LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2024

LEMON-TURMERIC ACCORDION POTATOES A mash-up of Hasselback and classic Greek lemon potatoes, this gorgeous dish offers a crispy ridged top hiding creamy, lemony spuds beneath. While the slicing and arranging may look challenging, it’s made much easier with the help of a mandoline. If serving the potatoes with roast chicken, you can make this dish before hand, then pop it back into the oven to crisp up while the chicken is resting. 6 tbsp (90 mL) unsalted butter, divided 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 11/2 tsp (7 mL) turmeric 1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh lemon juice 3 sprigs thyme Salt to taste 6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, about 2 lbs (905 g) total, scrubbed 1 lemon, thinly sliced into rounds, seeds removed 1/2 cup (125 mL) water 2. In a 9-inch (23-cm) ovenproof skillet, heat 4 tbsp (60 mL) butter over medium. Add onion and turmeric. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender and fragrant, about 5 min utes. Stir in lemon juice and add thyme. Season with salt and remove from heat. 3. Using a mandoline, thinly slice potatoes into 1/8-inch (3-mm) thick rounds. As you go, make small, neat stacks of slices so that they can eas ily be transferred to skillet. 4. Transfer potato stacks to skillet on top of onion mixture so slices are standing on their sides and arrange in concentric circles. Insert lemon slices into potatoes so they’re evenly spaced out. 5. Add water to skillet. Melt remaining 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter, brush over potatoes and season with salt. Cover tightly with foil and bake on centre rack until potatoes are tender, about 40 minutes. 6. Remove foil and continue to bake until pota toes are crisp and golden, another 10 minutes. Serve immediately. 1. Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C).

3. Remove from heat and transfer contents of pan to a blender. Add remaining 1/4 cup (60 mL) butter and cream. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust salt, if necessary. Pass mousse through a fine-mesh sieve into a mixing bowl. Transfer to a serving jar or bowl. Cover with plastic wrap so it’s against surface of mousse. Refrigerate until cool, about 3 hours. It will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days. 4. For the beignets, warm milk to 100°F (38°C). Stir in 1 tbsp (15 mL) sugar and yeast. Let stand until mixture becomes bubbly on surface, about 10 minutes. 5. Place milk mixture, butter, eggs and remain ing sugar in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with dough hook. Stir to combine. Add in flour and salt. Mix on low until a shaggy dough forms, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Increase speed to medium-high. Mix until dough is smooth and uniform, about 5 minutes. 6. Transfer dough to a greased bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours. 7. Punch down dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each portion into an 8 × 10-inch (20 × 25-cm) rec tangle about 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick. Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into 2-inch (5-cm) squares and transfer to a parchment-lined baking tray. 8. Heat 2 inches (5 cm) oil in a heavy-duty pot to 350°F (177°C). Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet. In batches, fry dough until golden and puffed, about 11/2 minutes per side. Transfer to rack. 9. To serve, scoop chicken liver mousse onto a serving platter and smear flat. Top mousse with a generous dollop of grape jelly. Serve with beignets.

CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE WITH GRAPE JELLY & SAVOURY BEIGNETS

This decadent appetizer finds pillowy home made beignets (fried doughnuts) spread with satiny chicken liver mousse and a dab of Concord grape jelly for sweetness. The beignets could also be made on their own and served warm, dusted generously with icing sugar, for dessert. CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE 1 lb (455 g) chicken livers, patted dry, trimmed Salt to taste 1/2 cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, divided 1/2 cup (125 mL) finely chopped shallots 2 tsp (10 mL) fresh thyme leaves 1/2 cup (125 mL) Madeira 3 tbsp (45 mL) heavy cream

BEIGNETS 2/3 cup (150 mL) whole milk 3 tbsp (45 mL) sugar, divided 11/2 tsp (7 mL) dry active yeast 2 tbsp (30 mL) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing bowl 2 eggs 31/2 cups (875 mL) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt Canola oil for frying Concord grape jelly for serving

1. For the chicken liver mousse, season chicken livers with salt. Set aside.

Serves 8

2. Heat 1/4 cup (60 mL) butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Raise heat to high and add chicken livers, thyme and Madeira. Cook, stirring occa sionally, until chicken livers are lightly browned and just slightly pink in middles, about 5 minutes.

WHAT TO SERVE Casa Dos Vinhos 5 Years Old Madeira LCBO 27375, $23.25 So much sweetness in the dish will diminish a dry wine. The solution is to stay with the mousse’s Madeira, revelling in its sweet, rich toasted nuts and dried fruit flavours.

Serves 6

198

———————— HOLIDAY 2024