little hit of fruity tang..., with a super-savory finish reminiscent of sun-dried tomatoes.” The Kitchen Goddess has been at the forefront of this wave and hopes you will all jump on so she can stop explaining it.

Spicy Clam Pasta With Bacon, Peas and Basil

Adapted from David Tanis in The New York Times

Who doesn’t like bacon or pesto? So bacon and pesto are bellissimo together. And the peas? Why not?

Serves 4.

Ingredients

1 cup basil leaves, loosely packed, plus some pretty ones reserved for garnish

1 cup Italian parsley leaves, loosely packed

2 small garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 ounces (6-8 slices) bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces [KG note: Even better, if you have thick-cut bacon, slice it into lardons, which are ¼-inch pieces]

2 (10-ounce) cans baby clams, drained

½ -1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, or for more heat, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

12 ounces spaghetti

Lemon wedges

Directions

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the basil, parsley and garlic together to a grainy consistency. Wipe down the sides of the bowl and add ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 8-10 grinds of black pepper, and ¼ cup oil. Process until you have a bright green purée.

Start the pasta water with about 4 quarts of water and 2 tablespoons kosher salt. [Another KG note: No iodized table salt, please – it gives the pasta a bitter taste. If you use Diamond Crystal kosher salt, use the 2 tablespoons noted above; if you have Morton Kosher salt, use only 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon. Why? Because Diamond salt is flaky, irregular crystals, while Morton’s is round and pebbly, so is saltier by volume. Isn’t knowledge wonderful?]

Cook the bacon without extra fat in a high-sided skillet over medium heat for 5-8 minutes, until browned and crisp but not hard. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Pour off all but 1-2 teaspoons of the fat – just enough to coat the bottom of the pan.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the Aleppo pepper (or red pepper flakes). Cook for about a minute to let the Aleppo pepper bloom, then add the clams and the peas for another 30-45 seconds, stirring and coating the clams well with the flavored oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then turn off the heat and, if the pasta is not yet al dente, cover the pan with a lid.

I added the clams before the peas -- this time. Next time, will add them together.

Boil the pasta until slightly underdone (al dente), then drain it and add it to the pan with the clam sauce. Turn on the heat to medium-high and stir all together. Add 2-3 tablespoons of pasta water, if the dish seems dry. Stir in the basil-parsley purée and toss well. 

Serve topped with the bacon and the reserved basil leaves. Include lemon wedges.

* * *

Linguine with Lemon-Butter Clam Sauce

Adapted from Colu Henry in The New York Times

Fast in the making, also light and flavorful. Lemon and butter are a classic combo.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

Kosher salt

12 ounces linguine or other long pasta, such as spaghetti or capellini

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving (optional)

5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, or ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ cup dry vermouth or dry white wine [KG much prefers vermouth]

2 (10-ounce) cans whole baby clams, drained*

10-12 ounces clam juice*

freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

lemon zest (from 1 to 2 lemons – okay, more like 2 lemons)

½ cup chopped Italian parsley

Lemon wedges, for serving

*A 10-ounce can of clams contains 4 ounces of clams and 6 ounces of brine. If you have no clam juice, you can use the can’s contents without draining, but the Kitchen Goddess – no surprise here – prefers to use clam juice, which contains actual clam broth, for a richer flavor you can’t get with just the brine. The most widely recommended brand is from Bar Harbor. And yes, the bottles are 8 ounces, so you’ll have half a bottle left, but you can add it to any other seafood dish or a Bloody Mary (bonus!). Or freeze it for as long as you want.

Directions

The author of this recipe says “While the pasta cooks, make your sauce.” That's so you know how fast/easy it is to do. But the Kitchen Goddess’s blood pressure goes up just thinking about having to get the sauce done before the pasta finishes cooking. If you haven’t got everything for the sauce ready to go, at least get the water to a low simmer and add the pasta when the sauce is ready.

Bring a large pot (4 quarts) of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until not quite al dente (about 2 minutes short – it will finish cooking in the sauce). Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain the pasta.

For the sauce, heat the oil in a deep-sided 12-inch skillet over medium. Add the garlic, Aleppo pepper (or red-pepper flakes), and oregano, and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the garlic turns pale golden. Add the vermouth/wine and clam juice and simmer until reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. The sauce will be slightly syrupy. Remove from heat and stir in the clams (they’ll also get heated by the pasta). Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

You can tell the sauce is syrupy when you can draw a line across the bottom of the pan

 and it stays open for a few seconds.

Add the butter and lemon zest to the skillet, stirring until the butter is melted, then add the pasta into the skillet as well. Toss the pasta in the skillet until it is glossy with sauce. If needed, add ¼ cup reserved pasta water. Stir in half the parsley.

Serve pasta topped with a thin drizzle of olive oil (I found this unnecessary, but the recipe author included it, so I offer it as optional), and the remaining parsley. Serve lemon wedges along side or at the table.

Mangia!