Chef Hans' Recipe Corner

INGREDIENTS:
• 1/4 cup chopped Sweet Spanish Onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• Seasoning salt in potato mix
• 1 ½ cups Cold Pealed and Diced backed Potato
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cups cooked turkey, chopped
• turkey gravy
• salt and pepper, to taste
• Salt & pepper to taste

PREPARATION:

A turkey hash recipe made with leftover turkey, and turkey gravy. This is another great use for your leftover turkey.

Make potato blend the day before, this allows the starch in the potatoes to rest and Salt and peppers and your favorite Seasoning mix.

Sauté potatoes and vegetables mix in butter. Then Add Turkey and sauté until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. The potatoes for the hash are better if made the day before and it placed in cooler, this recipe will serves 6 to 8 people.

Add gravy on top with a poached egg if serving for breakfast or add a few slices of turkey for dinner.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pepper & Salt, to taste
1 cup cooked Turkey, finely chopped
1 package (12 ounces) cranberries crushed fruit
4 large Red apples

PREPARATION:
Cooking Method: Oven
Sauté onion, dried cranberries and celery in melted butter till translucent. Add salt and pepper. Remove from heat; stir in turkey and 1/2 cup cranberries crushed. Set aside. Cut apples in half, cutting through stem end. Remove core with knife; scoop out apple leaving 3/4 inch shell. Chop the removed apple and stir into the reserved stuffing. Divide the stuffing among the apple halves, about 1/4 cup each. Place filled apples in baking dish. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake 30 minutes at 350°F until fork tender. Remove apples to serving dish. Stir remaining cranberries into liquid in baking dish. Pour over apples to serve.

Prepare the turkey by giving it a rub down with salt and pepper and other desired spices. Feel free to use your desired flavors. Don't be afraid to use Cajun spice or even Asian spices, if you like. If you wish to prepare your turkey a day ahead you can use a cheese cloth to keep it moist by placing oil, salt and pepper on the cheese cloth which will keep the herbs and spices from moving while in the cooler.

Don't forget to top season the inside of the bird. Feel free to use aromatics such as garlic, thyme and lemon zest. Keep in mind that an un-trussed and un-stuffed turkey cooks more evenly and quickly. Stuffing can be made on the side and then stuffed into the bird after cooking the turkey or just from a casserole.

Pre-heat your oven to 300 degrees F. Place the turkey in oven and then set to 250 degrees F. Checking every so often using a meat thermometer until it indicates an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. in the thigh and 165 degrees F in the breast. Pop-up timers are helpful in judging the correct temperature, but an instant-read meat thermometer is still the best authority to determine doneness. Please keep in mind that it is recommended to allow the turkey to rest for approximately at least 10 and up to 30 minutes. The turkey keeps cooking when removed from the oven and will reach a temp of 170 degrees F.

A shallow roasting pan should be used so oven air can flow completely around the turkey. Pans with sides higher than one inch will shield the thickest part of the turkey thighs from the heat, and the thighs will not cook evenly. For easier cleanup, add 1/2 cup of water or chicken stock to the bottom of the pan which can be used to make turkey gravy. A useful tip is to flip the turkey half way through the cooking process, this helps in cooking the bird evenly.

Ingredients:

Reserve the Giblets & Neck from the Turkey
1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
1 Medium White Onion Unpeeled Chopped
4 Cups of Chicken or Turkey Stock
2 Cups Water
2 Large Springs of Fresh Thyme
8 Parsley Stems
3 Tbsp unsalted Butter
¼ Cup of All Purpose Flower
1 Cup Dry White Wine

Step One: Make Chicken or Turkey Broth one to two days in advance. Good gravy starts with a good chicken or Turkey stock. Most home chef do not take the time to make it home made. Made out of trimmings and onions you can quickly doctor a store bough chicken broth into a flavorful base for gravy. Sweat onions and turkey bits with vegetable oil in a large sauce pot or pan, over medium heat. Brown turkey bits and neck for five to eight minutes make sure to add onions last, cook them for three minutes. Cover and cook over med to low heat for twenty minuets. Simmer and skim, add turkey stock and or chicken stock and water make sure to scrape bottom of pan and bring to a light boil. Add herbs and simmer and skim foam from surface. This will take about thirty minuets. Strain and cool and then pour through a fine mesh or cheese cloth. Set aside and dice and heat the gizzards and giblets. Refrigerate broth and giblets until ready for use.

Step Two: Make a simple Brown Roux and then add to Chicken or Turkey broth to desired thickness. This simple gravy can be made a day before as well. In a large sauté pan, add the vegetable oil or unsalted Butter. When the pan is smoking hot, carefully whisk in the flour and reduce the heat. Season with salt and pepper if desired, stir the mixture constantly for 30 minutes or dark brown in color with a nutty aroma. Remove from heat. At this point take stock out and bring to a simmer setting aside a cup of stock to deglaze roasting pan of turkey. Bring to a light boil or a simmer. Then you add roux in slowly with a wire Wisk till desired thickness. Make sure the gravy is on the thick side because you will be adding the cup of broth from the pan.

Step Three: Use the brown vegetables and drippings used to cook your turkey in. This is were all the love and flavor is, making sure to take your time and do it right. Take pan and set over high heat and then add turkey stock to deglaze pan at this point you may add white wine and water. Make sure the pan is hot with out starting a fire. Be sure for your safety to turn heat off before you deglaze pan, the point of deglazing is to remove the flavor from the pan. After stock and wine with water has some what cooled turn fire on and set it to simmer reduce by half. Then take dripping and strain over a mesh or cheese cloth to remove all impurities. You will find that may of the fats still remain, skim the fat and keep the liquid and add it to your gravy. Wile your turkey rests on the cutting board add the Giblets. This should thin out your sauce slightly and give you the desired thickness to your sauce. If you find your sauce is to thick add some stock to it or a splash of water, then session to taste with salt and white pepper.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1 cup vegetable oil or unsalted Butter

Step: In a large sauté pan, add the vegetable oil or unsalted Butter. When the pan is smoking hot, carefully whisk in the flour and reduce the heat. Season with salt and pepper if desired, stir the mixture constantly for 30 minutes or dark brown in color with a nutty aroma. Remove from heat.

1 ½ Cup Olive oil
½ Cup Vegetable Oil
¼ Cup Garlic finely chopped
¼ Cup Shallots finely chopped
3 Tbsp Ground Black Pepper
3 Tbsp Salt (Preferably Kosher)
3 Tbsp Seasoning Salt (example Old Bay Lawry’s etc…)
3 Tbsp Basil
3 Tbsp Oregano
3 Tbsp Parsley
3 Tbsp Rosemary
(All herbs may be substituted for Dry herbs.)
½ Cup S&W barbeque sauce
(You may substitute with Open pit or your choice of BBQ)
Recipe: Cajun Spice Mix
2.5 oz Ground Black Pepper
½ oz Cumin
2.5 oz Cayenne Pepper
2.5 oz Ground White
1/2 oz Garlic Powder
1/2 oz Chili Powder
2.5 oz Paprika
1 tsp Dry Thyme Leaves
1 tsp Dry Oregano Leaves
1 tsp Dry Basil Leaves
1 oz Salt
1 oz Seasoning Mix (such as old bay and Knorr’s Aromat)

Carefully combine ingredients in a Zip Sandwich bag and store in plastic container.

Smith & Wollensky Lemon Pepper Chicken

One whole Chicken 2.5 to 3 Lbs
Rosemary
Salt
Olive Oil
Lemon Pepper seasoning
4-5 garlic cloves
Small to medium Lemon

Take chicken and remove the Giblet bag. Was under skink and pat dry Place Garlic in main cavity and then fold on spring of whole rosemary and place inside fallowed buy a pinch of Lemon Pepper seasoning. Cut lemon in half and place in cavity if to large only use half. After stuffing the bird rub with olive oil and salt. Be sure to rub all the surface area and then library sprinkle the Lemon peppers seasoning on to the skin of the bird. Place into refrigerator over night if possible or if used that day for a few hours. Cook at 250 degrees for approximately 1 hr 45minites to 2hrs 30 minutes or till the internal tempter reaches 165 degrees.

2 Filets Mignons (6 to 8 ounces)
----Cut about one and a half inches thick
1 ½ T black pepper corns
1 T unsalted butter
2 T olive or veg oil
2 T cognac
2 T beef stock or gravy
½ Cup creame fraiche or heavy cream
Salt to taste

1. About 30 minutes before cooking remove the steaks from the refrigerator and pat them dry. Coarsely crush the pepper corns in a pepper mill and spread them on a plate. Coat the filets or sirloins on both sides with the pepper. Set aside at room temperature.

2. Melt the butter and oil in a large heavy bottomed skillet with a long handle. When very hot add the steaks. Cook until seared and well crusted on one side, about four minutes for a medium-rare or five minutes more for medium.

3. Remove the skillet from the heat. Transfer the steaks to a plate and pour off the cooking fat. Do not wash or wipe out the skillet. Return the steaks to the skillet, pour the cognac over the steaks (make sure your hair is pulled back before you do this.) Carefully light the cognac with a large kitchen match, it will flame up momentarily; gently shake the skillet over the hot burner until the flames die down. Transfer the steaks to plates or a platter and keep them warm.

4. Add beef stock or gravy and heavy cream to the skillet and bring to a boil, scrapping the bottom with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan juices. Gently whisk the sauce until it has thickened slightly.

5. Pour the sauce over the Steaks and serve immediately.