Title |
'Twas The Night Before Good Eats |
Transcript |
'Twas The Night Before
Good Eats |
Show # |
EASP05H |
Original Air Date |
11.30.2009 |
Topics |
Wassail, Saint Nicholas,
Crab Apples, Goose, Duck, Oysters |
Synopsis |
A dark
holiday night finds Alton Brown visited by a series of culinary spirits
which drive him to prepare long lost yuletide classics.
(foodnetwork.com) |
Recipes |
Foodnetwork.com never provided recipes.
Here's my copy from the transcript (below).
1) Wassail
2) Roasted Duck with Oyster Dressing
3) Sugar Fairy Plums |
Show No. |
220th |
FN's Info |
FN's Show Info |
The Locations |
--none-- |
Where's the
Title From? |
"Twas the night before
Christmas", the first line of the poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas", by
Clement Clarke Moore or Henry Livingston depending on who you believe. |
Youtube |
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5 |
|
- Preheat oven to 350° F
|
6 Fuji Apples, Cored |
- Core the Fuji apples using a standard apple corer. Place them in a oven proof glass cooking dish.
|
1 Cup Brown Sugar |
- Using a funnel, fill the holes with brown sugar. Tap them down (AB used chopsticks).
|
1 Cup Water |
- Place apples in the oven and add 1 cup of water to the dish. Cook for 45 minutes.
|
10 Cloves
10 Whole Allspice Berries
1 (2-Inch) Stick Cinnamon |
- Place cloves, allspice berries and cinnamon into a reusable muslin tea bag. (A tea ball strainer could also be used.)
|
1 tsp. Ground Ginger
1 tsp. Freshly Ground
Nutmeg
750 ml Madeira (one
bottle)
72 Ounces Ale (6 pack) |
- Turn a crock-pot onto low or medium.
- Add the spice bag, ginger and nutmeg, Madeira and ale.
- Cover and bring to 120° F.
|
6 Eggs, Separated |
- Whip the egg whites until you get stiff peaks (8 to 10 minutes)
- Whip the yolks until the ribbon state (lighter in color and thicker in consistency.)
- In 2 to 3 batches and using the mixer, work the whipped whites in to the yolk as quickly as possible.
- Temper the egg mixture by mixing in 3 full ladlefuls of the hot liquid.
- Remove the satchel of spices.
- Add the egg mixture to the punch using the mixer to blend it together.
- Once the apples are done, place them in the wassail along with any juice in the dish. The apples may or may not float.
|
1 (5-6 Pound) Duck |
- Butterfly and prepare the duck by:
- bending the wings backwards under themselves
- remove the spine with kitchen shears (cut up both sides)
- slice through the breastbone (but not all the way) with a
boning or paring knife, and then flatten it out as much as
possible
- flip
- make one shallow sideward incision (turn the knife sideways) down the length of each breast into the skin, only (not the meat) to let the fat out when cooking
- Place the duck in a 2 piece broiling pan (the one that came with the oven) that has paper towel in the bottom.
|
1 tbs. Kosher Salt Per
Pound of Duck |
- Evenly sprinkle ½ of the salt on each side of the bird.
- Store the unwrapped bird on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- After removing, the skin should be darker and dryer. Brush off any solid salt that remains. Toss the paper towel.
- Let the bird sit at room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Put the bird in as soon as the oven says it’s ready.
- Cook in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes.
- Turn the bird horizontally 180° and cook for another 30 minutes.
- Check the bird’s temperature. At 180°F, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest while the oven preheats to 450°F.
- When it’s ready, return the bird and cook for 10 minutes to crisp the skin.
- Allow bird to rest while you make the dressing.
- Drain all bird drippings.
|
¼ Cup Reserved Duck Fat |
- Reset oven to 350 degrees.
- Place backing bottom pan over medium heat.
- Pour fat into the pan.
|
1½ Cups Chopped Onions
1 Cups Chopped Celery
½ tsp. Kosher Salt
¼ tsp. Freshly Ground
Black Pepper |
- Place onion, celery, salt and pepper in hot pan with fat.
- Cook, stirring, until the aromatics become nice and translucent, about 10 minutes.
|
1 Pound Cornbread Staled
& Crumbled
5 Ounces Oyster Crackers,
Crumbled
1½ tsp. Dried Thyme
1 tsp. Dried Sage
2 Eggs, Lightly Beaten
1 Pint Small Oysters, With Liquor |
- Turn off the heat. and combine them (by hand) in a bowl with the cornbread, oyster crackers, thyme, sage, eggs and oysters. Be sure to break the oysters into bite-sized pieces.
- Return the mixture to the pan spreading evenly but not over packing.
- Now wash those oystery hands.
- Put the pan in the oven and cook for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and crisp around the edges.
- Plate up by spreading the dressing on a serving platter with the duck right in the middle.
|
6 Ounces Slivered
Almonds, Toasted |
- In a food processor, chop the almonds leaving a few small pieces
|
4 Ounces Prunes
4 Ounces Dried Apricots
4 Ounces Dried Figs |
- Add the fruit and continue to chop, but not into a big ball.
|
¼ tsp. Anise Seed
¼ tsp. Fennel Seed
¼ tsp. Caraway Seed |
- Toast the seeds.
|
¼ Cup Confectioner's
Sugar
Pinch of Kosher Salt
¼ tsp. Cardamom |
- In a bowl, mix the seeds with the sugar, salt and cardamom.
|
¼ Cup Honey |
- After mixing, add the prune mixture and honey and mix with a gloved hand until it forms a ball.
- Using a ¼ ounce disher, form into balls that are flattened on the bottom and
place out on a waxed-lined tray.
- Allow to sit on the counter for a few hours to dry or under a tea towel overnight.
|
1 Cup Course Sugar |
- Roll them around in your hand to warm them and coat in coarse sugar.
|