In yesterday’s The Permanent Tourist Charleston blog, I shared memories of my magnificent father, and thoughts on cooking for Dad on his big day. The post includes a delicious recipe, and an opportunity to win a copy of The French Cook: Sauces (Gibbs Smith).
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!
http://charleston.thepermanenttourist.com/you-know-well-have-a-good-time-then/
Last week, a full two weeks before Thanksgiving was even scheduled to arrive, I got an intense craving for turkey. No, not the deli variety, and not the roasted kind you can buy. I needed to have a fragrant bird filling up my house with its gorgeous aromas while I worked on my new French soup cookbook upstairs in my office.
So, I went to the grocery and bought a small, five pound, bone-in turkey breast. I had to wait a day to thaw it in the fridge, and then I got busy doing what I always do for any turkey I’m about to roast. I rub mine down with olive oil, season generously all over with ground black pepper and kosher salt, and nestle a couple of pats of butter under the skin of the breast. I start mine in a hot, 425F oven and let it cook for about 20 minutes, or until it starts to form a kind of golden “crust” within which the seasoning is embedded. Then, I reduce the heat to 325F, and start basting it with a combination of 1 cup white wine, 1 cup chicken stock, 1 tablespoon honey, and 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, whisked together. I baste (or return the love back to the turkey) every 20 minutes, spooning the flavorful pan juices over the bird along the way. Stop cooking the turkey when the center of the breast reads 160F and let it rest, lightly covered with tin foil, for at least 30 minutes. This whole process, at 20 minutes per pound, took less than 2 hours.
Then, I started carving the juicy, tender white meat away from the bone for the week of turkey sandwiches I enjoyed the past several days. Never one to endorse wasting food or flavor, I coarsely chopped the remaining carcass and put it in a large stock pot with a quartered onion, a couple of stalks of celery, a carrot, 2 bay leaves, and enough water to cover the contents . I brought it up to a boil, reduced to a simmer, and cooked it ever so slowly, uncovered for about 6 hours, skimming off any “scum” as it rose to the top. The result was a gorgeous, clear, fragrant stock.
So, a little bit early, I had on-hand exactly what you will have on-hand the day after Thanksgiving. Plenty of turkey and stock to put to good use. The obvious solution is a fragrant, light and delicate soup. Because the book I’m working on uses French technique and method, I cut up all of the vegetables very finely, into what is called a brunoise. This is a tiny 1/8″ dice. It looks pretty and allows all of the vegetables to cook quickly and for the same amount of time. A petite dice of warm croutons on top finishes it off in a very French way for this wonderfully American holiday. Because basically everything is prepped ahead, it comes together in just about 20 minutes. Bon appetit! If you’re careful in your planning, you should still have plenty of roast turkey for sandwiches. This soup uses only about 2 cups.
Recipe
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and very finely chopped
2 large stalks celery very finely chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and very finely chopped
2 cloves garlic peeled and smashed into a paste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups very finely chopped crimini mushrooms (Note: Remove any dirt with a damp paper towel and pull out any tough stems before cutting.)
1 1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage leaves
1/4 cup dry vermouth
6 cups reserved turkey stock
2 cups turkey breast, skin removed and cut into 1/4″ cubes
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves finely chopped
For the croutons:
1 cup dried white bread, such as baguette, crust removed and cut into 1/4″ cubes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage leaves
Roast turkey on Thanksgiving using method described in the front of this recipe. After the meat’s been cut off the bone, reserve the carcass and prepare the stock using the method in the front of this recipe and reserve the stock and the turkey meat separately in the refrigerator. The following day, proceed as follows.
In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and olive oil together over medium high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic and a light dusting of salt and pepper. Stir to coat, reduce heat to medium, and sweat the vegetables for 5 to 8 minutes or until they’re softened. Add the chopped crimini, dried sage and stir to coat. Add the vermouth, stir and increase heat to medium high. Reduce the vermouth to a glaze, another 3 to 5 minutes. Add the reserved turkey stock and cubed turkey meat. Bring up to a boil and reduce to a simmer over medium low heat. Cook for 20 minutes to soften the veggies and bring the flavors together. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Meanwhile, to prepare the croutons, melt the butter and the oil together over medium high heat in a saute pan. When sizzling, add the cubed bread, salt, pepper and dried sage. Toss to coat evenly. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking the croutons, tossing, until golden brown on all sides. Reserve warm.
Serve the soup very hot in shallow bowls. Garnish with a drizzle of freshly chopped rosemary and arrange a pyramid of warm croutons in the center of each bowl just before serving.
Bon appetit and Happy Thanksgiving!
My father was (and is) many things to many people: a busy corporate executive over-seeing a large staff, a friend to many, a close brother to his brothers Jim and John, a loyal husband, a veteran, a caring son to his father and mother, and a loving keeper of many animals, including his beloved horse Valiant.
But to me, he is simply Dad. The best kind of Dad. He’s the kind of Dad, despite his extremely demanding travel and career demands when the four of us were growing up, that was there. He was there for all the little league games, he was there (through example) to teach the important life lessons on the value of honesty and hard work, he was there to celebrate each of our joys, sorrows, and lives. Sweetly, he would bring my sister Heather and I little trinkets from his travels, a miniature Swiss clock from Geneva, or Madame Alexander dolls dressed up to represent their respective countries. He would set up camp under a tent in our rooms to tell “scary” stories of “Cookie” the hapless, good-hearted monster. He would scatter the eggs at the Easter hunts and put up the tree (and take it down) for what seems like an endless stream of Christmas’s past. He would eventually walk me down the aisle on my wedding day, a blend of pathos, pride and pure love apparent upon his handsome face and radiating from his beautiful, selfless soul.
But for all the gifts, love, memories, lessons and life he has shared with me, nothing resonates as strongly with love as his “McCaulio.” This was his name for his warm breakfast specialty blend of left-overs that usually included rice, peas, some kind of steak or pork, and eggs, scrambled up in a pan and served with a big dose of ketchup. It takes a varied form on his name, Herb McCauley, and took many variations in its actual ingredient list. There were two constants, though. It was always a hot breakfast, and it was always made with love and usually lots of laughs as he prepared to get us off to school. Mom liked to sleep in during those busy years, and Dad selflessly picked up the slack. I’ll never forget him or McCaulio. I sure do love that man!
So, while I’m late getting this out to you to help serve your Dad a special breakfast this morning, there is still time to put it together later today, or any other day of the year, just like Dad and his McCaulio. This is a simple yet beautiful “special” breakfast that comes together quickly. Mom can help the kids with the bechamel sauce. Meanwhile, the kids can put together a quick eggs scramble and toast. Dad will love it, and he’ll especially love it because it was made with loving hearts.
Happy Father’s Day, Dad and to Dads everywhere!
Adapted from The French Cook: Sauces (March 2013/Gibbs Smith)
Soft Scrambled Eggs Cloaked with Sage and Sausage Bechamel Sauce on Baguette Toaste Points
(Makes 4 generous servings)
First, prepare the bechamel.
Basic Bechamel Master Recipe
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons All-Purpose flour
1 shallot or small onion (about 3 tablespoons), finely chopped
2 cups skim milk
1 1/2 cups Half & Half
Sea or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste recipe
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. When just melted, whisk in the flour all at once, whisking rapidly to combine. Add the chopped shallot (or onion) and whisk to combine. Continue whisking and cooking (without browning) for 5 minutes. Add the skim milk and Half & Half, drizzling rapidly into the roux, whisking continually. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Continue whisking and cooking the béchamel another five minutes, or until it’s come up to a gentle simmer and thickened to the consistency of thick chowder. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Reserve warm. Any left-overs can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 3 days and gently re-heated for another use. (Note: If you want to limit the fat and calories, the recipe can be prepared with skim milk only, unless it will be flavored with alcohol or acid in the recipe where it will ultimately be used. Depending on the quantity, it might risk breaking/curdling the sauce.) Set aside.
Meanwhile, put together the rest of the dish.
12 ounces loose pork sausage
Sea salt or kosher salt
Ground white pepper
2 cups of the reserved, prepared bechamel
1 teaspoon dried, ground sage
2 tablespoons dry vermouth
2 tablespoons pork or veal demi-glace
For the toast points:
8 (1/2-inch-thick) diagonally cut slices fresh baguette bread
For the eggs:
8 large eggs
1/4 cup half & half
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Sea salt or kosher salt
Ground white pepper
4 sage leaves, optional for garnish
Heat a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble the sausage into the pan and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Drain the sausage in a colander, straining off and discarding all of the rendered fat. Set aside.
Finish the prepared, reserved bechamel by whisking in the sage, vermouth and demi-glace in a medium pot over medium heat. Stir in the reserved sausage. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Keep warm over very low heat.
Toast the sliced bread in batches in a toaster or under a high broiler until golden brown. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and the half & half until very well incorporated, aerated and lemony in color. Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat. Pour egg mixture into the skillet and season lightly with salt and pepper. Continue cooking over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula or spoon. As soon as the eggs beging to set, remove from the heat.
To serve, arrange two of the toast points on each of four large plates. Divide the eggs and warm bechamel over the toast points. Serve immediately. Garnish with fresh sage leaves, if desired.
Bon appetit!