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So this is what things look like when you share Christmas with someone who works in food. (Or just someone who loves lists.) I took on all the elements of Christmas dinner sans the turkey and stuffing. Since the exact number of guests who would be sitting at our table was a mystery until the very day, and I was still smarting from the lack of Thanksgiving turkey and leftovers in my own little world, we had erred on the side of abundance and gotten the biggest turkey that would fit in the oven. She was a twenty pound beauty, and indeed took up the entire oven. There would be no casseroles slipped on a rack below the bird, no potatoes or rolls tucked alongside. It became more important than ever to be organized and to have everything prepped ahead, and have the menu be focused on things that would be lovely reheated while the turkey rested. I showed up for the holiday with my greenmarket bags over filled with vegetables, my kitchen tape and Sharpies, and my lists. Man, I love a good list.
The one thing that this plan did not allow for was mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes are best made at the last minute, and that is always the stress point as all of the burners are being used for gravy making when the potatoes need to be cooked. Also, the mashed potatoes were really for me. While everyone enjoys them, I’m the only one who insists on them as part of this particular meal. I like to make a well and fill it with a pat of butter and then drench it all with gravy. It’s my Thanksgiving/Xmas thing. We didn’t necessarily need more butter laden food on the table and I have to admit that more often than not, we end up with more leftover smashed spuds than even I am psyched about. Letting go of my beloved mashed opened up room for another potato preparation though, and since my sister and I had been weirdly obsessing about scalloped potatoes the previous week, I went with Edna Lewis’ potato casserole.
Edna Lewis was the true doyenne of Southern cooking. The granddaughter of an emancipated slave who helped found the community where they lived —Freetown, VA — where she was involved with food in all of its phases — growing, foraging, harvesting and cooking. At age 16 she made her way to New York City where she made her mark cooking at the French-inspired Southern-tinged Cafe Nicholson in Manhattan in the 1940’s, entertaining post-WW II artists, writers, intellectuals, and performers including Truman Capote, Marlon Brando, Eleanor Roosevelt, Salvador Dali, Tennessee Williams, William Faulkner, Richard Avedon, and Diana Vreeland. There she cooked elegant meals based on her family’s approach to food – fresh, seasonal and local. Lewis authored 4 cookbooks, all focused on the ingredients and traditions of the American South. With intelligence and elegance, Lewis gave voice to African American communities and rural culinary traditions. And in a way she helped lay the foundation for today’s resurgence of and respect for regional food.
These potatoes are simple but amazing. Very thinly slice about 2 lbs of potatoes —about 1/16 inch thick — then toss the slices with 5 tablespoons of melted butter, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Spread the potatoes evenly in a 2-quart shallow baking dish and add 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Cover the dish and bake 30 minutes in a 425°F oven. Uncover and bake until top is well-browned and most of stock is absorbed, 30 to 35 minutes more.
Image may be NSFW.
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Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
