Winter Gatherings (9 page)

Baked Ham with Cranberry-Tangerine Glaze

Makes about 12 servings

During the festive holiday season, we have ample opportunity to feed a large group, and ham has long been the main course of choice when serving a crowd. Always opt for a ham on the bone, which will be much more flavorful than a presliced one. (The juices lost during the preslicing are replaced with salt water, making these hams too salty for my taste.) This recipe makes double use of a vibrant magenta cranberry-tangerine relish, as some of the juices are used to glaze the ham, while the remainder is served alongside.

C
RANBERRY
-T
ANGERINE
R
ELISH

9 tangerines

One 12-ounce bag cranberries, rinsed and sorted

1 cup sugar

One 6½-pound smoked ham half on the bone

12 ounces ginger ale

• 1.
  To make the glaze, grate the zest from 2 tangerines and reserve. Cut 7 of the tangerines in half crosswise and squeeze the juice from them. You should have 1 cup tangerine juice. Peel the remaining 2 tangerines and separate them into segments. Cut each segment in half crosswise, discarding any seeds. Set the chopped tangerines aside.
  
• 2.
  Combine the cranberries, tangerine juice and zest, and sugar together in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat just until all of the berries have burst and given off their juices and the juices are boiling. Strain in a wire sieve over a bowl. Measure out and reserve ¾ cup of the juices.
  
• 3.
  Transfer the cranberry mixture and any remaining juices to a medium bowl and let cool. Stir in the reserved chopped tangerines. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour. (The relish can be made up to 1 day ahead.)
  
• 4.
  Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil.
  
• 5.
  Trim the exterior fat on the ham to ¼-inch thickness. Score the ham in a crosshatch pattern with 1/8-inch-deep score marks about 1 inch apart. Place the ham on a roasting rack in the pan, flat side down, with the bone sticking up. Pour the ginger ale over the ham. Cover the pan with aluminum foil.
  
• 6.
  Bake for 1½ hours. Discard the foil. Pour the reserved cranberry juice mixture over the ham. Continue baking, occasionally basting with the pan juices, until the ham is glazed and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the ham (but not touching a bone) reads 140°F, about 45 minutes. If the ham gets too brown, tent it with foil. If the glaze threatens to scorch, add water to the pan.
  
• 7.
  Transfer the ham to a platter and let stand 15 minutes. Carve the ham. Pour the pan juices over the sliced ham and serve with the cranberry-tangerine relish on the side.
  

A New Year’s Buffet

Pizza with Fontina, Potatoes, and Tapenade (Chapter 1)

Baked Brie with Wild Mushrooms and Thyme (Chapter 1)

Baked Ham with Cranberry-Tangerine Glaze (Chapter 3)

Mashed Potato Casserole with Smoked Gouda and Bacon (Chapter 5)

Poached Leeks with Creamy Vinaigrette (Chapter 2)

Grapefruit Cupcakes (Chapter 6)

Wine-Braised Sauerkraut and Sausages

Makes 6 servings

This is a simplified version of
choucroute garni
, a dish I learned to love when I was studying cuisine in Paris, and found myself eating in inexpensive brasseries much more often than Michelin-starred fine restaurants. Who knew that humble sauerkraut could be so delicious? There are two secrets here: refrigerated (not canned) sauerkraut and a fruity (not dry) white wine. While I usually make it with sausages,
c’est magnifique
with smoked pork chops or even a slice of ham.

4 slices bacon, coarsely chopped

2 medium onions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 pounds refrigerated sauerkraut, drained well (see Note)

2 cups semidry white wine, such as Riesling or Pinot Blanc

1 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade, or use canned low-sodium broth

6 juniper berries, crushed, or 2 tablespoons gin (optional)

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

6 cooked chicken and apple sausages, frankfurters, or your favorite cooked sausages, each pierced with a fork

1 pound kielbasa, cut into 6 serving pieces

Dijon or grainy mustard, for serving

• 1.
  Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 300°F.
  
• 2.
  Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp and browned, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain, leaving the fat in the Dutch oven.
  
• 3.
  Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until it gives off its fragrance, about 1 minute. Stir in the sauerkraut, wine, stock, juniper berries (if using), and bay leaf, and bring to a boil. Cover and bake for 45 minutes.
  
• 4.
  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Lightly brown the kielbasa in the same skillet, and bury it in the sauerkraut. Continue baking, uncovered, until the sausages are heated through, about 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.
  
• 5.
  Using a slotted spoon, serve hot from the Dutch oven, with the mustard on the side.
  

Note

Refrigerated sauerkraut, packed in plastic bags, can be found near the frankfurters at the supermarket. If you prefer less tangy sauerkraut, rinse it under cold running water, then drain well.

Soft Tacos with Chipotle Carnitas

Makes 6 servings

Pork shoulder is one of the great meat cuts. Sure, it takes a long time to cook, but the flavorful reward is worth the time. Here, I’ve cooked chunks of it the Mexican way, simmered until they are fall-apart tender, and stuffed them into hot tortillas to make soft tacos. This recipe doesn’t depend on garden-fresh ingredients to be delicious, making it perfect winter fare.

C
ARNITAS

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch chunks

½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 bay leaves

C
HIPOTLE
S
AUCE

One 15½-ounce can plum tomatoes in juice, drained

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped, to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Corn tortillas, for serving

• 1.
  To make the carnitas, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 300°F.
  
• 2.
  Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the pork with the ½ teaspoons of the salt and pepper. In batches, add the pork to the Dutch oven and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork to a plate, leaving the fat in the Dutch oven.
  
• 3.
  Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the Dutch oven and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until it gives off its fragrance, about 1 minute. Pour in 1 cup water and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits in the Dutch oven with a wooden spatula.
  
• 4.
  Return the pork to the Dutch oven. Add the oregano, cumin, and bay leaves, and stir well. Cover and bake until the pork is very tender, about 2 hours.
  
• 5.
  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork to a platter. Boil the cooking liquid in the Dutch oven until reduced to about ½ cup, about 20 minutes.
  
• 6.
  Meanwhile, make the chipotle sauce. Puree the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and chipotles together in a blender. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the puree (it will splatter, so be careful) and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring often, until reduced by about half, about 5 minutes. Stir in the pork and vinegar and cook until the pork is heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  
• 7.
  Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot with warm tortillas on the side.
  

Spanish Panini with Manchego, Jamón Serrano, and Dates

Makes 2 sandwiches

This is a grilled cheese sandwich for adults, made with some of the most distinctly flavorful ingredients on the planet. Sharp Manchego plays off the salty Serrano ham, and the sweet, chewy dates have a harmonizing effect. Jamón Serrano is really the best choice here, because other country-style hams, such as prosciutto, may be too salty.

4 slices firm white sandwich bread

6 ounces Manchego, thinly sliced with a sharp knife

4 ounces thinly sliced Jamón Serrano (see Note)

4 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped with a wet knife

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, well softened

• 1.
  Place 2 bread slices on the work surface. Top the bread with half of the cheese, then all of the ham. Sprinkle with the dates, then top with the remaining cheese and bread slices.
  
• 2.
  Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Spread the exteriors of both sandwiches with softened butter. Place on the baking sheet. Refrigerate until the butter is firm and the sandwiches release easily from the wax paper, about 30 minutes.
  
• 3.
  Heat a panini pan or ridged iron skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Place the panini in the pan and weight them with the pan lid or a heatproof plate. Cook until the undersides of the panini are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and turn the panini. Replace the lid and cook until the other sides are golden brown, about 4 minutes more.
  
• 4.
  Transfer the sandwiches to a chopping board. Cut each sandwich in half and serve hot.
  

Note

Jamón Serrano, dry-cured Spanish ham, is available sliced to order at many specialty food stores. You may also find a packaged presliced version at a well-stocked supermarket.