Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book (74 page)

Slice the carrots ½ inch thick on an angle. Quarter the fennel bulbs length-wise, cut into the bulb to remove the core, and thinly slice the fennel. Chop ¼ cup of the fennel fronds and reserve them. Halve and slice the onion.

Fill a skillet with ¼ inch of water. Add the vegetables, then sprinkle them with the sugar and salt and drizzle with the EVOO. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until tender Uncover and simmer for another 5 minutes to cook down the liquid; adjust the salt. Toss the vegetables with the reserved fennel fronds and the chives and dill.

SERVES 6

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the pie in the oven to crisp the crust.

In a medium bowl, whisk the cream until soft peaks form, a couple of minutes. Whisk in the almond liqueur and season with nutmeg and cinnamon. Slice the pie and serve with a generous dollop of whipped cream.

HOLIDAY IN 60-ISH #2

• AUTUMN POTATO GRATIN

•
SWEET GREEN BEANS

• HERB-ROASTED TURKEY BREAST WITH CIDER PAN GRAVY

• PUMPKIN SOUP WITH CHILI CRAN-APPLE RELISH

• APPLE AND ONION STUFFIN' MUFFINS

• STORE-BOUGHT PIES AND WHIPPED CREAM

SERVES 8

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Halve the potatoes and toss them into a large buttered baking dish. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, put the cream, butter, herbs, and garlic in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, to infuse the cream with flavor. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the hot cream mixture through a strainer over the potatoes (discard the herbs and garlic). If there is not enough cream to cover the potatoes about three quarters of the way, pour in some additional cream to make up the difference. Sprinkle the Parmigiano evenly over the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through and the top begins to brown. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

SERVES 8

Put the beans in a large microwave-safe bowl with a few tablespoons of water. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Uncover and stir the beans, then cover again and microwave on high for 4 to 7 minutes more, until the desired doneness, from still-crisp to tender, but with a bite.

Heat a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add a drizzle of EVOO and the onions and cook until they begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the cider, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook until the liquid is reduced and syrupy, about 5 minutes.

Season the beans with salt and pepper and add them to the pan with the onions and cider. Toss to coat and keep warm until ready to serve.

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast with Cider Pan Gravy

Although sage is the herb most used with turkey, I especially love the flavor and aroma of fresh bay (laurel) leaves with turkey. Fresh bay leaves are now widely available in supermarkets. Since the leaves are a bit woody, and no fun to eat, I baste my turkey with bay-infused butter and roast the breasts right on top of the leaves, which perfumes the meat.

SERVES 8

Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Oil a roasting pan and set it aside.

Combine the onions and the zest of the lemon in a food processor. Chop the mixture very fine. Add the sage, parsley, EVOO, and 1 teaspoon salt and pulse until they form a coarse paste.

Put 2 of the bay leaves and the butter into a small pan and melt over medium-low heat until the butter is bubbling. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Put the turkey breasts on a work surface. Season the skin liberally with salt and pepper. Carefully work your fingers between the skin and the flesh from one end to create a pocket, being careful not to pull the skin off completely. Stuff half of the herb paste under the skin of each breast and spread it evenly. Scatter the remaining bay leaves in the roasting pan and place the breasts on top of the leaves. Using a pastry brush, baste the breasts with half of the bay butter.

Roast the turkey breasts for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 400ºF, baste the turkey breasts with the remaining butter, and roast for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer placed in the thickest part of the breast registers 170ºF. Remove the turkey from the oven, transfer to a platter, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes while you make the gravy.

Put the roasting pan over a burner on medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the pan juices and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the apple brandy and scrape the pan with a wooden spoon to lift the bits that are stuck to the bottom. Cook for a minute to burn off the alcohol, then whisk in the apple cider. Bring to a simmer and stir until the gravy is thickened. Season the gravy with salt and pepper.

Slice the turkey breast on the diagonal, and serve with the warm gravy.

SERVES 8 AS A STARTER, 4 AS AN ENTRÉE

Heat a medium soup pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add the EVOO and butter, and when the butter melts, add the bay leaf, celery, and onions. Season the veggies with salt and pepper and cook for 6 or 7 minutes, until tender. Add the flour, poultry seasoning, and hot sauce, then cook for a minute. Whisk in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a bubble. Whisk in the pumpkin in large spoonfuls to incorporate it into the broth. Simmer the soup for 10 minutes to thicken a bit, then add the cream and nutmeg. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.

While the soup cooks, assemble the relish: Combine the apple, onion, lemon juice, cranberries, chili powder, honey, and cinnamon in a bowl and mix thoroughly.

Adjust the seasonings in the soup and relish. Discard the bay leaf. Ladle the soup into shallow bowls and top with a few spoonfuls of relish.

MAKES 12 STUFFIN' MUFFINS

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO and 4 table-spoons of the butter to the skillet. When the butter melts, add the bay leaf and the celery, onions, and apples as you chop them. Sprinkle the vegetables and apples with salt, pepper, and the poultry seasoning. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes to begin to soften the vegetables and apples, then add the parsley and stuffing cubes to the pan and combine. Moisten the stuffing with stock until all of the bread is soft but not wet.

Butter 12 muffin cups liberally with the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Use an ice cream scoop to mound the stuffing into the muffin tins. (Remove the bay leaf from the stuffing when you come upon it.) Bake the stuffin' muffins until set and crisp on top, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove them to a platter and serve hot or at room temperature.