Light and Easy

Produced and styled by Carrie Campbell, Blake Miller, and Lisa Summerell
Photographs by Chris Edwards
Chef Kirk Gilbert’s menu takes the stress of preparing Thanksgiving dinner away by providing easy and relatively quick recipes that will keep you off your feet and enjoying the day.

October 31, 2007

Blake Miller,

Executive Chef Kirk Gilbert at the Ballantyne Resort’s Gallery Restaurant & Bar helps alleviate holiday stress.

"Time is a very valuable commodity these days," Gilbert says, "and some of these items are faster alternatives to the cumbersome process of cooking a turkey and other traditional fixings all day." And while these recipes are simple, they’re tailored for a more intimate setting—"a small family or a couple enjoying the holiday with some friends," he says.

In a medium stainless-steel pot, add all of the ingredients except for the duck. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat, and allow to cool to room temperature. Transfer the brine to a large bowl, then add the duck breast and submerge under the brine with a small saucer.
Refrigerate for twelve hours. Remove breast from the brine and rinse under cool running water, then pat dry. w Allow to dry at room temperature for at least two hours, then place in a preheated 275-degree oven until the breast reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Allow to cool. Slice the breast thinly for best results.

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Arugula and Frisse Hearts
Serves about 14 (small salads)

3 heads frisse, picked of outer dark greens (reserve the tender yellowish green hearts for the salad)
12 ounces micro arugula, rinsed under
ice-cold water and drained well (chop
the frisse and mix with the arugula;
reserve for later use)
12 quail eggs

Heat a nonstick pan over low to medium heat. Fry the quail eggs (sunny side up).
To assemble the dish, select a large service platter (white works best), slice the duck (above), and fan it around the outer border of the platter; about four breasts total. Warm 8 ounces of the pancetta dressing (see recipe, below) and toss with one-third of the frisse and arugula.
Place in the center of the platter, then drizzle the entire dish with the three-vinegar sherry reduction (see recipe, below). Finish by garnishing the entire dish with the sunny-side-up quail eggs.

Orchard Fruit Pancetta Dressing
6 ounces pancetta, small diced
5 strips quality applewood-smoked
bacon, small diced
2 Granny Smith apples,
peeled and small diced
2 Bosc or Bartlett pears,
peeled and small diced
3 shallots, small diced
5 sprigs fresh thyme, picked from the stems and chopped fine
½ cup Dijon mustard
3 cups canola oil or another
neutral-flavored oil
1 ½ cups brown sugar
3 cups apple-cider vinegar

In a medium pot reduce the vinegar and brown sugar to half by boiling. Allow to cool. In another pan render the pancetta and the bacon until golden brown; save the bacon and the fat. Add the apples and shallots and cook until translucent. Add the oil to this mixture, and reserve for later use. In another bowl mix the vinegar reduction to the mustard; mix well. While mixing, add the oil to the vinegar bowl in a slow stream and continue until all ingredients are mixed together. Finish the dressing by adding the fresh thyme.

Three-vinegar Sherry Reduction
8 ounces sherry vinegar
8 ounces balsamic vinegar
8 ounces raspberry vinegar
1 cup brown sugar

Add all ingredients to a small pot. Mix well. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and allow the mixture to reduce until you have about 6 ounces of vinegar. Let the reduction cool, and reserve for later use.

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Chef’s Garden Root Vegetable Tian
Serves 8-10

12 baby red beet stems, ends trimmed
12 baby golden beet stems, ends trimmed
12 baby candy stripe beet stems,
ends trimmed
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons kosher salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Rinse and dry the beets. Toss beets in oil with kosher salt and lay on cookie sheets. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Rub the skins off the beets using a clean kitchen cloth (this allows the beets to retain there natural shape). Peel all the beets and reserve for later use.

Sage Brown Butter

4 ounces unsalted butter
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
3 sprigs fresh sage (whole)
1 teaspoon sage, chopped fine

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Heat a small sauté pan over medium heat. Melt the butter, then add the pepper and the sage sprig. Heat until the butter starts to lightly brown. Remove from heat. Save the chopped sage for later use.
To assemble, add the beets to a shallow casserole dish and arrange by alternating the colors of the beets. Heat for 10 minutes then remove from the oven. Drizzle with the brown butter and sprinkle with the sage.

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Spoon Bread Soufflé
Serves 8-10

10 ounces cornmeal
24 ounces chicken stock (low sodium will
work if not using fresh chicken stock)
6 ounces cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
3 sprigs rosemary, chopped fine
Kosher salt to taste
8 egg whites, whipped to medium peaks

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring the stock to a simmer in a medium heavy bottom pot. In a separate bowl, mix the cornmeal and flour together. Add the cornmeal to the stock mixture, stirring briskly; allow to cook for five minutes while still stirring constantly. Once the mixture thickens, add the Parmesan cheese, black pepper, and rosemary. Allow to cool to room temperature. Fold in the baking powder and the whipped egg whites.
Heat the butter and flour in a medium-to-large soufflé dish. Pour into casserole dish, about half full. Cook for about 35 minutes or until the content has risen and is golden brown. (This dish should be prepared right before you plan on eating it.) Serve with late-harvest corn and rock shrimp puree, below.

Late-Harvest Corn and Rock Shrimp Puree

5 ears fresh corn on the cob
2 medium sliced Spanish onions
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 cups clam juice
1 cup heavy whipping cream
8 black pepper corns
2 tablespoons butter
8 ounces rock shrimp, or substitute roughly chopped 21-25 count shrimp
Kosher salt to taste

Cut the corn off of the cob (reserve the cobs for later use). In a medium pot add all of the ingredients except the butter and rock shrimp and bring to a simmer. Cook until the onions are tender (about 20 minutes). Remove the cobs and the bay leaf, place in a blender and puree until smooth. Whisk in the butter and add back to the pot. Adjust the seasoning with kosher salt. Add the shrimp to the puree and cook until tender. Remove from heat and reserve for later use.

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Roasted Bob-White Quail
Serves 6

BRINE
2 quarts water
2 cups red wine
¼ cup brandy
3 tablespoons juniper berries
3 tablespoons sliced and peeled ginger
¾ cup kosher salt
1 cup molasses
½ cup sugar
4 pods cardamom

In a medium-to-large pot bring all ingredients to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Add the quail and allow to brine for 4 to 6 hours. Remove from the brine and follow the recipe below for the stuffing.

Stuffing
12 semiboneless quails
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
8 large shallots, sliced thin
½ cup Calvados
3 tablespoons of brown sugar
Kosher salt to taste

In a large sauté pan melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter begins to brown, add the sliced shallots and apples. Cook until tender and the shallots are translucent. Add the Calvados and cook off the alcohol. Finish by mixing in the brown sugar and rosemary. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
To stuff the birds, allow the stuffing to cool completely, then fill the quails with a generous amount. Use a paring knife to make a ¼-inch-long slice through one of the quail’s legs. Thread the leg that has not been cut through the other leg. Rub quails with melted butter, place on a baking sheet, and cook until they reach an internal temperature of 140 degrees. Serve with Kirschwasser Huckleberry Gastrique, see below.

Kirschwasser Huckleberry Gastrique
1 pint huckleberries
1 cup kirchwasser
16 ounces port wine
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 cups brown sugar
2 pods star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 split vanilla bean

In a medium pot mix the sugar with the vinegar. Cook on medium heat until the mixture has a caramel consistency (about 330 degrees). Remove from the heat and slowly mix in the brandy and port wine. Reduce by half and add the star anise, cinnamon, and vanilla bean and allow to simmer about 5 minutes. Strain the contents of the pot, then add the huckleberries and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature and reserve for later use.

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Spiced Acorn Squash Brioche Bread Pudding
Serves 8-10

1 brioche loaf
1 peeled and grated acorn squash
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups brown sugar
5 whole eggs
4 cups crème anglaise
2 each zested oranges
¼ cup Frangelico
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon granulated ginger
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup melted unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Tear the bread into large pieces. Allow to dry or get stale overnight. Add all of the remaining ingredients to a large mixing bowl, mix well, and let the mixture set for 2 hours. Place in a buttered and sugared baking dish. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until firm and golden brown. Serve with Frangelico Hazelnut Crème Anglaise, see below.

Frangelico Hazelnut Crème Anglaise
1 quart heavy whipping cream
1 quart milk
16 ounces granulated sugar
2 vanilla beans, split
24 egg yolks
6 ounces Frangelico
½ cup toasted hazel nuts, chopped rough

Mix the sugar, cream, and vanilla beans together in a heavy-bottom pot. Bring to a boil. Place the egg yolks in a separate bowl. Whisk the hot cream mixture a few drops at a time into the egg yolks. Increase to a steady stream until everything is mixed together. Add in the milk, then place back into a pot and heat on low-to-medium heat until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and add the Frangelico and the toasted hazelnuts. Cool and reserve for later use.

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This article appears in the October 2007 issue of Charlotte magazine.