A New Take on the Thanksgiving Meal

The holidays are approaching. The smell of wood burning in fireplaces, the feel of cool, nippy air caressing your face, the autumn chore of raking of orange, red, yellow and brown leaves; this puts me in party mode.

I start planning my Thanksgiving dinner in October, going through many ideas before deciding upon the final menu. This year’s holiday feast will kick off with appetizers of Stilton gougères, which are little pillows of dough and Stilton. They will be followed by a hot and delicious carrot and beet soup, scarlet in color and served with one large tempura shrimp.

For the entrée, a cassoulet. This is a slow-roasted, French casserole comprised of duck, sausages, lamb and cannellini beans. To make it fit Thanksgiving, I will add turkey meat. Side dishes of braised leeks, roasted brussel sprouts with chorizo, and roasted fall vegetables will complement the cassoulet. I'm hungry already! 

Once finished, an intermezzo of Raspberry port sorbet will serve as a tasty palate cleanser.

For dessert, a dramatic presentation of baked Alaska consisting of layers of chestnut, vanilla, and cranberry ice creams covered in clouds of Swiss meringue. Instead of baking it in the oven, I will flambé the baked Alaska at the table for my guests. While the flames are dancing I will sprinkle cinnamon powder for sparkles.

After dessert we will enjoy coffee, chocolates and post prandials next to a vigorous and toasty wood fireplace in the sitting room.

Let's start planning our dinners, setting the tables, coordinating the dishes, and playing the jazz sounds of Michael Bubblé, Ella Fitzgerald and Rod Stewart. Enjoy the holidays to come. Salud!

Baked Alaska (8 – 10 servings)

*It is best to start preparation the day prior. The Swiss Meringue needs to be made the day the Baked Alaska is served.

Sponge Cake (recipe follows)

2-3 Flavors of your favorite ice cream and/or sorbet

Swiss Meringue (recipe follows)

Equipment

Loaf pan lined generously with plastic wrap

Pastry bag with a star tip

Sponge Cake Recipe (for 9 inch cake or half sheet (13"x16") pan)

Ingredients

125 grams cake flour

35 grams butter

5 eggs

125 grams sugar

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line a cake pan or half-sheet tray with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Warm the butter until it is melted. Set aside and keep warm but not hot.

3. Sift the cake flour and set aside.

4. While butter is melting, place eggs and sugar in a bowl over a Bain Marie. Whisk until they are slightly warmer than body temperature (110°F). (Hint: when testing the temperature with your finger it will feel warm but not hot.)

5. In a mixing bowl fitted with whisk attachment, whip warmed eggs and sugar until triple in volume.

6. Gradually add the cake flour in 1/3’s and fold after each addition into the eggs/sugar.

7. Remove 1 cup of batter and fold into melted butter.

8. Fold butter mixture into original batter.

9. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and spread evenly. Bake for 7 – 10 minutes until sponge cake is golden brown, springs to the touch, and pulls away from the sides of the pan. 

Assembling the Baked Alaska
To see a video demonstration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ2HLkokLcY&feature=youtu.be

1. Spray the loaf pan with cooking spray. Line the loaf pan with plastic wrap. Leave some plastic hanging over the loaf for easy removal.

2. Soften ice cream and/or sorbet. Place first ice cream in bottom 1/3 of the loaf pan. Put back in the freezer and let harden (this will make it easier to add the next layer). Repeat this process for the next two layers of ice cream and/or sorbet.

3. When the final ice cream/sorbet layer is in place, press the piece of cake (4” x 8”) on top of ice creams. Cover with the hanging plastic wrap and keep in freezer overnight.

Swiss meringue

200 grams egg whites

225 grams sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine all ingredients. Place bowl over a Bain Marie and whisk until the egg whites feel warm or slightly hot (like 130°F).

2. Place the bowl on the mixing stand and whip with whisk attachment on high speed for 3 minutes. Lower speed to medium and keep whipping for 2 more minutes.  The meringue should be room temperature by now. If not, keep whipping until it is room temperature.

3. While the meringue is whipping, remove the Alaska from freezer. Dislodge the ice cream from the pan using the excess plastic wrap for help.

4. Once the dessert is out of the pan, place on a nice oven resistant tray with cake side down.

5. Start with half of the Swiss meringue in a pastry bag fitted with star tip. Cover the entire dessert with Swiss meringue in any design that you prefer.

6. Put the Alaska in the freezer. Keep in freezer until 30 minutes before serving.

                                          

When Ready to Serve:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F for 10 minutes.

2. Put the Alaska in oven and bake for 5 minutes or until golden brown.

3. Bring to dining table immediately and slice and enjoy.

                                   

Or, if you prefer to flambé the Baked Alaska at the table:

Warm up 2 tablespoons of brandy and pour into a metal ladle very carefully.  Dim the lights in the dining room, use a match to light the alcohol and pour over the Alaska to the oohs and ahs of your friends.