Thanksgiving in the US is about family and sumptuous food.
Wanna try some Thanksgiving genre cooking?
Go ahead and try your hand at making Chef Gaurav Paul's Buttery Pecan Pie -- an exotic combination of golden syrup, maple syrup and pecans served in a short crust pastry. Add a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream on top.
The Pepper Honey Carrots are as yummy as they sound and are a quick serve.
Chef Gaurav has 17 years of experience working at the Taj group, the Hyatt group, Carnival Cruise Lines among other places.
Buttery Pecan Pie
Servings: 8-9
Ingredients
- Maida or all-purpose flour, for dusting
- 500 gm pack sweetened short crust pastry, available for purchase online
- 75 gm butter, softened
- 100 gm castor sugar (a kind of finer sugar manufactured by top baking brands)
- 175 gm golden syrup, available for purchase online
- 175 gm maple syrup
- 3 eggs, beaten
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 300 gm pecan halves, available for purchase online and at gourmet grocery stores
- Vanilla ice cream or double cream, whipped, to serve
- 23 cm-diameter round pie or tart pan
- 1-2 cup beans, like rajma or channa for weighing down the crust while pre-baking the crust
Method
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry.
Carefully line the pie/tart pan with the rolled-out pastry.
Prick the pastry all over with a fork and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes, or until firm.
- Heat an oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas.
- Place a sheet of baking paper or parchment on top of pastry-filled pan.
Fill with beans (rajma or channa) and bake for 15-20 minutes until the sides are set.
Discard the beans and the parchment paper and return the pan to the oven for 5-10 minutes until the pastry is golden and the base is set (please see the note below).
Leave to cool.
- Increase the setting of the oven to 200°C/190°C fan/gas.
- Meanwhile, using an electric beater, whisk the butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy.
While the beater is still whisking, add in both the syrups.
Gradually add the eggs, ¼ tsp salt and the vanilla.
Whisk until combined.
Stir in the pecans.
Pour the mixture into the pre-baked pie pastry.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Turn the heat in the oven down to 160°C/140°C fan/gas.
Continue baking for 30-35 minutes.
The pie should be golden brown and the filling should still wobble a little in the centre when shaken.
Leave to cool in the pan.
Run a knife around the pan to ease the lifting out of the pie.
Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
Editor's Note: Keep aside any extra leftover pieces of rolled out pastry to patch up any cracks after the first round of baking of the crust.
To veganise this recipe, swap the eggs for flax seeds -- 1 egg = 1 tbsp ground flax seeds + 3 tbsp water. Use cashew butter instead of regular butter.
To make sweetened short crust pastry from scratch try this recipe (external link).
Pepper Honey Carrots
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
- 1 kg carrots, preferably the smaller orange variety
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, available in gourmet grocery shops
- 2 tbsp honey
Method
- Peel and cut the carrots into 2-inch long x ½-inch thick batons or sticks.
Heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas
- Tip the carrots into a roasting pan or rack and toss with the oil, salt, pepper.
Roast for 30 minutes.
Drizzle the vinegar and the honey over the carrots, toss well and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes.
Serve hot.
Editor's Note: Swap the honey for stevia for a diabetic-appropriate recipe. Each brand of stevia has its own stevia for sugar substitution ratio provided on its packing.
Gaurav Paul is the executive chef, Hilton Embassy Bangalore GolfLinks.