This text is part of the special Plaisirs booklet
Generous in life and in his kitchen, Chef Modat doesn’t skimp when the time comes to give. In addition to offering readers of the Plaisirs notebook a starter from the sea and a main course from the forest, he offers his fondest childhood memory: his grandmother Mimi’s Yule log recipe.
MAPLE SYRUP SALMON BITES
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup of maple syrup
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 C. chopped fresh ginger
- 2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
- 1 salmon fillet without skin
PREPERATION
Place the maple syrup, soy sauce, fresh ginger and toasted sesame oil in a bowl, then set aside.
Cut the salmon fillet into ¾ inch cubes and put in a salad bowl.
Pour the marinade over it and mix well.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat the oven to 175 ° F (80 ° C).
Place the pieces of salmon, spaced apart, on a rack and let drain for a few minutes.
Collect the marinade.
Cook the pieces of salmon in the center of the oven for an hour.
Brush regularly during cooking.
Store in the refrigerator and enjoy with the family as an aperitif.
CHRISTMAS WILD TURKEY
INGREDIENTS
- 1 turkey (12 to 15 lbs)
- 150 g salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 carrot, peeled
- 1 onion, peeled and halved
- 1 head of garlic, cut in half
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 1 clove
- Salt and pepper from the mill
- 1 glass of dry white wine
For the stuffing
- 2 slices of stale country bread
- ½ cup of milk
- 1 lb half-lean ground pork
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 bunch of parsley, chopped
- Turkey giblets, chopped
- 1 egg
- Salt and pepper from the mill
PREPERATION
The day before, put a large pot of salted water to boil.
Remove the giblets from the turkey and set them aside.
Once the water boils, put a tablespoon of coarse salt in the saucepan, then immerse the turkey in it for 15 seconds.
Remove the turkey from the boiling water, then immediately plunge it into a bowl of ice water.
Once the turkey has cooled down, place it on a rack in the refrigerator overnight.
For the stuffing
The next day, break the pieces of stale bread into small pieces and place them in a bowl.
Add the milk, then let it soak.
Put all the other stuffing ingredients together, then add the wet bread, salt and pepper.
Mix everything to obtain a homogeneous preparation.
For the turkey
Take the turkey out of the refrigerator, then stuff it.
Season the surface of the turkey with salt and pepper, then massage with the soft butter.
Put in a baking dish, add the carrot, onion, head of garlic, bay leaf, sprig of thyme and cloves around it.
Bake in a preheated 380 ° F (193 ° C) oven for 30 minutes.
Deglaze with a glass of dry white wine, lower the oven to 325 ° F (163 ° C), then cover with a sheet of aluminum foil or a lid (it should be as airtight as possible).
Continue cooking for 30 minutes per pound.
The last 30 minutes, remove the foil or the lid.
CHRISTMAS LOG AT MAMIE MIMI’S CAFÉ
INGREDIENTS
For the log
- 120 g flour
- 4 eggs
- 120 g sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
For the buttercream
- 120 g sugar
- 3 to 5 tsp. tablespoon of water
- 6 egg yolks
- 240 g butter, at room temperature
- 1 C. coffee extract
PREPERATION
For the log
Preheat the oven to 350 ° F (180 ° C).
Separate the egg whites from the yolks.
Beat the egg whites until stiff and add a pinch of salt.
Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until the mixture turns white.
Add the flour and stiff whites to the egg yolks.
Mix until the mixture is smooth.
Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Spread the appliance evenly on the baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes.
For the buttercream
Put the sugar in a saucepan and add the water. Do not stir.
Heat the syrup until it reaches a temperature of 248 ° F (120 ° C).
Place egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk.
When the syrup is at the right temperature, pour it slowly over the egg yolks, while whisking.
Whisk until the mixture doubles and drops to room temperature.
When the cream has cooled, add the butter in small pieces without stopping whipping (do not whip too much, as this may liquefy the cream).
Gradually add the coffee extract in order to have a buttercream that is not too colorful.
Spread some of the buttercream over the entire surface of the cake. Roll it up, then spread the rest of the buttercream all over the log.