Xmas Dinner Resolutions
Dec. 30th, 2019 07:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madbakerThis week's Resolution Recipe is a two-fer - our Xmas dinner.
Turkey Breast with Apple Cranberry Chutney.
3-4 lbs boneless turkey breast
2 tsp each salt and pepper
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup cider vinegar (pomgar)
1/2 cup sugar
1 medium sweet onion, minced
4 medium apples, peeled, cored, and diced
3 cups whole cranberries, fresh or frozen (I used frozen)
1 cup roughly chopped toasted walnuts
Sprinkle the salt and pepper on the turkey breast. Vac-seal, making sure the breasts are side by side rather than stacked if using multiples. (We had about 3 lbs of a single breast, so not an issue.) Set the sous vide recirculator to 146 F. Cook the turkey for 3-6 hours.
In a medium saucepan, make the chutney: bring the water, pomgar, and sugar to a low boil. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Add the onion and cook until it is tender, 3-4 minutes. Add the apple and cranberries and cover. Simmer over low heat for 8-10 minutes, until the apples are soft and the cranberries are plump and starting to break. Remove the lid and continue to simmer, stirring often until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat.
Open the bag and slice the turkey into 1/2" thick slices. Top a couple slices of turkey with a few spoonfuls of chutney, and sprinkle walnuts over the top.
What worked: This was time-intensive because I cooked the turkey for 4 hours, but basically minimal effort because it was simply sitting in a large container of water doing its thing. The end result was delicious and showy: the turkey was moist and cooked, the chutney had a nice sharpness and a brilliant color, and the walnuts provided crunch and bitter. Plus we had roasted brussels sprouts and rolls (below), so the plates were a nice study in contrasting colors, shapes, and textures. Which is kind of unusual for me! I generally have to make an effort to think about plating attractively.
I halved the chutney amount, which was the right call; we still have leftovers after eating all the turkey. (We're going to roast a chicken breast tonight to use it up.)
What didn't: I was pretty happy with it. However, my efforts to make "pomgar" a word have gone in vain.
Will I make it again? Yes, especially for a holiday or other occasion with guests. It's a tasty, showy dinner for the relatively small amount of effort.
Basic Dinner Rolls.
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp dry yeast
3 cups flour (I used 1 cup white wheat and 2 white)
1 tsp salt
Add the sugar to the water and stir until it dissolves. Whisk in the yeast and let it sit for 5 or 6 minutes. Whisk in 1/2 cup flour, then the salt, then 2 1/4 cups more flour. Turn dough onto a floured surface (with remaining 1/4 cup flour) and knead for 3-4 minutes until smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky. Form the dough into a nice, round ball and place it in a greased bowl, rolling it so the top is greased as well. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let proof for 1-2 hours, or doubled.
Knock down the dough, turn out onto the lightly floured surface, and knead out any stray bubbles. Reform, recover, and let proof another hour.
Shape rolls as desired (I made golf ball-sized 50g rolls), place on a greased baking sheet, and let proof for an hour. Heat oven to 400 and bake 15-20 minutes. For a crisper crust let them stay in the oven for 5 minutes longer after turning the heat off.
What worked: I'd been jonesing for rolls for a couple weeks. These fit the bill nicely. They rose nicely, but stayed very round and picturesque. I left them in the 5 minutes longer so they were firm on the outside and a lovely brown, but not crunchy.
The measurements given made an even dozen rolls, which was half the size of the original recipe. Good thing I halved it since the two of us can't eat 24 rolls before they turn into doorstops.
What didn't: I was pretty happy with them too.
Will I make it again? I don't make rolls often (As Mel said on GBBO during bread week: prove it!)* but I could see doing this for more than two people, yes.
*You see what I did there.
Turkey Breast with Apple Cranberry Chutney.
3-4 lbs boneless turkey breast
2 tsp each salt and pepper
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup cider vinegar (pomgar)
1/2 cup sugar
1 medium sweet onion, minced
4 medium apples, peeled, cored, and diced
3 cups whole cranberries, fresh or frozen (I used frozen)
1 cup roughly chopped toasted walnuts
Sprinkle the salt and pepper on the turkey breast. Vac-seal, making sure the breasts are side by side rather than stacked if using multiples. (We had about 3 lbs of a single breast, so not an issue.) Set the sous vide recirculator to 146 F. Cook the turkey for 3-6 hours.
In a medium saucepan, make the chutney: bring the water, pomgar, and sugar to a low boil. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Add the onion and cook until it is tender, 3-4 minutes. Add the apple and cranberries and cover. Simmer over low heat for 8-10 minutes, until the apples are soft and the cranberries are plump and starting to break. Remove the lid and continue to simmer, stirring often until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat.
Open the bag and slice the turkey into 1/2" thick slices. Top a couple slices of turkey with a few spoonfuls of chutney, and sprinkle walnuts over the top.
What worked: This was time-intensive because I cooked the turkey for 4 hours, but basically minimal effort because it was simply sitting in a large container of water doing its thing. The end result was delicious and showy: the turkey was moist and cooked, the chutney had a nice sharpness and a brilliant color, and the walnuts provided crunch and bitter. Plus we had roasted brussels sprouts and rolls (below), so the plates were a nice study in contrasting colors, shapes, and textures. Which is kind of unusual for me! I generally have to make an effort to think about plating attractively.
I halved the chutney amount, which was the right call; we still have leftovers after eating all the turkey. (We're going to roast a chicken breast tonight to use it up.)
What didn't: I was pretty happy with it. However, my efforts to make "pomgar" a word have gone in vain.
Will I make it again? Yes, especially for a holiday or other occasion with guests. It's a tasty, showy dinner for the relatively small amount of effort.
Basic Dinner Rolls.
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp dry yeast
3 cups flour (I used 1 cup white wheat and 2 white)
1 tsp salt
Add the sugar to the water and stir until it dissolves. Whisk in the yeast and let it sit for 5 or 6 minutes. Whisk in 1/2 cup flour, then the salt, then 2 1/4 cups more flour. Turn dough onto a floured surface (with remaining 1/4 cup flour) and knead for 3-4 minutes until smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky. Form the dough into a nice, round ball and place it in a greased bowl, rolling it so the top is greased as well. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let proof for 1-2 hours, or doubled.
Knock down the dough, turn out onto the lightly floured surface, and knead out any stray bubbles. Reform, recover, and let proof another hour.
Shape rolls as desired (I made golf ball-sized 50g rolls), place on a greased baking sheet, and let proof for an hour. Heat oven to 400 and bake 15-20 minutes. For a crisper crust let them stay in the oven for 5 minutes longer after turning the heat off.
What worked: I'd been jonesing for rolls for a couple weeks. These fit the bill nicely. They rose nicely, but stayed very round and picturesque. I left them in the 5 minutes longer so they were firm on the outside and a lovely brown, but not crunchy.
The measurements given made an even dozen rolls, which was half the size of the original recipe. Good thing I halved it since the two of us can't eat 24 rolls before they turn into doorstops.
What didn't: I was pretty happy with them too.
Will I make it again? I don't make rolls often (As Mel said on GBBO during bread week: prove it!)* but I could see doing this for more than two people, yes.
*You see what I did there.
