TasteFood

Thanksgiving dinner is not complete without cranberry sauce. And while I have nothing against the traditional sugary cranberry combination, I crave an extra depth of flavor in the standard sauce -- and so I devised this chutney. What I like about chutney is it's a combination of fruit and savory ingredients, and not timid about incorporating herbs, spices and even a kick of heat. In other words, it nails many of the flavor senses (sweet, sour, salt, bitter, heat) that, to me, yield a more satisfying mouthful.

In this chutney, dried figs add a mellow, nutty sweetness, and fresh ginger and orange add perfume and zing, all of which balance out the cranberries' natural astringency, while allowing them to remain the star of the show -- after all, we're talking Thanksgiving here.

The good news is that this chutney is not exclusively for Thanksgiving. It also makes a great condiment for other fruit-loving proteins such as pork, duck and lamb. I also like to serve it as an accompaniment on a cheese platter or dabbed on goat cheese-smeared crostini.

Cranberry Fig Chutney

Active time: 30 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

Yield: makes about 2 cups

18 dried black mission figs, quartered

1/2 cup port wine

12 ounces cranberries, fresh or frozen

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger

Juice and zest from 1/2 orange

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 (2-inch) rosemary sprig

Place the figs in a small bowl and pour the wine over the figs. Set aside for 30 minutes.

Combine the cranberries and sugar in a heavy medium saucepan and heat over medium until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Add the figs and wine, the ginger, orange juice and zest, pepper, salt and the rosemary sprig. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, until the cranberries burst and the chutney has thickened, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from the heat and cool completely. Discard the rosemary sprig and serve. (The chutney may be made up to three days in advance. Cover and refrigerate. Serve at room temperature.)

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

A tarte Tatin is an upside-down caramelized fruit tart, traditionally made with apples, yet also a lovely way to showcase other seasonal fruit, such as pears in the fall and stone fruit in the summer. It's a rustic and unfussy dessert, notably shellacked in caramel -- and in my case, it is irregular, uneven and all the more charming for that.

Named for the Tatin sisters -- who "invented" the upside-down tart purportedly by accident in Lamotte-Beuvron, France, in 1898 -- the tarte Tatin is all about embracing your kitchen mistakes. Legend has it that one of the sisters, due to fatigue or distraction, somehow omitted the pastry in an apple tart, thereby adding it on top of the fruit in an attempt to salvage the dessert. Wouldn't it be nice if all of our kitchen disasters yielded such successful results?

I make a simple sour cream pastry, which creates a crumbly, cookielike crust. As the tart bakes in the oven, the caramel from the fruit filling will bubble up in spots through the crust. Fear not: The crust will continue to bake, and when the tart is finished and cooling, the wayward caramel will harden and coat the crust like a candied apple. How can anyone resist this?

Apple Tarte Tatin

Active time: 45 minutes

Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes; chilling time: 2 hours (for the dough)

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Sour cream dough:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1/3 cup full-fat sour cream

Apple Filling:

1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature, cut in 4 pieces

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and halved

1 egg, beaten to blend, for glaze

Prepare the dough: Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of food processor and pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is pea-sized. Add the sour cream and pulse until moist clumps form.

Gather the dough into a ball, and then flatten and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Prepare the tart: Place the butter (for the filling) in the bottom of a large ovenproof skillet with sloping sides. Sprinkle the 3/4 cup sugar evenly over the butter and pan. Cook over medium heat until the butter melts, the sugar is partially dissolved, and the mixture is bubbling, about 2 minutes.

Arrange the apples closely together, cut-side up, in a circular pattern in the skillet. Cut the remaining apples into quarters to fill in the spaces. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar evenly over the fruit. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook until a thick amber-colored syrup forms, turning the skillet to ensure even cooking, about 25 minutes.

While the fruit is cooking, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Roll out the pastry on parchment paper to a round shape slightly larger than the skillet. Slide the paper onto a baking sheet and place in the refrigerator until the syrup is ready.

When the syrup is ready, remove the skillet from the heat and lay the pastry over the fruit (work quickly because it will begin to melt from the heat of the pan). Cut 3 to 4 slits in the pastry and brush the pastry with some of the egg glaze.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the tart is deep golden brown and firm when tapped, about 25 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven and cool on a rack 1 minute.

Cut around the edge of skillet with a metal spatula to loosen the pastry. Place a large plate over the skillet and, using oven mitts, invert the tart onto the plate. Don't worry if any of the apples are dislodged or stuck in the pan. Simply remove with the spatula and spread on top of tart. Scrape any remaining caramel from the pan and spread over the tart as needed. Cool the tart before serving. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

I won't beat around the bush: I am not a fan of turkey stuffing (or dressing), and neither is my family. Whenever I make stuffing, it sits uneaten at the Thanksgiving table before it's banished to the refrigerator and labeled "leftovers." There, it sits for days -- forlorn, neglected and, frankly, wasteful.

So, now I no longer make bread stuffing for our turkey. Instead, I jam bunches of fresh herbs, such as parsley, thyme and sage, as well as wedges of lemon or orange in the turkey cavity to provide aroma and helpful moisture while the turkey roasts. For serving, I provide potatoes and a grain dish to balance and fill out the feast.

This rice salad is always a hit. It's a great gluten-free starch substitute for bread stuffing, and the dried fruit and nuts stud the rice like festive jewelry, providing a pretty addition to the holiday table. Feel free to mix up the fruit and nuts, substituting raisins, chopped prunes, dried figs, walnuts or hazelnuts. For a vegetarian option, substitute vegetable stock or water for the chicken stock.

Wild Rice With Dried Fruit and Pecans

Active time: 15 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

Yield: 6 servings

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, finely diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 cups wild rice or wild rice blend

3 1/4 cups chicken stock

2 teaspoons fresh thyme

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley leaves

Heat the oil in a medium pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion and carrot and saute until they begin to soften without coloring, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and then add the rice and stir to coat.

Pour in the chicken stock and add the thyme, salt and black pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 45 minutes (or according to the rice package instructions).

Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the apricots, cranberries and pecans and fluff the rice with a fork. Let stand, partially covered, for 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS