1 gi-normous Idaho potato = $1. Truffle-infused olive oil = $17. Truffle salt = $15.
Truffle fries you can feel good about eating? Priceless.
Seriously – who doesn’t D.I.E. for truffle fries? Give me the name of one person. I guarantee it’s only because they’ve never had them. Truffles and potatoes were made for each other – heck, truffles plus {fill-in-the-blank-here} were made for each other, when I think about it…eggs, mac and cheese, garlic bread…
If you thought truffles and tots didn’t go together, think again.
When I was planning this dinner party menu, I knew something truffled was on the agenda. I also knew tater tots were on the agenda. And because the flavor of truffle goes so perfectly with potatoes, the decision to make truffled tots was an easy one.
Fried potatoes + shallots + truffle oil. How can this be a bad idea?
Yes – these require some work. It’s worth it, as I’m sure you can imagine. If you’re using a food processor to shred your potatoes – highly recommend! – it’s really not that bad. You can make little square-shaped tots like I did by pressing the warm, starchy potatoes into a cookie sheet, letting them cool, and then cutting into squares. Or, you can shape the potato mixture into balls with your hands. Either way you go, it’s a win.
Move over, truffled mac ‘n cheese. You’ve got some competition.
Truffled Tater Tots
Adapted from The Standard Spa and Hotel, Miami Beach
Carefully read the directions and complete the processes from start to finish without letting the potatoes get cold. It is the warm starch from the barely cooked potatoes that holds the tater tots together.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Place potatoes on baking pan and cook for 20-25 minutes or until when squeezed the potatoes barely give. Remove from oven and set baking pan on top of oven to keep warm for another 20 minutes. (This will allow the center of the potatoes to barely cook so they will not turn brown after shredding. The goal is to have the potatoes barely cooked but not to the point that they turn to mashed potatoes when grated.)
Peel the potato skin back using a butter knife or vegetable peeler. Try not to remove any of the flesh underneath the skin as it will help bind the tater tots.
Using either a shredder attachment on a food processor or a hand grater, shred the potatoes into a bowl. Then press the shallots through the shredder attachment or if doing by hand, finely dice.
Add the shallots and the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix thoroughly. The mixture should still be warm and sticky to the touch. At this point, the potatoes can either be pressed into a cookie sheet to a 1-inch thickness or hand formed into balls of the same 1-inch thickness. Wet your hands or rolling pin so the starch will not stick. Once formed allow to cool.
If making squares, cut potatoes that have been pressed into a cookie sheet into 1-inch by 1-inch squares after the potatoes have cooled.
Heat deep fryer or sauté pan with half inch of vegetable oil to medium-high heat and carefully place the tater tots in the oil. Turn the potatoes so all sides are cooked evenly to golden brown. Season lightly with a pinch of truffle salt and serve. Enjoy!
{To increase the truffle flavor, you may also opt to lightly drizzle your cooked tots with truffle oil before salting}
As good as these fries are, I almost feel I should keep them a secret from you.
Because if you’re anything like me, your self-control will have no chance against these fries. Once you learn how easy it is to make these steakhouse/bistro/Houston’s-like french fries in your own home, things may get out of hand – and fast.
Shoestring Bistro-Style Fries
Adapted from Saveur
Pour oil to a depth of 2″ into a large heavy-bottomed dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375°.
Meanwhile, julienne potatoes lengthwise using the narrowest setting of a mandoline with a julienne attachment or by hand with a sharp knife; as you’re going, dump them into a bowl of cold water so that they won’t stick together as they fry in the oil. Drain potatoes, transfer to kitchen or paper towels, and pat dry well.
Working in 4 batches, fry potatoes, stirring constantly with a slotted spoon and maintaining an oil temperature of at least 350° (adding the potatoes will cause the temperature to drop), until potatoes are light golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer fried potatoes to paper towels to drain. Season potatoes with plenty of salt while they’re still hot, and serve.
Makes 3 to 4 servings.
I am smitten with this salad.
It’s another great example proving French food doesn’t have to be fattening or overcomplicated.
To start, you won’t find any mayonnaise. The dressing is made by simply pouring white wine and a bit of olive oil over the warm potatoes, and then adding a touch of Dijon along with plenty of fresh herbs and seasonings. I can’t tell you how happy it made me to pour wine over my salad. You’ll feel fabulously French, and you won’t believe the amazing flavor it imparts – just be sure to use a good wine!
The finishing touch of chopped eggs is another reason to love this salad – if you like hard-boiled eggs as much as I do – and I wouldn’t be offended if you opted to add a few Niçoise olives. Though Jacques and Julia suggested serving over a bowl of radicchio leaves, I didn’t because I had enough beautiful purple coloring from the jewel-tone potatoes.
Who knew potato salad could be so elegant? Just leave it to the French.
Jacques’ French Potato Salad
Slightly adapted from Julia Child and Jacques Pépin
Scrub the potatoes and put them, whole, in a saucepan with water to cover by 1/2 inch. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat, and cook the potatoes gently until they are just tender and can be pierced with a sharp knife. Drain immediately and let cool slightly. (Scrape the skin from the cooked potatoes, if you want, as soon as they can be handled. For a decorative look with fingerlings, scrape off only a band of skin, about 1/2 inch thick, all around the long sides of the potato.)
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a small saute pan. When hot, add the scallions and the onion, toss to coat well, and cook for about a minute over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, toss to mix, and cook for just a few moments, then remove the pan from the heat.
Slice the potatoes while still warm, cutting them crosswise into 1/2-inch sections. Put the pieces in a large mixing bowl, pour the wine and 3 or 4 tablespoons of olive oil over them, and toss gently to distribute. Add the warm vegetables from the pan, mustard, chives, chopped herbs, salt, and pepper, and gently fold all together, mixing well but not crushing the potatoes. Taste the salad and add more seasonings as you like.
Serve the potatoes warm (no colder than room temperature). Sprinkle chopped egg and parsley over the top.
Serves 4 to 6.
I’m a meat and potatoes kind of girl.
But – if you don’t mind, I’d like a filet, please. Perfectly-seared, with a tender middle of the darkest pink. And while mashed potatoes are fine for Thanksgiving, I prefer something with a bit more personality. With cheese – yes, blue cheese! Wrap it all up in a buttery crust, and now you’ve got something that serves just as beautifully as it tastes.
There are few things I love more than a good savory tart, and this one is just about as simple as it gets. The filling is made of just four ingredients – along with a sprinkling of salt and fresh herbs – and when paired with a simple green salad, it’s really a meal in itself. I love that it’s hearty yet elegant, and easily adaptable; you could switch up the cheese or use herbs of your choice, or do as Gourmet initially suggested and make individual tartlets – which is totally my plan for next time.
Blue Cheese + Red Potato Tart
From Smitten Kitchen, adapted from Gourmet
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium saucepan, cover potato slices with water by two inches. Simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. If necessary, pat potatoes dry with towels.
Arrange potato slices, overlapping slightly, in concentric circles around the tart pan. Sprinkle blue cheese over potatoes. Whisk cream and egg yolk together and pour into tart shell, then sprinkle tart with herbs of your choice and salt.
Bake tart on a baking sheet until bubbling and golden brown, about 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan on rack and serve warm or cold.
Savory Tart Shell
{This is hands-down the best recipe for a savory tart shell I’ve ever made. My oven can be finicky at times and tends to burn edges too easily, but this one held up like a champ – no parbaking required!}
In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch and salt. Cut the butter in with a pastry blender, fork or two knives until it is in very tiny bits. Add one egg and mix with a fork until a dough forms. If this does not happen easily, toss it out onto a counter and knead it together. This dough is rather tough but with a little elbow grease, it does come together nicely.
This dough can also be made a food processor, or in a stand mixer, though I’ve only tried it in a food processor.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 12-inch circle. Place the dough in a 9-inch pie plate or tart pan and press to remove any air bubbles. Level the edges, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Proceed with filling of your choice.
Thanksgiving. It’s kind of a big deal.
Who else could we trust for an event like this other than Martha Stewart?
Martha is a serious role model of mine. I can’t even tell you how many friends and acquaintances have referred to me as the “Martha of our generation” – and I can’t even begin to tell you how flattering that is. With Thanksgiving RIGHT.AROUND.THE.CORNER, I figured the perfect way I could pay homage would be to create a Thanksgiving-inspired dinner party menu all in the name of Martha.
The best part is: Although the recipes are indeed things you could, should, and would make for Thanksgiving Day itself, they’re also things that you could make any other night – for a fabulous fall dinner party, Christmas Eve, or otherwise. Who wants to spend all that time trying to perfect a giant turkey when you won’t be making it again for another year? So, instead I tried to piece together items that won’t limit you to this one {albeit very special} day a year; you won’t find any green bean casseroles or sweet potato pie, but what you will find is a perfect mix of dishes that will work well for any fall or winter occasion.
Got it? Thanksgiving-friendly, but not Thanksgiving-only. I’ve gone ahead and tested all of these recipes for you, and I promise they are all nothing-short-of wonderful. And most importantly, they’re all *totally* doable – no matter what your level of skill in the kitchen may be.
Thanksgiving-Inspired Dinner Party
{all from Martha Stewart}
Pear and Sparkling Cider Cocktails
Fall Salad with Maple Vinaigrette
Cranberry-Stuffed Cornish Game Hens
Maple-Glazed Parsnips and Carrots
The Starters:
You’ll die for the Pear and Sparkling Cider Cocktails. I’m not usually a big bourbon drinker, but this is honestly my new favorite specialty cocktail for fall. You can make them totally ahead of time, and I love the garnishing of the glasses with those beautiful, brown Bosc pears. The Baked Brie with Pecans is another go-to favorite appetizer – I love that all you need to buy is the Brie, if you typically have pecans, brown sugar, and maple syrup on hand like I do. This is best served warm, so it’s best to try and have it out when your guests are first arriving. The Fall Salad with Maple Vinaigrette is a no-brainer – it has all of my favorite fall ingredients packed right in, like apples and blue cheese, and the easy dressing ties in the maple flavor which is found in several of the dishes throughout this menu. You can make this ahead of time: Just leave your dressing in the bottom of the serving bowl, and add your salad ingredients on top; give it a toss when you’re ready to eat. Just make sure to douse your apples in lemon juice so they don’t turn brown on you.
The Main Course:
The star of the meal is, of course, the Cranberry-Stuffed Cornish Game Hens. I love anything and everything miniature – so clearly I opted to make these darling little birds over a giant turkey. A turkey can be daunting, and definitely Thanksgiving-only, so these baby birds are the perfect substitute. I must admit, I had never stuffed a bird before. The idea freaked me out a bit, but the end result is so delicious that now I totally get what all the fuss is about. Make sure your hens are dried very well with paper towels to ensure you get a nice, crispy skin. Love the rye bread stuffing, and the dried cranberries add the perfect fall touch. Salt your hens a day in advance if you can, as you always should do with meat to ensure better flavor. You can do the stuffing ahead of time, and stuff your hens before your guests arrive – as the tying of the legs can take a few minutes. They bake for about an hour, so I would probably get them in the oven when your guests start to arrive, depending on how much time you like to have before the main course comes out. You’ll have to do a quick pan gravy when they come out, but it only takes a few minutes.
The Sides:
Sides are always a favorite amongst dinner guests, whether on Thanksgiving or any other night of the year. The Maple-Glazed Parsnips and Carrots are sure to be a hit; just be careful on your timing, as the skinny ends of the veggies can burn pretty quickly. I love how the tops of the carrots are left on – it gives the dish that rustic quality, and looks so beautiful. It’s no secret that I love to roast my vegetables, but these are tossed in maple syrup rather than olive oil, which continues that flavor-theme of maple throughout the menu and feels perfect for fall. Oh, and there’s bacon. Enough said. You can prep your ingredients and put them on the pan in advance, then just toss them in the maple syrup and stick the pan in the oven after your hens have been in about 5 or 10 minutes – unless you’re lucky enough to have two ovens. Just keep an eye on them and take them out when they’re roasted to golden-perfection. It’s okay if they’re not piping hot when they’re served – some dishes are perfectly fine to serve at room temperature, and this is one of them.
And once you taste the Luxurious Mashed Potatoes, you’ll understand the name. There are hands-down the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever made, thanks to one stick of butter and over a cup of heavy cream. The trick here is to pass them mashed potatoes through a fine-mesh sieve or strainer – you’ll end up with the creamiest, smoothest mashed potatoes you’ve ever tried. I added fresh parsley and chives for some color. You can do them ahead of time, and just warm them in a baking dish covered in foil in a 350 degree oven for about 10 to 20 minutes.
The Dessert:
By this time of year, I’ve thoroughly exhausted my obsession with all-things pumpkin, and this Caramel Apple Bread Pudding is just the solution. There’s an out-of-this-world Caramel Bourbon Vanilla Sauce that can be made totally ahead of time, and you’ll want to make the full amount so you can have leftovers for vanilla ice cream later in the week. You can also assemble everything else ahead of time, and pop it in the oven right when you take your hens out. It takes about 40-50 minutes to bake, so that way you can have time to enjoy your dinner and let it get settled before enjoying your grand finale.
*If you double the drink recipe, and scale up the salad a bit, everything here will serve 6.
Perhaps I should change the name of this post to my last roast chicken.
Because I truly don’t know if I’ll ever bring myself to make another. I’m sure there are other delicious roast chickens out there – probably plenty, as most roast chickens are inherently delicious – but it can’t possibly get any better than this.
To start, there’s bacon.
See? That bacon cooks right on top of the whole party, injecting both the potatoes and the chicken with flavor.
Yes, it’s a party. Perfectly moist, juicy, and flavorful chicken + bacon + lemon-rosemary potatoes + roasted garlic = PARTY. Oh yes, that’s right – there’s roasted garlic. Can you see it in the first photo, rubbed all over the chicken? I.die. for roasted garlic.
But let’s get back to the bacon. Because after all is said and done, we’re going to take that bacon, and crumble it all over our potatoes. Our potatoes that have first par-boiled with lemon and garlic, and then roasted until perfection – covered in chicken juices, bacon drippings, and tons of fresh rosemary.
These potatoes are hands down the best I’ve ever had. I usually like to leave the skin on, because it makes me feel like I’m being healthy, you know – get more fiber, feel less guilty about eating half the pan. I put that {semi-ridiculous} theory aside here, and cooked them exactly the way Jamie told me to – and that’s what YOU must do. You really must. Because these potatoes are *so* unbelievably crispy, flavorful, and out-of-this world delish – you won’t be able to stop eating them.
Which actually may be a reason not to make them, depending on how you look at it.
Roast Chicken with Lemon, Rosemary, and Bacon Potatoes
Recipe via Jamie Oliver
Rub the chicken inside and out with a generous amount of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Do this as early as you can, and cover and leave it in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. You should do this with any meat – it makes it more flavorful.
Preheat your oven to 375ºF, and bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cut the potatoes into golf-ball-sized pieces, put them into the water with the whole lemon and the garlic cloves, and cook for 12 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for 1 minute {I like to place a clean kitchen towel over top – steaming ensures crispy potatoes}, then remove the lemon and garlic. Toss the potatoes in the pan while still hot, roughing them up a little bit. This will make your potatoes perfectly crispy and delicious.
While the lemon is still hot, carefully stab it about 10 times. Take the chicken out of the fridge, pat dry with paper towels, and rub generously with olive oil. Push the garlic cloves, the whole lemon, and the thyme into the cavity, then put the chicken into a roasting tray and cook in the preheated oven for around 45 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate. Some lovely fat should have cooked out of it into the roasting tray, so toss the potatoes into this with the rosemary leaves. Shake the tray around, then make a gap in the middle of the potatoes and put the chicken back in, or if you have a pan with a tray like I do, you can place the chicken back on the rack. Place the bacon over the chicken and cook for a further 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked and the potatoes are nice and golden.
Remove the bacon from the chicken and crumble it up over the potatoes. Then remove the lemon and garlic from inside the chicken, squeeze all the garlic flesh out of the skin, mush it up and smear it all over the chicken, discard the lemon and rosemary and carve the chicken at the table.
“Heaven!” Jamie says, and I couldn’t agree more.
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