Our second day of Thanksgiving was full of Asian twists on old classics. We served the new Asian dishes alongside the leftovers from the traditional feast the day before. The results were flavorful, varied, and interesting, to say the least.
Verdict: the star of the day, but modifications are necessary
I adore lemongrass, and squash soups. This one calls for straining, which is a fancy extra step I will only do for formal dinners--the soup was still great before straining. DG modifications: Doubled the lemon grass (also bruised it extensively to release oils), added mushroom bullion and about 1 cup of button mushrooms to simmering vegetables. Topped with cilantro and thinly sliced lemongrass for a crunch.
Turkey Leftovers Madeover
In a game-time decision, we decided to steam the turkey leftovers to produce a moist but warm result. We used a bamboo steamer basket, and layered aromatics on the bottom chamber (lemon grass, onions, apples, parsley) and turkey in the top layer. Instead of boiling water, we used turkey stock and apple cider. Absolutely the best way to reheat turkey!
Stuffing
Verdict: Polarizing, crazy, good. (I know that's not really a verdict, but this dish was really a love or hate affair.)
I have a love affair with sticky rice. With very mixed reviews on the net, this was the biggest risk of the day. I chose it for the deeply flavourful authentic Asian touches (Shaoxing rice vinegar, lotus leaves). DG modifications: I added lots more Shaoxing vinegar, and a bit of fish sauce. I could only find banana leaves for the steam wrapper, and I used a bamboo steamer basket. John liked the cake-like look, but you could also break it up for a more traditional stuffing look.
Vegetables
Mashed Red Curry And Coconut Sweet Potatoes
My sisters-in-law love curry, and, really, who doesn't? I found this dish basically just to get curry on a Thanksgiving table. DG modifications: half the butter, and low-fat coconut milk. I used real Thai curry paste and home-tapped maple syrup. DG note: recipe yields A LOT. I doubled the recipe and probably got 24 servings out of it (happily).
Dessert
Pumpkin Fritters and Ice Cream
My brother and sister love homemade donuts, and this is a nice variation on that. I'm not much for frying, so I don't know when we will make these again. DG note: get a deep-fry thermometer to be sure your oil is remaining at the correct temp.
2 comments:
Thanks for your comment about the bacon jam. Yes it doesn't make much I know but it's so worthwhile what is made! :)
Thank you NQN! Im making my second batch of bacon jam now...experimented with more flavors--coke, worcestire sauce, and balsamic.
I did a post about the fabulous results right around the time you commented :) but I can't figure out how to log is as a pingback on your original post....
Either way, thank you for your baconeering ways! :)
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