A Smoky Pop-up Dinner

A Smoky Pop-up Dinner

We knew we wouldn’t have leftovers from Thanksgiving. We had been invited to two different dinners. Leftover turkey is one of the joys of T-day. So, before Thanksgiving we were reading in the New York Times about Greenberg’s - a Texas provider of Smoked Turkey’s shipped ready to eat. So we ordered one to be shipped to us the week after T-day. We ordered a small one, only 7 pounds (we have cooked chickens that were bigger).

The Turkey arrived and Billy and Robert stopped by to check it out. We invited them over for dinner and wound up serving a mini T-day dinner. We had previously made a delicious thick soup from Ad-Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller: Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup. The recipe calls for 8 oz of bacon, but because Nueske's Bacon comes in a 12 oz pack we used all of it, making the soup extra smoky. It matched the Turkey.

We also made from the Ad Hoc Cookbook an exceptional pudding that is an unusual turkey dressing: Leek Bread Pudding. If you don’t like traditional dressing this is for you. It is much lighter and the Brioche gives it a wonderful texture. Surprisingly, it has cheese in it, but the cheese flavor does not predominate. We will definitely make it again.

Finally for dessert we had a delicious Apple Pie from Clementine. It is absolutely the best frozen pie you can make and should always have one in your freezer!

The turkey was delicious and very meaty. We would definitely order it again! Sadly, but healthily, the skin is not crisp and because you serve the turkey at room temperature not crisp.

We had served a wonderful wine: 2007 Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Piesport Goldtropfchen Riesling Spätlese that was fabulous with the turkey. Everyone wanted to order the wine, so in the middle of the dinner we went on-line and collectively ordered 30 bottles! We are prepared! We also drank a Reignac 2004 Bordeaux Superieur that was an excellent match for the turkey.

Leek Bread Pudding

Ad Hoc at Home

Thomas Keller

2 cups 1/2-inch-thick slices leeks (white and light green parts only)
Kosher salt

4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter

Freshly ground black pepper

12 cups 1-inch cubes crustless Brioche or Pullman sandwich loaf

1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

1 teaspoon thyme leaves

3 large eggs

3 cups whole milk

3 cups heavy cream

Freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup shredded Comte or Emmentaler

Just as custards work well in the savory portion of the meal, although they're more often served as a dessert, so do bread puddings. This one is a great complement to the Prime Rib Roast and Pan-Roasted Duck Breasts. But you could also top it with Oven-Roasted Tomatoes and serve it as a vegetarian meal.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Put the leek rounds in a large bowl of tepid water and swish so that any dirt falls to the bottom of the bowl. Set a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, lift the leeks from the water, drain, and add them to the pan. Season with salt and cook, stirring often, for about  5 minutes. As the leeks begin to soften, lower the heat to medium-low. The leeks will release liquid. Stir in the butter to emulsify, and season with pepper to taste. Cover the pan with a parchment lid, and cook, stirring every 10 minutes, until the leeks are very soft, 30 to 35 minutes. If at any point the butter breaks or looks oily, stir in about a tablespoon of water to re-emulsify the sauce. Remove and discard the parchment lid.

Meanwhile, spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan about halfway through, until dry and pale gold. Transfer to a large bowl. Leave the oven on.

Add the leeks to the bread and toss well, then add the chives and thyme.

Lightly whisk the eggs in another large bowl. Whisk in the milk, cream, a generous pinch of salt, pepper to taste, and a pinch of nutmeg.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cheese in the bottom of a 9-by-13 -inch baking pan. Spread half the leeks and croutons in the pan and sprinkle with another ¼ cup cheese. Scatter the remaining leeks and croutons over and top with another 1/4 cup cheese. Pour in enough of the custard mixture to cover the bread and press gently on the bread so it soaks in the milk. Let soak for about 15 minutes.

Add the remaining custard, allowing some of the soaked cubes of bread to protrude. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheese on top and sprinkle with salt.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until the pudding feels set and the top is brown and bubbling.

SERVES 12 AS A SIDE DISH,

6 TO 8 AS A MAIN COURSE

Lentil and sweet potato soup

Ad-hoc at Home

Thomas Keller

8 ounces applewood-smoked slab bacon

3 tablespoons canola oil

2 cups thinly sliced carrots

2 cups coarsely chopped leeks

2 cups coarsely chopped onions

3/4 to 1 teaspoon Yellow Curry Powder or Madras curry powder

Kosher salt

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes

2 Sachets (1 bay leaf, 3 tyme sprigs, 10 black peppercorns, 1 garlic clove smashed and peeled)

2 cups (about 8 ounces) Spanish Pardina lentils or French de Puy lentils, small stones removed, rinsed

8 cups Chicken Stock

1 to 2 tablespoons red .wine vinegar Freshly ground black pepper

Cilantro leaves

The sweet potatoes make this a rich soup. The curry powder sharpens the flavor, and the cilantro brightens the rich ingredients. The bacon and cilantro used as garnish could be served on the side and added at the table if you prefer.

Cut the bacon into lardons that are 1 inch long and 1/2 inch thick

Heat the canola oil in an 8- to 10-quart stockpot over medium heat. Add the bacon, reduce the heat to low, and render the fat for 20 to 25 minutes. The bacon should color but not crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and set aside.

Add the carrots, leeks, onions, and curry powder to the pot and stir to coat in the bacon fat. Season with salt, reduce the heat to low, cover with a parchment lid (see opposite), and cook very slowly for 30 to 35 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Remove and discard the parchment lid.

Meanwhile, peel the sweet potatoes. Trim them and cut them into 1/2-inch dice. Put the potatoes, one of the sachets, and 2 teaspoons salt in a large saucepan, add cold water to cover, bring to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and spread on a tray to cool; discard the sachet.

Add the lentils, second sachet, and stock to the vegetables, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the lentils are tender. (At this point, the soup can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.) *   

Spread the bacon in a small frying pan and crisp over medium-high heat.

Add the vinegar to taste to the soup, then add the potatoes and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve the soup garnished with the bacon and cilantro leaves.

SERVES 6 (MAKES 10 CUPS)

Making A Parchment LID To make a parchment lid, fold a large rectangular piece of parchment paper in half to give you a square bigger than the pot to be covered. Beginning at the crease, fold over the edge to create a narrow triangle. Continue to fold the triangle over until you have reached the opposite side of the parchment paper. To gauge the size, place the tip over the center of the pot to be covered and mark the edges of the pot with your thumb, then cut the end off there. With a pair of scissors, cut 1/4 inch off the narrow tip of the triangle. Trim the pointed edges of the triangle to form a smooth rounded edge. Unfold the triangle. It will be a circle the size of your pot with a steam hole in the center. Put the paper lid in the pot so that it rests gently on the food you're cooking.