Out to Lunch

by Stacey Ballis

  Mix the fig jam with 1 tablespoon water and heat in your microwave until melted, about one minute. Strain and paint the strained jam on the figs, avoiding the crust if possible.

  Before serving, whip the cream and sugar to soft peaks. Fold in the pistachio paste and top the tarts.

  Jenna’s Morning-After Dutch Baby Pancake

  SERVES 2 TO 4

  All the things you love about a pancake, but easier since you just make one large one in the oven as opposed to all that flipping. Jenna likes it with butter, lemon, and confectioners’ sugar, but it stands up to maple syrup or jam just as easily.

  ½ cup all-purpose flour

  ½ cup whole milk

  2 large eggs

  3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for serving

  1 tablespoon sugar

  Pinch salt

  Confectioners’ sugar (to taste)

  Fresh lemon juice (to taste)

  Preheat oven to 425°F. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, flour, and tablespoon of sugar and pinch of salt. Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in a 12-inch skillet or ovenproof dish over medium-high heat on the stovetop, until it is sizzling and the foaming stops. Pour the batter into the pan or dish and put the pan immediately into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until the pancake puffs up and turns golden brown. Drizzle with melted butter if you like, sprinkle with the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice. Watch it quickly deflate, and serve immediately.

  Jean’s Thanksgiving Yeast Rolls

  SERVES 10 TO 12

  Jean wasn’t the world’s most passionate cook, just like her daughter, Aimee. But Jenna got addicted to these wonderful little rolls when she went home with Aimee for Thanksgiving in college, and now she is thankful for them every year. Your leftover turkey sandwiches will never be the same.

  2 packages dry yeast dissolved in 1 cup warm water

  1 cup shortening

  1 cup boiling water

  ¾ cup sugar

  2 eggs, beaten

  2 sticks butter, melted

  1 ½ teaspoons salt

  6 cups all-purpose flour

  Put shortening in a large bowl and pour over boiling water to dissolve. Add sugar, salt, eggs, flour, and dissolved yeast. Mix well, put in a lightly greased bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

  On a lightly floured board, roll the dough ½-inch thick. Cut with a biscuit cutter. At this point, you need to decide what kind of bread you desire . . .

  For basic rolls, pour half of the melted butter in the bottom of two roasting pans, place the cut rolls on top and then paint the tops with the remaining butter. Let rise 2 to 3 hours at room temp and then bake at 350°F for 18 to 24 minutes until golden brown.

  For fun cloverleaf-style rolls, use a smaller biscuit cutter, dip two or three rolls in melted butter and stack, then place the stacks on their sides in buttered muffin tins, let rise 2 to 3 hours and bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. (For Parker House style, make the dough into small balls, three per cup, rest of instructions the same.)

  For lovely rings of breakaway bread, dip each piece in melted butter and stack sort of willy-nilly in 2 greased Bundt pans. Let rise 2 to 3 hours till doubled. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until browned.

  Eileen’s Lemon Cream Tart

  SERVES 8

  Jenna’s mom may love Thanksgiving, but she finds the traditional pies a little too heavy. This bright creamy tart is the perfect substitute.

  For the Crust:

  1 cup all-purpose flour

  ¼ cup powdered sugar

  Pinch salt

  ½ cup cold unsalted butter, sliced thin

  For the Filling:

  4 eggs

  1 ½ cups sugar

  ½ teaspoon salt

  2 tablespoons lemon zest

  ½ cup lemon juice

  ½ cup butter, room temperature

  1 cup heavy cream

  1 tablespoon sugar

  Preheat the oven to 425°F.

  Combine the flour, powdered sugar, salt, and butter in a mixing bowl and blend together using a fork. Press into a greased 8-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Place the crust in the freezer for at least 15 minutes. Bake the crust for about 12 to 15 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.

  Whisk together eggs, 1 ½ cups sugar, and salt in a heavy-bottomed stainless steel pan. Add zest and lemon juice; cook over a medium heat, whisking constantly until thick, about 6 to 8 minutes until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the butter a little at a time until fully incorporated. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until cold.

  Whisk together the cream and sugar to stiff peaks. Pour the lemon filling into the prebaked tart shell and spread evenly on the bottom; top with the whipped cream. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

  Eloise’s Potato Gratin with Prunes

  SERVES 12

  Eloise first brought this dish to a staff potluck. Everyone was skeptical about the combination, but it turns out that potatoes with prunes is insanely delicious. Perfect with pork or poultry, it has now become everyone’s favorite, and soon to be one of yours. (With thanks to David Bouley; adapted from his grandmother’s recipe as dictated in the middle of a cooking class.)

  5 pounds starchy potatoes, peeled and sliced thin on mandolin

  2 leeks, chopped

  2 scallions, chopped

  2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped

  2 cups half-and-half

  3 cups cream

  1 clove garlic

  Nutmeg

  Salt and pepper

  1 cup prunes, halved or quartered

  1 stick butter

  Preheat oven to 350°F.

  Rub gratin dish with the cut side of the clove of garlic. Butter the dish liberally. Sauté leeks and scallions in 4 tablespoons butter till soft but not browned. Put potatoes in pot and add half-and-half and cream, the garlic clove, and a good grating of nutmeg. Bring to a simmer, and cook 5 minutes until slightly thickened and potatoes become flexible but not cooked through. Ladle half of the potato mixture into the gratin dish, followed by the leeks and scallions and sprinkle the prunes evenly over the top, and then the parsley. Add the rest of the potatoes. Fill with cream and half-and-half mixture just to the level of the potatoes. Discard the rest. Dot the top of the dish with remaining butter and bake 40 minutes to an hour. Cook till well browned and softened all the way through. Should be creamy, but thick and not soupy. You can hold in a 200°F oven nearly indefinitely.

  Lois’s Poppy Seed Cookies

  SERVES 10 TO 12

  These little cookies are simply addictive, the perfect accompaniment to tea or coffee.

  3 eggs

  1 cup sugar

  ¾ cup cooking oil

  ¼ cup orange juice

  ¼ teaspoon salt

  ¼ cup poppy seeds

  2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

  Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat eggs till foamy, then add sugar, oil, juice, and salt. Add poppy seeds and flour and mix till well blended. Drop by heaping half teaspoons (I know it looks like not enough, but trust me) 1 inch apart on ungreased sheet pan. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, until just golden around edges, but still pale in the center. Remove immediately from sheet to rack and cool.

  Benji’s Butternut Squash Soup with Fried Ginger

  SERVES 10 TO 12

  Benji is in the throes of the most exciting time as a chef, experimenting to find his own personal style, and putting his mark on holiday traditions.

  4 pounds cubed, seeded, peeled butternut squash

  3 boxes chicken stock or a gallon of homemade stock

  1 pint heavy cream

  2 medium (or one large) yellow onions

  1 stick butter

  Fresh-ground nutmeg

  ¼ teaspoon Espelette pepper, ground or paste (optional)

  Salt and pepper to taste

  2 tablespoons pickled ginger, drain
ed and dried on a paper towel

  4 tablespoons grapeseed oil

  Sugar

  Sauté onions in butter till soft, add squash. Add chicken stock to cover by about 2 inches. Cook over medium heat till very soft, about 35 to 45 minutes. Blend with immersion blender or in stand blender till very smooth; for extravelvety soup strain through chinois or fine strainer. Add cream and season to taste with salt and pepper and fresh nutmeg.

  Heat the oil till it is shimmering, and fry the pickled ginger until it is slightly browned and crispy. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels, sprinkling with sugar. Use to garnish the soup.

  Lois’s German Potato Salad

  SERVES 6 TO 8

  Lois might only be half German, but this potato salad is the real deal!

  3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into large chunks

  1 red onion, diced as fine as you can

  ⅓ cup rice wine vinegar or other mild white vinegar

  ½ cup canola oil

  Salt and pepper to taste

  1 bunch chives, chopped very fine

  Boil potatoes in salted water till fork tender . . . do not overcook or they will get waterlogged. Soak onions in vinegar. Drain potatoes thoroughly, and pour over vinegar/onion mixture and oil, and mix gently, trying not to break up potatoes. Let sit at room temperature, tossing occasionally until cooled. Taste for salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped chives. This salad is better if it never gets refrigerated, and there is nothing in it to go bad or get rancid, so it is the perfect thing to bring to an outdoor party where food is likely to sit out.

  Alana’s Chicken with Chorizo and Chickpeas

  SERVES 6 TO 8

  It is so nice to see Alana and RJ so happy, and still cooking together. (If you haven’t done so already, you can check out their story in Off the Menu by Stacey Ballis, available in paperback, audiobook, and for the e-reader of your choice from your favorite local bookseller or online retailer.)

  4 ounces Spanish chorizo, sliced ¼-inch thick (this is a cured sausage red with paprika, do not substitute fresh Mexican chorizo here; if you can’t find Spanish chorizo, use a stick of pepperoni)

  3 pounds chicken thighs (bone-in, skin on)

  Salt and pepper

  1 can chickpeas, drained

  1 box frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

  2 small red onions, sliced

  2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

  2 sprigs fresh thyme

  ¾ cup dry sherry

  2 cups chicken stock

  1 cup diced plum tomatoes

  2 teaspoons Espelette or Aleppo pepper (If you can’t find these, substitute sweet paprika, but try to get the Espelette, it is worth it!)

  ¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

  Handful fresh basil, torn, for garnish

  Put a large deep saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Cook the chorizo, stirring occasionally, until chorizo has rendered its fat and is brown and crispy. Remove chorizo with a slotted spoon or spatula to your slow cooker, leaving the fat in the pan.

  Season the thighs with salt and pepper on both sides. Add the chicken pieces to the skillet and brown well on both sides, especially making sure to render the skin so that it is crispy about ten minutes total. Remove the chicken pieces and set aside.

  Remove all but two tablespoons of fat in the skillet. Add the onions, garlic, artichokes, and thyme. Season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about five minutes. Add the sherry, tomatoes, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Stir well to dislodge any browned bits and simmer for one minute. Add this mixture to your slow cooker, put in the chickpeas and stir to be sure it is all well combined.

  Nestle the thighs in the mixture in your slow cooker. Put in enough chicken stock to come up to the thighs, leaving the top ¼ inch uncovered. Cover the slow cooker and turn on high for at least 3 hours. You can then turn to low and hold till dinnertime, or cook on low for up to 8 hours. Before serving, season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with basil. Serve.

  If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can cook in a covered Dutch oven at 350°F for 1 ½ hours.

  Jenna’s Dark Chocolate Pudding

  SERVES 6

  RJ is a pudding aficionado, and this deep, dark grown-up pudding that Jenna makes is right up his alley.

  ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

  ½ cup Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder

  5 tablespoons cornstarch

  Pinch salt

  1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

  1 quart half-and-half

  3.5 ounces dark chocolate, 80 to 90 percent cacao chocolate, chopped

  1 teaspoon vanilla

  Sift dry ingredients. In a large saucepan, pour in the half-and-half and whisk in dry ingredients. Cook over medium heat, whisking until pudding starts to bubble and thicken, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate and vanilla. Whisk until chocolate is fully melted and incorporated. Pour into six ramekins and chill until set. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

  Benji’s Spicy Carrot Dip with Dukkah

  SERVES 12

  Benji knows that especially around the holidays, everyone can get a little sick of the usual cheese tray or veggie platter with hummus. This sweet and spicy dip is a great new addition to your repertoire. Paired with the Middle Eastern spice-and-nut mix called dukkah, it makes for a fabulous appetizer. If you are worried about people assembling their own, you can make them as crostini ahead and serve on a platter.

  For the Dip:

  2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch lengths

  6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for dipping

  3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

  5 teaspoons harissa

  ¾ teaspoon ground cumin

  ½ teaspoon ground ginger

  Kosher salt and pepper to taste

  In a large saucepan over high heat, cover the carrots with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the carrots and return them to the dry saucepan. Cook the carrots for 30 seconds or so over medium heat to dry them out. Remove the pan with the carrots from the heat and coarsely mash them with a fork or whisk. You want a coarsely ground carrot puree, not too smooth. Stir in the olive oil, vinegar, harissa, cumin, and ginger, and then season the mixture with salt and pepper.

  For the Dukkah:

  1 cup shelled roasted pistachio nuts

  1 cup shelled roasted sunflower seeds

  1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds

  1 tablespoon whole fennel seeds

  1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds

  ¼ cup toasted sesame seeds

  ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

  1 tablespoon sea salt or kosher salt

  1 teaspoon black pepper

  Toast spice seeds. Toast sesame seeds separately. Crush spices to coarse powder and mix with salt, pepper, and pepper flakes. In mortar and pestle or coffee grinder, crush pistachios and sunflower seeds, leaving some pieces.

  To serve: slice a baguette into ½-inch-thick rounds. Dip each round lightly in extra-virgin olive oil and then in the dukkah. Spoon the carrot dip on top.

  Praline Pecans

  SERVES 8

  Jenna knows that these are insanely easy to make and very addictive. They also have a longer shelf life than anyone has willpower, and they freeze beautifully. You can multiply this recipe almost infinitely.

  1 stick butter

  2 egg whites beaten till foamy

  4 cups pecan halves (1 pound)

  1 cup sugar

  Flaky salt

  Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss nuts with egg whites until they are well coated. Sprinkle with sugar and mix well. Melt butter on a large sheet pan. Spread nuts over butter. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 250°F and bake 30 to 40 minutes stirring every 10 minutes till dry.

  Gene’s Twelve-Hour Pork Shoulder

  SERVES 10 TO 12

  Jenna, for one, c
an’t get enough of ham. But if you’re looking for a great alternative for your holiday table, or just want a terrific dish for a dinner party, you can’t go wrong with this slow-roasted pork shoulder. Don’t let the skin-on aspect scare you, by the time the shoulder is done you have ultracrispy crunchy cracklings that are essentially pig candy.

  2 tablespoons fennel seeds, toasted

  2 tablespoons kosher salt

  1 teaspoon Espelette pepper (You can substitute Aleppo pepper, or sweet paprika, but try to find the Espelette, it is worth it.)

  ½ teaspoon ground grains of paradise or black pepper

  2 fennel bulbs, in 1-inch chunks

  6 medium carrots, peeled and in 1-inch chunks

  3 onions, roughly chopped

  1 bunch fresh thyme, tied with cotton twine

  1 10- to 13-pound pork shoulder on the bone, skin on, scored in diamond or square pattern (You can ask your butcher to prepare it just this way for you, he’ll know what you are talking about.)

  Grapeseed or other flavorless oil

  1 bottle wine (if you want to drink white with the dish, use white, same for red)

  1 pint chicken stock

  Preheat your oven to 500°F.

  Smash the fennel seeds, salt, and peppers in pestle and mortar or pulse in a food processor until you have a coarse powder.

  Put all of the chopped vegetables and thyme sprigs into a large roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pat the pork shoulder with oil and place on top of the vegetables. Now get the spice rub massaged into the skin of the pork, getting it into all of the scores. Put the pan in your preheated oven for 30 minutes, then turn the heat down to 250°F, and cook for 9 to 12 hours. The meat should be soft and yielding and you can pull it apart easily with a fork or tongs. Pour all the wine into the roasting tray an hour before the pork is done.