Traditional side dishes with a twist to add the unexpected to your Thanksgiving feast.
Cranberry Chipotle Relish
From “The Neelys’ Celebration Cookbook,” by Pat and Gina Neely (Knopf). Makes 31/2 cups.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 small shallot, finely chopped
Kosher salt
1 cup golden raisins
12 ounces fresh cranberries, rinsed
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 chipotle pepper packed in adobo sauce, minced
Directions
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it foams. Toss in the shallot, and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Season the shallot with a touch of salt. Stir in the raisins, cranberries, orange juice, water, sugar and chipotle pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring on occasion, for 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until ready to serve.
Roasted Butternut Squash With Brown Butter and Sage
From “Kokkari,” by Erik Cosselmon and Janet Fletcher (Chronicle Books). Serves 6.
Ingredients
1 butternut squash, 2 to 21/2 pounds
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil4 cloves garlic, minced
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh sage
Directions
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Slice off the top and bottom from the squash. Separate the straight-sided “neck” from the bulbous base. Stand the neck on a cutting board and, with a chef’s knife, cut from top to bottom all the way around to remove the skin. Peel the base in the same way, then cut it in half and scoop out the seeds and strings. Cut the peeled squash neck into “logs” about 1/2 inch thick and 1/2 inch wide, and cut the base into 1/2-inch-thick wedges.
In a large bowl, toss the squash with the olive oil, garlic, salt to taste and several grinds of pepper. Arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast on the oven’s top rack for about 10 minutes, then turn the baking sheet and continue roasting until the squash begins to caramelize, about 45 minutes, turning the pieces over halfway through cooking.
Meanwhile, cut the butter into 4 pieces and place in a heavy medium saucepan over high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the butter begins to darken and smell nutty. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the butter turns dark brown. (It will happen fast.) Remove from the heat and add the sage. Be careful: The butter is very hot now and can burn you if it splatters.
Transfer the squash to a serving platter and drizzle the hot butter over it.
