I can’t believe how quickly this month is slipping by. I had been hoping to get a few more blog posts published in the past few weeks, but find myself too preoccupied / overwhelmed by the combination of preparing for our short-term move to Hong Kong in January, trying to get the basics of a wedding planned before we leave, continuing to slowly renovate the house (although the burden of this one has primarily fallen on Trevor), and the general busy-ness that comes with the holidays every year. All of the things going on in our lives right now are good – they’re so good! – but they’re also big things, things that might be stressful at times on their own, and are definitely a little stressful taken all at once. Still, despite the stress, I’m enjoying having this season at home, and I’ve been making a point of taking the little extra time I do have to savor the loveliness of fall – whether it’s a quick afternoon walk on those last few warm, golden days of the year; a cup of hot chocolate as a break from work; or a savory pot pie like this one on a chilly Friday night.

Last month, Greek Gods Yogurt reached out to me about working with them to develop a pie recipe featuring one of their thick, tangy Greek yogurts. I can safely say that pie is one of my favorite food groups, so I was quick to agree to the collaboration. I love savory pies, especially after all the incredible ones I had in Russian (this rabbit and mushroom pie is one of my all-time favorites), so I decided to go a savory route with this recipe. This pot pie is filled with thick-cut chunks of beef, saucy mushrooms, pancetta, and tender potatoes. The sauce is a mixture of beef stock, dark ale, and a few heaping spoonfuls of Greek yogurt. The yogurt adds an incredible richness and tanginess to the savory filling, elevating the hearty flavors just a touch and giving each bite a smooth and creamy mouthfeel. I was really pleased with the way this recipe turned out – it’s another one that I left in the fridge to keep Trevor fed while I was in Hong Kong, but I was seriously disappointed that I only had a chance to have one serving. I guess that just means I’ll have to make it again sooner rather than later.

I used Greek Gods’ plain variety for the pie recipe, but I also had the opportunity to try a number of their other flavors. My favorite was definitely the Honey Salted Caramel, which was great on its own or with granola for breakfast, but was particularly delicious served on top of the Salted Caramel Apple Cake I made last month to celebrate our engagement. Greek Gods Yogurt is sharing a number of other delicious-looking pie recipes, sweet and savory, over on their Facebook page – head on over if you’re looking for pie inspiration for next week.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Greek Gods Yogurt. All opinions are honest and my own.

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Beef, Mushroom, and Ale Pot Pie

Serves 6.

• 2 TBS olive oil, divided
• 4 oz. pancetta, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 10 crimini mushrooms, quartered
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2 lbs chuck roast, cut into bite-sized cubes
• 1 TBS flour
• 1 c. dark ale
• 1 c. beef stock
• 1 TBS worcestershire sauce
• 1 TBS soy sauce
• 1 TBS mustard
• 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/2 c. Greek Gods Yogurt plain Greek yogurt
• 1 recipe kulebyaka dough, using yogurt in place of sour cream (another pie dough or puff pastry will work equally well for the crust)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat 1 TBS of the olive oil in a large dutch oven or cast-iron casserole over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute, stirring frequently, until crisped all over, about 3-5 minutes. Add the onion, mushrooms, and thyme and saute until golden brown and reduced in volume by half. Season to taste with salt, then transfer to a bowl.
2. Add the remaining 1 TBS of olive oil to the dutch oven and add the beef cubes to the pan. Brown the beef on all sides, which should take about 5 minutes. Add the flour to the beef and stir to coat. Add the mushrooms and pancetta back to the beef, along with the ale, beef stock, worcestershire, soy, and mustard. Stir to combine everything, then place the lid on the dutch oven and transfer to the oven. Roast, covered, for 1 hour. After an hour, remove the lid, add the chopped potatoes, and continue roasting, uncovered, until beef and potatoes are tender and sauce is reduced, about another 45 minutes.
3. At this stage, remove the dutch oven from the oven and stir the Greek yogurt into the filling. Roll out your prepared pie crust or puff pastry and place on top of the pot pie, carefully covering the edges of the dutch oven (don’t touch the hot pan!). Return to the oven and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 20-30 minutes longer. Let cool slightly before cutting and serving.

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The Book: In some ways, blogger Mimi Thorisson’s life is incredibly frustrating to observe from afar – a country house in France, seven beautiful children, days spent foraging for mushrooms in the woods or shopping at open air markets and then cooking veritable feasts in a giant old kitchen. Add to that a chateau to be renovated as an inn and restaurant, a TV show, a lovely new cookbook, and you would think that more people would envy her to the point of hatred – but I think it must be impossible to hate Mimi, whose writing and stories clearly show that she is a smart, loving woman who has worked quite hard to be where she is. All this is a long-winded way of saying that when I opened her new book, A Kitchen in France, it was not with jealousy but with joy at her success and excitement at discovering more lovely little glimpses into her countryside life.

The book is very much an extension of the blog, with the same look and feel and type of food (although I do wish that more of Mimi’s thoughtful long-form prose would have made it into the book). All her recipes and stories have a bit of a fairytale aura about them: long treks through the woods, basket on her arm, searching for cepes and late nights around old wooden tables with winemakers discussing the day’s harvest. You will find some recipe repeats from her blog, but the newly included dishes are more than enough reason to pick up a copy. I would love to have Mimi cook for me one day – she cooks big, unapologetic meals that celebrate flavor and richness and decadence. They are not meals for a single person or a quick workday lunch eaten at your desk, they are meals that are meant to be shared with family, friends, and strangers, meals that are meant to be cooked slowly and lingered over at the table. Even her “summer” dishes have a wonderfully cozy, homey feel to them – dishes like duck breasts grilled over grape vines and the mustard-roasted poussins featured here. It makes me think that Médoc must be a little bit like Maine, where a warm and hearty dinner at the end of a long day spent outdoors feels appropriate no matter what the season. It’s a particularly good book to have on hand as we head into the holiday season, when the focus on eating and sharing good food is strongest. And I very much agree with Mimi’s representation of “good” food. Her recipes are refreshingly free of modern food and health classifications – no gluten-free, vegan, or low-fat designations to be found. And yet, every recipe feels wholesome and nourishing, simply because it is made from ingredients found just down the road, or in the woods, and cooked lovingly at home. Mimi’s food – and this book – is all about flavor, nourishment, and gathering around the table, as it should be.

The Food: Something about the luxurious presentation of Mimi’s food had me imagining that it would be fairly complicated to prepare. But as I flipped through the recipes trying to choose one for this post, I realized that most of the recipes are actually quite simple – I could cook many of them without even making a trip to the grocery store. This recipe for mustard-roasted poussins is no exception, as the only additions I made to my list were creme fraiche and the chicken itself.

I have a confession to make at this point: this was the first time I’ve ever roasted a chicken. I know. Five years as a food blogger, making things like rabbit pie and homemade parathas and venison ragu, but I’ve never done a simple roast chicken. We did roast a duck last year as part of the Captain Morgan challenge, but I think Trevor did most of the duck handling while I focused on the stuffing. To be honest, I still get a little squeamish working with big pieces of meat. I don’t know if it comes from my long past vegetarian childhood or just being out of my comfort zone. With a bit of guidance from Mimi, however, I turned out a succulent chicken, flavored with a generous amount of mustard and creme fraiche, a handful of baby potatoes tucked neatly underneath to catch the goodness of the drippings. Although it only took 15 minutes of effort to prepare, lifting the lid to reveal the chicken to Trevor was quite satisfying, in a very domestic way. The reward to effort ratio on this recipe is high, making it an easy decision to add it to our dinner rotation.

Recipe Shortlist: Fava Bean Soup with Pancetta and Croutons; Langoustines with Armagnac; Pistachio Sabayon with Strawberries and Meringues; Squab Pie with Foie Gras and Armagnac; Pork Cheek Ravioli with Cepes; Calvados and Creme Fraiche Apple Tart; Roquefort and Walnut Gougeres; Roasted Sausages with Red Wine and Fennel; Butternut Squash Gratin; Oxtail-Macaroni Gratin

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Disclaimer: I received a review copy of A Kitchen in France from Clarkson Potter, but I was not otherwise compensated and all thought and opinions are my own.

Mustard Roasted Poussins

Recipe from A Kitchen in France. Serves 4.

Note: Poussins as small as 1 1/2 pounds can be tricky to find in the US. We used a young, Kosher chicken that was 3 pounds with great results. A 3-pound chicken provided a generous meal for 2 of us.

• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 c. creme fraiche
• 4 TBS unsalted butter, at room temperature
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• Four 1 1/2 pound poussins or guinea hens
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil for drizzling
• 2 lbs. small new potatoes, scrubbed and halved

1. In a medium bowl, combine the mustard, creme fraiche, butter, lemon, garlic, and nutmeg and mix until thoroughly combined. Wash the poussins (chickens) inside and out and pat dry. Rub the mustard mixture on the chickens inside and out, then season generously with salt and pepper. Place in a dish or bowl and let marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. When you are ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 350°F. Put the halved new potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water, season generously with salt, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until potatoes are partially tender but still hold their shape firmly. Drain the potatoes.
3. Put the poussins in individual baking dishes or one large roasting pan. Scatter the potatoes around the poussins, then drizzle everything with olive oil. Roast until the poussins are golden and cooked through (the juices should run clear, not pink, when pricked with a knife, and the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh and breast should be greater than 165°F). If the birds are getting too dark, cover with foil.
4. Serve 1 poussin per chicken with a side of potatoes.

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The Book: It’s been a while since I’ve done a new cookbook review, but with the height of cookbook season coming up in September and October, it’s time to dive back in. One book that I’ve been sitting on for most of the summer is Daniel Galmiche’s Revolutionary French Cooking. I’m a big fan of both the concept and execution of this cookbook, which has more novel and inspiring but not out-of-reach recipes than I’ve seen in a new cookbook for a while. The book is structured around three concepts that define modern cooking in chef Daniel Galmiche’s view: liberté, classics released from the constraints of tradition; égalité, humble ingredients elevated into starring roles; and fraternité, classic combinations of ingredients made new through innovative techniques and preparations.

Whether or not you buy into the national motto of France as a corollary for modern cooking styles, the recipes in each section are exactly what I’m looking to make these days: creative, ingredient-focused, but approachable dishes. They do maintain a very French feeling, but in a fresh sense – in a way, they aptly capture the “New American” vibe that many restaurants are going for these days, a recipe style that is very much anchored in French bistro cooking, but brings in spices and flavors from Latin and Asian cuisines. Some dishes in the book are remarkably simple, like the three-ingredient stuffed tomatoes, while others are more complex, but most fall solidly into a middle category of difficulty, the kind of dishes I would make for dinner on a night when I’m not in a hurry and feel like sitting down to something hearty and different. And I have to mention – the photographs are gorgeous, the kind of images that make me hungry, with lots of rich tones and a palpable juiciness in each picture.

The Food: The recipes in this Revolutionary French Cooking scream fall to me – wild mushrooms and cider-braised roasts and creamy gratins abound. If I hadn’t already delayed writing this review for as long as I have, I’d be tempted to wait another month just to feature one of the incredibly enticing autumnal recipes with you. There are a handful of savory summer recipes that struck me, like the Tomato Confit Tartlets and the Smoked Chicken and Zucchini, but where the summer recipes really shine is on the sweet side. Almost every dessert in the book features fresh fruit – peaches, plums, strawberries, raspberries, oranges, pineapple, mango – they all get a chance to play a starring role. So in a nod to the cooler weather we’ve been having but without diving full force into fall ingredients, I decided that Honey-Baked Figs with Sweet Ginger Slices was the recipe to try from this book. It’s a fairly straightforward recipe: drizzle a bit of honey and cinnamon on quartered fresh figs and roast for 10 minutes, then make a quick sabayon from egg yolks and the roasted fig juices, pour over the figs, and broil. For how elegant it seems, there’s relatively little time involved in preparing it. To be completely honest, I wasn’t head over heels for this recipe, but I think that’s a combination of the fact that we don’t get particularly sweet figs around here, and that I just don’t like figs as much as I want to. I’ve really tried to love figs, but in my book, they’re just OK. So I’m not letting it reflect poorly on the book, but I probably wouldn’t repeat this recipe.

Note: the recipe calls for serving the figs with a small piece of ginger or spice cake, which is sliced thinly and then baked at a low temperature until it is dried out. Since ginger cake is not something you can buy pre-made this time of year, and I didn’t feel like baking a cake just to dry it out, I decided to make a quick batch of ginger lace cookies instead. In my mind it’s the same idea – something thin and crispy with the flavors of gingerbread. I’ve included the recipe as written below, but know that I did make this change and that it’s an option if you also don’t have ready access to spice cakes.

Recipe Shortlist: Chicken Pot-Roasted in Cider and Paprika; Venison Bourguignon with Dark Chocolate and Star Anise; Pineapple Beignets with Mango Carpaccio; Lentil Bacon Soup with Mushrooms and Thyme Cream; Snail, Fennel, and Almond Casserole in Red Wine Sauce; Pan-Roasted Duck Breast with Spiced Peaches; Smoked Chicken, Zucchini, Garlic, and Rosemary Casserole; Early Grey Rice Pudding with Blackberry Marmalade

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Disclaimer: I received a review copy of Revolutionary French Cooking from Duncan Baird Publishers, but I was not otherwise compensated and all thought and opinions are my own.

Cinnamon and Honey-Baked Figs with Sweet Ginger Slices

Serves 4. Recipe from Revolutionary French Cooking.

• 3 1/2 inch piece of ginger cake or other spice cake, frozen until almost hard
• 12 firm purple-black figs
• 2 TBS honey
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 5 TBS plain Greek yogurt
• 2 egg yolks

1. Preheat the oven to 275°F. Cut the cake into 8 thin slices, and lay on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a second sheet of parchment paper and a second baking sheet so the slices are held flat, then bake for 6-8 minutes. Carefully lift off the top baking sheet and paper, then return the cake to the oven and bake 3-4 minutes longer so the slices dry out. Remove from the oven and let the slices cool.
2. Turn the oven up to 350°F. Slice the figs into quarters from the top down, slicing only about halfway down so the figs remain attached at the bottom. Place on a baking sheet, cut side up, and drizzle with the honey and 4 TBS of water. Sprinkle with the cinnamon, then bake for 12-15 minutes until they are soft. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and pour the roasting liquid into a bowl. Pour half of the liquid into the Greek yogurt and stir to combine.
3. In a large heatproof bowl, beat the two egg yolks to combine, then beat in the other half of the fig liquid. Bring a pot of water to a simmer, then place the bowl with the egg yolks over the simmering water, being sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Beat the eggs vigorously as you hold the bowl over the simmering water, until the mixture becomes thick and pale yellow, and forms ribbonlike shapes when you lift the whisk out of the eggs. This should take about 5-8 minutes of vigorous whisking. Spoon the sabayon over the figs. Turn the oven up to broil, and broil the figs for 2-3 minutes, just until the sabayon is golden brown. Remove the figs from the oven and serve with the Greek yogurt and ginger slices.

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 I can’t believe Christmas is only ten days away. I was in St. Petersburg for a quick trip from last Tuesday to Saturday, then yesterday flew over to Madrid. It’s always exciting to travel, but both trips have been fairly busy, and I’m missing out on critical Christmas-preparation time (thank God for Amazon Prime). Knowing I would feel this way, I made sure that last weekend was Christmas-activity heavy – we went and picked out a tree (our first! Trevor even let me take a gratuitous self-timer picture in front of it), played carols, watched Love Actually, and made this gorgeous roasted duck for the next round of the Captain Morgan Captain’s Table Challenge.

After making a sweetish side-dish for the last round, we knew that this time around we wanted to do a stunning, savory, Christmas dinner centerpiece. This whole roast duck with a pomegranate, orange and rum glaze is just that. The flavors are a perfect mix of fruity, bright, herbal, and salty; the skin is golden and crispy; the meat is tender. Surrounded by a boozy chestnut, apple, and pancetta stuffing that echoes all the flavors in the duck itself, it’s the perfect thing to grace your Christmas dinner table if you’re having a small gathering. I genuinely loved the complexity the rum gave to both the duck and the stuffing, and I might have to make the whole thing again soon even if just for a cozy Sunday night dinner.

Also, I have to take a moment to brag here (not a humblebrag, I’m still working on that skill) – Trevor and I won the first round of the Captain’s Table Challenge with our sweet-potato souffle and sparkling cranberry-ginger cocktail! I think the most exciting part for me is that Hugh Acheson was the judge, and it feels quite validating to have a successful chef say your recipe seems decent. Finding out was just the momentum we needed to come up with this duck recipe. Stay tuned for our drinkable submission to the Christmas round later this week – Trevor’s been testing out cocktails while I’ve been away, so he’s getting to be an expert on rum-based Christmas drinks.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Captain Morgan, who provided me with product samples and monetary compensation in exchange for my participation in this program. All opinions are honest and my own, as always.

Rum-and-Pomegranate Glazed Roast Duck

Serves 4.

For the duck:

• One 5-lb. whole duck
• 1 TBS coarse sea salt
• 1 TBS finely chopped rosemary + 3 whole sprigs rosemary
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• zest of 1 orange, finely grated
• juice from 1 orange
• 2 c. pomegranate juice
• 1/2 c. Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum
• pomegranate-rum glaze (see below)

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Remove giblets from cavity of duck and reserve for another use. Pat the duck dry and place on a cutting board. Cut off any excess skin, as well as the wing tips (to prevent burning). Truss the bird by tying the legs together over the front side using kitchen twine, tucking the tail between the legs. Score fat on breast-side of duck all over in a cross-hatch pattern, making sure to cut down to the meat. Flip the duck over and prick the back and the legs all over with a sharp knife.
2. Add the salt, 1 TBS of chopped rosemary, black pepper, and orange zest to a mortar and pestle, and pound until rosemary is crushed and mixture is somewhat moist. Rub the paste all over the duck, making sure to get under the skin. Place the duck in a roasting pan. Pour the orange juice, pomegranate juice, and rum over the duck into the bottom of the pan – bottom of the pan should be covered by liquid to a depth of a quarter inch, if it is not, add more pomegranate juice. Add the rosemary sprigs to the liquid, and place duck in the oven.
3. Roast the duck, for 2 hours and 30 minutes, basting the duck with the pan juices every 15-20 minutes. Before the last 15 minutes of cooking, take the duck out of the oven and brush all over with the prepared glaze, then finish off. Let rest 5-10 minutes before carving.

For the glaze:

• 1/2 c. drippings
• 1/2 c. Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum
• 1/4 c. pomegranate molasses
• juice from 1/2 orange

1. Add all ingredients to a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until reduced to a syrup, about 10-15 minutes.

Boozy Chestnut-Apple Stuffing

Inspired by Yankee Magazine. Serves 4.

• 1 large baguette, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 3 TBS olive oil
• 1/4 lb. pancetta, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
• 1 large onion, peeled and diced
• 2 honeycrisp apples, cored and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
• 1 1/2 c. roasted chestnuts
• 1 TBS minced fresh rosemary
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 c. chicken stock
• 1/4 c. Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum
• seeds from 1 pomegranate

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Toss the bread cubes with the olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven until golden brown and crispy, about 10 minutes.
2. Place a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the cubed pancetta and fry until crispy on all sides, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the onion and apple to the pan with the pancetta fat and saute until the onion is soft and translucent and the apples are beginning to soften, about 10 minutes. Toss the onion and apple with the cooked pancetta, then stir in the chestnuts and rosemary. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, chicken stock, and rum. Add the toasted bread crumbs to this mixture and toss to coat, then add the apple-chestnut mixture and stir to combine. Butter a medium baking dish, then pour the stuffing into the prepared baking dish. Bake until the top of the stuffing is golden and crispy, about 30-35 minutes. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the pomegranate seeds.

The post Captain’s Table Christmas // Rum-and-Pomegranate Glazed Roast Duck with Boozy Chestnut-Apple Stuffing appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

I’ve been wanting to do another Sunday Dinner post since the last one I wrote in July, but, as I’ve probably mentioned one too many times, the second half of this year has turned out kind of nutty. So, before my most recent trip to Russia, I made it a priority to do a real Sunday dinner menu. I had gone a little crazy at the farmer’s market that Friday, walking home with 4 pounds of apples, 4 pounds of beets, fresh sweet corn, and brussels sprouts still on the stalk. I sometimes forget that there’s still plenty of late summer produce mingling with all the fall favorites at the farmer’s market in October – the corn is still wonderfully sweet, the last big, juicy tomatoes tempt everyone, and ripe melons sit side-by-side with pumpkins. Combined with the root vegetables, cabbages, brussels sprouts, squashes, apples, and pears that are so plentiful, these veggies make the middle of fall one of the most abundant times of year.

Since we had two lamb shanks in the freezer that needed to be put to good use, we decided to make a slow-braised lamb in a rich tomato sauce, served over polenta jazzed up with fresh corn and blue cheese, and a side of roasted brussels sprouts. With a few glasses of a nice red wine and a classic apple pie for dessert, it was a delicious summer-meets-fall dinner (and then I flew off to St. Petersburg where there was more of a fall-meets-winter thing going on). In all honesty, this is one of the best meals I’ve had in recent memory – fall-off-the-bone tender lamb in a tangy sauce and rich and cheesy polenta with bursts of sweet fresh corn make a really excellent pairing, perfect for a lazy, chilly, Sunday afternoon.

The Menu

Braised Lamb Shanks with Gremolata (adapted from Bon Appetit) – see recipe below
Creamy Polenta with Fresh Corn and Blue Cheese – see recipe below
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Classic Apple Pie

Past Sunday Dinners:

May 26, 2013: Coffee-and-Chile Rubbed Strip Steaks with Chimichurri Sauce; Charred and Smoky Belgian Endives; Oven-Roasted Potatoes; Strawberry-Sour Cream Ice Cream

July 1, 2013: Strawberry-Lime Agua Fresca; Smashed Pea, Dill, and Feta Crostini; Chilled Asparagus Soup with Meyer Lemon Yogurt; Mustard Spaetzle with Mushrooms; Ricotta Bavarese with Red-Wine Poached Rhubarb

Braised Lamb Shanks with Gremolata

Recipe adapted slightly from Bon Appetit. Serves 4.

• 4 lamb shanks (about 3 lbs.), trimmed
• 1 TBS kosher salt
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp coarsely ground fennel seeds
• 4 garlic cloves, 1 grated, 3 minced
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 large onion, minced
• 1 TBS flour
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup canned diced tomatoes
• 1/4 c. dry white wine
• 2-3 c. chicken broth

For the gremolata:

• 3/4 c. flat leaf parsley, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 TBS finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary

1. Place the lamb shanks on a rimmed baking sheet. Stir salt, black pepper, minced rosemary, ground fennel seeds, and grated garlic together in a small bowl, then massage into lamb. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour, or refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat, add onions and saute until golden, about 10 minutes. Add minced garlic, flour, paprika, and red pepper flakes and stir vigorously to distribute flour. Cook until mixture becomes dry, about 1 minute, then add tomatoes and wine. Simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture begins to thicken and tomatoes are breaking down, about 10 minutes. Stir in 2 cups of the chicken broth and simmer for about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add lamb shanks to pot in a single layer, pushing them down into the sauce. If necessary, add additional chicken broth so that the shanks are about 3/4 submerged
3. Roast, uncovered, for 30 minutes, then use tongs to flip the shanks over and roast for another 30 minutes. Then, cover the pot and cook, turning the shanks occasionally, until the meat is falling off the bone, about 45-90 minutes. Remove from oven and skim fat off the surface. Let shanks rest in liquid for 20 minutes before serving.
4. Stir the gremolata ingredients together and let sit for 30 minutes. Serve on top of the lamb shanks.

Creamy Polenta with Fresh Corn and Blue Cheese

Serves 4-6.

• 2 c. water
• 2 c. milk
• 2 TBS butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 c. polenta
• kernels from 3 ears fresh corn (about 3 cups)
• 1/2 c. crumbled blue cheese

1. Bring the water, milk, butter, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Gradually add the polenta to the boiling liquid, whisking as you do so. Once all the polenta has been added, lower the heat to low, and cook, stirring continuously, until the polenta is thick and creamy, about 10-15 minutes. Add the fresh corn kernels, and cook 2 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove from heat. Serve hot, with blue cheese crumbled over each bowl.

The post Sunday Dinner // Braised Lamb Shanks with Fresh Corn and Blue Cheese Polenta, Brussels Sprouts, and Classic Apple Pie appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been loving the fall weather we’ve been having in New England. Every day seems to start with a clear blue sky, air so crisp and fresh you feel like you’re really breathing for the first time in months. I’ve been breaking out the cashmere, scarves, leg warmers, and boots pretty much every day, and indulging in hot cider and donuts at the farmer’s market. And when I come home at night, before falling into bed, where I’ve been actively reveling in just how cozy a pile of comforters and pillows can be, I’ve been craving richer, meatier flavors.

With the falling temperatures, dinner has become something to look forward to, especially with super-easy, satisfying meals like this one-pan roast. It takes all of 5 minutes to throw together and 20 minutes in the oven, and the flavors are perfect – spicy Italian sausage, earthy acorn squash, sweet roasted onion, salty parmesan cheese and a few sweet-sour dried cherries to brighten the whole thing. It has quickly become a favorite for us this month, and I’ve already forwarded the recipe on to my family, so I figured it was one that would be worth sharing with you all, too.

Acorn squash is one of the few squash that did well in our garden this year, so I’ve been on the lookout for good uses for the pile of softball-sized squash we have sitting in the kitchen. I love this recipe, but I don’t know if it’s going to get us through all of our squash. In the past, the most adventurous I’ve gotten with winter squash is smooth bisques and roasted squash cubes tossed with pasta, but I want to move beyond that. So, I’m turning to you. What are your favorite ways to prepare acorn squash? I’d love more ideas.

Sausages with Acorn Squash and Onions

Adapted very slightly from Martha Stewart. Serves 4.

• 1 large acorn squash, halved, seeds scooped out and discarded, and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
• 1 large red onion, peeled and cut into thick wedges
• 3 TBS olive oil
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lb. of hot Italian sausage (4 links)
• 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
• 1 TBS minced fresh sage leaves
• 1/2 c. dried cherries

1. Preheat the oven to 475°F. Place the squash slices and the onion wedges on a large baking sheet with sides, drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then carefully flip and stir with a spatula to evenly coat all the squash. Spread the veggies out into an even layer (a single layer is ideal). Add the sausages to the pan, and roast for 20 minutes.
2. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese, sage, and cherries, tossing to coat. Return to oven for 5 minutes, until cheese is melted, then serve immediately.

The post An Easy Fall Dinner // Roast Acorn Squash, Sausage, and Onions appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

After spending a few months last fall really diving into cookbook reviews (and recently picking it up again), I’ve come to recognize the things I truly love in a cookbook. Before, when I picked up a book and flipped through it, I had some immediate reaction to it which was either positive, negative, or neutral, and I bought the ones I felt positively about over multiple visits to the bookstore. I did sort of identify that the books that fell into the negative category were the ones where I said “eh, I’ve seen this before,” and my favorites were the ones with the most to teach me. But after writing 11 reviews since October, I’ve developed a whole new thought process for analyzing and talking about cookbooks – and, while I’ve discovered some really wonderful new books, it has also strengthened my love for some of my old favorites.

Roast Figs, Sugar Snow, is one of those favorites. It has everything I love in a book – a touch of whimsy, delivered via lovely quotes (the fact that this book opens with a Laura Ingalls Wilder quote probably sealed the deal for me before I even started reading it); a few travel stories, just compelling enough to make you close your eyes and envision another place; photographs evocative of both food and place; a strong voice that’s personal but not oppressive; and last, but most important, recipes that are new to me and make me want to eat them right away. Oh, and the fact that the first chapter is entirely devoted to cheese-based recipes doesn’t hurt either.

Since I wrote a full review last year, I won’t go into any more detail here. But I wanted to bring it back up to the top of my pile, since I always find myself flipping through it in the summer, dreaming of steaming mugs and rich stews, and well, winter is almost over, so now’s the time!

Trevor and I made this lovely meal for lunch on Sunday, while the snow was whipping around outside. I love the idea of a Sunday roast, and since Trevor’s good friend Merges got him a gift certificate to Savenor’s for Christmas, he decided to get something a little out of the ordinary to pop in the oven – six little quail (which he lovingly shared with me, like the good boyfriend that he is). The recipe we used called for whiskey and marmalade, for which we substituted the last of the grapefruit jam I made last week, as well as a large amount of bacon. A frighteningly large amount of bacon, which served to keep the quail moist and flavorful. I also made a side dish called “Hot Lightning” – a mix of potatoes, apples, pears, and, yep, more bacon. Both the quail and the veggies were really delicious, a treat on a winter afternoon.

While this was a comfy, cozy meal, and I’m glad I got the chance to make a few more wintery dishes from this book, I still kinda can’t wait for spring. Bring on the asparagus and fava beans, I’m ready for them.

Stuffed Quail with Marmalade, Whiskey, and Bacon

Recipe from Roast Figs, Sugar Snow. Serves 4.

• 1/2 c. marmalade (or grapefruit jam)
• 1/2 c. plus 2 TBS whiskey, divided
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• salt and pepper
• 8 quails
• 10 slices bacon, divided
• 1/2 small onion, finely minced
• 1 TBS butter
• 2 oz. fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 TBS finely minced fresh parsley
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 3/4 c. strong-flavored chicken stock

1. Whisk together the marmalade, 1/2 c. of the whiskey and the thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the marinade over the quails, cover loosely and let marinate for at least one hour up to overnight (if marinating for more than 1 hour, do so in the fridge).
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Take 2 slices of the bacon and finely dice them. Add the bacon, the onion, and the butter to a frying pan and saute over medium heat until bacon is crisp. Add the breadcrumbs and saute until golden. Remove from heat, and stir in the parsley and the beaten egg. Use this stuffing to stuff each quail. Cut the remaining 8 strips of bacon in half, and lay criscross on top of each bird. Season with pepper. Put the birds in a pot in which they fit snugly, and spoon the marinade over them again. Roast for 25-35 minutes, until quail is cooked through, spooning the juices and marinade over the birds every 10 minutes. If bacon is not crisp but quail is cooked, broil on high for 2-3 minutes to finish. Serve 2 birds per person.
3. While the quail is roasting, reduce the chicken stock by half over medium heat, or until it is slightly syrupy. Add the remaining 2 TBS of whiskey. Serve gravy with the quail.

“Hot Lightning” – A Dish of Roast Potatoes, Apples, Pears, and Bacon

Recipe adapted slightly from Roast Figs, Sugar Snow. Serves 4.

Notes: I changed the cooking time and temperature of this dish so that it could be made at the same time as the quail – the original recipe called for 30 minutes at 325°F. I also reduced the amount of bacon since we would already be consuming so much with the quail! I didn’t think it needed any more bacon than we used. If you have slab bacon, cooking that in 3/4-inch cubes in place of the strips would be lovely. You don’t need to peel the potatoes or the fruit, but do take care to wash them well.

• 1/2 stick butter
• 2 lbs new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 8 strips bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 Granny Smith apples, cored, then thinly sliced lengthwise
• 2 pears, cored, then thinly sliced lengthwise
• 3 TBS light brown sugar
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Melt butter in a large oven-proof and gas-proof casserole dish over medium heat. Add potatoes and bacon, and saute, stirring, until bacon is crisp and potatoes have begun to turn golden, about 10-15 minutes. Add the apples and pears and turn over in the buttery juices. Season with the sugar, thyme leaves, and salt and pepper and stir to combine.
2. Remove the dish from the flame, cover with a lid or tin foil, and bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve hot.

The post Roast Figs, Sugar Snow, Revisited // Stuffed Quail with Marmalade, Whiskey, and Bacon & “Hot Lightning” appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

It’s a wine at 4:30 sort of day.  Nothing really bad happened, but I just can’t seem to get today right.  I forgot my umbrella and had to walk home in the rain without it.  I tried to heat up some leftover gnocchi for lunch but accidentally put uncooked gnocchi in the sauce which resulted in cheesy dough.  Duh.  I dropped a pile of sage on the floor along with pretty much every kitchen utensil I used.  The vacuum cleaner actually expelled dirt instead of sucking it up.  You know, that kind of thing.  I need to snuggle.  But since snuggling is not an option until next Friday when I get to go home again (for eleven whole days!) I will go with the next best thing – soup and my king-sized fleece blanket and maybe a movie.  And another glass of wine?  Wow, I’m really living it up for a Monday.

I think I eat too much soup.  Yesterday I had 3 bowls of kale soup in between the hours of 5 and 9.  It was just one continual dinner.  And I still have half a batch of vegetarian chili in the freezer yet I’m making another tomato based soup tonight.  It’s just that soup is so great.  It’s quick.  It has a tremendous range of flavor.  It’s the best way to get vegetables.  It’s warm.  It’s comforting.  And you can slurp it.

Tonight’s soup is roasted red pepper and (roasted) tomato.  The only other ingredients are garlic (also roasted), onion (yep, roasted), and vegetable broth.  Plus a little kosher salt and oil but I’m not sure those really count as ingredients.  The last time I made this was over Christmas vacation, when I spent 5 blissfully peaceful days in Maine with my family and Trevor.  Trevor and I got the green light to plan a meal, which is always super fun but also undoubtedly a production, and this was our first course.  I’m not really a tomato person, so I was surprised that I liked this so much – enough to eat the leftovers within 24 hours.  It was inspired by 101 Cookbooks, one of my absolute favorite food blogs, but I seriously adjusted the ratios to get more sweet red pepper flavor.

Making this soup is easy – just roast and blend.  If the veggies by themselves are too mild for you, a little kosher salt goes a long way towards punching up the flavor of the soup, but that’s really all it needs.  Mmm, veggie goodness.  Okay I lied, I also put a little gorgonzola on top but it doesn’t really need it, I’m just kind of a cheese addict.  And the final perk of this soup – spending a few hours roasting vegetables can really improve a Monday.

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

• 3 red peppers, whole
• 3 tomatoes, quartered
• 5-10 cloves garlic
• 2 medium onions, quartered
• 1-2 c. stock (vegetable or chicken)
• olive oil
• kosher salt
• paprika and gorgonzola for garnish

1. Roast peppers – Place clean peppers whole on baking tray under broiler (on high).  Keep a close eye on them, turning them frequently with tongs.  They are done when the skins are blackened all around the pepper.  Remove from oven and place immediately in an airtight container – a covered bowl or plastic bag – for 15 minutes to allow steam to loosen skins.  When cool, peel skins from peppers.  Then, cut off stems and remove seeds.  Cut peppers in half and drizzle with oil.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F.  Place quartered onions and tomatoes in pan.  Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.  Roast for 45-55 minutes.  Tomatoes should be on the verge of falling apart.  Onions should be starting to caramelize – turn them halfway through to prevent burning.
3. Once tomatoes are in oven, place garlic cloves, unpeeled, in tinfoil.  Drizzle with a small amount of oil and close foil over top.  Place on oven rack next to roasting pan and roast for approximately 30 minutes.  Cloves should be soft inside peels.
4. When all the veggies are ready, blend them together in batches with a small amount of stock.  Place blended ingredients in saucepan over medium heat and add stock, salt, and paprika until the consistency and flavor are as desired.  Garnish each bowl with gorgonzola and paprika.

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