In the Kitchen With

Greg Hardesty, the man behind the innovative set menus of Recess, offers a recipe for mustardglazed Brussels sprouts with bacon that he promises will convert sprout-haters.

“This dish is guaranteed to make you like Brussels sprouts,” says Hardesty. He theorizes that the vegetable’s unpopularity is mainly due to poorly cooked sprouts, which quickly become discolored and sulfurous when overcooked.

Hardesty recommends this cure: Peel the sprouts until they are the size of ping-pong balls, blanch them until they are bright green and barely tender (about three minutes), and then dunk them in ice water to stop the cooking process before heating them again with the bacon and sauce.

The dish dates back to the 1990s, when Hardesty was working at the Rubicon in San Francisco, and now holds a regular spot in his cooking rotation.

It’s not featured at Hardesty’s own Thanksgiving table, though, since he’s not in charge of the day. He typically attends a pitch-in dinner with friends who thoughtfully agree to give him a break from cooking (he deserves a break more than ever this year, with both Recess and his new neighboring restaurant, Room Four, on his plate; recessindy.com). His usual turkey-day contribution is a cold seafood hors d’oeuvre, such as shrimp cocktail or oysters.

Side dishes that steal the show

By Kira Bennett and Erica Sagon Photos by Christina Richey

Though the Thanksgiving turkey gets most of the press, side dishes are generally the part of the meal that allow for the most experimentation—and garner the most loyal followers. To liven up your table this year, or perhaps to find a new perennial favorite, sample these dishes by Indianapolis chefs that showcase bold, fresh flavors.

MUSTARD-GLAZED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH BACON

Recipe by Greg Hardesty of Recess and Room Four

Makes 6 to 8 servings

20–25 Brussels sprouts, halved 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 cup red onions, julienned ¼ cup cooked bacon, chopped 2 teaspoons sugar ½ cup chicken stock 3 heaping tablespoons whole-grain mustard 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, chopped

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch halved Brussels sprouts for approximately 3 minutes, until cooked through but not mushy. 2. Remove Brussels sprouts and place into a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain. The sprouts should be tender and bright green. 3. Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. 4. Add the onions and cook until soft. 5. Add bacon and sugar; continue cooking for another 30 seconds or until the sugar melts and begins to turn a caramel color. 6. Add the Brussels sprouts and deglaze with the chicken stock. Reduce by half. 7. Add the mustard, vinegar and thyme. Stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Josh Brownell, executive chef at the newly opened 10-01 Food & Drink, offers up his cranberrybasil bread pudding, a twist on traditional stuffing. Made with bread, mirepoix and other seasonings, this dish might seem similar to stuffing. But because it’s custard-based, it’s technically a bread pudding, which keeps the peace in Brownell’s family.

“My father has a pretty world-famous stuffing, so I don’t step on his toes,” says Brownell, executive chef at 10-01 Food & Drink, a new Broad Ripple spot serving updated comfort food (1001fooddrink.com).

“Custard doesn’t have to be sweet; it can be savory,” Brownell explains. His savory version is made with pretzel bread, which Brownell chose for its doughy, challah-like consistency that easily soaks up the custard.

Want to sample it before trying out the recipe at home? The bread pudding is on the menu at 10-01, where it’s served on top of a Maple Leaf Farms duck burger. Brownell says it’s just as delicious with turkey.

For Brownell, the dried cranberries in the recipe are a nostalgic nod to the canned cranberries on the Thanksgiving tables of his youth.

Recipe by Josh Brownell of 10-01 Food & Drink

Makes 12 servings

4 large carrots, peeled and diced 1 head celery, cleaned and diced 1 large onion, diced 2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic ½ tablespoon celery salt 1 teaspoon white pepper 1 cup white cooking wine 6 eggs 1 quart heavy cream 2 pounds soft pretzels or pretzel buns, cut into ½-inch cubes 1 cup sun-dried cranberries 3 tablespoons basil, cut chiffonade style

1. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, sauté the carrots, celery and onions. Continue to sauté until the onions become translucent. This is when they have released the unpleasant acids that make you cry. 2. Add the garlic, celery salt and white pepper to the pan. Mix until the vegetables are well coated. 3. Add the wine and deglaze the bottom of pan. 4. Allow the wine to reduce, then remove from heat. Spread the mixture on a plate or tray and allow to cool to room temperature. 5. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs and cream and whisk together until smooth. 6. In another large mixing bowl, combine the cubed bread, cranberries, basil and cooled vegetables. 7. Pour the cream and eggs over the bread mixture and allow to sit for 15 minutes or until the bread has soaked up the liquid. 8. Transfer the mix to a greased 9- by 13-inch baking pan. Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 25 minutes. 9. Remove the foil top and bake for an additional 5–10 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. 10. Allow to cool. Cut into desired portions.

Becky Hostetter, one of the chefs behind the Duos food truck that offers fresh, seasonal food to go, shares a recipe for green beans with hazelnuts that is rich and vegan-friendly. Hostetter and her husband have long been vegetarians and have children who are vegans, so they are accustomed to tweaking traditional Thanksgiving dishes to make them suitable for their family.

This green bean dish accommodates various dietary restrictions without sacrificing taste or resorting to margarine or other artificial substitutes. The hazelnuts in this dish, says Hostetter, “have a rich enough flavor that you don’t miss the butter.”

It’s the kind of simple yet impressive fare that fuels their mobile kitchen called Duos, which appears at various Indy locations at lunchtime (duosindy.com).

When she was growing up in Bloomington, Hostetter used to forage in the wild for hazelnuts. Her old spots no longer yield the haul they once did, but she reminds those who may be lucky enough to find some that hazelnuts must be dried in their shells for several months before they are suitable for eating.

These green beans should be blanched in an uncovered pot until they are bright green and then reheated with the rest of the ingredients before serving. To ease the Thanksgiving Day schedule, the breadcrumbs and nuts can be toasted with the seasonings up to a month ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the freezer. The green beans can be blanched and refrigerated the day before cooking.

Recipe by Becky Hostetter of Duos food truck

Makes 6 servings

1 pound green beans 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons minced shallots ½ cup Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) or finely ground fresh breadcrumbs ½ cup finely chopped and husked hazelnuts Salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Blanch green beans for 6 minutes. Drain very well. 2. Heat oil in a large pan. Add shallots and sauté until soft. 3. Add breadcrumbs, hazelnuts, salt and pepper and sauté until a nice smell arises from the pan, stirring constantly (about 3 minutes). 4. Add green beans and sauté a couple of more minutes until they are heated through.