Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and we all have reason to make our family dinner particularly special this year. We asked Vancouver steakhouse Black and Blue for a superb side dish to go with whatever you’re cooking, and chef Jerome Soubeyrand delivered.
“To create this side dish,” he says, “my thoughts went to my grandparents. When a family dinner would happen, my granddad would go in the garden and bring whatever he could find to my grandmother. She would then accommodate and create a simple but tasty dish. This dish is happiness and family in a plate with a mix of Canadian flavour bringing you from Thanksgiving to Christmas.”
Chef Jerome Soubeyrand. Image courtesy of Black and Blue.
Lentils and Maple-Glazed Carrots With Spiced Pumpkin Puree
For the lentils
Ingredients
2 cups Puy lentils
¼ cup olive oil
3 stalks of celery, diced
½ yellow onion, minced
½ red pepper, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups diced potatoes
4 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf
½ cup of carrot cut into diamonds
¼ cup of pancetta, diced
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Method
Rinse and drain the lentils.
In a large pot, warm most of the olive oil (reserve a bit to cook the pancetta).
Sweat the onions, celery, red pepper, and garlic.
Add the lentils, chicken stock, and potatoes to the pot.
Add salt, pepper, bayleaf, and thyme.
Let simmer for an hour.
Add water or more chicken stock as needed until the preferred consistency is acquired.
Meanwhile, in a pan with boiling water, boil carrots until tender, drain and set aside.
In a pan, cook the pancetta with a little oil, add the carrots, and sautée. When the pancetta starts to colour, taste the carrots to make sure they are not overcooked .
Add the maple syrup to the pancetta and carrots, and mix well. Set aside.
For the purée
Ingredients
1 cup diced pumpkin
4 cups water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
2 cloves
¼ cup butter
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
In a pot, put the water, pumpkin and spices.
Bring to a simmer for 20 minutes.
Check the pumpkin. It should be cooked and soft.
Place the pumpkin in a food processor and blitz until puréed. Add the butter slowly to emulsify. Add some of the poaching liquid if needed to obtain the right texture.
Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
Image courtesy of Black and Blue.
Plating
On a plate, place a spoon of purée and use your spoon to make a teardrop shape.
Add the cooked lentils topped with glazed carrots and finish with a juicy piece of turkey.
Enjoy, and happy Thanksgiving.
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