My Prairie Cookbook (25 page)

By now you're probably wondering, “Where is the fritter recipe? This is a prairie cookbook! How could she not include a fritter recipe?” Well, calm down—here it is, although it might not be the fritter recipe you were expecting. I promise you'll love it, though; it's excellent served with salsa and sour cream. So don't get yourself all atwitter. Please try this fritter. Though it's not sweet, it's certainly not bitter. There now . . . isn't that better?

Serves 4

6 tablespoons (90 ml) corn oil

2 yellow onions, finely chopped

4 zucchini, ends trimmed

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside and let them cool.

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Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater. Working in batches, put a small mound of zucchini in the center of a large square of doublelayer cheesecloth. Gather the corners together and squeeze out as much water as possible. Transfer the zucchini to a medium bowl. Repeat with the remaining zucchini.

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Add the onions, egg, and flour to the zucchini, season with salt and pepper, and mix well with a spoon until thoroughly combined.

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Heat the remaining 4 tablespoons (60 ml) of oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Gently form the zucchini mixture into 8 patties about ¾ inch (2 cm) thick. Working in batches, fry the patties in the hot oil until browned and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

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Transfer the fritters with a slotted spatula to paper towels to drain and season with salt while still hot. Serve immediately.

One of the all-time great side dishes. This rich version is closer to the authentic French dish than some other recipes you might see. It's absolutely fantastic with steak or lamb, or even swordfish. I have to hide the finished gratin until I'm ready to serve or else my family will pass through the kitchen and sneak bites. Okay . . . so do I . . . you caught me.

Serves 6

5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter

2 cloves garlic

Salt

6 large russet potatoes (about 2½ pounds/1.2 kg), peeled and thinly sliced (about ⅛ inch/3 mm thick)

2 cups (480 ml) half-and-half

Freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of ground nutmeg

1 cup grated Gruyère cheese (about 4 ounces/115 g)

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Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Grease an 8-inch (20-cm) square baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter.

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Smash the garlic with the side of a knife and sprinkle it generously with salt. Chop and scrape the garlic into a mushy paste.

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Cut the remaining 4 tablespoons (½ stick/55 g) butter into ½-inch (12-mm) pieces. Combine the garlic paste, potatoes, half-and-half, and butter in a large pot; stir. Season with salt and a few turns of the pepper mill and taste the liquid; it should be seasoned generously. Add the nutmeg. Bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat while stirring the mixture with a wooden spoon. After 8 to 10 minutes, the potatoes will be a little tender and their starch will have thickened the liquid a lot.

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Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish; smooth the top as much as possible. Cover the gratin with the grated cheese and bake until deeply golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Let it cool and set a little before serving.

This not-too-sweet version of this classic dish goes great with my Roast Turkey with Herb Butter (
this page
) or any of my chicken dishes. It's also kind of a cool meal all on its own. Or try it for breakfast!

Serves 4 to 6

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered

1½ cups (360 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice

½ cup (120 ml) maple syrup

1½ teaspoons ground ginger

Salt

¼ cup (½ stick/55 g) unsalted butter

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Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

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Put the potatoes in a medium baking dish in a single layer.

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Whisk the juice, syrup, ginger, and salt to taste together in a small bowl until smooth, then pour over the potatoes. Cut the butter into small pieces and scatter over the sweet potatoes.

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Bake, basting occasionally with the liquid in the dish, until the potatoes are soft and golden, 1 to 1½ hours. Serve hot.

I love stuffing. I always have. It's one of my favorite things to eat—hot, cold, with gravy, or naked (the stuffing, silly). I can't say enough about stuffing. Really! I thought of so many superlatives for this recipe that I had to share a few with you:

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Stuffing for President!

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And the Oscar goes to . . . stuffing!

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World War III ends as entire planet eats stuffing!

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Brad Pitt to marry Melissa Gilbert's stuffing recipe!

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Scientists discover that stuffing cures the common cold!

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Stuffing wins Super Bowl!

Guess what my answer always is to the question, “Stuffing or Potatoes?”

Serves 6 to 8

15 tablespoons (200 g) unsalted butter

6 ribs celery, finely chopped

2 yellow onions, finely chopped

1 dried bay leaf

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh marjoram

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh savory

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

10 cups (500 g) cubed crustless white bread

3 cups (720 ml) chicken broth

½ cup (15 g) finely chopped fresh parsley

2 large eggs, beaten

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Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Grease a 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter.

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Heat 10 tablespoons (140 g) of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the celery, onions, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste; cook until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Add the sage, marjoram, savory, thyme, and nutmeg and cook for about 2 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.

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Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl. Add the cubed bread, broth, and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the eggs and mix to combine.

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Cut the remaining 4 tablespoons (½ stick/55 g) butter into small pieces. Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish, press down, and dot with the butter. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the stuffing is deep golden brown on top, about 20 minutes more. Serve hot.