Category Archives: Sauce, Stock & Condiments

Most Versatile Chicken Stock

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Chicken stock has a mellow quality that makes it particularly versatile in soups and sauces. This is a “white” stock, since it’s made with raw chicken bones. You can substitute the carcass from a roast chicken, like our Simplest Roast Chicken. This stock is purposely unsalted, since you will use it as an ingredient in other dishes–as a base for soups and sauces, for example, or to cook rice and other grains. Simmering the chicken bones extracts tons of flavor of a stock that’s a far cry from store-bought chicken broth.

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Homemade Mayonnaise

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Homemade mayonnaise is rich, creamy, and tangy in a way stuff from the jar can’t duplicate. Whipping up your own mayo also is a use of leftover egg yolks from making meringues and other egg-white-based recipes (like our Chocolate Angel Food Cake); the fresher the eggs, the silkier, tastier and more golden your mayonnaise will be. I enjoy the satisfaction of whipping the egg yolks by hand, but you could use a blender, food processor or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (a good idea if you decide to double or triple this recipe). The amount of oil you’ll use depends on the size of the yolks and how thick you like your mayonnaise; for a stiff sauce, use more oil. This homemade mayonnaise is great spread on a sandwich, as well as in other recipes, like Bestest Buttermilk-Chive Dressing. I also love this homemade mayonnaise recipe as a dipper for roasted baby potatoes or sauteed shrimp. To make aioli, substitute extra-virgin olive oil for canola, and add a clove or two of garlic that’s been mashed to a paste.

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“Sans Pan” Cider Gravy

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This is a great gravy recipe to use when you’re grilling a Thanksgiving turkey and don’t have a pan to collect the juices. A quick turkey stock made from the neck and giblets (removed before the turkey roasts) is enhanced by a nutty roux and brightened by a splash of apple cider. As Nicki says, “it’s the perfect autumnal gravy.”

cider-gravy-recipeQuick Turkey Stock

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Neck and gizzards (minus liver) from 1 turkey
1 large onion, halved with skin on
2 cloves garlic, skin on
1 large carrot, roughly chopped
2 celery ribs, roughly chopped
8 white peppercorns
5 allspice berries
2 bay leaves
3 thyme sprigs
4 cups water
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Sear turkey neck and gizzards, onion, garlic, carrot and celery for 5 minutes, until browned.

Add spices and pour in water and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. Strain.

Makes 3 cups

“Sans Pan” Cider Gravy

4 tablespoons butter, cut into 1 tablespoon chunks
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups hot Quick Turkey Stock
1 cup apple cider
2 thyme sprigs
1 tablespoon minced sage
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt butter in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and continue to whisk frequently for 3-5 minutes, until mixture turns deep golden and begins to smell toasted and nutty. Slowly pour in hot turkey stock, whisking constantly (it will hiss and may spatter a bit). Then whisk in cider.

Add thyme and sage, and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes, until mixture mixture has thickened. Stir in apple cider vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

Makes 3 cups

Grandma Friese’s Whole Cranberries

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By Kurt Friese

Grandma was famous in our family for writing out recipes that began with things like “Take a bottle of cream…” without any indication, for those of us who grew up in the post-milkman era, what the size of a “bottle” might be. And that’s the way this recipe was originally handed down to me. She used to make these cranberries way ahead of time and let them ferment; they have quite a kick.

whole-cranberries-recipe
1 cup water
2 cups port wine, divided
1 cup raw sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon lemon zest (cut into long strips)
1 pound whole cranberries

Mix together water, 1 cup wine, sugar, cinnamon sticks and lemon zest in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Add the cranberries, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 8-10 minutes, just until cranberries are bursting. Add remaining cup of wine, let cool and store in a sealed container for at least a day before serving.

Makes 2-1/2 cups

Habanero-Mango Salsa

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The sugar and acid mellow out the intensity of the pepper for a salsa that’s tart and sweet with a hum of heat.

mango-salsa-recipe
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 habanero pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 mango, finely chopped
1 tablespoon mint, minced

Mix together all ingredients and let sit for 30 minutes before serving.

Serves 4