Winter Gatherings (12 page)

Note

Marsala, originally a fortified wine from Sicily, is similar to sherry. Bakers use sweet Marsala to make tiramisù and other Italian-style desserts. For savory dishes, such as this one, or the ubiquitous Chicken Marsala you find on many Italian-American menus, it is better to use dry Marsala, which has a less cloying flavor. Madeira or a dry sherry is a good substitute.

Homemade Spaetzle with Herb Butter

Makes 4 to 6 servings

When pressed for a side dish, I often throw together a batch of spaetzle, which could be considered the German answer to homemade pasta. The little noodle blobs are perfect for soaking up gravy, and I always try to serve them with sauerbraten. If you don’t already own one, get an inexpensive spaetzle maker online or at a well-stocked kitchenware shop. Some recipes say you can drip the batter through a colander into boiling water to shape the spaetzle, but that is wishful thinking.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1½ cups whole milk

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley or chives, or a combination

• 1.
  Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat.
  
• 2.
  Whisk the flour, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl and make a well in the center. In another bowl, whisk the milk and eggs together until combined. Pour into the well and whisk until smooth and the consistency of pancake batter.
  
• 3.
  Place the spaetzle maker over the boiling water. Pour the batter into the hopper and move it back and forth to force the batter through the holes into the water. When all of the batter has been added, let cook until the spaetzle rise to the surface, and then cook for 1 minute. Drain well. (The spaetzle can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead. Rinse them well with cold running water, then toss with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to keep them from sticking together.)
  
• 4.
  Heat the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until the foam subsides. Add the spaetzle and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 2 minutes (or 5 minutes for room-temperature spaetzle). Sprinkle with the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
  

SIDE DISHES

Latkes with Apple-Jalapeño Salsa

Mashed Roots with Crispy Shallots

Potato and Garlic Gratin

Root Vegetables Anna

Mashed Potato Casserole with Smoked Gouda and Bacon

Mom’s Red Cabbage

Five-Spice Applesauce

Braised Kale with Cornmeal Dumplings

Latkes with Apple-Jalapeño Salsa

Makes 12 latkes

Hanukkah is almost always celebrated in late fall, but it is considered a winter holiday. Even though I am not Jewish, I still look forward to my annual reason to dig into a plate of latkes, the potato pancakes that are the classic Hanukkah dish. I serve both this jazzed-up apple condiment as well as the more old-fashioned Five-Spice Applesauce on Chapter 5. One important tip: Don’t skimp on the oil, as latkes are supposed to be
fried
.

A
PPLE
-J
ALAPEÑO
S
ALSA

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and finely diced

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots

1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro

Pinch of salt

L
ATKES

2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled

1 medium onion

2 large eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons matzo meal or dried bread crumbs

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil, for frying

Sour cream, for serving

• 1.
  To make the salsa, combine the apple and lime juice in a small bowl. Add the shallots, jalapeño, honey, cilantro, and salt, and mix. Set aside at room temperature while making the latkes.
  
• 2.
  To make the latkes, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 200°F. Line a baking sheet with a wire cake rack.
  
• 3.
  Shred the potatoes on the large holes of a box grater into a bowl. Grate the onions into the bowl. (Or, use a food processor to grate the potatoes and onions.) Add the eggs, matzo meal, salt, and pepper, and mix well. Do not be concerned if the potatoes discolor.
  
• 4.
  Pour enough oil into a large skillet to come about 1/8 inch up the side and heat over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Using about ¼ cup of the potato mixture for each pancake, spoon into the oil and spread into 3-inch-diameter pancakes. Cook until the underside is golden brown, about 2½ minutes. Turn and cook until the other side is brown, about 2½ minutes more. Transfer to the rack and keep warm in the oven while making the remaining latkes.
  
• 5.
  Just before serving, transfer the latkes to paper towels to drain. (If the latkes remain on the paper towels more than a minute or so, they will get soggy.) Serve immediately, with the salsa and sour cream on the side.
  

Mashed Roots with Crispy Shallots

Makes 6 servings

Mashed potatoes have their place, but often this earthy mix of carrots, parsnips, and potatoes is even more satisfying. It is certainly more colorful! Topped with a tangle of golden brown shallots, it will have everyone asking for seconds.

M
ASHED
R
OOTS

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick rounds

1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick rounds

1 pound baking potatoes, such as russet or Burbank, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons heavy cream, as needed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

C
RISPY
S
HALLOTS

Vegetable oil, for frying

2 shallots, cut crosswise into thin rounds, separated into rings

¼ cup all-purpose flour

• 1.
  To prepare the mashed roots, combine the carrots, parsnips, and potatoes in a large saucepan, and add enough salted water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 25 minutes.
  
• 2.
  Drain well and return the vegetables to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until they begin to film the bottom of the pan, about 2 minutes.
  
• 3.
  Remove from the heat. Add the butter and mash, adding enough heavy cream to reach the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover tightly to keep warm.
  
• 4.
  To make the shallots, line a baking sheet with paper towels. Pour enough oil into a large saucepan to come 1 inch up the side. Heat over high heat until the oil is shimmering. Toss the shallots with the flour and shake off the excess flour. Add the shallots to the oil and cook until golden brown, about 15 seconds. (Do a test run first with a few shallot rings to check the oil temperature.) Using a wire skimmer, lift the shallots out of the oil and drain briefly on paper towels.
  
• 5.
  Transfer the mashed roots to a serving dish, top with the crispy shallots, and serve immediately.
  

Potato and Garlic Gratin

Makes 8 servings

Every year at Christmas dinner, I have to serve this gratin by popular demand. Even though I have recipes for gratins with much bolder flavor profiles, there must be something about the simplicity of the combination of potatoes, cream, and garlic that makes this one so comforting. Yes, it takes an entire quart of cream, but that is the secret to the recipe. If someone asks why this is so much better than their scalloped potatoes, do what I do—fib about the amount of cream. The gratin takes some time to cook, so don’t rush it.

1 quart heavy cream

6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

2½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 pounds baking potatoes, such as russet or Burbank, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds (see Note)

• 1.
  Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F. Lightly butter a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
  
• 2.
  Slowly bring the cream and garlic to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, taking care that the cream doesn’t boil over. Remove from the heat.
  
• 3.
  Mix the salt and pepper together. Layer half of the potato rounds, overlapping as needed, in the baking dish. Using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic from the cream and scatter the garlic over the potatoes. Season with half of the salt and pepper mixture. Layer the remaining potatoes in the dish and season with the remaining salt and pepper mixture. Pour the hot cream evenly over the potatoes. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.
  
• 4.
  Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil. Bake until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife and the top of the gratin is golden brown, about 45 minutes longer. Let stand for 5 minutes, then serve hot.
  

Note

An inexpensive V-shaped slicer (which I find so much easier to use than the classic metal mandoline) will cut the potatoes into uniformly thin rounds, and is a good addition to your kitchen if you don’t already own one. Or buy narrow potatoes that will fit into the feed tube of a food processor, and cut them with the slicing blade. Of course the potatoes can be sliced by hand with a large knife, but be sure to cut them thinly, or they will take forever to cook to tenderness.