EATS & DRINKS
By Case Dighero | Photos by Meredith Mashburn
A Taste of the Holidays
I recently enlisted the help of chef Jaime S. Landu Colin to add swagger and nuance to a holiday dinner party for friends and family. The outcome was delightfully fun and delicious, complete with roasted game hens, apple chutney, pumpkin dumplings simmered in brown butter, cranberry cornbread, and a surprisingly easy pâté using harvest from a recent duck hunt.
This year, consider cooking together with friends and family — sharing the burden of cooking means being less exhausted while simultaneously spending more quality time with the people you love.
Pumpkin Dumplings With Brown Butter, Toasty Walnuts and Sage
Serves: 4 to 6 | Prep, Cook Time: 30 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup canned pumpkin purée
2 large eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt
TECHNIQUE
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add several generous pinches of salt.
In a separate medium saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and cook, stirring constantly until the butter begins to brown, probably 5 minutes. Gently add the sage leaves to the golden-brown butter — which will sizzle and pop a bit — along with the walnuts. Turn the heat off and remove the saucepan from the heat.
To a medium bowl, add the pumpkin purée, eggs, Parmesan, nutmeg and a pinch of salt. Mix until combined. Add the flour and mix until the batter has the consistency of thick cake batter.
Submerge a soup spoon in the boiling water. Hold the dumpling batter bowl at an angle above the boiling water. Using the spoon, scrape a 1 tablespoon-size piece of batter against the sides of the bowl, then dunk the loaded spoon directly into the boiling water to release the dumpling. Repeat, working quickly until there is no batter left.
When all dumplings have been added, boil for 2 to 3 minutes until they expand and float to the top. Turn the heat off and allow the dumplings to sit in the water for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the dumplings to the sage-infused brown butter and carefully mix until evenly coated in butter. Taste and season with salt if needed.
Divide the dumplings among shallow bowls or plates, and drizzle with sage-walnut brown butter. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve hot.
Cranberry Cornbread
Serves: 6 to 8 | Prep, Cook Time: 45 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for serving
1 1/4 cups medium-grind yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, divided
3 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen cranberries
Honey, as garnish
TECHNIQUE
Place a rack in the middle of the oven and heat oven to 375 degrees. Add the butter to a 10-inch cast iron skillet, then place the skillet in the oven to melt the butter.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda and the leaves of one finely chopped rosemary sprig. Add the eggs and buttermilk, then whisk until combined.
Carefully remove the skillet from the oven once the butter is completely melted. Pour approximately 3/4 of the melted butter into the cornmeal batter, and stir until combined. Pour the batter into the hot skillet, then sprinkle the cranberries evenly over the top.
Bake until the cornbread is browned around the edges and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Garnish with remaining rosemary sprigs and serve hot with butter and honey.
High Southern Pâté
Serves: 6 to 8 | Prep, Cook Time: 25 minutes, plus chill time
INGREDIENTS
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into squares
2 medium shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1 pound fresh duck livers (or chicken if you prefer), trimmed
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/3 cup cognac or port
4 tablespoons heavy cream, plus more as needed
Kosher salt
TECHNIQUE
Put a large, heavy sauté pan over medium heat, and melt 4 tablespoons of the butter until it begins to foam. Add the shallots, then sauté until translucent, being extra careful not to brown them. Add the livers, thyme and cognac or port, and increase heat to high. Cook, intermittently stirring the livers around until the wine has reduced and the livers are lightly browned but still soft and pink on the inside, approximately 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat, and put all contents into a blender or food processor, along with the cream and the remaining butter. Purée until smooth, adding a little more cream if necessary. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt if necessary.
Pack the pâté into a glass jar or bowl, then smooth the top with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours or up to five days. Serve with toast points, crackers or freshly baked bread.
Herbed Rice Stuffed Cornish Hen With Warm Apple Chutney and
Honey Lemon Pickled Pomegranate
INGREDIENTS
3 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
3 cups of uncooked parboiled rice
1/3 cup parsley, minced and divided
2 teaspoons thyme, minced and divided
2 teaspoons rosemary, minced and divided
2 teaspoons dill, minced and divided
2 teaspoons oregano, divided
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
TECHNIQUE
Combine parsley, thyme, rosemary, dill and oregano in a small bowl.
At medium heat and using a medium pot, add oil and gently sweat the garlic. Add rice and stir the mix until glossy. Then, add salt, half of the herb mix (reserving other half to rub the hens) and chicken broth.
At high heat, bring contents to a boil, then turn to low heat and cover. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes until liquid is almost gone and the rice is al dente. Add a bit of water if needed, but do not overcook the rice.
Remove from heat, uncover, fluff rice with a fork, then set aside.
Serves 4 to 6 | Prep, Cook Time: 2 Hours
Chef Colin said this dish attracts a lot of attention at holiday dinners.
Plus, it’s just fun to make a stuffed bird.
Herbed Rice
Cornish Hen
INGREDIENTS
Butcher twine (Chef Colin said it’s not a big deal if you don’t have the twine; his mother often did not.)
4 Cornish hens
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon fine cracked black pepper
Reserved half of mixed herbs
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large oranges, juiced and zested
Chefs Jaime S. Landu Colin and Case Dighero
TECHNIQUE
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. With a food processor, make a marinade by combining salt, pepper, herb mix, green onions, garlic, olive oil, and orange juice and zest. Mix to a paste and set aside.
Gently rinse hens thoroughly and pat dry, then arrange on cutting board or a tray.
Here is the messy but fun part. Using your hands or a brush, gently coat the inside of each hen with some of the marinade so the meat gets some loving from the inside as well.
With backs facing you, stuff each hen with 1 1/2 to 2 cups of herbed rice. Rub the back with marinade as well, then flip and repeat the process to make sure all surfaces are properly coated. If any is leftover, you can use it to brush the hen in the middle of cooking.
Tie the hen legs with the twine, then arrange the hens on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Place in oven for 60 to 70 minutes or until an internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached on the thickest of the breast. Serve hot.
Warm Apple Chutney
INGREDIENTS
6 apples, diced small
1 medium shallot, minced
2 teaspoons ginger, minced
1 cup sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 large oranges, juiced plus zest of 1
1 sprig rosemary, picked and finely chopped
1/4 cup butter
TECHNIQUE
In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients except the butter. Bring the mixture to a boil at medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Cover, reduce heat to simmer and continue cooking until the liquid has evaporated by a third.
Remove from heat, add butter and stir to temper into the mixture. It should look creamy. Serve warm with the stuffed hens.
Honey Lemon Pickled Pomegranate
INGREDIENTS
1 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
4 lemons, juiced
1/4 cup honey
TECHNIQUE
In a small bowl, use a whisk to combine the lemon and honey until well incorporated. Add pomegranate seeds, and let rest for an hour or two (or overnight) before serving. Serve atop hens and chutney.
Staff Report | Photos by Meredith Mashburn
Looking for perfect drink pairings for your holiday dinner? Try this delicious cocktail recipe featuring
a complex, high-quality tequila created by a female-led team as well as a couple of wine picks. Cheers!
The Mijenta Espresso Martini
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 ounces of Mijenta Blanco Tequila
1/4 ounce of coffee liqueur
3/4 ounce espresso
1/2 ounce vanilla simple syrup
Pinch of sea salt
TECHNIQUE
Combine all ingredients in a shaker full of ice. Shake vigorously until frothy. Strain into coupe glass, then garnish with three coffee beans. Enjoy!
Mijenta Blanco Tequila, $47
Crafted to celebrate the rich flavors of the agave and showcase the terroir of the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, this tequila is complex and aromatic with a powerful, silky body. It features intense aromas of cooked agave, vanilla and caramel enhanced by the slow cooking process as well as floral and fruity notes of cantaloupe and peaches.
Roberts + Rogers Reserve Chardonnay, Sonoma County, $48
This oaky, buttery wine features fruit aromas and flavors ranging from lean citrus to sweeter lemon, from fresh yellow apple to baked apple.
Frank Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, $56
This complex and classically styled wine is perfumed with aromas of sweet blackberries, violets, and vanilla that guide espresso, nutmeg and cedar flavors on the palate. Silky tannins and ample, fresh acidity support the complex flavors, lending elegance to the long, expressive finish.