Show off Your Cooking Skills for Thanksgiving

CBS58's Michael Schlesinger thought it would be wise to brush up on his culinary skills (not that he has many) for the holidays.  So he enlisted the help of Executive Chef David Ross from the Lake Lawn Resort in Delavan for some professional guidance.  On the menu...turkey, dressing, and a delicious squash soup.  You have to watch the videos.  You may be surprised how the chef recommends you to cook the bird.  

Lake Lawn Resort

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with White Chocolate Foam

Maple Glazed Bacon and Fried Sage

Ingredients for Soup                                                                                                   Yields approx. 1 ½ gallons

3 ea. medium sized Butternut Squash (yields 8 c.)

½ ea. Yellow Onion, diced

2 ea. Carrots, diced

2 ribs, Celery, diced

1/3 c. Marsalla Wine

1 Gal. Chicken Stock

1 qt. Heavy Cream

1 tsp. Kosher Salt

½ tsp. Black Pepper, fresh ground

1 ½ tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 oz. Butter, clarified

2 ea. Bay Leaves

1 Tbl. Brown Sugar

2 oz. Honey

½ tsp. Cayenne Pepper

As Needed Sage Leaves for garnish

Maple Bacon

12 slices Thick Cut Bacon

¼ c. Brown Sugar

¼ c. Pure Maple Syrup/Breakfast Syrup

White Chocolate Foam

¼ c. White Chocolate

1 c. Heavy Cream

Directions for the soup

Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Season with salt and pepper. Roast flesh side down in a 350 degree oven until very tender, approx. 35 to 45 minutes.

Allow squash to cool enough to handle. Remove the pulp from the skins. This should yield approx. 8 cups of cooked butternut squash.

In a soup pan add the clarified butter and sauté the carrots, celery and onion until the onion is translucent. Deglaze the vegetables with the Marsalla wine stirring the vegetables and wine until the wine evaporates. Add the chicken stock and bay leaves and the roasted squash. Bring the mixture to a boil then simmer 20 minutes until all of the vegetables are tender.

Remove the bay leaves and puree the soup with an immersion or stick blender or carefully in small in batches in a blender until completely smooth.

Heat the heavy cream, pumpkin pie spice, cayenne, brown sugar and the honey in a separate sauce pan just to the boiling point. Whisk the hot cream mixture into the squash mixture. Adjust the seasoning of the soup with the salt and pepper to your taste. Portion the soup into individual servings then drizzle or spoon the maple crème fraiche on top of the soup just prior to serving.
Maple Glazed Bacon

Lay slices of bacon on a cookie sheet or cookie rack placed on a cookie sheet. Rub the brown sugar on the bacon,’Roast in a 350 degree oven until starting to brown 10 minutes or so. Then spread a layer of syrup on the bacon returning the bacon to the oven to glaze. Repeat as often as desires at least two times minimum and to desired bacon crispness. Cool on rack.

White Chocolate Foam

Heat heavy cream just up to the boil. Pour the cream over the white chocolate in a separate bowl. Stir until completely dissolved. Chill until cold. Minimum of 40 degrees or overnight . beat with a whisk until desired thickness or with an electric hand blender. Portion soup, top with chocolate foam, bacon and sage leaves

Lake Lawn Resort Wild Mushroom and Sage Bread Dressing

Ingredients                                                                                                                  Yields:  1- 8x8 Baking Dish     

½ lb. Shitake Mushrooms

½ lb. Oyster Mushrooms 

1 lb. Baby Bella Mushrooms

2 ea. Shallots, minced

5 cloves, Garlic, minced

3 Tbl. Olive Oil

12 c. Bread Cubes, dried

2 ribs, Celery, diced

1 medium Onion, diced

1 ea. Leek, white and some green , sliced

6 strips, Bacon, sliced ¼” strips

6 c. Turkey Stock or Chicken Stock

2 Tbl. Thyme, fresh, picked

2 Tbl. Sage, fresh, chopped

2 ea. Eggs

1 stick (1/4 lb) Butter

 1 tsp. Kosher Salt

½ tsp. Black Pepper 

Directions

Place dried bread in a large mixing bowl. Reserve

Butter the bottom and sides of a baking dish. Reserve

Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the mushrooms until the moisture is cooked off and the mushrooms begin to brown and caramelize. Add the shallot and the garlic sautéing another minute. Season mushrooms with some of the salt and pepper as you sauté.

Remove the cooked mushrooms and place into the bowl with the bread cubes.

Return sauté pan to the stove over medium high heat, add the bacon and cook until browned. Remove bacon adding to the bread bowl. Sauté the celery, onion and leeks I n the bacon fat until the onions are translucent . Add the fresh thyme and fresh sage stir to toss.

Add sautéed vegetables to the mixing bowl. Toss all of the ingredients to combine evenly.

Heat the turkey stock adding the warm stock to the bread mixture a cup at a time mixing as you go to evenly distribute the stock.  Add the eggs to the bread mixture then mix to combine evenly, season with the remaining salt and pepper.

Place the bread dressing in the prepared baking pan. Slice the remaining butter and lay the slices around the top of the dressing. Wrap with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for approx. 20-25 minutes. Unwrap and allow to brown another 5-10 minutes or as desired.