Hans Cooks the Holidays Recipes
Turkey Rouladen with Hazelnut-Shiitake Stuffing
1/2 cup hazelnut, chopped
2 cups bread, torn
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup onion, diced
2 cups shiitake mushroom, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon fresh sage, minced
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 cup mushroom stock
2 whole eggs
1 pound turkey breast cutlets, pounded
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1. Make a simple mushroom stock by adding all of your shiitake mushroom stems, onion skins and roots, and celery scraps to a pot and covering with cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer while you assemble the rest of the dish.
2. Toast the hazelnuts in a large, dry skillet until the whole kitchen smells irresistably nutty and the nuts are dry and crunchy. Remove from the pan and pulse them in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Remove and reserve.
3. Take slices of good bread (like hearty farm bread or a baguette) and pulse in the food processor until you have 2 cups of chopped and torn bread. It's ok to have a few larger pieces.
4. Add the butter to your large skillet over medium heat then add onion, shiitakes, celery, garlic, thyme, corriander, sage, sea salt, and white pepper. Cook about 4-5 minutes until the onions and celery turn slightly translucent. Spoon mixture into a large mixing bowl.
5. Add bread and hazelnuts to the cooked mixture and stir to thoroughly combine. Strain out 1 cup of the simmering mushroom stock and add to the mixture. Let mixture cool for a couple of minutes before adding in the two eggs. (If you stir in the eggs while the mixture is too hot, you'll get bready scrambled eggs!)
6. Using a meat mallet, pound turkey cutlets until they're evenly thin. Season cutlets with a little salt and white pepper.
7. Arrange the cutlets so that you have 4 portions that are about the size of a letter envelope. You may have to overlap a couple of smaller pieces, but that's just fine. Add a line of stuffing in the middle of the 'envelope' and fold the front edge of the turkey over the stuffing. Using a gentle rolling motion, roll the turkey over until you've formed a uniform roll. Carefully dust each roll with flour.
8. Add the olive oil and remaining butter to a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter's melted, carefully add your turkey parcels. Brown on each side then transfer to a dry skillet or baking pan and pop in a 375 oven for about 8 minutes. Save browning liquid in the first pan to make the gravy (see Shiitake Gravy below).
9. Remove from oven and slice each roulade before service. Serve with Cranberry-Orange relish.
Shiitake Gravy
2 cups shiitake mushroom, stems removed & chopped
3/4 cup mushroom stock
3/4 cup half and half
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
salt and pepper, to taste
nutmeg, to taste
1. In the skillet used for the Turkey Rouladen, sautee onion and garlic in the residual butter.
2. Toss the mushrooms in the flour until just covered, shaking off any excess. Add floured mushrooms to pan and sautee for about a minute.
3. Add mushroom stock and use a wooden spoon to really work loose any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add 1/2 and 1/2. Season with salt and pepper and a little grated nutmeg.
4. If sauce is too thick, add a touch more stock. If it's too thin, keep it on low heat for a few minutes to let it reduce.
Spiced Brussels Sprouts
1 pound brussels sprout, halved
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon cumin, ground
1/4 teaspoon turmeric, ground
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
1 tablespoon cane sugar
1. Cut the ends off of the brussels sprouts and half them lengthwise. Put sprouts in a microwave-safe glass bowl and add the water. Cover bowl with a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 4 minutes. This will par cook the sprouts. Carefully remove the plate (steam burns are wicked) and drain the sprouts.
2. In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. When melted, add garam masala, cumin, turmeric, sugar, and salt and stir to combine. Add sprouts and toss to coat in spiced butter. Reduce heat and cook for another 2 minutes. Sprouts should still tender, but still have an internal bite to them.
Cranberry Orange Sauce
12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup cane sugar
1 cup orange juice
1 orange, zested, peeled, and chopped
1 teaspoon orange flower water
Place all ingredients in a sturdy, medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Once cooled, place cranberry sauce in the refrigerator to chill. Best if made several days in advance.
Articles
I'm currently the Food Editor for Connect Marketing which publishes Georgia 515 Living, Cherokee Living, Cobb Living, Forsyth Living, North Fulton Living, and Sandy Springs Living. Below you'll find some restaurant spotlights that I've written with photography by my wife Amy. Click on any of the articles below to view it in .pdf format.