Thanksgiving 101 (5 page)

2.
Line a wire sieve with rinsed and wrung-out cheesecloth or paper towels. Strain the clam juices into a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

3.
Rinse and wipe out the Dutch oven and return to the stove. Add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms give off their juices, about 3 minutes. Uncover and cook until the juices evaporate and the mushrooms are beginning to brown, about 3 minutes more. Add the shallots and stir until the shallots soften, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour and stir until the mushrooms are well coated with the flour, about 1 minute.

4.
Add the stock, strained clam juice, and marjoram. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. (The soup can be prepared up to this point 8 hours before serving, cooled, covered, and refrigerated. Reheat to simmering before proceeding.)

5.
Add the heavy cream and clams, and heat until very hot but not boiling. Season with the salt (be careful, as the clams could have added enough salt of their own) and pepper.

6.
Transfer to a warmed soup tureen. Ladle the soup into warmed soup bowls, topping each serving with a dollop of crème fraîche and a sprinkle of parsley. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin Tortellini in Chicken Broth

Pumpkin tortellini are very popular in northern Italy, although the authentic filling recipe can be on the sweet side, flavored with amaretti cookie crumbs and an unusual fruit relish called
mostarda
. This version, with Parmesan cheese in the filling and made with round wonton wrappers, gets no points for authenticity, but it is delicious. Enlist another pair or two of hands when making the tortellini, and they’ll be stuffed in no time. When serving tortellini
in brodo
(in broth), it is very important to use the very best homemade broth.

1.
To make the tortellini, line a baking sheet with wax paper and dust it with cornstarch. In a medium bowl, mix the pumpkin, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, the egg yolk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Place the egg white in a small bowl and beat until foamy. Using a small pastry brush, lightly brush the edges of one wonton wrapper with egg white. Place a teaspoon of the pumpkin filling in the center of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper so the edges meet and enclose the filling, and firmly press the edges to seal, making a half moon–shaped dumpling. Place a dab of egg white on one corner of the tortellini. Curve the tortellini around your index finger so the two corners meet, and press them together. Place the tortellini on the prepared baking sheet and cover with a large sheet of plastic wrap. Repeat the procedure with the remaining filling and wrappers. (The tortellini can be prepared up to 1 day ahead, covered tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerated.)

2.
In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to very low and keep hot. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. One at a time, quickly drop the tortellini into the boiling water (don’t dump the tortellini into the water all at once or you’ll get too much cornstarch into the cooking water). Reduce the heat to medium and gently cook the tortellini until the pasta is tender and the filling is heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tortellini to a warmed soup tureen. Pour the hot broth into the tureen.

3.
Ladle the tortellini and broth into warmed soup bowls, and sprinkle with rosemary. Serve hot, passing the Parmesan at the table.

Winter Squash Soup with Prosciutto and Sage

This bright orange soup seems rich and creamy without a drop of cream in sight. You have many choices of squash, from sugar or cheese pumpkin to butternut, Hubbard, or calabaza. Because each squash has a different moisture content, you may find that you need to adjust the consistency of the finished soup. If it is too thick, just thin it with more broth. If it is too thin, dissolve 2 tablespoons cornstarch in
¹
/3 cup cold water. Bring the soup to a boil, and stir in enough of the cornstarch mixture to thicken to your taste. (Remember, though, that the soup must be boiling for the cornstarch thickening to work.)

1.
Using a large, sharp knife, cut the squash into large pieces. Using a large spoon, scrape away and discard any fibers and seeds. Cut the squash into 1-inch pieces. Using a small, sharp paring knife, pare away the thick skin. Set the squash aside.

2.
In a Dutch oven or soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, cover, and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the squash and the stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the squash is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 15 to 20 minutes.

3.
In batches, transfer the soup to a blender and puree, being sure to leave the lid slightly ajar so the steam can escape. Return the pureed soup to the Dutch oven and add the prosciutto and sage. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Season with the salt and pepper. (The soup can be prepared up to 2 days ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated. The soup will thicken when chilled. Reheat over medium-low heat, stirring often and thinning the soup as needed with additional chicken stock, until hot, about 10 minutes.)

1.
Transfer the soup to a warmed soup tureen. Ladle into warmed soup bowls and serve immediately.

Note:
When you order prosciutto from the delicatessen counter or this soup, be sure to ask that it be sliced about ¼ inch thick, not paper thin. Any leftover prosciutto can be double-wrapped in aluminum foil and frozen for up to 2 months.

Sweet Potato and Peanut Soup

Two Southern favorites, sweet potatoes (also called yams) and peanuts, blend beautifully in this elegant soup made with humble ingredients. With just a few seasoning vegetables (and a little zip from jalapeño pepper and garlic), this soup has a depth of flavor that belies its simplicity. Use a smooth, traditional-style peanut butter, as the natural-style ones tend to separate.

1.
In a Dutch oven or soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots, carrot, celery, jalapeño, and garlic. Cover and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, stock, and 1½ cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 15 minutes.

2.
In batches, transfer the soup to a blender and puree. Return the pureed soup to the Dutch oven and whisk in the peanut butter and lime juice. Cook over low heat, whisking often, until very hot but not simmering. Season with the salt and pepper. (The soup can be prepared up to 2 days ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated. Reheat over very low heat, stirring often, adding stock or water if the soup seems too thick.)

3.
Transfer to a warmed soup tureen. To serve, spoon the soup into individual warmed soup bowls. Drizzle each serving with heavy cream and sprinkle with the cilantro if desired.

Two-Tone Root Vegetable Soups

This wonderful first course has to win the “simple sophistication” prize. Root vegetables are harbingers of autumn cooking, and certainly have pride of place at the Thanksgiving table. The idea here is to make two easy soups with complementary flavors but opposite colors, then serve them next to each other in the same bowl for a dramatic presentation. You will need at least one 2½-to 3-inch-wide open-ended charlotte ring or leaf-shaped cookie cutter for each serving. You can assemble the soups with one ring, but the more rings, the quicker the assembly. I have provided two more presentations for serving, side by side and swirl, following the recipe.

CELERY ROOT SOUP

CARROT SOUP

1.
For the celery root soup: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery and cover. Cook until the celery softens, about 3 minutes. Add the shallots and cook until they soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the celery root and potato, and cook for a minute or so. Add the stock and thyme, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover partially and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. In batches, puree in a blender, being sure the lid is slightly ajar to allow the steam to escape. Adjust the thickness with additional stock, if needed. In order for the pattern to stay distinct, the soup should be on the thick side, with a consistency between heavy cream and yogurt. Season with salt and pepper. (The soup can be made 1 day ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated, although it will thicken. Reheat over low heat, adding additional broth as needed.)

2.
For the carrot soup: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery and cover. Cook until the celery softens, about 3 minutes. Add the shallots and cook until they soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the carrots and potato, and cook for a minute or so. Add the stock and rosemary, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover partially and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. In batches, puree in a blender, being sure the lid is slightly ajar to allow the steam to escape. Adjust the thickness with additional stock, if needed. In order for the pattern to stay distinct, the soup should be on the thick side, with a consistency between heavy cream and yogurt. Season with the salt and pepper. (The soup can be made 1 day ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated, although it will thicken. Reheat over low heat, adding additional broth as needed.)

3.
To serve, place a 2½-to 3-inch cookie cutter in the center of each soup bowl. Ladle the celery soup into the center of the bowl—the cookie cutter will keep the soup from spreading. Immediately ladle the carrot soup into the soup around the cutter. Lift up and remove the cutter—the soups will remain in place and create a two-tone bull’s-eye effect. Serve immediately.

Side-by-Side Presentation:
You won’t use a cookie cutter for this method. In each bowl, create a “wall” from aluminum foil, pressing the foil to make a dam that separates the bowl into two equal portions in the center. Pour each
soup into the bowl on either side of the dam. Lift up and remove the foil. The soups will remain in place, creating a side-by-side effect.

Swirl Presentation:
Ladle enough carrot soup into each soup bowl to fill by about half. Ladle dollops of the celery root soup into each bowl. Using a knife, swirl the soups together.

Homemade Turkey Stock 101