Everything But the Bird - Five Washington Chefs Revise the Holiday Menu

By Stefanie Berry Stark
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 22, 2001

Anyone who has achieved happy holidays knows they are a ticklish balance between giving and receiving, expectations and reward, too much company and not enough. In the kitchen, the challenge lies in mixing the right proportions of old and new -- varying the year-in-year-out menu enough to keep the cook interested, while not frightening poor Aunt Betty with the results. Certain classic foods are a given: a big bird or a mighty roast beef, a platter of potato pancakes or a bowl of black-eyed peas. But beyond that, there's room to experiment, and the local chefs on these pages have some tasty ideas. Instead of mashed potatoes, make a rich Southern spoon bread. Instead of a traditional apple pie, try one with a cranberry crumb topping. Sample a single recipe. Or whip up all five in a no-holds-barred culinary smackdown.
 

Greggory Hill -- GABRIEL

His mother's bacon-wrapped shrimp and "surprise" Jell-O mold are what chef Greggory Hill of Gabriel in Dupont Circle remembers most about childhood holiday dinners. Whether the Jell-O was red or green was kept a secret until the last minute, despite Hill's attempts to detect that year's color. "To this day, when I spend Christmas at my sister's, I look in the fridge and try to find out red or green," says Hill with a chuckle. "I know it's not fancy, but it's comfort."

Hill's take on holiday fare is reminiscent of his mother's cooking but incorporates his trademark nuevo Latino style. His colorful hors d'oeuvre of shrimp wrapped in jamon serrano, a salt-cured ham from Spain, is filled with contrasting textures and flavors.

"It's definitely an off-take of my mom's bacon-wrapped shrimp," says Hill. "Originally, I tried it with no marinade and no mustard, just salt and ham." That first version closely resembled his mother's recipe, but Hill wanted more flavor and depth. Five or six attempts later, after adding oregano and lime juice and tweaking here and there, Hill was satisfied. "These are flavors that really excite me," he says. "They're big and bold and make a statement."

The shrimp stay succulent and are balanced by the saltiness of the ham (which gets a little crispy, thanks to the searing process). The finishing touch: The vivid yellow saffron aioli. "The saffron brightens things up," says Hill. "It has a glow to it."

Jamon-Wrapped Shrimp With Saffron Aioli

Serves 10 as cocktail hors d'oeuvres

11/4 pounds shrimp (16/20 count or larger)

freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard

1 tablespoon lime juice

4 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, plus additional sprigs for garnish

3 tablespoons minced shallots

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 cup olive oil

1/2 pound jamon serrano or prosciutto,

sliced paper-thin

saffron aioli (see recipe below)

Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails intact. Season with pepper, cover and refrigerate.

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade (or by hand using a whisk), combine the mustard, oregano, lime juice, shallots and garlic. Process, slowly adding the oil to incorporate. Remove the shrimp from the refrigerator and add the marinade. Stir to coat the shrimp, then return to the refrigerator to rest for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lay one slice of jamon serrano on a flat surface. Remove one shrimp from the marinade and scrape off excess marinade. Lay the shrimp at one end of the slice of ham, and wrap the ham around the shrimp except for the tail. Repeat until all shrimp are wrapped with jamon serrano.

Lightly oil a cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan and heat over medium-high heat until the pan is hot but not smoking. Sear the wrapped shrimp in the pan for about 45 seconds to 1 minute, then turn and sear the other side for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Cook shrimp in batches if necessary to avoid crowding. Place shrimp on a cookie sheet and finish in oven for about 5 minutes or until done.

Arrange wrapped shrimp on a serving tray with a bowl of saffron aioli. Garnish with oregano sprigs. Serve immediately.

Saffron Aioli

Yield: 1 to 11/4 cups

1 whole egg
 

1 egg yolk

5 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled

1 tablespoon dry sherry (not cooking sherry)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon saffron

1/2 cup olive oil

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine all ingredients except the oil. Process until mixture is thick. With the motor running, gradually incorporate the oil. The aioli should be bright yellow in color. Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate until serving time.

Timothy Dean – TIMOTHY DEAN RESTAURANT

When chef Timothy Dean was just 18, he went to work for the revered Jean-Louis Palladin at his Washington restaurant, Jean-Louis at the Watergate. Dean was posted at the hot appetizers and soups station, where Palladin taught him to make a rich chestnut soup that was on the restaurant's menu each fall. The recipe, Dean says, comes from an old cookbook given to Palladin by an elderly woman who lived in his home town in France. Dean has modified it slightly for the home cook.

The recipe is now on Dean's own menu, an homage to his mentor. "This is a soup that you make with passion," says Dean, who served it at his Thanksgiving table last year. To him, fresh chestnuts, which aren't available in spring and summer, symbolize autumn.

Although fresh chestnuts can be a chore to prepare, and foie gras is an expensive ingredient, Dean is happy to suggest easier or thriftier alternatives. You can try pre-peeled chestnuts sold in jars or frozen, and chicken livers instead of foie gras. And preparing the soup itself involves fairly simple techniques. "My 10-year-old daughter made it with me last year," he says, adding that taking it step by step is the key to success.

But just how do you peel chestnuts? Dean chuckles, remembering the hours he spent peeling chestnuts for Palladin with other kitchen staff members whenever there was downtime. "We put them in a steam kettle with hot water and blanched them for a few minutes, and then peeled," he says. For the home cook, he recommends baking the chestnuts in a 350-degree oven on a cookie sheet until the skins "pop open," then picking out the meats.

Ideally, the soup should be made a day or two in advance so the flavors have a chance to marry. It's "perfect for a nice, chilly autumn day," says Dean. And remember: "You're taking a simple product -- nuts -- and making something extraordinary out of it."


Palladin Chestnut Soup

Serves 18 to 20

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Spanish onions, diced

1/4 pound prosciutto, diced

1/2 pound duck foie gras (available in specialty stores such as Sutton Place Gourmet and Dean & DeLuca) or 3/4 pound chicken livers, diced

4 pounds canned, bottled or frozen unsweetened chestnuts without shells, or about 6 pounds fresh unshelled chestnuts (see note)

5 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole

8 shallots, peeled and quartered

8 cups chicken stock or broth, plus additional if needed
 

4 cups heavy cream

1 cup (about 4 ounces) bacon, diced and cooked until crisp, for garnish (optional)

1 cup finely diced vegetables (carrot, zucchini, yellow squash and/or celery), for garnish (optional)

If using vegetables for garnish, blanch them briefly in boiling salted water, then plunge them into ice water to set their color. Drain and set aside.

In a large soup pot over medium heat, heat the oil until hot but not smoking. Add the onions, prosciutto and foie gras or chicken livers and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Still stirring frequently, add the chestnuts and cook another 5 minutes, then add the garlic and shallots and cook another 15 minutes.

Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 45 minutes, then remove from heat and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Puree in batches in a food processor fitted with the metal blade or in a blender until very smooth. (Soup may be made ahead of time until this point and then refrigerated or frozen. Reheat it before proceeding to next step.)

In a clean soup pot, heat cream until hot but not boiling. Whisk in the warm chestnut puree until mixture is smooth. Serve in warmed bowls and garnish with bacon and diced vegetables if desired.

Note: If using frozen chestnuts, thaw them before preparing recipe. Fresh chestnuts are available in the fall in the produce aisles of many grocery stores. To prepare fresh chestnuts in the shells: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut an X in each shell with a small, sharp knife. Roast chestnuts on a cookie sheet in oven until the shells pop open, about 10 to 15 minutes. Let chestnuts cool slightly before peeling off the shells and skin and proceeding with recipe.

Susan McCreight Lindeborg – MAJESTIC CAFÉ

A little Southern comfort can go a long way, as anyone who's tasted chef Susan McCreight Lindeborg's spoon bread at the Majestic Cafe in Old Town Alexandria knows. Light but rich and creamy, her corn-and-butter concoction is heavier than a souffle and has a bit more substance than a pudding. Lindeborg says that she has seen an increase in spoon bread orders since September 11, and that she'll never take it off the menu.

Lindeborg credits the inspiration for her recipe to Mary Randolph of Richmond, author of the famous cookbook The Virginia Housewife, published in 1824, which contains what is likely the oldest spoon bread recipe on record. It's clear that Lindeborg has deep respect for the dish's long history. "Spoon bread was something special," she says. "You needed finely ground cornmeal, which took labor and was expensive, particularly pre-Civil War."

Today, the ingredients for spoon bread are inexpensive, and the recipe is as easy as ever. "Anybody can do this," says Lindeborg, who developed her version by studying older ones, experimenting, tasting and updating. You can also make the batter a couple of days in advance and store it in the refrigerator (just be sure to let it come to room temperature before baking).

Spoon bread brings a quintessential food of summer to the holiday table, Lindeborg says: "It tastes like corn and butter, but you can have it in the winter." Because it's soft enough to be eaten with a spoon, she likes to pair it with a dish that has crunch, perhaps one with apples, celery or nuts. But whatever else you're serving, Lindeborg is clear -- spoon bread "definitely signifies a celebration."
 

Spoon Bread

Serves 8 to 10

1 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal

1 tablespoon baking powder

11/2 teaspoons salt

11/2 teaspoons sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

41/2 cups whole milk, cold

4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl combine the cornmeal, baking powder, salt and sugar.

Put the milk and butter in a medium saucepan. Over medium-low heat, warm the mixture just enough to melt the butter.

While butter is melting, put the eggs in a medium bowl and beat with a whisk or fork until mixed.

Add about 1 cup of the hot butter-and-milk mixture to the eggs and beat in. Then add the remaining milk and butter while continuing to beat.

Add the cornmeal mixture and return to the saucepan. Over medium heat, stir constantly with a wire whisk, reaching all the corners. Cook about 5 to 6 minutes until the mixture thickens. It should have the texture of very soft mashed potatoes.

Pour the mixture into an ungreased 2-quart souffle dish or deep, straight-sided casserole, smooth the top and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until light brown and puffed. Serve immediately.

Michael Chmar – MENDOCINO GRILLE AND WINE BAR

About four years ago, chef Michael Chmar of Georgetown's Mendocino Grille and Wine Bar was faced with a culinary challenge. The Baltimore native was living in Dallas and accepted an invitation to a potluck Thanksgiving dinner at the home of the family that had essentially adopted him. Chmar was asked to bring a vegetable -- which sounds simple enough, especially for a chef.

The challenge? "Let's just say the family had a bunch of eating snafus, or different, bizarre tastes and eating requirements," he says. "They were very picky." Picky and specific. Chmar was given a laundry list of ingredients he could not use. "They wouldn't touch anything orange," he recalls.

The vegetarian side dish Chmar created met all the requirements, and it was a hit. He considers his yellow squash and zucchini gratin topped with sliced tomato a colorful alternative to potatoes au gratin, and he has made the dish for other potluck gatherings since. "It's tasty, it looks good with the bright red on top and different layers, and it's very transportable."

While Chmar insists that fresh herbs should be used in this recipe rather than dried, most of them can be omitted or substituted if they're not available in the supermarket. No fresh thyme? Just add a bit more tarragon. No tarragon? Leave it out, or add a few more chives. Just don't increase the amount of rosemary, he warns; it will overpower the other flavors in the dish. Chmar also advises not to cut the fat content by using milk rather than cream. The vegetables will give off liquid as they cook, so the thicker cream is needed, he says, to help the dish "set up" after it's removed from the oven.

It may take time to slice and layer the vegetables, but "there's no super-secret technique required here," the chef says. "If you can line a deck of cards up, say for a game of solitaire, you can make this dish."

Autumn Squash and Tomato Gratin

Serves 12

3 cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter, softened

3 medium yellow squash, sliced into rounds about 1/8 inch thick

3 medium zucchini, sliced into rounds about 1/8 inch thick

8 small plum tomatoes, sliced into rounds about 1/4 inch thick

1 tablespoon minced garlic

zest from 2 lemons, grated or finely chopped

1 tablespoon chives, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

2 teaspoons fresh tarragon leaves, chopped

1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 cup basil leaves, cut into long strips about  1/8 inch wide
 

salt to taste
 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Reduce heat to a low boil and, checking frequently to make sure cream does not boil over, reduce the volume to 11/2 cups, about 1 hour. Remove cream from heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, lemon zest, chives, thyme, rosemary, tarragon and 2/3 of the cheese.
 

Grease an 11-by-17-inch jellyroll pan with the softened butter. Cover bottom of pan with a layer of yellow squash slices, overlapping the slices slightly. Sprinkle with some of the herb-cheese mixture and season lightly with salt. Add a layer of zucchini slices, sprinkle with herb-cheese mixture and season lightly with salt. Continue adding layers until squash, zucchini and herb-cheese mixture are all used up.
 

Spread the cooled cream evenly over the top. Sprinkle the basil over the cream and place the tomato slices on top in even rows. Sprinkle the pan with the remaining cheese and season lightly with salt.
 

Bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, until the top begins to brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature, until set. Divide the gratin into 12 even pieces, warm them in oven, and transfer to a serving platter.


Teresa Velazquez – BAKED AND WIRED

Teresa Velazquez comes from a pie-eating family. On birthdays, she and her five siblings didn't get birthday cake. They got their favorite pie. "I always baked pies at my mom's side growing up," she says, and the knowledge she absorbed that way has come in handy. As co-owner of Baked and Wired on Thomas Jefferson Street in Georgetown, she is producing pies and other baked goods as never before. "Last summer, in my midlife crisis, I thought, why not open a bakery and espresso bar?" she explains. Since spring, Velazquez has been offering her homey baked goods from a tiny cafe attached to a copy shop and graphics business that she and her husband own.

She created this cranberry apple crumb pie recipe by adding holiday-oriented ingredients to her mother's classic apple crumb pie (to make Mom's original recipe, just omit the cranberries, nuts and citrus zest). The apple crumb is Velazquez's birthday pie -- her favorite, she says. "But for the holidays, I wanted a spruced-up variation."

It's best to make the pie in the morning, she says, so the juices have time to congeal and soak back into the apples by dinnertime, but you can also make it a day in advance; cover it with wax paper and then aluminum foil before putting it into the refrigerator. Velazquez likes to serve the pie at room temperature, because heating it will make the pie slightly runny.

Tips? In order to get "chunky nuggets of crumbs," she says, make sure the butter is somewhere between cold-and-hard and soft-and-mushy when you mix the crumb topping. "You should just be able to bend the stick of butter." She advises taking it out of the refrigerator about 30 to 45 minutes beforehand. She likes to use a mix of apples -- maybe 5 Granny Smiths and 2 Galas -- and taste them before cooking to see if they need improvement. If the apples taste particularly sour or tart, you can add a bit more sugar; if they taste a little flat, toss in some fresh lemon juice to enhance their flavor.

This year, Velazquez says, "I'll be making this pie for Thanksgiving and Christmas." Also on her Thanksgiving table will be a chocolate cream pie, two pumpkin pies and a pecan pie. A holiday dinner without pie? "That would not be right," she says.

Cranberry Apple Crumb Pie

Serves 8
 

7 tart apples

11/4 cups sugar, plus additional

2 tablespoons if desired

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, if desired

11/8 cups flour

1/2 cup butter, softened slightly

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh or frozen cranberries

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon tangerine or orange zest, chopped or grated

1 9-inch unbaked pie shell (bottom crust only), preferably in a Pyrex pie plate

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and core the apples and cut them into eighths (or tenths if they are large). Combine 1/2 cup of sugar with the cinnamon; toss with the apples. If the apples seem bland, add up to 2 teaspoons of lemon juice; if they are very tart, increase the sugar by 2 tablespoons.

Cut the butter into several pieces and combine with the flour and 3/4 cup sugar in a food processor fitted with the metal blade (or use a pastry blender). Transfer to a medium bowl and, with your fingers, mold some of the mixture into nuggets about 3/4 inch in diameter. Mix the cranberries, nuts and citrus zest into the crumb mixture.

Mound the apples in the pie shell so that the center is slightly higher than the edges; it should rise an inch above the pan's rim. Cover generously with cranberry-crumb mixture, tucking some nuggets in among the apples. There may be some crumb mixture left over.

Bake the pie 25 minutes and check it. If the top is golden brown, cover it with a tent of aluminum foil to keep it from burning. Bake for another 35 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before serving.