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Latin Touch

Ultimate La Caja China Holiday Guide - Part 3

Posted by Chef Perry P. Perkins on

Ultimate La Caja China Holiday Guide - Part 3

~Chef Perry Perkins~

Chef Perry’s Favorite Garlic Mashed Potatoes

7 pounds russet potatoes
4 tablespoons fine sea salt
32 fluid ounces (4 cups) half-and- half
32 fluid ounces (4 cups) low-sodium chicken broth

1 cube sweet cream butter, melted
12 cloves garlic, crushed
12 ounces grated Asiago cheese

Peel and dice potatoes, making sure all are relatively the same size. Place in a large saucepan, and cover with milk and broth (add more of each, in equal amounts to cover, if necessary.)

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until potatoes fall apart when poked with a fork.

Heat the butter and the garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat.. Remove from heat and set aside.

Remove the potatoes from the heat and drain off extra fluid, reserving. Mash and add the garlic- butter mixture and asiago cheese, add reserved fluid, as needed, to reach desired consistency.

Let stand for 5 minutes so that mixture thickens and then serve with Giblet Gravy.

Giblet Gravy

Giblets/reserved meat from turkey, cooked
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
2 heaping Tbs reserved uncooked stuffing mixture
1/3 cup cold water

4 cups turkey stock
Freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons cornstarch

Using a sauce-pot, bring the stock to a boil. Add the shredded meat and giblets, poultry seasoning, and raw stuffing to the mixture.

In a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch and water, and add to the boiling stock, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add pepper, to taste.

Side Dish: Simple Grilled Asparagus

This may not have been a “traditional” Thanksgiving side dish in your home, but it was in mine, and...let’s face it...nothing brings out the awesomeness of asparagus like grilling does!

Simple Grilled Asparagus

3 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and peeled
12 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 teaspoon salt

Place asparagus on a plate. Drizzle oil and lemon juice over the asparagus and turn spears until they are coated. Sprinkle with salt and turn again.

Grill asparagus for 5 minutes, on a medium grill. Each minute or so, roll each spear 1/4 turn. Asparagus should begin to brown in spots (indicating that the natural sugars are caramelizing) but should it not be allowed to char. Dripping oil may cause flare-ups. Keep a spray bottle of water handy to spritz on coals, if necessary.

Remove from grill and serve immediately.

I’ll leave you with my number one tip for having putting on a great Thanksgiving feast, regardless of your experience on the grill, or in the kitchen. It’s one I try to practice every year...

BE THANKFUL!

This is what it’s about peeps...not the turkey, not the pies, and (believe it or not) not about being the perfect grill-master. Find a quiet spot to sit for 20-30 minutes, before you start cooking Thursday morning, and reflect on what you have to be thankful for and why you’re thankful for them.

Keep those thoughts firmly in place as you ride into battle, and remember that, in addition to all of our other many blessings, each of us here at Latin Touch are thankful for you!

Have a great holiday!

~Chef Perry


As a third-generation chef, Perry P. Perkins focuses his love of cooking on barbeque, traditional southern fare, and fresh Northwest cuisine.

Perry runs the non-profit organization, MY KITCHEN Outreach Program, which teaches nutrition, shopping, and hands on cooking classes for at risk youth.

His cookbooks include La Caja China Cooking, La Caja China World, La Caja China Party, and the NEW “La Caja China Grill.”

You can follow the rest of Chef Perry’s cooking adventures at ChefPerryPerkins.com


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