LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2023

Nuts About Chestnuts from page 130

5. Arrange bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast both sides under broiler, then but ter the side facing up. Divide cheese amongst toasts and return to broiler until melted and golden in spots. Divide soup between six bowls, garnish with plenty of chives and serve each with a Cheddar Toast.

5. Scatter with thyme sprigs. Cover tin snugly with foil. Place in oven on centre rack. Cook 45 minutes. (Cabbage can be cooked to this point and refrigerated for 2 days before proceeding.) 6. Remove foil, increase heat to 450°F (232°C). 7. Roast 15 to 20 minutes longer (add 5 to 10 minutes if starting from chilled) or until liquid has evaporated and edges of cabbage are slightly crisped. 8. Meanwhile, combine remaining 1 cup (250 mL) apple cider and chestnuts in a small pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in mustard and season to taste with salt. 9. Remove cabbage to a board. Cut core from each wedge so leaves separate, then cut each wedge in half lengthwise. Add to a large heatproof bowl or platter. Dress with chestnut mixture and serve. Serves 8 CHESTNUT FLAN WITH MISO CREAM Look no further if holiday baking isn’t your thing. A good flan is as easy as it gets, and no one will think any less of you for serving this instead of fruitcake. The finer your sieve, the silkier your flan will be. If you don’t own a fine sieve, cheesecloth will do the trick—cut a four layer piece of it and line whatever kind of sieve or colander you’ve got. Also, a hot tip if you’re trying to impress: make a second batch of the caramel, but don’t add the espresso. Pour it out onto a greased cookie sheet, let it harden, then smash into pieces to sprinkle over the dressed flan. A little razzle-dazzle never hurts! 2 tsp (10 mL) instant espresso powder 3 tbsp (45 mL) water, divided 1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar 1/2 cup (125 mL) firmly packed dark brown sugar 6 oz (170 g) peeled roasted chestnuts 3 eggs 3 egg yolks 2 1/2 tsp (12 mL) vanilla paste or extract 2 cups (500 mL) whole milk Pinch salt WHAT TO SERVE Niagara Cider Company No. 1 Dry Apple Cider LCBO 11562, 473 mL, $3.85 Here’s a dry cider from Niagara that boasts tropical fruit, honeysuckle, apple and stone fruit notes. The cider’s acidity greets the dish’s heartiness and balances the pairing.

KIELBASA & CHESTNUT SOUP WITH CHEDDAR TOASTS

Chestnuts break down in soup a lot like split peas but are much tastier. Like split peas, they take to being paired with smoky pork, in this case kielbasa. If you can, visit a butcher that carries a few variations of the ready-to eat Polish sausage—the smokier and more garlicky the better. If all you’ve got is the stuff from the supermarket, that’s okay, too. It’ll still knock your socks off. 8 oz (225 g) peeled roasted chestnuts 1 lb (455 g) smoked kielbasa 3 tbsp (45 mL) butter 1 onion, chopped 3 celery stalks, cut into 1/2 -inch (1-cm) dice 2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2 -inch (1-cm) dice Salt 2 cups (500 mL) chicken stock 3 cups (750 mL) water 1 bay leaf CHEDDAR TOASTS 6 slices sourdough Softened butter 8 oz (225 g) sharp cheddar, coarsely grated 1. Working with one at a time, place chestnut on a cutting board and crush with the bottom of a mug—you’re aiming for a combination of pea-sized pieces and completely crushed. Repeat with remaining chestnuts and set aside. 2. Halve kielbasa lengthwise then cut into 1/2-inch (1-cm) thick half-moons. In a large pot, fry in butter over medium heat until browned all over, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. 3. Add onions to pot and cook until trans lucent. Stir in celery and carrots; season with salt. Cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring halfway through. 4. Return kielbasa to pot along with crushed chestnuts, stock, water, bay leaf and allspice. Bring to a boil, reduce to maintain a gentle sim mer, cover and cook 40 to 45 minutes or until soup is thick and larger pieces of chestnut are very soft. Discard bay leaf. Check seasoning and adjust to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm while preparing toasts. 1 tsp (5 mL) ground allspice Freshly ground black pepper 1 bunch chives, thinly sliced

Serves 6

WHAT TO SERVE Grolsch Premium Pilsner LCBO 32927, 473 mL, $2.95

This punchy pilsner offers sweet grain flavours, pleasantly bitter hops and refreshingly crisp acidity: everything needed to stand up to the recipe’s smokiness and multi-layered elements.

CABBAGE & CHESTNUTS Local chestnuts and cabbage show up at the same time and putting both in one dish is a tried-and-true move. Here, the cabbage is deeply caramelized before braising, then roasted at high heat to coax a dark and sticky outer layer, one that imparts deep flavour to an otherwise ho-hum veg. Then, it gets dressed with lots of tart apple cider, mustard and sweet chestnuts—in other words, the perfect foil to all that rich holiday food. 2 cups (500 mL) fresh apple cider, divided 1/2 cup (125 mL) apple cider vinegar 1 medium head red cabbage Salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 tbsp (60 mL) butter, divided 2 tbsp (30 mL) grapeseed or canola oil, divided 5 sprigs thyme 6 oz (170 g) peeled roasted chestnuts, chopped 1 tbsp (15 mL) whole-grain mustard 1. Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C). 2. Add 1 cup (250 mL) apple cider and the vinegar to a large roasting tin and set aside. 3. Cut cabbage through the core into eight equal-sized wedges, doing your best to leave them intact. 4. Season four of the cabbage wedges gener ously with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter and 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil. Once butter is melted, add wedges, with one cut side down. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, or until both cut sides are deeply golden. Remove to the roasting tin, turn to coat in cider mixture and arrange cut side down. Repeat with remaining cabbage, butter and oil.

252 FOOD & DRINK HOLIDAY 2023