Thanksgiving
I’m not the world’s biggest fan of turkey. I am not sure how many people actually love stuffing, sweet potatoes, and green bean casseroles without the nostalgia attached to Thanksgiving. With only two this year, I decided to do something we’d really like than stick with tradition.
I’ll start with the star: some prime ribs of beef from Bellmont Butchery here in Richmond. Salted and peppered, and following David Rosengarten’s advice, that’s the way to go: simple.
Now, several years ago I made a recipe from Gourmet that featured brussels sprouts with crunchy shallots and a variety of mushrooms. I updated this dish this year with bacon, and instead of making my own crispy shallots, I used the northern European variety of crispy fried onions that is now available in local stores. They added both the requisite flavor and crunch (add them after the lot comes out of the oven).
Thanksgiving, in my estimation, shouldn’t be too worrisome a day in the kitchen. We’ve had our share of gratins but this year I went super simple, and did a Yukon Gold, roasted garlic mashed potato, but I likely put in a few extra pats of butter to make it all the more regal and Robuchonesque.
Of course, I think ricing is the best method.
The prime ribs came out great; I got the lot up to about 125 degrees then let it rest before splitting the lot into two healthy portions. By having a small one rib version, we both got the outer side, crusted with kosher salt and a melange of peppercorns in green, white, red, and black.
For dessert, we skipped pies and went for an old favorite: rice pudding with pears and caramel. I made it up a few hours after the main meal, as to not stuff ourselves to oblivion.
The dessert was good, but was not up to its former glory. I made a strategic mistake in the creation of the caramel: I added some of the dessert wine I had been poaching golden raisins in to the sauce, which thinned it out too far.
Yet, ultimately, there were no real complaints. I’m thankful for that.
One Response to “Thanksgiving”
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Sharon Lane
Said this on November 29th, 2009 at 8:35pm:Thanksgiving dinner looks wonderful…I agree, always do what you like!