Nov. 25, 2009 : Holiday recipes with chefs Michela Larson and Nathan Rich

Local celebrity chefs Michela Larson and Nathan Rich offer some last-minute suggestions for Thanksgiving recipes.

Rocca’s Apple Crostata

Dough: Makes enough dough for 4 crostatas
1 ¼ lbs. butter
445 grams sugar
2 eggs
37 oz. all purpose flour

1.    Cream butter and sugar together.
2.    Add eggs to butter and sugar mixture and mix well.
3.    Add flour and mix until dough is smooth and without lumps.  Should be soft and smooth, not crumbly like pie dough.
4.    Cover, refrigerate and  allow to rest for thirty minutes.
5.    Measure out 6 ounces of dough and roll out until you have a circle that is ¼ inch thick and about 10 inches in diameter. Keep refrigerated until apples are ready.

Apple Filling

8 apples, preferably Granny Smith, cored, peeled and sliced into thin slices about 1/8 of an inch in thickness
½ cup brown sugar
4 TB butter
1 TB cinnamon

1.    Heat butter in a pot until it melts.
2.    Add apples, sugar and cinnamon
3.    Cook apples until tender, but not falling apart.
4.    When cooked, spread apples on baking sheet and cool in refrigerator.

Assembly

1.    Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2.    Layout dough on a greased baking sheet and place 2 cups of apples in center and spread out, leave a 2 inch space between edge of dough and apples around the radius of the dough.
3.    Fold edges over apples.
4.    Sprinkle edges with granulated sugar.
5.    Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until crostata is brown on edges and bottom is solid.
6.    Cool and serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
 

Butternut Squash Risotto

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 medium onion, diced
2 small to medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into small pieces, ¼ to ½ inch
3 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
16 cups chicken stock, heated
2-3 slices pancetta, cut into small pieces, cooked until crisp
½ cup fresh grated parmigiano
6 T. butter
salt and freshly ground pepper

Equipment

Wooden spoon
Heavy 12-inch sauce pan with 4-inch sides


Technique

Heat olive oil until very hot.  Mix in onion and squash and cook until onion becomes translucent, stirring frequently.  Mix in rice and cook until slightly toasted.  Add wine, then the first ladle of hot chicken stock.  Stir while cooking.  When liquid is absorbed, add second ladle of hot stock, and continue stirring.  Once one ladle is absorbed, add the next, stirring.  Keep adding stock ladle by ladle and cook until rice becomes creamy and slightly al dente.  Remove from heat, add butter and cheese quickly.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve in warmed soup plates, sprinkle with a bit more cheese and pieces of crispy pancetta.