Every Thanksgiving since 1993, through the miracle of audio editing, Morning Edition host Bob Edwards brings together the creme de la creme of cookery for a fantasy holiday feast. This year's celebrity chef potluck features Julia Child, Maida Heatter, Paul Prudhomme and Wolfgang Puck -- and one would-be party crasher.
Below are a pair of recipes from the invited gourmet guests -- and a link to the party crasher's recipe.
Wolfgang Puck's Smoked Salmon with Caviar on a Crisp Potato Galette
Serves 4 to 6
3 potatoes, peeled and grated
½ pound clarified butter
1 pound smoked salmon, thinly sliced
½ cup creme fraiche or sour cream
3 shallots, minced
5 sprigs fresh dill, chopped
juice of 1 lemon
pinch of black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ bunch fresh chives, chopped
3 oz. caviar
1. Toss grated potatoes in ¼ pound clarified butter. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
2. Heat 2 nonstick sauté pans over high heat until nearly smoking. Divide remaining butter between two pans. Add the potatoes evenly to each pan, and shape them into thick pancakes. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then reduce heat. Sauté until almost golden brown. Use a spatula to check the underside of the pancake, turn over and cook other side until golden. Remove galettes from pans and warm in a 425°F oven for 10 minutes.
3. Prepare dill cream: In a bowl, mix together shallots, dill, creme fraiche or sour cream, juice of ½ lemon and season with salt and pepper. Mix well.
4. Remove galettes from oven while still warm. Spread with dill cream and cover with slices of smoked salmon. Lightly brush smoked salmon with olive oil, then sprinkle with black pepper and remaining lemon juice. Cut galettes into desired portions and garnish with caviar and chopped chives. Serve immediately.
Wolfgang Puck © 2000
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Julia Child's Mashed Potatoes
Serves 6
4 or 5 large baking potatoes
salt
½ cup or so milk and/or cream, heated in a saucepan
2 or more tablespoons softened butter
Freshly ground white pepper
Special equipment suggested: a potato ricer or an electric mixer
Preliminary cooking: You may bake or steam the potatoes whole before mashing them, or boil them in pieces as suggested here. Wash and peel the potatoes and cut into quarters. Set in a saucepan with lightly salted water to cover (1 ½ teaspoons salt per quart of water). Bring to the boil, cover loosely, and boil 10 to 15 minutes or longer until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.
Cut a piece in half and eat a bit to be sure they are just done; undercooked potatoes will not mash properly. Drain the water out of the pan (you may wish to save it for soup making); toss the potatoes over moderate heat for a moment until they begin to film the pan; this is to evaporate excess moisture.
(Child's mashing note: "Home-style mashed potatoes are becoming trendy in bistro-type restaurants at this writing, and they're careful to leave in some lumps so we'll presume they're not instant mashed. Or perhaps they use instant plus one or two lumpily mashed fresh potatoes. Hmm!")
Seasoning: Beat in driblets of hot milk and/or cream, alternating with half-tablespoons of butter -- careful not to make them too soft. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The sooner you can serve them, the better.
Ahead of time note: If you cannot serve at once, beat in only a minimum of milk, etc. Turn the potatoes into a saucepan if you have used an electric mixer. Set in another pan of hot but not simmering water, and cover the potatoes loosely -- they must stay warm to retain their fresh quality, and they must have air circulation or they develop an off taste. At serving time, bring the water to the simmer, beating the potatoes with a wooden spoon; then beat in more hot milk or cream and soft butter to your taste.
Recipe courtesy Alfred A. Knopf Publishers
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