Wedge o' Red, Dressed in Blue (Reconstructed Cole Slaw)

When the deconstructed food trend was at its peak a few years back, it seemed that there was not a single dish from any cuisine that was safe from its ravages. Bloody Marys, mac & cheese, turkey dinner, cheesecake, gazpacho, guacamole.* This technique of taking the well-blended elements of a tasty dish and, for some reason, serving them separately, seems to have mostly faded away.

And yet, what of the wreckage left in its wake, all those forlorn bits and shards of Humpty Dumpty recipes that still litter the culinary landscape? Where, I ask you, are the reconstructors, to step in and make things right?

I'll go first: In the new spirit of civil discourse and coming-togetherness that is sweeping the nation (uh-huh), I present here my recipe for Reconstructed Cole Slaw: The Wedge o' Red Dressed in Blue. No shredding involved (although a carrot, a pickle, and a shallot met quite a dicey fate, heh, heh).

The idea came from observing how pretty a slice of red cabbage is, the compelling marbling of purple and white along the edges of the leaves. I wanted to present a dish where you could really see that. On my first go I just soaked the cabbage in brine for a few hours, and it was good, but too crunchy. Your dinner guests would appear rather bovine, I'm afraid, presented with that chunk of raw cabbage to ruminate upon. The next time I blanched the cabbage in the brine--much more tender, and the cabbage took up more of the brine's flavor, too. A little of the color did bleed out, though; these are the compromises that make up our lives....

These are all strong flavors, which will really perk up a winter-weary appetite. It was part of a lovely lunch prepared at Bide-A-Wee while I was in recipe-testing and -editing mode recently. Bacon sandwich on bread made from "Le Bun" dough. No complaints.



Wedge o' Red Dressed in Blue (Reconstructed Cole Slaw)
Serves four

4 wedges of red cabbage, an inch wide on the wide end
1 ½ cups water
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
½ cup cider vinegar

Take care to keep the cabbage leaves connected at the root end. Combine all the other ingredients in a saucepan or skillet large enough to fit the cabbage wedges. Bring the brine to a boil, add the cabbage, and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow the cabbage to cool in the brine.

Make the dressing.

Blue Cheese Dressing

1 small clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons minced shallot
1 ½ oz crumbled blue cheese, about 1/3 cup
¼ cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white wine or cider vinegar
2 Tbsp of the cabbage brine
2 teaspoons minced carrot
1 cornichon minced, about 1 tablespoon
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh thyme leaves, stripped from 2 sprigs

Place a wedge of pickled cabbage on a plate, swipe a spoon of dressing across the middle. Serve with bread to mop up the extra dressing.

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* A quick Google revealed that Rachael Ray, of all people, was quite into the deconstruction scene. But deconstructed guacamole? I mean, just how constructed is avocado mush, to start with...?


Text and photos copyright 2011 by Brett Laidlaw

A Baker's Stuffing

This is what our breadboard often looks like. It's kind of gross, I know. Sorry. There's a piece of our cornmeal bread, some currant-stout, honey whole grain, even some brioche that I pulled out of the freezer. Much of it was well past sandwich quality, or even toast. But with a little help from the garden, market, and larder...

...all that dead bread can be transformed into something rather edible:

We served this with a piece of lamb leg pan-roasted over carrots and leeks. It was a trial run for turkey day. It hardly matters how dry the bread is. As long as you can still cut it up, it will be fine (we had a piece of French batard that was well beyond saving--absolutely petrified). Use good bread in your stuffing, dressing, whatever you like to call it. It makes all the difference in the world. Only problem is, stuffing this good might upstage the bird.

Simple Bread Stuffing with Bacon and Root Vegetables

serves four to six

12 ounces dry bread, in 3/4-inch cubes, 7 or 8 cups (an assortment adds interest)

3 1/2 ounces thick-cut bacon--2 or 3 slices--diced

half a small celery root, in 1/4-inch dice (use some of the green stalks, too--mince these--and some chopped leaves if they're not too bitter)

2 small carrots, in 1/4-inch dice

1 small leek, chopped

1/2 a medium onion, chopped

2 large cloves garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp each fresh chopped thyme and sage

salt and pepper

1 cup chicken stock

1 Tbsp butter

1/4 tsp piment d'espelette or hot paprika, or 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Preheat your oven to 375. In a large skillet slowly cook the bacon over medium heat until most of the fat has rendered and the bacon is lightly brown. Remove the bacon from the pan. Leave one tablespoon of bacon fat in the pan, and add the one tablespoon of butter. Add the celery root and minced tops, carrots, leek, onion, and sauté until the vegetables are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more.

In a large mixing bowl combine the bread with the sautéed vegetables, the bacon, the herbs, the piment or paprika, a good dash of salt and several grinds of pepper, and the chicken stock. Mix well, cover with a lid or a plate and let stand for ten minutes. Check to see that the bread is nicely softened. If it seems too dry add another 1/4 cup of stock or water. Mix well once more, and spoon the mixture into a casserole or gratin dish.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the stuffing is well browned on top and hot throughout. Those Stovetop Stuffing people have one thing right: There's no reason to serve this only once or twice a year. It's a wonderful, simple dish that's great throughout the colder months...in which we are now firmly ensconced.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Text and photos copyright 2008 by Brett Laidlaw