I hope your Thanksgiving was as good as mine. I ended up doing the bulk of the work and it was pretty fun. I spatchcocked (butterflied) the turkey so the 16 pounder cooked in less than 2 and half hours and it was one of the best I’ve ever had. I also bypassed the mashed potatoes and gravy. I know people love them but for me the effort and calories don’t justify making them. Instead, I made this glorious bean dish that I much prefer to bland potatoes with pounds of butter.
I took some cooked Ayocote Blancos and placed them in a cazuela. You could use anything suitable for the oven but remember you want a large top that will allow maximum crust. I then added a layer of chopped, cooked and rendered bacon from Fatted Calf. On top of this I added about a half inch layer of panko bread crumbs and then I grated very cold butter all over the top. The dish went into the oven at 350F for about 40 minutes, until the top was golden.
Friends, I tell you it was fine and dandy and it was one of the many hits of the evening. No one mentioned the lack of potatoes and I think I need to repeat this one at Christmas. You easily could add vegetables or anything else leftover in the fridge, including sausages.
Despite the fact that I don’t eat bacon, it sounds very good. And I agree about the potatoes and gravy — white, gloppy and not nearly as satisfying as beans. Although I do just love my roasted root vegetables which has purple potatoes in it. Now, those are potatoes worth eating.
To be honest with you, the bacon wasn’t key. It was the crust that was so great.
Like you, I’d rather have a mixed roast root veg than mashed potatoes.
Grating butter! Genius!
It looks lovely. Rancho Gordo beans are pretty much always part of a nice meal around here now.