1. In a large pot, melt the butter over moderate heat. Add the
onions, carrots, leeks, parsley, and thyme. Cover, reduce the
heat to moderately low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the
vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes.
2. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer,
partially covered, for 25 minutes. Strain the stock and press the
vegetables firmly to get all their juice. Return the stock to the pan.
3. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl halfway with cold water and add
the lemon juice. Peel the Jerusalem artichokes and put them
in the acidulated water to prevent darkening.
4. When the stock in ready, drain the Jerusalem artichokes and cut
them into 1-inch chunks. Add them to the stock, season with
1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and bring to a
boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, stirring
occasionally, until the Jerusalem artichokes are very tender,
about 45 minutes.
5. Purée the soup in a food processor or blender. Return the purée
to the pot and reheat it gently, stirring often. Thin to the desired
consistency with the cream, and season with additional salt and
pepper to taste.
- Michael McLaughlin

Roast Turkey with Three-Bread Stuffing

"With a hint of paprika in the gravy and cubes of pumpernickel, rye,
and sourdough bread in the stuffing, Tina Ujlaki, the Food Editor
at Food & Wine Magazine, incorporates her Hungarian heritage
into this holiday bird."

Serves 10 to 12

One 14- to 16-pound turkey with neck and
giblets, at room temperature
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound plus 2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups turkey stock, or
canned low-sodium chicken broth

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Reserve the turkey neck and giblets
for the stock. Season the turkey inside and out with salt and pepper.
Turn the turkey breast side down on a work surface and loosely fill
the neck cavity with about 2 cups of the stuffing. Pull the neck skin
over the cavity. Fasten the skin to the back of the turkey with metal
skewers or wooden toothpicks. Turn the turkey breast-side up. Loosely
fill the main cavity of the bird with about 5 cups of the Three-Bread
Stuffing. Close the cavity with skewers or toothpicks. Twist the wings
behind the bird. Tie the legs of the turkey together. Wrap the remainder
of the stuffing separately in buttered aluminum foil and bake in the oven
with the turkey during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt the 1/4 pound butter. Soak a 2-foot-long double layer of cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel in the melted
butter. Let the remaining 2 tablespoons butter soften.
3. Put the turkey, breast-side up, on a rack in a roasting pan, and cover
the breast with the butter-soaked cloth.
4. Put the turkey in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 325
degrees F. Roast the bird, basting frequently with any pan juices,
until an instant-read thermometer stuck into the inner thigh registers
135 degrees F, about 3 1/2 hours. Remove the butter-soaked cloth
and add the paprika to the pan. Continue roasting the turkey,
basting, until the inner thigh temperature reaches 180 degrees F.,
about 1 hour longer. The juices will run clear when the thigh of
the turkey is pierced with a fork.
5. Transfer the turkey to a carving board and leave to rest in a warm
spot for about 15 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, mash together the 2 tablespoons softened butter and the
flour. Pour the pan juices into a bowl and skim off the fat. Set the
roasting pan over high heat and when it starts to sizzle and smoke,
add the stock. Bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to
dislodge any brown bits. Reduce the heat, add the pan juices, and
simmer for 5 minutes. Gradually whisk the butter paste into the
gravy and bring to a boil, whisking until smooth. Season with salt
and pepper.
7. Remove the string from the bird. Spoon the stuffing into a bowl and
carve the turkey. Serve with the stuffing and gravy.

Three-Bread Stuffing

"A trio of bread brings a complex earthy taste to this
spicy stuffing, and their colors produce a calico effect."

Makes about 12 cups

4 cups cubed rye bread
4 cups cubed pumpernickel bread
5 cups cubed sourdough bread
1/4 pound butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
1 pound spicy sausage, such as Hungarian,
hot Italian, or chorizo
2 cups water
1 tart apple, such as Granny Smith, peeled,
cored and chopped
3 tablespoons good-quality green olives,
pitted and chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeds and ribs removed,
minced (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme,
or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
2 eggs, beaten to mix

1. Spread the bread cubes out on a large baking sheet. Let them
dry overnight. Alternatively, dry in a 350 degrees F. oven for
10 minutes.
2. In a large frying pan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the onion
and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8
minutes. Sprinkle with the paprika and cook 2 minutes longer.
3. Put the sausage in a medium saucepan and cover with the water.
Bring to a simmer over moderately high heat, reduce the heat, and
poach until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove the sausage
and reserve 1 cup of the poaching liquid. Chop the sausage.
4. In a large bowl, combine the dried bread cubes with the onions-
and-celery mixture, the sausage, apple, olives, jalapeño, parsley,
thyme, salt, pepper, the reserved 1 cup sausage-poaching liquid,
and the eggs. Mix until well blended.

Gratin of Sweet Potatoes Flambéed
with Bourbon

"You can bring this dish to the table dramatically aflame or
let the flames die down in the kitchen. The point is to burn
off the raw alcohol flavor."

Serves 8

4 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4)
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup bourbon

1. Put the sweet potatoes in a large pot of cold water and bring to a
boil over moderately high heat. Cook until the sweet potatoes are
just tender around the edges but still firm in the center, about 15
minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Peel the sweet potatoes
when they are cool enough to handle.
2. Heat the oven to 475 degrees F. Butter a large shallow baking dish.
Cut the sweet potatoes into 1/4-inch slices and arrange the slices in
the baking dish, overlapping slightly. Dot the potatoes with the butter
and sprinkle with the salt, pepper and sugar.
3. Bake the sweet potatoes for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350
degrees F. and bake until the potatoes are tender and lightly glazed,
about 20 minutes longer.
4. Pour the bourbon into a small saucepan. Warm over low heat for
about 20 seconds, then carefully ignite the bourbon and pour it
over the sweet potatoes.

Glazed Roasted Shallots and Garlic

"A sprinkling of sugar brings out the nutty sweetness of shallots
and garlic. When tender, they’re quickly sautéed with butter for
the final caramelized glaze."

Serves 10 to 12

3 3/4 pounds large shallots, peeled
2 heads garlic, separated into cloves,
cloves peeled
3/4 cup chicken stock or canned
low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
3 tablespoons butter