Cranberry Sauce

INGREDIENTS
 1 cup (200 g) sugar
 1 cup (250 mL) water
 4 cups (1 12-oz package)
fresh or frozen cranberries
 Optional Pecans, orange
zest, raisins, currants,
blueberries, cinnamon,
nutmeg, allspice.

Method
1 Rinse cranberries: Place the
cranberries in a colander and
rinse them. Pick out and discard
any damaged or bruised
cranberries.
2 Boil water with sugar: Put
the water and sugar in a
medium saucepan on high heat
and bring to a boil. Stir to
dissolve the sugar.
3 Add cranberries, cook until
they burst: Add the cranberries
to the pot and return to a boil.
Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the cranberries
have burst.
4 Stir in mix-ins if using: Once the cranberries have burst you can leave
the cranberry sauce as is, or dress it up with other ingredients. We like to
mix in a half a cup of chopped pecans with a few strips of orange zest.
Some people like adding raisins or currants, or even blueberries for added
sweetness. You can also add holiday spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or
allspice. If adding spices, start with a pinch of each and add more to your
taste.
5 Let cool: Remove the pot from heat. Let cool completely at room
temperature, then transfer to a bowl to chill in the refrigerator. Note that the
cranberry sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
Date Caramel Sauce (Vegan)
Ingredients
 12 ounces Medjool or
Halawy dates – as plump
and fresh as you can find
 1 1/2 cups of hot water, just
below boiling
 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
 1/8 teaspoon salt
 2 tablespoons coconut
cream (optional)
 1 teaspoon lemon juice
(optional)
Special equipment:
 Food processor or blender

Method
1 Soak the dates in hot water
for 5 to 10 minutes: When ready
their skin should easily to peel off
with your fingers. Strain the dates from the soaking liquid, reserving the
liquid.
2 Peel the dates and remove the seeds: Peel the skins off all the dates
with your fingers. Split them open (you should be able to just pinch them
open; otherwise use a paring knife). Remove the pit.
3 Puree the dates until creamy: Put the dates into the bowl of a food
processor or blender. Add the vanilla, 2 tablespoons of the reserved
soaking water, and salt. Process until very smooth, 5 to 10 minutes. Stop
and scrape down the sides of the bowl every couple of minutes. If the
sauce seems too thick, add a little water until you reach a smooth,
spoonable consistency.
4 For a creamier sauce, add coconut cream: Add the coconut cream at
the very end and pulse 10 times to incorporate.
5 Taste and adjust as needed: Taste the sauce. Add lemon juice or more
salt if needed.
Easy Blender Hollandaise Sauce
INGREDIENTS
 3 egg yolks (see how to
separate eggs)
 1 tablespoon lemon juice
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
(optional)
 10 tablespoons unsalted
butter (if using salted butter,
skip the added salt)

Method
1 Melt the butter: Melt the butter
slowly in a small pot. Try not to let it
boil—you want the moisture in the
butter to remain there and not
steam away.
2 Blend egg yolks, lemon juice,
salt, until lightened in color: Add
the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and
cayenne (if using) into your
blender. Blend the egg yolk mixture
at a medium to medium high speed
until it lightens in color, about 20-30
seconds.
The friction generated by the blender blades will heat the yolks a bit. The
blending action will also introduce a little air into them, making your hollandaise a
bit lighter.
3 Lower blender setting, slowly drizzle in melted butter: Once the yolks have
lightened in color, turn the blender down to its lowest setting (if you only have
one speed on your blender it will still work), and drizzle in the hot melted butter
slowly, while the blender is going.
Continue to blend for another couple seconds after the butter is all incorporated.
4 Adjust salt and lemon juice to taste: Turn off the blender and taste the
sauce. It should be buttery, lemony and just lightly salty. If it is not salty or
lemony enough, you can add a little lemon juice or salt to taste.
If you want a thinner consistency, add a little warm water. Pulse briefly to
incorporate the ingredients one more time.
Store until needed in a warm spot, like on or next to the stovetop. Use within an
hour or so.
Giblet Gravy
Ingredients
 Giblets (neck, gizzard, heart,
liver) from a turkey (or
chicken)
 2 tablespoons butter
 1 cup diced onion
 1/2 cup diced carrot
 1/2 cup diced celery
 1 tablespoon minced garlic
 1 bay leaf
 1 teaspoon dried thyme
 5 cups water
 Drippings from the turkey or chicken
 2-3 tablespoons flour (or 2-3 Tbsp of corn starch, dissolved first into 1/4 cup of
water)
 Salt to taste
 1-2 teaspoons of mustard (yellow or Dijon)

Method
1 Brown the giblets in butter: Heat the butter in a 2-quart saucepan on medium-high
heat. When hot, add the giblets to the pan. Brown them on all sides.
2 Add onion, celery, carrot, garlic: Add the onion, celery and carrot and sauté until
the onions turn translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another minute.
3 Add bay leaf, thyme, water, bring to simmer: Add the bay leaf, thyme and water.
Bring to a simmer. Lower the heat, partially cover so that some steam escapes, and
cook on a low simmer for several hours, while the turkey (or chicken) is cooking.
4 Strain the stock, mince the giblet meat: Once the bird is close to being done, strain
the giblets and stock through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Set aside the stock.
Remove the giblets from the sieve. Finely mince the giblet meat. If you want, you can
pull some of the meat off of the neck and mince that as well.
5 Add flour or cornstarch to roast drippings: Once the bird is done, move it to a
cutting board to let it rest. Pour off the excess fat (all but a tablespoon or two) from the
roasting pan. Set the roasting pan over two burners of the stovetop set over medium
heat.
Add the flour (or corn starch slurry) and whisk it into the drippings. Stir in the minced
giblets. Let cook for a few minutes, stirring while cooking.
6 Add stock and minced giblets: Add the strained giblet stock to the pan drippings
and giblets and mix well to combine. Bring to a boil and stir constantly until the gravy
thickens, about 2-3 minutes.
Add 1-2 teaspoons of mustard (to taste). Check for salt and add more salt to taste if
needed. Serve it as-is, or purée the gravy in a blender for a smoother texture.
 Remoulade Sauce

Ingredients
 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
 1/4 cup mustard (Creole mustard if possible)
 1 Tbsp sweet paprika
 1-2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning
 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
 1 teaspoon pickle juice (dill or sweet, your preference)
 1 teaspoon hot sauce (preferably Tabasco)
 1 large clove garlic, minced and smashed

METHOD
Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl. The remoulade
is better if left for a few hours to let the flavors meld. Keep
refrigerated.
 Beef stock recipes
Ingredients
 2-2.5kg/4lb 6oz-5lb
8oz of beef bones
(rib, leg
marrowbones - you
can buy these from
your butcher)
 3 onions, unpeeled
 1 whole head garlic
 large bouquet garni
of parsley, sage and
thyme
 2 leeks, cut in half
 2 carrots, cut in half
 1 stalk celery, including the leaves, roughly chopped
 2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
 1 tsp sea salt
 1 tbsp peppercorns

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. If your butcher hasn't done so already, chop
the bones into manageable pieces with a cleaver. Place the bones in a large
roasting tin.
2. Cut the onions in half and add them to the tray with the bones. Cut the garlic in half
across the middle and add to the pan. Pour half an inch of water into the tin and
roast the bones and vegetables in the oven for 40-45 minutes, topping up the water
occasionally, if necessary.
3. Meanwhile, place a large stockpot on the biggest hob ring. Fill with 4-5 litres/7-9
pints of cold water (about two-thirds full) and bring the water up to simmering point.
4. When the water is simmering and the bones are roasted, remove the bones, onions
and garlic from the oven and add them to the water, scraping in the browned bits
from the tin.
5. Add the bouquet garni, leeks, carrots, celery, tomatoes, salt and peppercorns.
6. Gently simmer the stock, covered, for 4-6 hours, or even longer if you have time,
topping up with water if necessary. Six hours will give you a good strong stock to
work with.
7. At the end of cooking time, strain the stock of all solid ingredients and discard them.
8. To reduce the stock, pour the liquid stock back into the pot and turn the heat up to
medium. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, which will take about one hour,
perhaps longer. The further you reduce the stock, the stronger and more intense it
will be. The stock can be used as is, or can be reduced further or frozen for future
use.
 Vegetable stock recipes

Ingredients
 2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
 2 onions, peeled and quartered
 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
 ½ bulb fennel, roughly chopped
 stalk from a head of broccoli, roughly chopped
 2 tomatoes
 8 button mushrooms, halved
 6 black peppercorns
 1 dried bay leaf
 3 fresh parsley stalks

Method
1. Put all the ingredients into a large pan and cover with water. Bring to the
boil. Cover and simmer very gently for 20-30 minutes. Strain into a large
bowl and allow to cool.
2. Use within 3 days or freeze. To freeze, reduce the stock by half by
boiling vigorously and cool. Pour into ice-cube trays and freeze. When
frozen put the cubes into a bag, label it, and when you want to use one,
just put in a jug and add boiling water to dissolve the cube.
 Chicken stock recipes

Ingredients
 bones from a cooked chicken carcass including skin
 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
 1 onion, peeled and quartered
 1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
 6 black peppercorns
 1 dried bay leaf
 3 fresh parsley stalks
 1 sprig fresh thyme

Method
1. Put all the ingredients into a large pan and cover with water. Bring to the
boil and skim off any scum that has formed. Cover and simmer very
gently for 2-3 hours.
2. Strain into a large bowl and allow to cool. Chill overnight.
3. Skim off any fat that has formed on the surface. Use within 3 days or
freeze.
4. To freeze, reduce the stock by half by boiling vigorously. Cool. Pour into
ice-cube trays and freeze. When frozen put the cubes into a bag, label it,
and when you want to use one, just put in a jug and add boiling water to
dissolve the cube.
Fish stock
Ingredients
 250g/9oz fish
trimmings (you can
include heads and
bones and skin of
most types of fish,
but try to avoid
salmon, red
mullet and oily fish)
 3 leeks
 1 bulb fennel
 3 carrots
 large handful
fresh parsley
 175ml/6fl oz dry white wine

Method
1. Rinse the fish bones and trimmings of any blood, which would make the
stock look cloudy and taste bitter. Chop the leeks roughly and place into
a large heavy-bottomed stockpot.
2. Chop the fennel and carrots roughly and add to the stockpot.
3. Roughly chop the parsley, including the stems, and add to the stockpot.
4. Add the fish trimmings to the stockpot.
5. Pour in the white wine, then add enough cold water to cover the fish and
vegetables (about 1 litre/2 pints).
6. Place the stockpot onto a high heat and bring the liquid to a simmer.
After five minutes, remove the scum that forms on the surface with a
spoon and discard. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 25
minutes, skimming as necessary.
7. At the end of cooking time, remove the stock from the heat and strain,
discarding the fish trimmings and the vegetables.
8. Cool and store in the fridge for up to three days or freeze. Alternatively
you can reduce the stock further and then freeze it in ice cube trays
(freezing it this way means you can defrost as little or as much as you
need at a time).
Toridashi (Pork and chicken stock)
Ingredients
 1.5kg/3lb 5oz chicken
wings
 1.5kg/3lb
5oz pork bones (rib
bones are good for
this)
 10g piece dried
kombu
 2 thick slices fresh
root ginger
 250ml/9fl oz sake
 1 medium onion, cut in half
 30g/1oz bonito flakes (katsuobushi)
 6 dried shiitake mushrooms

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
2. Place the chicken wings and pork bones in a roasting tin and into the
preheated oven.
3. Roast for 30-40 minutes, turning them half way through until golden-brown.
Alternatively you can fry the bones until browned if you don’t have an oven.
4. When cooked, strain the wings and bones in a colander or large sieve and
then pour a kettle of boiling water over them to remove excess grease.
5. While the chicken is in the oven, rinse the dried kombu under cold running
water. Soak the kombu in a large stock pot for 30 minutes in 2.5 litres/4½
pints cold water. The kombu will triple in size.
6. Remove the kombu from the water and cut into three long strips. Return to the
stockpot and bring up to a simmer. Remove from the heat and discard the
kombu - do not boil the kombu in the water for a long time or the dashi will
become bitter.
7. Add the roasted and rinsed wings and bones along with all the remaining
ingredients to the kombu water. Bring up to the boil, reduce the heat, put a lid
on and simmer for two hours. Do not let the stock boil as it will become
cloudy.
8. After two hours, strain the stock carefully through some clean muslin or a jay
cloth. Leave to drain gently for 10 minutes, cool and refrigerate until required.