How to Fix a Broken Hollandaise Sauce

It happens to the best of us. You did everything right, and yet somehow your gorgeous hollandaise sauce has separated. Your hungry, possibly hangry, brunch guests are sitting down, and you're in the kitchen panicking, since there's no time to start a new one from scratch. What do you do? What...do....you....do?

First, take a deep breath, and by "deep breath" I mean a big sip of your Bloody Mary. Then, do what you see me do in this video. A hollandaise sauce is actually very easy to fix, and only takes a minute. Let's hope you never have to use it, but just in case, I hope you give this great technique a try.

Tonnato Sauce � Not Just for Cold Veal Anymore

Some things sound really amazing the first time you hear about them, and other things, like this tonnato sauce, really don�t. I was probably in my early twenties when this first appeared on my culinary radar as, �vitello tonnato.� At the time, a plate of cold, thinly-sliced poached veal dressed with a chilled, runny tuna sauce didn�t make a lot of sense, but I tried it anyway, and have been a fan ever since.

I don�t often serve it with the traditional veal, as in never, but ironically that�s the only thing I don�t serve it with. It�s tremendous as a spread, and equally impressive as an all-purpose, all-world dip. You can also turn any basic potato salad into the stuff of legends...well, at least picnic legends.

I have to give credit where credit's due, and admit I stole the idea for my "tonnato tartare tartine" from one of my favorite San Francisco restaurants, Bar Tartine. They do it much better, but even my primitive version was incredible, so if you're into that kind of thing, I highly recommend it.

As I said in the clip, there are only a few ingredients, and they're all �to taste,� so you should expect to adjust. I like mine with lots of everything, plus some garlic and cayenne, but that�s just me. By the way, in keeping with the spirit of the original dish, if you do happen to have some cold, leftover roast chicken, turkey, or pork, slice it thin, and slather this stuff all over it, and enjoy one of the best cold plates ever. I really hope you give this tonnato sauce a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 2 cups tonnato sauce:

1 (7-ounce) jar olive oil-packed tuna, plus reserved olive oil

6 olive oil-packed anchovy fillets

2 tablespoons capers, drained

3 tablespoons lemon juice, or more to taste

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more to taste

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1 or 2 cloves minced garlic

salt to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

pinch of cayenne

For the spring vegetable topping:
equal parts shaved raw carrot and thinly sliced raw sugar snap peas or snow peas, tossed with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Topped with arugula sprouts or thinly-sliced arugula leaves.

For the raw beef topping:
ice cold diced lean beef (I used eye of round), tossed with salt, pepper, olive oil, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Topped with arugula sprouts or thinly-sliced arugula leaves.

Demi-Glace: Part 2 � Half Again

I could�ve squeezed this stuff into the last video (Demi-Glace Part 1), but it was already too long, and I didn�t want to rush through what�s just as important information. Plus, I really wanted to show some more gelatinized sauce slapping. People really seem to enjoy that, maybe a little too much.

Once you go through all the trouble of making homemade demi-glace, you�ll want to make sure you portion and store it properly, so that it provides you with many months of stellar sauces. 

As seen in the video, you should get 16 nice blocks, each enough for about two servings, depending on the sauce. As amazing as this stuff is when used as a simple pan sauce, stay tuned for a few proper demi-based sauces at some point. I�ve always wanted to do a bordelaise sauce, and now we can. 

Besides using this for sauces, you can also throw a block into braised dishes like short ribs, or coq au vin, and you take something already pretty great, and make it truly memorable. I hope you give homemade demi-glace a try soon. Enjoy!

Demi-Glace: Part 1 � Feel the Veal

If you saw the post from earlier today, you know this video has been delayed do to mysterious, and near catastrophic audio problems, but finally we have the first �demi� of the recipe, and I hope it was worth the wait.

This is my technique for veal demi-glace, and there�s not much to it. I�m going for a pure veal stock reduction, fortified with nothing more than mirepoix and tomato. I don�t do the classic roux-based �espagnole� sauce, which is traditionally mixed with veal stock and reduced by half.

Modern versions like this forgo the flour, and simply reduce the stock until the natural gelatin from the bones thickens things up. You get a much more intensely flavored sauce, with a wonderfully luxurious mouthfeel. I also usually make a pure version of the stock without the traditional �bouquet garni,� which is a very classic bundle of herbs and spices, usually wrapped and tied in a piece of leek.

It looks pretty, but I can add any or all of those flavors anytime I want, and we�re also always going to use this as a base for other sauces and applications, all of which bring their own herb and spice blends. Basically, like to keep my options open.

Stay tuned for part two, where I�ll show you what to do with this life-changing liquid, as well as how to portion and store it for many months of brown sauce nirvana. I hope you call your butcher and order some veal bones soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 3-4 quarts of Demi-Glace:

10 lbs veal bones, joints and marrow bones

1 tbsp vegetable oil

4 carrots, cut in 2-inch pieces

3 onions, cut in eighths (I did without thinking, but you don�t have to peel the onions)

4 ribs celery, cut in 2-inch pieces

1 (6-oz) can tomato paste

*10 quarts water

*While the stock simmers very, very gently for 18 hours, the level will drop a few inches in the pot, which is fine, but if it seems like the liquid level is getting low, add a few cups of water in.

How to Make Tahini Sauce with Too Much Garlic

This was supposed to be a simple tahini sauce video for teasing our upcoming falafel episode, but it turned into a demonstration on how not to adjust a recipe. Usually this delicious Middle Eastern condiment has just a touch of garlic, if any, for whatever reason I was in a garlicky mood, and decided to put in some extra� all at once.

This is a classic rookie move, and usually a recipe for disaster, pun intended. If you�re going to significantly increase the amount of an ingredient, you can�t just dump it all in and cross your fingers. You have to add it little by little, tasting as you go, otherwise you�ll end up like me; the proud owner of a perfectly fine garlic sauce.

There�s nothing wrong with garlic sauce, unless you really wanted tahini sauce.  The good news is, my mistake shouldn�t affect you in the least. The technique is very simple, and every ingredient is �to taste.� So, please use the ingredient amounts below as a guide, and then add more of whatever until you have it exactly how you want it.

Once you get the formula down, you�ll be enjoying one of the world�s great cold sauces. Perfect with everything from steamed vegetables to grilled meats, and of course, homemade falafel. So, stay tuned for that, and in the meantime, I hope you get this delicious tahini sauce a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 1 cup of tahini sauce:

1/2 cup tahini (pure sesame seed paste)

1 clove finely crushed garlic (I used 4 cloves in the video,  but you probably shouldn�t)

pinch of salt

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil, optional (most classic recipes do not include)

enough warm water to achieve the desired consistency (this sauce is usually very thin)

Fresh Raspberry Sauce � Easy and Effective

As promised, here�s the fresh raspberry sauce we served with our recently posted chocolate decadence cake. While originally intended to be a companion video for that dessert, this stuff is so beautiful and delicious, you and your Valentine may not even need the cake.

Like I mentioned in the video, this will absolutely work even if you use frozen raspberries, but nothing compares to the flavor of the sauce if you can somehow find and use fresh raspberries.

Of course, that�s only half the battle, because the real key, besides the fresh fruit, is not overcooking the sauce.  We don�t want to boil and reduce this mixture. We�re not trying to make a thick heavy syrup, but instead a light, fresh, and vibrant pool of raspberry goodness.

This was perfect with our chocolate decadence, but would be equally as effective with pretty much any quality, store-bought dessert; in particular cheesecake, or vanilla ice cream. I�ve checked with the legal team, and even if you put this on something from the market, you�re still allowed to technically call your dessert "homemade."

By the way, if this gorgeous sauce doesn�t help you seduce the object of your desire this Valentine�s Day, don�t be too upset, as it probably wasn�t meant to be. So good luck, and I hope you give this fresh raspberry sauce a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 3 Cups Fresh Raspberry Sauce:

4 half-pint baskets of fresh raspberries (1.5 pounds), rinsed, drained

2 to 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste

1/4 cup sugar, or more to taste

*0 to 4 tablespoons water, depending on desired thickness

*Depending what you�re going to serve the sauce with, you may want to add some water before cooking the berries. If you want something a little thicker, to serve over ice cream for example, then don�t add any water. On the other hand, if you want and lighter texture like I did, toss in a few tablespoons of water before heading to the stove. Be careful; we�re not boiling and reducing the sauce, so we can�t cook out excess liquid.

Bagna Cauda � A Real Bathing Beauty

I�m more of a shower guy, but Bagna Cauda is one �hot bath� I�ll take any time. While this qualifies as a warm dip, it has nothing in common with the typical versions that will grace snack tables across America this Sunday.

It doesn�t contain pounds of melted cheese, or come in a bread bowl, but what it does have going for it, is simple, rustic goodness, and proven crowd appeal. Besides, unlike those other "hot dips," this one actually stays hot.

If there were ever a recipe to tweak to your own tastes, it�s this one. You can adjust the amounts of garlic and anchovy, as well as the proportion of olive oil to butter. You can also control how long you cook the mixture before it�s presented.

I think about five minutes is perfect, but many people cook it much longer. Other than that, the hardest part of this recipe is deciding on what to drunk in this ancient dip. Anything goes, but as I mentioned in the video, some chunks of crusty bread are highly recommended. I hope you give this bagna cauda a try soon. Enjoy!

UPDATE: I'm hearing from my friends in Northern Italy that they use TWICE as much anchovy and garlic as I did. So, be advised. 
 
Ingredients for 1 1/4 cup Bagna Cauda

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

6-8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

6-8 anchovy filets

2 tsp red wine vinegar

chili flakes to taste

Quick Pickled Pepper Onion Relish � Not Just for Mini Philly Cheesesteaks Anymore

As promised, here is the pepper and onion relish you saw me accessorize my bite-sized cheesesteaks a few videos ago. The whole trick here is to find peppadew peppers, which have a very vibrant, sweet-hot-tangy flavor, and quickly and easily turn a pan of saut�ed onions and jalape�os into a world-class condiment.

Pretty much any large grocery store that has one of those self-serve salad/olive bars will have these peppers. Just be sure to ladle in some of the flavorful pickling liquid, as that�s what really brings this all together. You'll also sometimes see them in jars on the shelf, as well as online.

You can certainly use any jarred, pickled pepper, but this works best with something that�s on the sweet and spicy side. No matter what pepper you use, you can always adjust with salt, sugar, and/or vinegar. Like I said in the clip, even if you don�t do the mini Philly cheesesteaks, I still hope you give this versatile relish a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 1 cup of relish:

2/3 cup finely diced onion

1/2 cup diced jalape�o

1/2 cup diced Peppadew peppers, or other sweet-hot pickled pepper

1/4 to 1/3 cup of the reserved Peppadew liquid, or as needed

Hello, it�s Chef Dijon, from Foodwishes.com!

Instead of New Year�s resolutions like, �lose weight,� or �learn French,� I decided to knock a few items off the video recipe bucket list, and �making Dijon mustard� was first on the agenda. I�m not sure if I�ve ever kept a New Year�s resolution before, so this is a new and strange experience. It�s also great on hot dogs.

This recipe comes from my friend, and About.com�s Food Preservation Expert, Sean Timberlake. Since I�m a newbie, I wanted to use a recipe from someone I could harass in person if need be. That won�t be necessary, as this came out pretty well for a first attempt.

By the way, Sean says you can start to taste the final flavor profile after three days, but I recommended a week in the video, just to play it safe. It really does take some time for the rawness to wear off, and that familiar mustard flavor to emerge.

In hindsight, I should have used a real blender to grind the soaked seeds. I opted for the hand-held for a better shot, but I don�t think I extracted as much flavor as I could have. I really enjoyed the texture, but I think I will try another batch in the blender, and go for something smoother, and even stronger.

As with all condiments, you can and should adjust this to your taste. This style of Dijon doesn�t contain any sweetener, but a little sugar or honey are common additions these days. You can also adjust the acidity, and I did add a little more than called for, since I tend to like things on the sharper side.

Speaking of acidity, I just canned mine using the hot mustard to seal the sterilized jars. This is not a product that will spoil easily, but for any kind of long-term storage, you�ll want to can in a hot water bath (see instructions here).

So, if you were looking for a totally doable, and completely edible New Year�s resolution, then this might be for you. Thank you to Mr. Timberlake for sharing his recipe, and I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted ever so slightly from this one by Sean Timberlake/About.com.
Ingredients for four (8-ounce) jars of Dijon:

1 1/2 cups white wine

2/3 cup white wine vinegar (original recipe calls for 1/2 cup)

1 cup water, plus more as needed

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup yellow mustard seeds

1/4 cup dry mustard

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

Crispy Honey-Glazed Ham � Looks, Tastes, and Sounds Like the Holidays

A great holiday ham glaze needs to have three things; a wonderful flavor, a gorgeous, shiny appearance, and a crispy, crackling crust you can hear across the room. I�m happy to report this easy to make glaze has all those things in abundance.

This honey glaze will work on any size or style of ham, and as long as you keep the mixture quite thick, and caramelize it properly at the end, you will be the proud owner of a magazine cover-quality ham.

As I mention in the video, this was an uncured, fully-cooked, country-style ham, and if you use something similar, I�m recommending you pull it at 130 F. internal temp. Remember, ham is already cooked, so we just want it hot enough to eat. By the way, if you�re using a ham that�s not cooked already, you�re on your own!

The type of ham I used doesn�t contain a lot of added water like most hams in the supermarket, so it�s even more crucial to use a thermometer to achieve the proper temp. The meat has a denser, drier texture, and while the payoff is a superior ham flavor, it can get dry and salty if overcooked.

If you're using a standard ham, you can use the exact same procedure, but maybe go to 140 F., since you have a lot wetter product to work with. I realize many guides say to go to 160-180 F., but I have no idea why.

No matter what ham you use, you�ll need to give the glaze a final caramelizing before it gets anywhere near kale and tiny apples. They say you can crank the oven up to 500 F., or use the broiler, but nothing does a better job than the old blowtorch. If you don�t have one, they�re only $15 at a hardware store, and are an invaluable tool in the kitchen.

So, if a holiday ham is on your menu, I really hope you toss out that packet of who-knows-what, and give this wonderful, crispy honey ham glaze a try. Enjoy!

Enough glaze for a 7-9 pound ham:

1 packed cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp rice vinegar (or any vinegar), or enough to make a thick paste

pinch of cayenne

1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

For the water in the roasting pan:

2 whole star anise, and a bunch of whole cloves

- Bake ham at 325 F., glazing every 20 minutes until the internal temp is 130 F. for country-style hams, and 140 F. for regular hams.

Cranberry Sauce Like a Boss

Just in case you�re still deciding on which of the roughly one million different cranberry sauces you�ll be going with this Thanksgiving, here are a few ideas. Technically, the Cumberland isn�t a cranberry sauce, but it�s close enough, and serves the same delicious purpose. If you're tempted, just click on the bold titles, and away you go. I hope you give one of these great sauce a try, and as always, enjoy!

	Tangerine Cherry Cranberry Sauce Could you just use orange, and call it "tangerine?" Sure, why not, it's only your family you'd be misleading.
	Ginger Pear Cranberry Sauce This one just sounds like it will be great with roast turkey. In fact, when you tell people what it is, they'll say, "Oh, that sounds great." Try it, and see.
	Cumberland Sauce Do you think they just name any old sauce after the Duke of Cumberland? Well, they don't
	Maple Walnut Cranberry Sauce As you'll read, there was a time when I didn't think putting nuts in a cranberry sauce was a good idea. I've evolved on the issue.

Lobster Newberg� I Mean, Wenberg

How Lobster Newberg got its name is one of my all-time favorite food stories. It�s also a fascinating glimpse into the twisted mind of someone crazy enough to own/run a restaurant. 

As the story goes, this dish was invented by a Mr. Ben Wenberg, who showed it to his buddy, Charles Delmonico, at the famous Delmonico�s Restaurant, in New York City. Chuck puts it on the menu, calls it �Lobster Wenberg,� and everyone loves it.

Sometime thereafter, the two men get into a horrible argument, and Delmonico takes it off the menu. Of course, the patrons are like, �You said what? He said what? Whatever, just put it back on the menu.� Which he did, but not before changing the name to the anagram, �Newberg,� purely out of spite. Hey, he could have gone with Lobster �Bengrew.�

Strange but true naming stories aside, this really is a great, and simple recipe. As long as you�re not filming it, that is. Once you start with the sauce, you really can�t stop until you�re spooning it into the pastry, so this presented a little challenge in trying to get all the shots.

The sauce is pretty rich, so you want something just thick enough to coat the meat, but not so thick that it covers it up. Having said that, if you cook it a little further, until it almost starts to simmer, it will get a bit thicker, if that�s your preference. Just don�t go too far, or the yolks may start to form curds, and you�ll lose the silkiness.

What you want to avoid is that pudding-like consistency you see on the bad hotel buffets. Besides paying attention to the few minutes of stirring, not much can go wrong. I really hope you give the recipe formerly known as, �Lobster Wenberg,� a try soon. Enjoy!

                        

Ingredients for 4 appetizer sized portions:

4 (4-oz) lobster tails

2 tbsp clarified butter (melted butter with the milky foam removed)

2 or 3 tbsp sherry or brandy

salt to taste

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 large egg yolks

cayenne pepper to taste

pinch of fresh grated nutmeg

Serve over buttered toast or in freshly baked puff pastry shells (video to follow)

Chicken Tikka Masala � God Save the Curry

I probably get more requests for Indian food than any other ethnic cuisine, so I was very excited to be posting this chicken tikka masala; until I found out it�s actually a British recipe. It was the same feeling I had when I found out that pizza wasn�t invented in New York. 

So technically, I still owe you an authentic Indian recipe, but in the meantime I think this will do nicely. While this is a stripped-down version, where we�ve cut out several time-consuming steps, it was still incredibly delicious, and very Indian curry-like. 

As I mention in the video, this is usually done with heavy cream, but I like to use coconut milk instead. It�s probably a little better for you, but above and beyond that, the subtle sweetness it provides works beautifully with the spices in the dish.

By the way, you can substitute chicken breast here, but since we�re not doing the traditional yogurt marinade first, I believe thighs work much better in this version. Usually chicken breasts are marinated in yogurt first, and then cooked in a tandoor oven, before being added to the sauce. It is a great way to do it, but even without that step, I thought this was excellent. So, I hope you give this American version of a British version of an Indian curry a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions of Chicken Tikka Masala:

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoons ground turmeric

2 teaspoons garam masala

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 or 3 tablespoons clarified butter

1 onion, chopped

1/4 cup tomato paste

4 garlic cloves, finely grated

1 rounded tbsp finely grated peeled ginger

1 cup crushed tomatoes or tomato puree

1 can (13.5-oz) coconut milk, or about 1 2/3 cups heavy cream

1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth, or as needed (use to adjust sauce consistency to you liking)

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro

salt to taste

4 cups steamed rice

Spiced Apple Chutney ...I Mean �Applesauce�

We�re getting close to applesauce season, and if you�re in the mood for a little upgrade, then consider this exotic, but very easy, spiced apple chutney. Actually, it�s way more than a little upgrade.

These types of fruit chutneys are some of the most flavorful things you�ll ever taste, and perfect condiments for those special occasion holiday dinners. If you like applesauce, you�ll find this a fairly familiar experience, and despite the ingredient list, nothing really overpowers the fruit.

You don�t really taste shallots or garlic, and everything works to amplify the appleness. The salt, spice, and vinegar makes this a savory condiment to be sure, yet it still works in pretty much every situation regular applesauce would, except maybe as baby food. Although?

Anyway, like I said in the video, you may have to call this �applesauce,� and make it when no one�s around, but one taste and I�m sure you�ll agree the ends justify the means. I hope you give this great apple chutney a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 2 1/2 cups:

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 1/2 cups white vinegar

4 apples, peeled, 1/2-inch cubes

1/4 cup diced dried apricots

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup diced shallots or red onion

5 thick slices ginger

1/4 tsp red chili flakes, or to taste

1 whole star anise

1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste

1/2 tsp yellow mustard seeds

2 cloves minced garlic

Fire-Roasted Cherry Tomato Salsa � Tastily Teasing Forward

Sorry to spoil the surprise, but I just had to give away the fact that this delicious fire-roasted cherry tomato salsa was created to go alongside some pork carnitas we�ll be posting next. They made such an incredible pairing, I was tempted to post it all together, but then I remembered it was Friday, and there was a baseball game coming on.

Speaking of which, whether you end up making the carnitas or not, this gorgeous salsa would shine on any big-game snack table. The fire-roasting brings out a tremendous amount of flavor, and provides just the right touch of smoky goodness. I�m sure your friends are more than happy with the jarred stuff, but once in a while it�s nice to see if they�re paying attention.

You�ll want the flame of your broiler (or electric heating element) about 3-4 inches above the food, which may or may not be how far away your top rack is. If it�s too close, just use the next rack down, and use a pan like I did in the video to get it to the correct height.

By the way, I know eating �burned� foods mean ingesting carcinogenic materials, but I don�t care. This is no different than eating grill marks on a steak, or the crispy blackened ends on a brisket, and I�m not about to stop eating those things, so why would a few spoons of this scare me?

Anyway, stay tuned for the pork carnitas video, and in the meantime, I hope you give this fire-roasted cherry tomato salsa a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredient for about 2 cups of salsa:
2 tsp olive oil

1 generous pint cherry tomatoes (Sweet 100�s if you can find them)

1 yellow onion, roughly chopped

8 whole cloves garlic, unpeeled

3 jalapenos, sliced
juice of a lime, or to taste

salt and pepper to taste

cayenne to taste

pinch dried oregano

1/4 tsp dried cumin

packed 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Remoulade Sauce 2.0

I believe there�s a very old remoulade video floating around the channel somewhere, but after making some to go with our salmon cakes, I figured it was high time to share an updated version. Better known as tartar sauce, this easy and adaptable condiment isn't just for fish sticks anymore.

As I mentioned in the video, it was originally invented to go alongside meat, so it comes as no surprise that it�s excellent on everything from grilled pork chops to double cheeseburgers. And when it comes to sandwiches, as long as you have some of this sitting around (should last at least a week), no mayo should touch your turkey on whole wheat. 

Regarding the dried tarragon reduction at the beginning; this is an old-school step that many people will skip, but if you can find dried tarragon, I really think you should give this method to try, as the flavor is quite different than if fresh is used. With condiments like this, every single ingredient is �to taste,� so be sure to adjust according to yours, especially when it comes to the pickle combination.

If you�re going to serve with something on the spicy/tangy/savory side, you may want to include some bread-and-butter picklesfor sweetness. On the other hand, if you're doing something like fried scallops, which have a naturally sweet flavor, you may want to go with just dill pickles to balance the flavor. Either way, I hope you give this remoulade sauce a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 1 1/2 cup of remoulade sauce: 1 teaspoon dried tarragon

2 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoon anchovy paste

1/4 cup finely diced dill pickles

1/4 cup finely diced bread & butter pickles

1 tablespoon chopped capers

1 tablespoon minced green onions

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

salt to taste

Coq Au Vin � Rock Out with Your Coq Out

Some recipes just shouldn�t be translated to English. It�s not that telling your guests they�re having �Cock with Wine,� sounds so bad, it�s just that after dinner I want them tweeting about how great the dish tasted, not how funny/inappropriate the name was.

 The other issue would be one of false advertising, since I have no idea where you get an old rooster these days. I like to use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs instead, which I think work perfectly here. Like all braised dishes, tougher cuts with lots of connective tissue work best, and on a chicken that would be the thigh/leg section.

Of course, someone will ask if they can use chicken breasts, and technically you can, but please don�t. They just will not add that sticky goodness to the braising liquid that the thighs will.

This really is a simple recipe, and all gets done in one pan, but there are several steps, as you build up fond after fond. Before any wine or stock hits the pan, we want a thick, gorgeous layer of caramelization, which is where much of this recipe�s flavor comes from.

I don�t want to sound cocky, but this really was delicious, and as I say in the video, the mushroom, bacon, and onion mixture alone is worth making this for. I hope you give it a try soon. And please, use the French name. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 large portions:
8 oz sliced bacon

6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

salt and pepper to taste

*note: after cooking bacon and browning chicken, discard all but 1 tbsp of the fat before cooking the vegetables

2 shallots, sliced

1/2 large yellow onion, diced (traditionally they use pearl onions)

10 large button mushrooms, quartered

2 tsp butter

2 tsp flour

1 1/2 cups red wine

1 cup chicken broth

6 springs thyme

- Braise for about 1 hour 375, or until the thighs are tender

Cranberry Stuffed Game Hens - Honey, I Shrunk the Turkey

You may be wondering why I�m posting a Thanksgiving-themed video in the middle of summer. It�s a great question � I even annoyed myself with this way-too-early reminder of things to come � but I do have a great explanation.

As some of you may know, I write a quarterly article for Allrecipes Magazine, which requires producing the content months in advance, and this cranberry stuffed game hen recipe is going to be my item in the November issue. And yes, you should buy the magazine anyway.

If you�re cooking for a smaller group during the holidays, game hens are a fantastic way to downsize, without losing any of the special occasion feel. What we have is basically a miniaturized version of the traditional holiday turkey, featuring an easy, walnut bread and dried cranberry stuffing.

If you�ve never worked with game hens before, they�re very user friendly. Even stuffed to excess, they only roast for about an hour in a hot oven, and as long as you don�t overcook them (use a thermometer!), you�ll be enjoying the kind of juicy, flavorful meat that people cooking turkey only dream of.

As far as portioning goes, half a bird makes a nice serving, but I suggest doing one hen per person. I�m sorry, but regardless of bird-size, a holiday meal without leftovers is just not a holiday meal. So, whether you�re looking for a smaller, more manageable menu, or just want to feel bigger in proportion to your poultry, I hope you give these �micro turkeys� a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for Cranberry & Walnut Stuffed Game Hens

(Makes 2 whole or 4 half portions)

2 whole game hens (about 1 1/4 pounds each), fully dressed, and seasoned with salt to taste

For the stuffing:

3 tbsp butter

1/4 cup minced shallots

2 tbsp chopped green onions

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 cup chicken broth

2 cups toasted, crispy walnut bread cubes

1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/4 tsp dried sage

1 tsp freshly minced rosemary

1 large egg, beaten

For the sauce:

2 tbsp maple syrup

1/4 cup fresh cranberries

2/3 cup chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

- Roast at 400 degrees F. oven for about an hour or until the internal temperature in the middle of the thigh is 160 F. Let rest, covered loosely in foil for about 10 minutes, while the sauce is completed.