Holiday Recipes & Cooking Tips from Marcus Samuelsson

Recently I attended an event held by the Culinary Council at Macy’s Bay Plaza.  Chef Marcus Samuelsson was on hand to give a cooking demonstration featuring his favorite holiday  meals.  I thought this was going to be all  about showing you how to cook and what ingredients you would need to accomplish the recipes on hand.    I was blown away at how educational it was, especially for someone like me who doesn’t like to cook.   He made everything seem so easy and really got the audience involved.

5 Cooking tips that I learned from Chef Marcus Samuelsson

1. Season a turkey under the skin with butter and sage.
2. How to brine- fill a large pit with water and add salt and a whole egg, keep adding salt until the egg rises. Once the egg has risen you have added the correct amount of salt.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask your butcher for sushi quality of fish, meaning you want the freshest Grade A that they offer.
4. Use quinoa just as you would add rice to your meal – it is better for your digestion.
5. Learn how to cook with your leftovers. You will be saving time and money.

 

Chef Marcus Samuelsson has a new cookbook  available titled Marcus Off Duty- The Recipes I Cook at Home.  From his cookbook we were able to taste several samples. He was even joking around that we needed to eat up because at his restaurant Red Rooster in Harlem, he would be charging us over $25.00 each to enjoy this meal.

For starters,  we had Pumpkin Seed Soup and it was so tasty! It is a great option for fall.  The soup had a hint of jalapeno along with some ginger. 

Next up we were treated to Habesha Lamb Chops placed on top of Roasted Brussels Sprouts Slaw.

 

 

 

 

And of course,  we all saved room for some dessert.  I was literally  drooling over the Black Bottom -Peanut Pie.  This pie was out of this world!  If I could have asked for seconds I would have and quite possibly thirds! It was that delicious.

The Culinary Council at Macy’s was gracious enough to give us the recipes to each meal, so I will share this one with you.  I know what I will be preparing for Thanksgiving this year -Dessert.

 Black Bottom -Peanut Pie

For the Crust

8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 (11-ounce box) vanilla wafer cookies, such as Nilla wafers

2- vanilla beans split lengthwise

1/2 cup sugar

For the Peanut Topping

1 Cup – Sugar

6 Tablespoons- (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

3 large eggs

1/2 cup – light corn syrup

4 teaspoons molasses

10 ounces (about 2 cups) unsalted roasted peanuts

3/4 teaspoon – fine sea salt

For the Ganache

8 ounces – bittersweet chocolate (64% cacao) finely chopped

Making the Crust 

1. Preheat the oven to 350F

2.Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the milk solids brown and the butter smells deliciously nutty, about 10 minutes:be careful not to let it burn. Take it off the heat immediately.

3. Pulse the vanilla wafers in a food processor to make coarse crumbs. Scrape the vanilla seeds into the processor, add the sugar and melted butter, and pulse until all the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs evenly on the bottom and up the sides of a 10 -inch pie plate. Bake until lightly browned, 12-15 minutes. Cool on a rack.

4. Turn Oven up to 375F

Make the Peanut Topping

1. Beat the sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one by one, then beat in the corn syrup and molasses. Stir in the peanuts and salt. Set Aside.

Make the Ganache

1. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, then pour over the chocolate. Gently whisk until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth.

2. Pour the ganache into the cooled pie shell and let it set for 10 minute. Spoon the peanut topping on the ganache. use and offset spatula or table knife to spread the filling evenly over the ganache, covering it completely.

3. Bake the pie for 10 minutes, the lower the heat to 325F and bake until the crust is browned and topping is set, about 45 minutes. Cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before serving.

 

I hope you enjoyed the recipe.

What is your favorites dessert  to make for the holidays?