St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page L001

1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 I A Eat PAGE: By Joe Bonwich ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH The style of cuisine for Thanksgiving dinner started at that very rst feast in 1621. The Wampanoag people brought deer, while the Pilgrims served sh and waterfowl and maybe turkey. Despite later artistic and literary roman- ticizations, the two groups comfortable with each other a situation not unlike the melding of some families at Thanksgiving Dinner almost 400 years later. In that interim, a cornucopia of cultures has been ed to form a nation.

As a result, Thanksgiving dinner can range from simple with all the to a table full of dishes spiced with an array of ethnic approaches. gathered a sampling of those recipes here. The turkey pictured on this page was prepared using a recipe from the Spanish region of Catalonia, avoring the bird with a garlic-and-herb paste that lls the house with its aroma. The other two whole-turkey recipes are a Rim interpretation with tangy, salty hoisin sauce used as a glaze and a recipe attributed to the Native American Muscogee people using sweet potatoes, pecans and the nutty avor of sunchokes as a simple ng. If your gathering is too small for a whole turkey, consider the recipe for turkey breast slices in an Eastern European style or even a sushi roll that incorporates turkey, cranberry sauce and veggies.

Side-dish recipes include a Catalonian dressing with sweet and savory elements, a Cajun dressing based on black-eyed peas, green beans with a spicy pepper relish in the African-American tradition and a pear- and ginger-enhanced variation of classic American cranberry sauce. And remember, turkey bargains abound this time of year. If you have the freezer space, consider picking up an extra turkey and trying out one of the ethnic recipes in the weeks or months to come. 314-340-8133 CATALAN TURKEY Yield: 8 to 10 servings For turkey: 12 medium cloves garlic, coarsely chopped 1 tablespoon crumbled dried rosemary 1 tablespoon crumbled dried thyme 2 bay leaves, crumbled 4 1 2 teaspoons coarse salt 1 tablespoon black peppercorns 1 1 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 (12- to 14-pound) turkey, preferably kosher For ng and sauce 2 cups dry sherry, divided 1 pound mixed dried fruit 1 1 2 cups dried cranberries or cherries 1 pound fresh mild pork sausage links 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 medium onions, chopped 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped 1 teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 small cinnamon stick Coarse salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 cup lightly toasted pine nuts 2 cups plain dried bread cubes or plain ng mix About 1 2 cup chicken stock or broth, if needed To prepare turkey: Place garlic, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, salt, peppercorns and olive oil in food processor or blender; process to a paste. Rub the paste all over the turkey, including inside the cavities.

Cover the turkey loosely with plastic wrap; let stand while you make the ng. To prepare ng: Place 1 cup sherry in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Place dried fruit and cranberries in a heatproof bowl, pour the hot sherry over them and let stand for 30 minutes. While fruit is soaking, cook sausage in boiling water for 2 minutes, drain and cut into thick slices. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add onions; cook until barely softened, about 5 minutes. Add apple; cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add sausage; cook, stirring, until it is lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in dried fruit and berries and their soaking liquid along with rosemary, thyme and cinnamon stick. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage is cooked through and fruit is soft, about 8 minutes, lowering the heat if mixture seems to be browning too much. Transfer to a bowl; stir in the pine nuts and bread cubes, fully moistening the bread cubes. For a moister ng, add some or all of the chicken stock. Let cool to room temperature. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Loosely stuff the main cavity of the turkey with some of the ng. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine or secure them together with a skewer. Spoon some ng into the neck cavity. Tuck the excess skin under the turkey. Place the remaining ng in a 1 1 2 to 2-quart baking dish, cover it with aluminum foil and refrigerate.

(Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before the turkey is done and bring to room temperature.) Place turkey breast-side-up in a large roasting pan and cook for 40 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees; add 1 cup water to the roasting pan. Cook until a thermometer inserted into the inner thigh registers 160 to 165 degrees, a total roasting time of about 3 hours and 40 minutes, adding 1 cup water to the pan every hour. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board; cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm, letting it rest for 35 to 40 minutes. Skim the fat off the pan juices; reserve the juices in a measuring cup or bowl.

Moisten the uncooked ng with about 1 2 cup of the turkey pan juices. Bake, covered with aluminum foil, while the turkey rests, 25 to 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. To prepare the sauce: Add the remaining 1 cup sherry to the roasting pan. Set the pan over medium-high heat on two burners and scrape the bottom to dislodge the brown bits. Return the remaining pan juices to the pan; cook until they are reduced by about one-fourth, 5 to 7 minutes.

Carve the turkey and arrange it on a serving platter. Serve with the reduced pan juices and the ng. Per serving (based on 10 servings): 1,015 calories; 42.5g fat (38 percent calories from fat); 10g saturated fat; 342mg cholesterol; 94g protein; 57g carbohydrate; 15g sugar; 6.5g ber; sodium; 132mg calcium; potassium. Adapted from New Spanish by Anya von Bremzen (Workman Publishing, 2005, 478 pages, GREEN BEANS WITH HOT PEPPER RELISH Yield: 6 servings Coarse salt 1 1 2 pounds green beans, stems trimmed 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 shallots, nely chopped 3 red bell peppers, seeded and nely chopped 1 seeded and nely chopped 2 cloves garlic, nely chopped 3 tablespoons cider vinegar 1 teaspoon granulated sugar Freshly ground black pepper Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add green beans. Cook until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into a bowl of ice water. Once chilled, remove to a plate lined with paper towels and pat dry. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add shallots; cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the bell peppers and jala- over medium-high heat, stirring, until peppers are softened, about 3 minutes.

Add garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds. Stir in vinegar and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Add green beans; toss to combine and coat. Cook until beans are heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Per serving: 105 calories; 4.5g fat (39 percent calories from fat); 1g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 2.5g protein; 13.5g carbohydrate; 6g sugar; 5g ber; 1mg sodium; 60mg calcium; 366mg potassium. Adapted from Plate by Marvin Woods and Virginia Willis (Rutledge Hill Press, 2004, 226 pages, THANKSGIVING IN THE BLACK-EYED-PEA-AND-HAM DRESSING Yield: 8 servings 1 cup raw white rice 3 cups water 1 cup chopped onion 1 pound ham, chopped 1 2 pound dried black-eyed peas 2 cloves garlic, sliced 1 2 cup chopped fresh parsley 1 2 cup sliced green onions 1 2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 4 teaspoon salt 1 4 teaspoon ground red (cayenne) pepper Cook rice according to package directions; let cool. You should have 3 cups cooked rice.

Meanwhile, combine water, onion, ham, black-eyed peas and garlic in a large heavy pot. Bring to a boil, stir, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until beans are tender. Drain, reserving the liquid. Transfer bean mixture to a large bowl. Add cooked rice, parsley, green onions, black pepper, salt and cayenne pepper; stir gently to combine.

If necessary, add enough of the reserved liquid to moisten the beans. The dressing should be moist but not watery, and thick enough to be used as a ng. Per serving: 268 calories; 3.5g fat (12 percent calories from fat); 1g saturated fat; 31mg cholesterol; 22g protein; 37g carbohydrate; 4g sugar; 6g ber; 834mg sodium; 36mg calcium; 454mg potassium. Adapted from a Cajun by Terri Pischoff Wuerthner (St. Press, 2006, 280 pages, FOR MORE INTERNATIONAL THANKSGIVING FLAVOR, SEE RECIPES ON L4.

Mix or match for a multicultural Thanksgiving. Clockwise from center: Fragrant and avorful turkey made from a Spanish-inspired recipe; ng made with pecans, sunchokes, sweet potatoes and onions, part of a turkey recipe inspired by Native Americans; black-eyed peas and ham make a ng with a Cajun accent; Thanksgiving sushi, with some ingredients borrowed from Japan; cranberry sauce enhanced with pears and fresh ginger, a fresh take on an American classic; green beans with hot pepper relish, made in the African-American tradition; and fruit-studded ng from the Spanish turkey. Jerry Naunheim Post-Dispatch melting pot Cook like a chef Sweet Potato Corn-Bread Pudding is a favorite side dish at restaurant. Special Request, Page L11. Knead with ease Lemon Rosemary Rolls are a cinch to make, and loaded with healthful ber.

Recipe Doctor, Page L6. Pure pleasure Apple cider simmers into a luscious pie lling, a perfect ending to the Thanksgiving feast. Recipe, Page L10. Ethnic uences inspire fragrant, colorful and avored approaches to the traditional feast WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 15, 2006 SECTION L01PD1LE1115 1 1 14:55:49 14:55:49.