It's the autumn season, the time of year that grocery stores are filled with harvest vegetables & turkeys. For Thanksgiving this year, I decided to do something different other than the classic turkey with bread stuffing, boring cranberry sauce from a can, or predictable mashed potatoes. For the bakers & chefs in the household, preparing a whole turkey with four sides, two sauces, & two desserts for family & friends can be very overwhelming. I wanted to keep it simple & sophisticated.
I chose to serve a beef roast with a tart cranberry sauce. It's all about time management & with almost all my dishes being baked, it made my Thanksgiving a breeze.
I chose to highlight the quality ingredients such as crisp green beans & sharp aged cheddar with a touch of flavourful herbs. Push aside mother's old recipe box & try new age traditional recipes with a modern unconventional twist.
ROSEMARY ROAST BEEF
1 beef sirloin roast
2 tbsp chopped rosemary
1 tbsp crushed peppercorns
1 tbsp crushed garlic flakes
1 tsp salt
Remove roast from packaging. In a bowl combine crushed peppercorns, rosemary, garlic flakes, & salt. Rub over beef sirloin roast.
Place roast in a shallow roasting pan at 400 degrees. For a medium rare 50-60 mins, pop up medium 60 to 70 minutes, or well done 70 to 80 mins.
Remove roast, cover with aluminum foil & let it rest for 30 mins before slicing to seal in all the juices. Do not clean the roasting pan.
THYME GRAVY
beef drippings in pot
splash of white wine
1/2 cup beef broth
2 beef bouillon cube
1 tbsp thyme leaves
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp butter
Remove any burnt pieces in pan. Keep the heat on medium & deglaze the pan with a generous splash of white wine.
Create a rue by adding butter & flour to the pot. (This will make your gravy, soup, or stew thick versus watery). Use a whisk to remove any lumps.
Add beef broth, beef bouillon cube, & thyme leaves. Whisk & let simmer until the gravy becomes thick.
POTATO, CHEDDAR, & SCALLION FAN
1 large yukon gold potato
3 tbsp aged cheddar
2 tbsp chopped scallions
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
Wash potato. Do not peel. Using a sharp knife, make slices across the potato the short way about 1/8 to 1/4 inch apart but do not go all the way through to the bottom of the potato. The slices should stay connected at the bottom.
Drizzle with olive oil & bake at 400 degrees for 50-55 mins. Remove from oven, add cheese in between potato layers & broil for 5 mins until cheese is brown.
Sprinkle with chopped cilantro & chopped scallions before serving.
LEMON, TOASTED ALMONDS & PARMESAN GREEN BEANS
2 cups green beans
1/2 lemon
2 tbsp sliced almonds
2 tbsp grated parmesan
Fill a pot with water & bring to a boil. In another bowl, add cold water & ice cubes. Toss the green beans into the boiling water, drain, & immediately toss into the ice water, then drain again. This is called blanching & stops the cooking process so your beans stay crisp.
Place in sheet tray with sliced almonds & bake for 10 mins.
Squeeze lemon juice & sprinkle grated parmesan right before serving.
PLUM-CRANBERRY SAUCE
1 large plum
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp bourbon
In a pot, add thinly sliced plums & bourbon. Then add water, sugar, & cranberries. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & let cranberries simmer until it forms a thick sauce consistency.
ORANGE-CRANBERRY BASIL COCKTAIL
vodka
cointreau
1 tsp sugar
3 cranberries
3 basil leaves
1 slice orange
Make according to taste. Garnish with orange slice, cranberries, & basil leaves.
APPLE LEAF TART
1 pie crust
1 gala apple
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
Thinly slice apple. Toss with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, & allspice. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 mins.
Roll out pie crust. Using a paring knife, cut dough into leaf shape. Arrange apple slices layered over one another outlined by the leaf shape.
Put back into oven for 10 mins, then broil on low heat for 5 mins.
Serve with strawberries & vanilla ice cream.
XO
Kiran & THE BLANK PLATE
