It’s not too late to make some special side dishes for your Thanksgiving table. From King Estate Executive Chef Jordan Heissenberger comes a recipe for a salad and potato dish that will be standouts for the feast.
Tartiflette derives its name from the word for potato in a French dialect spoken in the Savoy region of the Alps where this dish is popular. It’s a nice twist on the traditional potato side dish, either with or instead of mashed potatoes and gravy. With just six ingredients, it’s a great way for even a novice chef to cook like a pro.
Ingredients:
8 to 10 Yukon potatoes sliced into ¼-inch rounds
1 pound of bacon cut into ¼-inch pieces
3 large Spanish onions sliced thin
2 cups King Estate Pinot Gris
½ gallon heavy cream
1 wheel reblochon cheese (can substitute brie)
Salt and pepper to taste
To prepare:
Render the bacon pieces in a heavy-bottom pan.
When the color has developed, add the onions and sweat them until translucent.
Deglaze with the wine and reduce the liquid by half.
Add heavy cream and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Bring to a low simmer. Add potatoes and simmer until just barely cooked.
Fill a 4-quart oven-safe casserole dish with the potato mixture using a slotted spoon. Some liquid will not be used.
Top with cheese slices and bake at 350 degrees until melted and bubbly.
Belgian endive salad is served with candied walnuts and champagne vinaigrette, a delicious alternative to the standard green salad. The nuts can be made in advance. Don’t let this recipe intimidate you. Once you make the nuts and mix the dressing up in the blender, it’s a snap to assemble.
Candied walnuts
Ingredients:
2 cups walnut halves
2 large egg whites
3 T. packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup honey
Fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt
To prepare:
Put the nuts on a baking sheet and roast at 350 degrees for 4 minutes; then turn the sheet 180 degrees and roast for another 4 minutes. Remove the sheet from the oven and let them cool. Turn the over down to 275 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until they begin to have body but before they form soft peaks. Add the brown sugar, honey and about 10 turns of a pepper grinder’s worth of black pepper to the whites and
combine.
Add the walnuts to the mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until they are well coated. Drain excess liquid.
Spread the nuts on a foil-lined baking sheet and sprinkle them evenly with the salt.
Put them back in the oven and bake for about 12 minutes. Then turn the baking sheet 180 degrees and bake for another 12 minutes. The nuts should be dry, not sticky.
Remove them from the oven and let them cool. They can be stored for up to 2 weeks in a sealed container in a cool, dry place.
Champagne vinaigrette
Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves, microplaned or zested
¼ cup Dijon mustard
½ cup champagne vinegar
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 T honey
1 pinch kosher salt
1 pinch fresh ground black pepper
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
To prepare:
In a blender, combine all ingredients except the olive oil and blend until smooth.
Transfer the liquid to a bowl and whisk in the olive oil. (Blending the olive oil in the blender will result in a bitter taste.)
Belgian endive salad
Ingredients:
8 to 10 heads of Belgian endive
1 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
Assemble the salad:
Wash the lettuce, remove root ends and separate the leaves.
Toss in the dressing, taste for seasoning and top with the walnuts and cheese.
From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!
