Choosing Sides

I think we’ve pretty much decided on smoked duck breasts for Thanksgiving. Something could alter that decision, but probably won’t. I’m planning to brine the breasts in an apple cider mixture, then use a stove-top smoker to cook them, and at the end I’ll crisp the skin in a frying pan. I’ll also do some kind of apple topping. At the moment I’m thinking I’ll render some pancetta in a skillet and then sauté some chopped apples in the fat — adding a little porky goodness to the dish.

Moving on to other dishes, I went back through my archives and found these possibilities. Not all are suitable accompaniments to the duck, but I figured I’d mention them here in case you’re also wondering about sides. These are all suitable for a fancy feast and most of them can be prepared, at least partially, in advance.

To begin with, I always like to have a little something to munch on while waiting for dinner. An hors d’ouevre of some sort keeps people out of the kitchen, momentarily satisfies their hunger (and helps cover for delays in the meal), and there’s something immently civilized about having a glass of wine or a cocktail with some small amusement for the palate before dinner.

Fried chick peas, Cece Fritos, are easy to make and are a great nibble with a glass of wine or beer.

These Gougèress are phenomenally good and although the recipe appears frightening if you’ve never made p&acircum;te à choux, it’s really not difficult at all. If you make them in advance, you’ll need to reheat them in the oven before serving.

If canapés appeal to you, here are three that I’m quite fond of. I particularly like the Prosciutto & Cheese spread.

As for accompaniments for the turkey (or whatever), these can also be mostly made in advance and then either finish cooking or be warmed up in the microwave just prior to serving.

You might want to consider Herbed Roasted Rutabaga. These are delightfully sweet and savory. You can prep them a couple of days in advance and then roast them with the turkey.

Or how about Braised Brussels Sprouts. I mentioned this recipe a week ago, but it’s so good it’s worth mentioning again. You can pre-cook the sprouts and then reheat them in a skillet with the mustard and balsamic vinegar.

Instead of sweet potatoes, go with winter squash. This recipe for Buttercup Squash (butternut would work as well) includes a taste of horseradish. Give it a try, it really is surprisingly good.

How’s about Honey-Dijon Roasted Beets? This a particularly festive dish if you can find several different colors of beets. But even if you only have access to red beets, their garnet color is gorgeous on a plate.

If you’d like bread with your dinner, these Beer Rolls have a wonderfully crisp crust, moist interior, and make outstanding little turkey sandwiches.

For a feast, dessert is a requirement. You can of course stick with the traditional pumpkin pie, apple pie, and mincemeat, or you can do something more unexpected.

The most unexpected, and yet still traditional, dessert I can imagine is Cranberry Mousse. Cranberries are a traditional part of the Thanksgiving table, but the mousse presents them as a new and delicious sweet/tart dessert. It’s also a light dessert after such a typically heavy meal.

The pear season is almost, but not quite over and this Pear Tart is an excellent way and elegant way of using them in a dessert.

If you insist on Pumpkin Pie, this version with Maple Whipped Cream Topping is very good.

One last comment. I spent the week before Thanksgiving last year on the phone helping people plan menus, choose and find recipes, and recover from near disasters. I loved it. I was helping people create great Thanksgiving meals one-on-one and it was huge fun as well as deeply rewarding — except for the money. Not so good. Nevertheless, I’ll be manning the phone and keyboard again this year for the same reason I post here on SG, to help people cook more successfully and make it a more satisfying part of their life. And if this little promotion bothers you, forgive me for being an enthusiastic believer in what I think is great service.

Technorati: Food | recipe | kevin d weeks | seriously good | side dishes | thanksgiving | holiday food

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