In a medium saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the orange juice. Stir in the cranberries, and cook until they start to pop (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat, and transfer to a bowl. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.
Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Cover and bring to a boil; cook for 20-25 minutes or until very tender. Drain well. Add milk, butter, salt and pepper; mash until light and fluffy.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour and 1 hour cooling
Serves 35 croquettes
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 leek, white and light green parts only, cut into 1-inch lengths
1 carrot, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups whole milk
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
About 1 quart vegetable oil, for deep frying
2 eggs
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 Preheat the oven to 375°. In a small roasting pan, toss the chicken thighs with the onion, leek, carrot and garlic. Add the olive oil and and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the Madras curry powder and season with salt and pepper. Roast, turning once, until the chicken thighs are cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 35 minutes. Let cool.
2 Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a simmer with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of curry powder over moderately high heat. Remove from the heat and let cool.
3 In a food processor, pulse the chicken with the roasted vegetables until a puree forms. Season the puree generously with salt and pepper.
4 Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the 3/4 cup of flour and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned. Stir in the chicken puree. Gradually add the milk, little by little at first and whisking constantly until it has all been added. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is no longer sticky, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
5 In a large saucepan, heat 1 1/2 inches of vegetable oil to 350°. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the croquette mixture into 3/4-inch-thick ropes. Cut the ropes into 1 1/2-inch pieces.
6 In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs. Spread the bread crumbs in another shallow bowl. Dip the croquettes in the egg, then coat all over with the bread crumbs. Add the croquettes to the hot oil in batches, taking care not to crowd the pan, and fry until golden brown, about 1 minute. Transfer the croquettes to paper towels to drain and serve piping hot.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves 10
2 quarts canola or vegetable oil
4 large parsnips (about 1 3/4 pounds)
Kosher salt
1 Place a wire rack on a large, rimmed baking sheet and line the rack with 2 layers of paper towels. Heat the canola or vegetable oil in a large saucepan until the oil registers 325° on a deep-fry thermometer. Meanwhile, using a sturdy Y-shaped vegetable peeler, shave the parsnips lengthwise into ribbons, moving around on 4 sides of the vegetable, stopping when you reach the tough inner cores of the parsnips.
2 Working in 5 or 6 batches, carefully drop handfuls of the parsnip ribbons into the hot oil and cook the ribbons over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the ribbons turn a deep honey color, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon or Chinese wire-and-bamboo skimmer, transfer the parsnips to the paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Let cool completely, then transfer to a large platter.
Note: The parsnip ribbons can be fried up to 2 hours in advance; let cool completely and store in an airtight container.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 6
2 pounds potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablesppoon fresh rosemary, chopped
Rosemary springs, for garnish
1 Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2 Wash potatoes in cool water, pat dry and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices.
3 Combine olive oil, salt, pepper and chopped rosemary in a large bowl and mix well. Add the cut potatoes and stir to coat thoroughly.
4 Place potatoes in a single layer on baking sheet. Roast in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and tender.
5 Remove from the oven, garnish with springs of fresh rosemary and serve immediately.
