Ina Garten: Balsamic-Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I know most people are not Brussels sprouts people, but my family most definitely is.  What's not to like about mini cabbages, especially when they're all roasty and fabulous?  So I'm always looking for a new recipe for these little guys.  This is one is pretty simple, but the balsamic vinegar syrup really balances everything out in a pretty delicious way.  Definitely a keeper.

Note: I did not have a very expensive syrupy balsamic vinegar, so I cooked ½ cup of semi-expensive balsamic vinegar and 1 teaspoon of honey over medium-high heat until it reached a syrupy 2 tablespoons and used all of it.

Balsamic-Roasted Brussels Sprouts
From Ina Garten

1½ pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half through the core
4 ounces pancetta, ¼-inch-diced
¼ cup good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon syrupy balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Place the Brussels sprouts on a sheet pan, including some of the loose leaves, which get crispy when they're roasted. Add the pancetta, olive oil, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper, toss with your hands, and spread out in a single layer.

Roast the Brussels sprouts for 20 to 30 minutes, until they're tender and nicely browned and the pancetta is cooked. Toss once during roasting. Remove from the oven, drizzle immediately with the balsamic vinegar, and toss again. Taste for seasonings, and serve hot.

Makes 6 servings

Bon Appétit: Why-Is-It-So-Good Gravy

I have never been a good gravy maker.  I can make pretty much anything else on the planet.  But not gravy.  Mine generally comes from a jar or not at all.  So I was a little bit hesitant to try, yet again, to make my own gravy, believing I would only end up being disappointed.  Luckily I was way off base.  This gravy, while a bit of work, is pretty darn delicious.  And don't let that MSG scare you off...it gives it that extra special something.  I finally don't feel like a gravy failure.

Update 11/2020: On remaking the gravy this year, I backed off a bit on the sherry vinegar.  When I originally made this gravy, I found that the vinegar was very pronounced, and I wanted the meaty flavor of the gravy to shine.  Using just 1 teaspoon seemed to work just fine.

Why-Is-It-So-Good Gravy
Adapted from Bon Appétit magazine, November 2019

3 pounds turkey and/or chicken wings, flats and drumettes separated

2 turkey or chicken necks (optional)
4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
2 heads of garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 large shallots, unpeeled, halved
1 (4-inch) piece ginger, scrubbed, thickly sliced
4 ounces crimini, shiitake, or white button mushrooms, torn into large pieces
2 teaspoons black peppercorns, lightly crushed
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup amontillado sherry
Handful of parsley or parsley stems
6 cups turkey stock or low-sodium chicken broth, warmed
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Accent powder
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss wings and necks in a large cast-iron skillet with 2 tablespoons oil until coated. Roast, tossing halfway through, until golden brown and starting to crisp, 25 to 35 minutes.

Remove wings and necks from oven and add garlic, shallots, ginger, mushrooms, peppercorns, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil to pan; toss to coat. Return to oven and roast, tossing halfway through, until wings are deeply browned and crisp and vegetables are browned, 30 to 40 minutes more.

Meanwhile, mash together flour and butter in a small bowl with your fingers or a fork until homogenous. Set beurre manié aside.

Remove skillet from oven and set on stovetop over medium-high heat. Add sherry and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, until sherry is almost completely reduced, about 2 minutes.

Scrape wings, necks, and aromatics into a medium pot and add parsley and stock. Bring to a low simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer gently, skimming fat from surface occasionally and turning wings so both sides get a chance to be submerged, until liquid is flavorful, mahogany in color, and reduced by about one-third, 30 to 40 minutes.

Fish out wings and necks; discard. Pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring glass; discard solids. Rinse out pot and pour turkey mixture back in. Bring to a simmer over medium. Whisking constantly, add reserved beurre manié and whisk until completely incorporated. Simmer, whisking often and skimming any foam from surface, until gravy is thick enough to coat a spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in vinegar and MSG. Taste gravy and season with salt and pepper if desired.

Do Ahead: Gravy (without vinegar and MSG) can be made 5 days ahead. Let cool, then cover and chill. Reheat over medium until simmering, then add vinegar and MSG.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Flavor Mosaic: Mango-Peach Habanero Wings

I'm not normally a wing person.  But I was looking for turkey wings and finding nothing.  So I bought these as backup.  But then I found the magical, mystical turkey wings.  So something had to be done.  And what do you do with wings, but slather them with delicious sauces?  And these were pretty darn good.  It would be nice if I could figure out a way to get them really crispy in the oven, but it's worth it to not have to deal with frying in oil.

Mango-Peach Habanero Wings
From Flavor Mosaic blog

24 chicken wings or drummettes with skin (approximately 3 pounds)
Salt and pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon paprika
¾ cup mango habanero salsa
½ cup peach preserves
¼ cup chopped cilantro for garnish

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Pat wings dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika.  Place the wings on a foil covered baking sheet and cook in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, turning once.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, stir together the mango habanero salsa and peach preserves until smooth and heated through.  Brush the mango-peach habanero glaze over each of the wings, both sides, and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes more.  Remove from the oven, brush with additional glaze, and place on a serving plate. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Makes 6 servings

America's Test Kitchen: Best Baked Potato

I know, I know.  A recipe for a baked potato.  Seems a little ridiculous.  But I have to say, while it might be easy to make any old baked potato (hello, microwave!), it's not that easy to make an especially delicious baked potato.  With a nice salty skin.  And tender insides.  This, my friends, is that baked potato.

Best Baked Potatoes
From America's Test Kitchen as seen at The Splendid Table

Salt and pepper
4 (7- to 9-ounce) russet potatoes, unpeeled, each lightly pricked with fork in 6 places
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450°F. Dissolve 2 tablespoons salt in ½ cup water in large bowl. Place potatoes in bowl and toss so exteriors of potatoes are evenly moistened. Transfer potatoes to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and bake until center of largest potato registers 205°F, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove potatoes from oven and brush tops and sides with oil. Return potatoes to oven and continue to bake for 10 minutes.

Remove potatoes from oven and, using paring knife, make 2 slits, forming an X, in each potato. Using clean dish towel, hold ends and squeeze slightly to push flesh up and out. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings