Thanksgiving dinner A twist on the classics

San Jose Mercury News

Everyone loves Thanksgiving — the turkey, the cranberries and all those pies.

But even the most ardent lover of marshmallow-topped candied yams likes to tweak the classics every now and then.

The trick, some chefs say, lies in satisfying the traditionalists at your dinner table, while giving those favorite autumn flavors a little twist.

“I’m more of a traditionalist when it comes to holidays,” says renowned chef Bradley Ogden. “Take something that’s already great and improve it, add a little touch here and a little there. Be creative.”

You can’t do Thanksgiving without a pumpkin pie, Ogden says, but why go traditional?

Why not instead make it an ethereal triple-layer pumpkin extravaganza that pleases both the custard contingent and the chiffon sector?

He offers a recipe for one he describes as simultaneously “classic and nouvelle,” with layers of dense pumpkin filling and cloudlike pumpkin chiffon nestled in a sour-cream pie crust he says comes out perfect every time.

“You can’t mess it up,” he says.

The recipe, featured in Ogden’s new cookbook, “Holiday Dinners With Bradley Ogden” (Running Press, 280 pages, $30), may look daunting, but that’s because it’s divided into so many fail-safe, easy-to-follow steps.

Make the tender pastry dough in the food processor beforehand. The night before the big feast, bake the crust, add the custard and chiffon layers, and put it in the refrigerator. Just before serving, add the whipped cream flourishes, then settle back and watch your guests swoon.

Ogden’s not the only one to tweak the feast, of course.

Former Google chef Charlie Ayers revels in dishes that add a dash of the unexpected.

He may describe his family’s Thanksgiving feast as very traditional, but it includes a roasted five-spice duck, as well as a well-brined turkey. His cranberry relish includes roasted pears and balsamic vinegar, and his mashed yams are laced with pickled ginger.

“Oh yeah, the gingered yams are very popular at home,” he says. “And we do a blue cheese mashed potato. We fold in reduced cream and at the very end, a little crumbled blue cheese, some bacon and a little bit of chives. There’s no butter at all. It’s very delicious.

It’s a bit of a theme, actually. Because pastry chef Ethan Howard says nearly the same thing: Oh yeah, totally traditional. Well, except for ...

True, Howard does the traditional roast turkey, and there are candied yams and greens beans with, of course, crunchy fried onions. But the San Jose native makes his stuffing with handcrafted bread — dark pumpernickel, cornbread or even marble rye — and his desserts are off-the-charts extravagant.

“We have to stay traditional for the older generation that wants the cranberry jelly,” he says. “But the pies? You draw them in with familiarity — pumpkin at Thanksgiving — but yeah, let’s try a little difference.”

So Howard does pumpkin pie, but he also makes pumpkin-chocolate cheesecake, and tops his extravagantly decadent pumpkin bread pudding with marshmallow ice cream and apple-cranberry compote.

“Marshmallow ice cream is just kind of a twist,” Howard says. “People really get a kick out of it.”

As for the calorie count, don’t think about it, he says.

“That’s what January’s for.”

THREE-LAYER PUMPKIN PIE

Serves 8

Sour cream pie crust:

11/2cups all-purpose flour

1/8teaspoon salt

6ounces unsalted butter, diced and frozen

1/2cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream

Spice mixture:

3/4teaspoon allspice

13/4teaspoons cinnamon

3/4teaspoon ground ginger

1/2teaspoon salt

1/4teaspoon ground cloves

Pumpkin custard:

3/4cup heavy cream

2large eggs, beaten

1tablespoon brandy

1/2cup canned, unsweetened pumpkin puree

1/3cup brown sugar

11/2teaspoons sugar

Pumpkin chiffon:

1envelope unflavored powdered gelatin

11/2cups canned unsweetened pumpkin puree

3/4cup brown sugar

4large egg yolks

2teaspoons spice mixture

3large egg whites

1tablespoon sugar

Whipped cream:

11/2cups heavy cream

3tablespoons sugar

For the crust, pulse the flour and salt together in a food processor. Scatter frozen butter over the flour; pulse until the mixture is the size of large peas, about 20 pulses. Add the sour cream and pulse until the dough forms a ball. Flatten the dough into a 4-inch disk, wrap tightly in plastic and chill for 1 hour or up to 2 days. (Or freeze up to 1 month.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Let dough rest on the counter for 10 minutes to soften slightly. On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a glass pie plate. Trim excess dough, leaving about 1/2-inch hanging over the edge. Tuck excess underneath itself to form a neat edge. Press in a decorative border with your fingers.

Line shell with a double layer of foil; fill with pie weights or old beans. Bake 15 minutes. Remove weights and foil and continue baking until the crust is golden and crisp, about 5-10 minutes more. Place on a cooling rack. Keep oven on.

Combine all the ingredients for the spice mixture.

For the custard, whisk the cream, eggs, brandy and 1 teaspoon spice mixture. Add the pumpkin and sugars, whisking to combine. Pour custard into the warm pie crust. Bake until the edges are set and the center registers 175 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature, 1 to 2 hours, then refrigerate.

For the chiffon: Combine the gelatin and 1/4 cup cold water in a small saucepan, and let soak 5 minutes.

In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the pumpkin, brown sugar, yolks and 2 teaspoons spice mixture. Stirring constantly, bring mixture to a simmer. Remove from heat; transfer to a bowl.

Heat the gelatin in the saucepan over low heat until melted, 1-2 minutes. Stir the gelatin into the chiffon, until well combined. Chill, covered, until the mixture is just set and the center jiggles slightly when shaken, 15 to 20 minutes.

Using an electric mixer, whip the egg whites at medium-low speed until frothy, 1-2 minutes. With the mixer running, sprinkle in 1 tablespoon sugar and increase the mixer speed to medium-high, whipping until stiff peaks form, 1-2 minutes.

Whisk a quarter of the meringue into the chiffon mixture to lighten it. Gently place the remaining meringue on top of the chiffon, while you whip the heavy cream and 3 tablespoons sugar to stiff peaks.

Gently fold the remaining meringue and 1/4 cup of the whipped cream into the chiffon until no white streaks remain. Spread the chiffon mixture over the pumpkin custard, mounding it slightly in the middle. Spread the whipped cream attractively over the top. Sprinkle with additional spices, if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until needed.

Adapted from Bradley Ogden, “Holiday Dinners With Bradley Ogden” (Running Press, 280 pages, $30)

CALAFIA’S GINGERED MASHED YAMS

Serves 6

1/4cup sliced, pickled ginger

2pounds organic yams, peeled and cut into even-sized discs

2tablespoons unsalted, organic butter

1/2cup organic, low-fat sour cream

1teaspoon grated nutmeg or to taste

Salt, pepper

Line a stovetop bamboo steamer or similar steamer with the pickled ginger. Add the yams and steam until tender, 10-15 minutes, depending on the size. Drain, and place the yams and ginger into a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher, or pass through a vegetable mill or potato ricer.

Add the butter and sour cream. Mix well. Season to taste with the nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Charlie Ayers, executive chef, Calafia

GREEN BEAN AND PERSIMMON SALAD

Serves 4-6

1pound green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2pound yellow wax beans

1tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4teaspoon black pepper

2Fuyu persimmons, sliced

2medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

1small cucumber, chopped

1small red onion, minced

1small garlic clove, minced

1/4cup chopped fresh basil

3tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2tablespoons lemon juice

Bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Add the beans and 1 tablespoon salt, cook until green beans are bright green and crisp-tender, 2-3 minutes. Plunge the beans into a bowl of ice water. Drain again and dry them with paper towels.

Toss the beans with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste.

Combine the persimmon, tomato, cucumber, onion, garlic and basil in a medium bowl. Add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Arrange the beans on a platter, topped with the persimmon mixture.

Bradley Ogden, “Holiday Dinners With Bradley Ogden” (Running Press, 280 pages, $30)