Tea Smoked Duck with Cranberry-Orange Chutney by executive chef Jesse Frost
at Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa

Traditional Upgrade
Don’t get me wrong, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with those traditional Thanksgiving recipes passed down from Great Grandma, Betty Crocker, or Julia Childs. Oh, and don’t forget about that infamous Green Bean Casserole recipe taken straight off a Campbell’s soup can — a huge hit in my family, by the way. However, you may find that an inventive new creation is something worth adding to your recipe box. After all, change is good, and adding a new twist to an old standby may be just what the doctor ordered. Move over ancient favorites, an overhaul is about to occur. We’ve asked a few local chefs to give us their best shot at ingenuity and originality for some really awe-inspiring necessities for your Thanksgiving feast.
— Maria Desiderata Montana, photography by Vincent Knakal

NOVEMBER RECIPES

Tea Smoked Duck with Cranberry-Orange Chutney by executive chef
Jesse Frost at Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa

Ingredients for the glaze:
1/2 cup molasses
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp Chinese 5 spice powder
2 tbsp black sesame seeds

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cool down.

Ingredients for the duck:
6 lb Peking duckling
3 tbsp grape seed oil
salt, pepper, minced ginger, and garlic

Bring water to a boil in a 2-4-quart pot. Submerge the duck very quickly by holding the neck and plunging it into the water. Do this a couple of times until the skin tightens. Place duck on a resting rack and allow drying. Stuff the duck with salt, pepper, minced garlic, and ginger before brushing on the glaze. Thoroughly brush on the glaze and allow the glaze to dry.

Smoke:
1 cup jasmine tea
1 cup raw jasmine rice
1 cup brown sugar
bay leaves

Start the coals of your barbeque grill. Place a small aluminum baking dish on top of the coals when they are glowing hot. Add the tea, rice, and sugar and let it smoke. The internal temperature of the grill should be around 300 degrees. Place the duck inside and cover. Do not open the cover for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, open the cover and brush the duck with grape seed oil. Do this every 30-40 minutes for 2 hours or until the duck reaches the desired doneness. Remove the duck and lacquer with the last of the glaze.

Ingredients for the cranberry-orange chutney:
1 lb fresh cranberries
1 jar orange preserves
1 cup sugar
star anise
2 cups fresh orange juice
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil

Combine all the ingredients in a heavy saucepot and cook until thick.

Blue Coral Bahia Cornbread Oyster Stuffing by corporate chef
Mark Adair and chef partner of the La Jolla location, Bill Gnam,
at Blue Coral Seafood & Spirits in La Jolla

Ingredients:
3 cups cornbread crumbled
3 cups white bread crumbs fresh and soft
1 cup onion diced
2 rib celery diced
3/4 cup green onion diced
1/4 cup poblano pepper seeded and diced
1 tsp garlic minced
4 tbsp butter softened
1/2 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
1 pt shucked bahia falsa oyster reserve liquid
2 large eggs beaten
sea salt to taste
ground white pepper to taste

Preparation: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat two tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, garlic, poblano peppers, and green onion, and saute until translucent but not browned. Remove from heat and fold in cornbread and white bread crumbs and fresh cilantro. Moisten mixture with oyster liquor until moist but not soggy. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground white pepper. Gently fold in the oysters and beaten eggs. Pat the mixture into a large buttered casserole dish about two inches thick. Dot the top with remaining butter. Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown on top and center is set. Serve warm with Roasted Poultry or Pork dishes.

Note: Any freshly shucked oyster may be used in this preparation.

Crows Pass Spice Pumpkin Risotto by Vivace chef Bryant Wigger
at Four Seasons Resort Aviara

Ingredients:
1 medium onion chopped small
11/2 cup carnarolli risotto
1/2 cup white wine
4-5 cups chicken stock

Ingredients for the pumpkin puree:
1 small pumpkin
2 tbsp butter
4 leaf sage
4 tsp brown sugar
salt
pepper

Ingredients for the pesto:
pumpkin seeds
3 leaf sage
1 bunch basil
5 tbsp Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic
1 cup olive oil

Ingredients for the mascarpone:
2 tbsp mascarpone
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp fresh nutmeg

Preparation: Quarter the pumpkin and deseed with a spoon, saving the seeds for roasting. Take 3/4 of the pumpkin and place in a pan with the skin side down. Add 2 cups water to the bottom of the pan. Inside the pumpkin divide up the brown sugar, butter, and sage, cover with aluminum foil, and bake at 350 degrees for 11/2 hours or until soft. Scrape out the pumpkin and puree in a blender until smooth adding some water if needed.

For the risotto, put the olive oil in the saucepan, set over medium heat ant cook the onions until translucent. Add the rice and cook for about 2 minutes or until the rice starts to brown. Ladle in warm chicken stock, slowly frequently stirring and not letting the rice stick to the bottom of the pan. Continue for about 15-20 minutes or until done. Add 1 cup of the pumpkin puree, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, and 2 tbsp butter, and season with salt and pepper.

For the nutmeg mascarpone, whip the cream, mascarpone, and nutmeg together until fluffy and firm.

For the pesto, take the pumpkin seeds and roast in the oven with olive oil, salt, and pepper at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until toasted. Puree in the blender with the garlic, sage, basil, Parmesan cheese, and garlic until smooth.

Other ideas for garnish include gingersnap or amaretto cookies broken on top.