Better than the Turkey, Thanksgiving sides

thanksgiving sides
22
Nov

If you’re still in the office and eating a delicious Fraîche meal but thinking about what to cook for you Thanksgiving dinner, these Thanksgiving sides will steal the show and take you half the time a turkey will. With a range of different and special flavors and textures, your guests won’t forget about these sides.

Thanksgiving Side 1: Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Maple Soy Caramel

Ingredients:

  • 2 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved
  • 2 tbsp. extra virgin oil
  • 3 tbs salt
  • 2 tbs of pepper
  • 1tbsp heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp. soy sauce
  • 2 stalks of scallions, thinly sliced
  • Toasted sesame seed
  • Lime wedges (for serving)
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Procedure

  1. Place a rack in the middle of oven, preheat to 400°. Place brussels sprouts on a large rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper. Arrange them in a single layer and roast until golden brown, crisp and tender.
  2. Meanwhile, cook maple syrup in a pan over medium heat until bubbling aggressively – about 3 minutes. Carefully whisk in butter, cream and soy sauce. Whisking constantly until caramel sauce is bubbling and thick enough to coat a spoon – 1 minute. Let this cool into a bowl.
  3. Drizzle caramel sauce over the Brussels sprouts, and season with salt, pepper and the toasted sesame seed and lime wedges . Serve to your warm or room temperature.

Thanksgiving Side 2: Charred Green Beans with Caramelized Onions and Cilantro

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch of cilantro
  • 2 lb green beans, trimmed
  • 2 onions
  • Salt/pepper
  • 4 tbs unsalted butter
  • Dijon mustard for serving
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Procedure

  1. In a large skillet (you can use a wok here) heated over medium-high heat, combine butter, salt, and pepper. When very hot – 1 minute, add the peeled onions. Let them caramelize over medium heat for 5 minutes.
  2. In the meantime, plunge the green beans into boiling water and let them cook for about 5 minutes. Squeeze out the water and sprinkle with cold water to stop the cooking.
  3. Add the green beans to the onions in the wok over high heat. Shake the pan vigorously. As soon as the green beans take a little color, lower the heat and add 1/2 glass of water. Cover the wok and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
  4. Increase the heat, remove the lid and on high heat let the water evaporate. When there is no more water, stir and serve!
  5. Finely chop the cilantro and place it in a bowl to the side. Serve these beans hot to your guests and invite them to sprinkle the cilantro on top to bring the necessary freshness!

Thanksgiving Side 3: Cornbread Cheddar Biscuits

Let’s be real, the hardest choice when prepping and cooking is corn bread or buttermilk biscuits? We have to give all the credits to our idol’s at Bon appetit for this perfect combo recipe that plays on the two best dishes. Bringing the softness of a cookie and the sweetness of a cornbread, this is your new Thanksgiving strategy.

Ingredients

6 oz extra-sharp yellow cheddar, coarsely grated (about 2 cups)

69 g fine-grind cornmeal

67 g sugar

2 Tbsp finely shopped sage

1 1/2 tbs baking powder

1 1/2 tbs salt

250g all-purpose flour

2 sticks unsalted butter

1/2 cup fresh or (frozen, thawed) corns kernels

3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp buttermilk

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Procedure

  1. Pulse the cheddar, cornmeal, sugar, sage, baking powder, salt and 250g of flour in a food processor a couple times to combine. Add half of the butter and pulse a few more times. Add the remaining butter and pulse until pea-size and completely coated. Transfer this cheddar mixture to a medium bowl and set aside.
  2. Process the corn and 3/4 cup of buttermilk in the same processor until smooth (approximately 1 minute.) Pour this into cheddar mixture and mix together with a rubber spatula.
  3. Turn out onto a generously floured surface and knead until dough comes together – crumbly but workable) Shape into a rectangle and, using a bench scraper straighten edges.
  4. Cut dough in half; stack 1 half on top of the other. Using your hands and bench scraper, press back into a rectangle. Repeat process 3 times. Roll out dough to about a 6×4” rectangle. Transfer into a baking sheet and chill at least 1 hour.
  5. Preheat over 400°. Cut dough into 8 biscuits. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing 3” apart. Brush the top with the remaining 2 tbsp buttermilk, then sprinkle with sea salt.
  6. Bake biscuits. Rotating baking sheet halfway through, until golden brown, 25-35 minutes. Serve warm.