Jiggly Tradition

Burleigh Plantation

For those who have not met my mother in law, you can try to imagine her--a white haired lady with red lipstick and a southern accent. (No, I do not dare to compare her with Paula Dean. Quite contrary, she lives without saturated fat!) My in-laws live in a historic home called "Burleigh Plantation". It has been with my mother in law's family since it was constructed in the 1840s. Situated on Lake Hyco in North Carolina, it encompasses a breath taking view, a beautiful setting in the mist of North Carolina countryside. 

My mother in law creates one of the most impressive artworks that I have known, starting with portraits, icons, abstracts and one that I get to taste once a year-- the Christmas Lime-Cottage Cheese Jell-O Salad.
It has been close to 20 years since my first encounter with the salad. The texture of head cheese, but without the animal part, tartness of lime in combination with spicy onion and creamy cottage cheese the composition that was absolutely foreign to me...but in a good way. Christmas would not be complete without this dish, according to my husband's family. What do I mean, what did you say, how can this be a southern tradition? You may ask. It has been with my mother in law 's family since this gelatinous dessert was introduced to the American market way back when. According to my mother in law, her mother cut the recipe out of a Ladies Home Journal Magazine in the early 50's and every year Christmas would be incomplete without the green creation. Southern or not, it has been assimilated.

The recipe uses a 6-cup ring mold.

1 large package of lime Jell-O--In a large bowl combine lime Jell-O and plain gelatin. Add the hot water and stir well until all gelatins are totally dissolved.
1 envelope plain gelatin--cold water, then vinegar and grated onion.
2 cups of very hot water (nearly boiling)
Pour 1 cup of the bright green gelatin mixture into a 6-cup ring mold and put the mold into the refrigerator to chill.
1 1/2 cups of very cold water
Chill remaining gelatin until thickened and nearly set.
4 Tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons grated onion
2 cups cottage cheese
Fold cottage cheese and mayonnaise into remaining gelatin to make a light green mixture.
2 Tablespoons of mayonnaise
Pour on firm gelatin in mold and chill until firm - overnight is good. You can make this a few days in advance, but if made too far in advance, it will turn rubbery. Adding the additional plain gelatin to help with unmolding.
To unmold, set ring mold in sink of lukewarm water until the edge of the gelatin seems to soften. Turn out on a large platter and serve immediately.

Goes well with turkey, trimmings and Smithfield ham.

Cheers!
Teera

Christmas Fowl

My Glorious Ducks

It is that time of the year where ritual and tradition forefront the day’s priority.  My orientation tilted a bit side way this Christmas.  I suppose, I could have gone to a local grocery store and be rescued by the ducks delivered from New Jersey…but no, not me.  That’s too easy.

My search lead me to discover Turtle Mist Farm at the local farmers market.  I decided to give the vender a chance. The farm itself is located in Franklinton, NC; about 30 min. drive north of the Metro Triangle area. They raise Muscovy duck and other fowl. I sent my family out to pick up 2 ducks for our Christmas dinner. The kids had a chance to visit a working farm and see all of the animals, including ducks, chickens, quails, guinea hens, Cornish game hens, sheep and horses. Learning about where their food comes from is a lesson I do not want the kids to miss.

Turtle Mist Farm

I typically use Peking or Long Island duck for Christmas cooking, but this time I decided to use Muscovy since it was the only type available from the free-range farm. Caution, the Muscovy duck's skin is much leaner than the Pekin duck.  Its meat has a very dark complexion. I roasted the ducks using a similar method as the Long Island duck but with less time:

2-4.5 lb duck
Stuff them with celery, orange wedges, thyme and apples
Sprinkle the skin with salt and pepper
Roast @350 degree F for 90 min.
Baste with glaze (see recipe below) and bake 15 min. more
Let them rest for at least 15 min. before slicing

Glaze: mix and simmer until reduced to 1/2 quantity
1 cup pomegranate juice
1 cup orange juice
3/4 cup honey
1 orange peel
2 cinnamon stick
10 cloves
5 star anise

The duck was served with roasted local rutabaga, baked sweet potatoes, and radicchio salad.  The skin was not as crispy as I had hope.  The meat was a bit dry.  

But I must say "give me time my duckling…I shall sharpen my knife and manage the heat better next year."

Happy Boxing Day to all!

Teera

"Drenched in Wine"

Do you remember that taste...the moment it touches your tongue, the tartness that strikes you right off the bat, the sensation that encircles your palate and transforms your rainy day to the moment of cocoa victory? Once you take a second sip, the one bite of your food rawness muscles into a spectacular flavor of refined material. Hold the thought of chocolate for a moment and venture our craving into the nectar called wine.
 

Do you have one--a local joint where you can walk in, tell the owner what your desire is and he grants you, your match in wine? I am talking about your local wine shop. Well, I did find one in Wake Forest called Wine 101. It is a hole in a wall, but the selection is grand and the price does not sink your wallet. Our local purveyor hooked us up with a red wine from Chateau Tour Boisee, from the Minervois region of Languedoc in southern France, to be served with my Coq au Vin. It is a mixture of Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan and Syrah grapes.

A rainy day like today, one can only be comforted by the transfer flavor from wine to food and the prolonged heat that lingers on the dish like "Coq Au Vin". Time allows the chicken to absorb the wine so that it can become something else other than its own...Besides I don't have to fill up my bathtub with wine to loosen up while managing to feed the holiday visitors.

There are many hypotheses about where "Coq au Vin" originated from, Caesars or Napoleon, who knows. I used an Italian wine, Sangiovese from Puglia to marinate the chicken thighs and drumstick. White meat will dry up during the cooking process.

Marinate 1 day in advance 4 chicken thighs and 6 drumsticks with 1/2 bottle of red wine, few sprigs of thyme, salt, pepper and 5 bay leaves. Keep it in the fridge.

In a Dutch oven, pan fry 8 oz. chopped Speck with 2 tbsp of olive oil for about 5 min., using medium hi heat.
Add 12 pearl onion and 8 oz. mushroom to brown
Empty the pan and add 2 tbsp of butter and olive oil
Remove the chicken from the marinate, season with salt and pepper and Brown all sides then Remove from the heat
Add 1/4 cup of flour to the oil
Deglaze with 1 cup of brandy and the marinate
Add 1 - 8 oz can of tomato purée and 2 tbspn of sugar
Add 4 cups of chicken stock
Add chicken and the rest of the ingredient
Bring it to boil and cook for 45 min. on medium heat.

Don't forget your French wine. Cheers!
Teera

"The Who Roast Beast"

" And they'd FEAST! FEAST! FEAST! They would feast on Who-pudding, and rare Who-roast-beast ....."
After watching The Grinch for many years, our children made a request to have roast beef for the holiday. Without caving into the latest household pressure and change what would traditionally be served at home on Christmas day, I decided that we will have a pre-holiday kick off with a roast beef meal during the week before Christmas.

Plus, who really has time to wait for the New England version of pot roast that may end up tasting dry like eating straw!
I use top round loin that can be found in any local supermarket. I found mine, all tied up at Harris Teeter. Top round loin is also one of the leanest, cheapest cuts of beef, all the more reason to use this type of beef. It typically comes with a layer of fat at to top of the loin. Do not be alarmed. This will melt away during the cooking process and turn into a mouth-watering morsel of salted crust.

Marinate 3 lb top round loin with the following ingredient for 3-4 hours:
1 /2 cup of red wine
2 tbspn of balsamic vinegar
2 tbspn of honey
5 springs of thyme
1 tbspn of pepper corn
1 tbspn of olive oil
A pinch of salt
Keep the round in the fridge during the marinating

Keep the loin outside of the fridge 30 mins. Before roasting.
Broil all sides for about 5 min. Each
Roast at 425 degree for 45 min.
Let the beef rest for 15 min before slicing
Slice the roast beef thinly.
Serve with beef gravy (recipe below), roasted red potatoes, horseradish cream sauce and greens.

Beef gravy:
Make a roux with 2 tbspn of butter and 1 tbspn of flour
Add the pan drippings and 2 cups of beef stock
Add 1/2 cup of red wine
Bring it to boil and simmer for 10 mins
Flavor with salt and pepper.

Horseradish cream sauce: 1/3 cup of each: yogurt, horseradish, mayo

Scrumptious.... Cheers!
Teera