A Magical Feast

As the holiday season swings into gear, cooks vanish into their kitchens for entire days. There, stocking cupboards, firing up stoves, paging madly through their texts, they remind us once more that cooking is the original alchemy. After all, what else is that ancient science but the dogged attempt to transform simple ingredients into divine substance?

To spread a little culinary sparkle, we asked six terrific Los Angeles-area chefs to help us with a holiday menu--and wound up with half a dozen solid-gold, ethnically diverse dishes, all of which are potently delicious and magically easy--and reveal a few nifty professional tricks.

Every year chef Suzanne Tracht from Jozu has Thanksgiving dinner with the same 15 friends, one of whom is Jerry Tevrow, an L.A. scallop purveyor. “Most people bring Champagne to the dinner,” she says. “Jerry brings scallops.” Her now-favorite appetizer recipe starts with cunning, crisp little pancakes formed out of Chinese noodles to serve as nests for finespun pea sprouts and a single flawlessly cooked scallop. Then she adds a ginger-garlic-soy-infused Chinese relish flecked with red peppers and bright green onions and cilantro.

Chef Jean Franois Meteigner first created his rich soup with its jaunty puff pastry cap for a dinner at La Cachette featuring the food of Perigord. The ingredients--chestnuts, morel mushrooms and celery root--are native to that region in the southwest of France. “It’s a superb soup,” he says. “When you break through the crust, what you smell is the French countryside, the richness of chestnuts and the earthiness of the mushrooms.”

Although turkey is the centerpiece of this holiday meal, Joe Miller, chef-owner of Joe’s and Joe Joe’s, would have you spending more time with family and friends and less with the big bird. His recipe calls for only the breast. “This recipe,” Miller says, “uses traditional ingredients we know and love--and adds some flair in the form of white truffles, which happen to be in season.” First boned and then browned, the breast is roasted under a full half-pound of fresh-picked herbs and another quarter-pound of garlic cloves! (Don’t be surprised if, midway through the cooking, neighbors start materializing in your yard with their arms outstretched, their noses in the air.) The meat is sliced thinly and arranged alongside a spicy sweet potato puree. In lieu of boring old gravy, Miller proposes a sabayon scented with white truffle oil. Add the optional grated white truffle at your own risk: The celebrated fungus’ faintly metallic taste is so keen and haunting that it can trigger yearning: Hence, sentimental songs and heartfelt reminiscence may spontaneously erupt from those who eat it.

As for side dishes, chef Claud Beltran, formerly of Dickenson West, generously divulges a recipe for Brussels sprouts that even he (not to mention other Brussels sprouts unenthusiasts) will eat. The teeny, cabbage-y knobs (with their alarming resemblance to angel brains) do taste fabulous prepared his way, but the best moment may well be when, as the cook, you set a quarter-cup of Grand Marnier on fire--it’s a Brussels sprouts jubilee!

Another old standby--creamed onions--is transformed in the hands of executive chef Carrie Nahabedian from the Gardens Restaurant at the Four Seasons. “High-quality smoked bacon makes all the difference,” she says. “Also use good pearl onions and be careful to keep them whole.” Bacon, brandy and cream are slowly reduced with the onions to pure bliss. Adds Nahabedian: “It’s not a dish for the faint of heart.”

The jewel in the crown is bonet, from Roberto Perotti, chef at Alto Palato, who first ate bonet in family-style restaurants in his native Piedmont. A warm, not-too-sweet custard, it’s spiked with rum, espresso and chocolate. Under its powerful spell, even teenagers and children have been known to get up and cheerfully help with the dishes.

Warning: This is a rich, heady menu for the average mortal. We recommend that home cooks pick and choose among the options--appetizer or soup, pureed sweet potatoes or creamed onions, Brussels sprouts or--this one’s easy--dessert.

*

Styled by Ann Johnstad; food stylist: Janet Miller

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Holiday Menu

Grilled Scallops on Noodle Cakes With Chinese Relish

Crusted Chestnut and Morel Soup

Compote of Pearl Onions With Smoked Bacon, Cream and Chives

“The Only Way I’ll Eat Them” Brussels Sprouts

Roasted Turkey With Sweet Potato Puree and White Truffle Sabayon

Bonet

For recipes, please see Page 38.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Grilled Scallops on Noodle Cakes with Chinese Relish

from Suzanne Tracht of Jozu

(Serves 6)

*

NOODLE CAKES

3 ounces fresh Chinese egg noodles, divided into 6 portions

4 cups peanut oil

*

CHINESE RELISH

1/4 cup peanut oil, divided

5 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped

5 tablespoons garlic, coarsely chopped

5 tablespoons red bell pepper, finely diced

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 bunch green onions, green part only, finely diced

1 bunch cilantro, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped

1/4 cup light soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

*

SCALLOPS

2 tablespoons peanut oil

sea salt and ground black pepper

6 fresh sea scallops, preferably from Maine, trimmed of side muscle

*

GARNISH

3 ounces pea sprouts

*

For noodle cakes: Form noodles into 6 cakes by hand. Pour peanut oil into large skillet to depth of 1 inch. Over medium heat, carefully fry one cake at a time, 45 seconds to 1 minute per side. The noodles should be light gold before turning. Remove cakes, drain and cool completely. Cakes may be made a day ahead and stored in airtight container.

For Chinese relish: Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger and cook until just browned. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds, or until golden but not burned. Remove skillet from heat. Add red bell pepper and lemon juice, tossing to combine. Transfer to bowl and cool completely. Later, whisk in remaining peanut oil, green onions, cilantro, soy sauce and sesame oil. Relish may be made a day ahead, covered and refrigerated, but serve at room temperature.

For scallops: Heat grill to medium high. Season peanut oil with salt and pepper and brush on both sides of scallops. Cook scallops 1 to 2 minutes, turning only once. They should be cooked medium-rare. Remove scallops from grill and allow to rest for a few minutes.

To assemble: Divide pea sprouts among noodle cakes. Cut scallops in half, top to bottom at a diagonal, and place two halves atop sprouts on each cake. Spoon relish over scallops and cakes. Serve immediately.

Note: Fresh Chinese egg noodles and pea sprouts are available at Asian food stores such as 99 Ranch Market, Bangkok Market and Yaohan. Tracht recommends using the brand of noodles with a large pagoda on the label.

Crusted Chestnut and Morel Soup

from Jean Franois Meteigner of La Cachette

(Serves 6)

*

1 1/2 to 2 ounces of dried morel mushrooms

1/2 pound chestnuts

1/2 onion, diced

1/2 leek, diced

1 pound celery root, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

sea salt

1 tablespoon garlic, chopped

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 1/2 onions, burned on top of stove (see note below)

2 egg yolks, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon of water

frozen puff pastry, well-chilled (see note below)

*

Soak morels in cold water overnight. Cut an X in flat side of chestnuts and place on baking sheet. Roast in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with towel to steam. Shell chestnuts when cool enough to handle. Set aside.

Saute onion, leek and celery root in olive oil over low heat for 10 minutes. Add salt and chestnuts.

Drain morels, saving liquid. Strain liquid to remove sand; reserve. Add morels and garlic to chestnut mixture and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in enough reserved liquid to cover vegetables, adding chicken or vegetable stock if necessary. Add burned onions and cook uncovered for 1 hour over medium heat.

When soup is cool, remove morels, dice and set aside. Discard burned onions. Then puree rest of soup in blender. Return diced morels to pureed soup. If soup is too thick, add more stock.

Chill soup until cold. Pour into chilled oven-safe soup bowls and brush egg yolks around the outer edges of bowls. Cut chilled puff pastry into rounds 1 inch larger in circumference than bowls. Cover bowls with rounds, lightly pressing pastry down and against sides of bowls to seal. Be careful not to poke any holes in pastry. Brush top of pastry with egg yolks. Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

Note on burned onions: Cut onions, skin on, in half. Put in cast-iron pan and leave on high heat for 30 minutes without turning. Burned onions will be charred black and give soup a darker, richer color without imparting any taste. Be sure to discard them before pureeing soup.

Note on puff pastry: Both soup and bowls must be chilled before adding chilled puff pastry.

“The Only Way I’ll Eat Them” Brussels Sprouts

from Claud Beltran, formerly of Dickenson West

(Serves 6 to 8)

*

2 1/2 pounds fresh Brussels sprouts

canola oil

2 tablespoons shallots, finely chopped

1/4 cup orange zest

1/4 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup Grand Marnier

1 tablespoon butter

*

Blanch Brussels sprouts in salted water for 5 to 8 minutes. Refresh by rinsing with ice water. Drain well.

In hot saute pan with a little canola oil, saute sprouts over high heat until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add shallots and continue to saute another minute. Then add orange zest, garlic, thyme and salt.

Using extra care, turn off burner or remove pan from burner before adding Grand Marnier, which will flare up in flames. When flames subside, indicating the liqueur’s alcohol has burned off, add butter to finish sauce. Serve immediately.

Compote of Pearl Onions with Smoked Bacon, Brandy, Cream and Chives

from Carrie Nahabedian of the Gardens Restaurant at the Four Seasons

(Serves 6)

*

2 pounds white pearl onions, peeled

6 slices smoked bacon, preferably applewood-smoked

2 ounces brandy

1 pint heavy cream

salt and freshly ground pepper

fresh chives, chopped for garnish

Place onions in pot and cover with cold water. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium and cook onions for 3 minutes. Refresh by rinsing with cold water. Set aside.

Julienne bacon into 1/2-inch pieces and cook in heavy-bottomed stainless-steel pan over medium-high heat. With spoon, move bacon to ensure even cooking and cook only until bacon is light brown. Remove from heat, drain bacon on paper towels, pour off excess bacon fat and deglaze pan with brandy. On medium-high heat, return bacon to pan and reduce brandy by half. Add onions and cream and bring to quick boil. Immediately lower heat to medium and continue cooking slowly. Stir frequently to prevent sticking, but be careful not to break up onions. Cook until cream is thick and reduced by half. Season to taste, adding salt last since smoked bacon is already salty. As soon as cream turns pale beige and coats back of spoon, remove from heat. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

Note: Dish may be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Reheat slowly and add chives just before serving.

Roasted Turkey with Sweet Potato Puree and White Truffle Sabayon

from Joe Miller of Joe’s

(Makes 10 servings)

*

SWEET POTATO PUREE

3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

8 ounces butter, plus 4 ounces for finishing

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon ground allspice

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1/2 cup milk

salt and freshly ground pepper

*

ROASTED TURKEY

5 pounds boneless turkey breast, skin on

salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 pound fresh rosemary

1/4 pound fresh sage

1/4 pound garlic, peeled and separated into cloves

*

WHITE TRUFFLE SABAYON

6 egg yolks

6 ounces of Evian bottled water

juice of 1 lemon

6 ounces of butter

1 1/2 ounces white truffle oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 ounce fresh white truffles, shaved thinly for garnish (optional)

*

For sweet potato puree: Combine sweet potatoes, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and brown sugar in roasting pan. Roast at 350 degrees for 2 hours, or until potatoes are soft. Puree through ricer or large colander. Reserve.

Boil russet potatoes in salted water until just done. Puree through ricer or large colander. Boil milk and mix with potatoes until creamy. Season potatoes with salt and pepper. Reserve.

For turkey: Buy or cut turkey breast off the bone with skin on. Season the meat side of breast with salt and pepper. In large saute or roasting pan over medium heat, sear the skin until brown. Then, leaving turkey skin side down, cover meat side with whole rosemary, sage and garlic.

Roast in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes, or until internal temperature of meat is 140 degrees. Remove from oven and take out herbs and garlic. Let meat rest.

For sabayon: In double boiler, or large stainless-steel bowl set in a warm water bath, combine egg yolks, Evian water and lemon juice and whisk for 5 minutes, or until very frothy.

Bring to boil, then quickly reduce heat and begin whipping in cold butter and truffle oil until incorporated. Be careful not to overheat. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm and reserve.

To assemble: Combine the sweet potato puree and russet potato puree with a little butter in a pan over medium heat until mixed. Correct seasoning and add more milk if desired.

Put dollop of puree in center of plate. Slice turkey breast thinly, with or without crispy skin, and fan out in front of puree. Drizzle meat with sabay on, shave white truffles on top if desired and serve.

Note: White truffle oil and fresh white truffles are available at gourmet food stores such as the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills, Chalet Gour-met and Wally’s.

*

Bonet

from Roberto Perotti of Alto Palato

(Serves 6)

*

CARAMEL

9 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons cold water

*

CUSTARD

6 eggs

1 1/4 cup sugar

2 ounces amaretti (Italian almond macaroons), crumbled

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 ounces rum

3 cups whole milk, warmed

2 tablespoons powdered instant espresso

espresso beans and crushed amaretti for garnish (optional)

*

For caramel: Combine sugar and water in heavy saucepan. Mix well over medium-high heat with metal spoon. Stop stirring and cook mixture until it turns deep amber. Working quickly, pour caramel to coat sides and bottom of 2-quart nonstick savarin mold, or 6 nonstick molds or ramekins for individual servings. Set aside to cool.

For custard: Whisk together eggs and sugar until slightly frothy. Sift in crumbled amaretti and cocoa powder. Stir in rum, warm milk and espresso.

Pour mixture into caramel-coated mold. Place mold in bain-marie, or baking pan filled with simmering water. Cover top of mold with aluminum foil.

Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 80 to 90 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. Cool to room temperature and unmold. Garnish with espresso beans and crushed amaretti if desired. Serve warm or cold.