For all its bounty as a meal, the Thanksgiving menu hasn't changed much since it was set in stone by settlers and their native guests. Part of the challenge of cooking this dinner, beyond the investment of time, can be finding dishes that entertain family and friends with something new while still maintaining tradition.
With all the good restaurants on the North Shore — this has truly become a dining destination — we didn't have to look far for good, professional advice. We asked four chefs in Salem and Beverly to share a recipe that would add new flavors to the traditional holiday menu.
The result, along with helpful hints for their preparation, are these two savory side dishes and two delicious desserts.
SAUTEED SWISS CHARD and BUTTERCUP SQUASH
Kate Hammond
The Grapevine, Salem
Kate Hammond, chef at The Grapevine in Salem, said this "fast and easy and delicious" side dish can be made even easier by cooking the squash ahead of time (up to two days ahead), then reheating it while cooking the chard. The chard can be cut beforehand and refrigerated in a plastic bag. Hammond likes to stack the leaves on top of each other, six or seven at a time, then cut them crossways into strips.
The extra-virgin olive oil isn't for every day, but has a "fruity flavor that adds a lot to this simple dish," Hammond said.
"The local farmstands will still have chard and squash," and the recipe is a "great alternative to all the boiling and mashing that usually goes on around the holidays," she said.
Ingredients
regular olive oil
extra virgin olive oil
2 bunches of Swiss chard, washed and cut into strips
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 buttercup squash, cubed
1 teaspoon sugar
black pepper
red pepper flakes
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Note: You can substitute kale or cavalo nero (Tuscan kale) for the chard. And you could use any other kind of squash.
Preparation
Heat a large saute pan, add 2 tbsp. regular olive oil.
Add in all the chard and stir to wilt, about 5 minutes.
Push chard to one side and add 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil into the other, cleared side.
Cook garlic in extra-virgin oil until translucent, 2-3 minutes, then stir into the chard.
Season with salt, a few grinds of black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Turn off heat.
Peel the buttercup squash and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
Heat a large saute pan and add 2 tbsp. olive oil.
Add the squash and sprinkle with 1 tsp. sugar.
Keep the heat pretty high and keep shaking the pan so the squash browns on all sides.
When nicely browned, season with salt and pepper. Add to the cooked Swiss chard and heat through.
For a deluxe version, top with some Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
HEIRLOOM PUMPKIN TART with GOLDEN RAISINS, CINNAMON and BROWN SUGAR
Antonio Bettencourt
62 Restaurant & Wine Bar, Salem
Chef Antonio Bettencourt of 62 Restaurant & Wine Bar at Pickering Wharf in Salem offers this heirloom pumpkin tart as an alternative to traditional pumpkin pie.
"We have this tart on the menu at all times," Bettencourt said, "but throughout the year it changes, depending on seasonal flavors."
Bettencourt said a sharp peeler rather than a paring knife will do the job, but anyone who uses butternut squash should peel twice — "because when you get hard peel off the squash, the green streaks you see are still part of the peel. It should be all orange squash."
The recipe will make crust for two tarts but filling for one, so measurements for the latter should be doubled if you want two pumpkin tarts.
The crust will "forgive" freezing, Bettencourt said, and with Thanksgiving on Thursday, pie pans can be lined on Sunday, frozen in advance, and thawed for use.
For the crust
31/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
12 ounces butter, cubed
8 tablespoons heavy cream
2 egg yolks
Pinch of salt
In the bowl of a food processor combine the flour, sugar, salt and butter. Pulse the mixture until it resembles coarse, wet sand. Now with the motor running, pour in the egg yolk and cream. Once the wet ingredients are incorporated, turn off the machine and pour the mixture out onto a table, cutting board or other work surface. You will have to knead the dough a bit to bring it all together. Roll the dough into a 12-by-24-inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle of dough in half (2 squares) and refrigerate.
For the filling
2 heirloom squash or pumpkins of your choice, peeled and diced
1 cup brown sugar
2 cloves
2 whole cinnamon sticks
4 ounces butter
1/2 cup golden raisins
Preheat the oven to 375F. In a large sauté© pan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the clove and cinnamon sticks to the butter and allow to cook for about 2 minutes. Add the diced pumpkin and sugar. Allow the pumpkin to cook for about 2 minutes on the stovetop and then transfer the pan to the oven to roast for about 10 minutes or until the pumpkin is cooked. Add the golden raisins to the pumpkin and allow the mixture to cool until ready to assemble the tart.
Streusel topping
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 pound butter, melted
Combine flour and sugar in a bowl. Gradually pour in the melted butter, while mixing with a fork, until it comes together and is crumbly — again, like wet sand.
Assembly
Remove the tart crust from the refrigerator. Allow the crust to soften for just a few minutes until it is malleable enough to line a tart/pie pan. Once the pie pan is lined with the crust, pour in the pumpkin filling; try to remove the clove and cinnamon sticks. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of the tart. Try to cover the entire tart with the streusel, but do not put it on too thick. Bake in a 375-degree oven for about 25 minutes or until it is golden brown. Serve with vanilla gelato.
APPLE, CORNBREAD and SAUSAGE STUFFING
Brendan Crocker
Wild Horse Cafe, Beverly
Chef Brendan Crocker of Wild Horse Cafe in Beverly makes this stuffing recipe at home, and bakes it separately.
"I don't stuff the cavity of my bird with stuffing," Crocker said. "The stuffing cooks more evenly and takes less time" outside the turkey.
Any stale, crusty bread is good; Crocker uses focaccia. And it's fine to use store-bought stock, or base or bouillon.
Crocker puts herbs left over from the stuffing recipe and about a half-pound of butter in the cavity, along with garlic, salt and pepper.
"But I cook a real big bird," he said, "and I smear the whole thing with butter. You may just want to use about a 1/4 pound in the cavity, and smear the outside with a 1/4 pound."
Crocker suggests using Jiffy mix to make the corn muffins for this recipe, or just buying a few at the supermarket.
Ingredients
3 Granny Smith apples, diced and placed in cold water with lemon juice, to prevent browning
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 large Chourico links, peeled and diced
2 sprigs fresh thyme, washed and picked
1 sprig fresh rosemary, washed, picked and chopped
6 fresh sage leaves, washed and chopped
4 bay leaves
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
11/2 to 2 quarts chicken or turkey stock
2 pounds stale, crusty bread, diced
3 stale corn muffins, crumbled
8 ounces unsalted butter
Preparation
Place stock in a pot and bring to a boil.
Melt butter in a large skillet; sweat onions and garlic until translucent but not browned.
Add sausage and cook on medium heat until the sausage starts to render, or release fat.
Add apples, herbs and bay leaves and cook for about 5 minutes.
Transfer cooked onion-sausage mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add chopped bread and corn muffins, and mix thoroughly.
Slowly ladle stock into bread mixture until the bread is saturated.
Place in baking dish and bake uncovered for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
GINGERBREAD ICE CREAM SANDWICHES
Steve Nelson
Hawthorne Hotel, Salem
This recipe, which is a new entry on the fall and winter dessert menus at Salem's Hawthorne Hotel, was developed by Executive Chef Steve Nelson.
"It's perfect for both Thanksgiving and Christmas," said Sous Chef Kenneth O'Keefe.
"It should make 10 or 12 ice cream sandwiches, or you can make one giant one," O'Keefe said.
Gingerbread cake
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
11/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
Zest of 1 lemon (outer yellow skin of lemon)
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses (To prevent the molasses from sticking to the measuring cup, first spray the cup with a nonstick vegetable spray.)
1 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven. Butter and flour a 9-inch round or square cake pan with 2-inch sides.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ginger and cloves.
In bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the lemon zest and molasses and beat to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the dry ingredients and milk, alternately, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat just until incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing cake from pan. Let cool completely.
Makes one 9-inch cake
After the cake is cool, cut into 3-by-5-inch pieces and split in half like sandwich roll. Take a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream and shape onto the cake. Put the top piece on. Enjoy.
