Side show: Gourmet dishes to add to your Thanksgiving spread
Guten appetit
This Thanksgiving, chefs across Baton Rouge are mixing up the iconic dinner spread with unexpected takes on gourmet sides. While Chef Jeremy Coco is willing to whip up anything you and your guests desire, he has some tricks up his sleeve that are sure to make an impact. Fusing traditional German cuisine with a little Louisiana flair, one of Coco’s featured dishes this November is spätzle. This pasta dish (pictured above), popular in south Germany, Austria and Switzerland, consists of a thin watery dough sautéed in butter. To set his rendition apart, Coco adds diced andouille sausage.
Phone eats first
Opening her new Studio Park location in the first week of this month, Katia Mangham of Gourmet Girls already has her plate full this fall. However, in addition to starting a daily lunch service, Mangham is bringing her picture-perfect side dishes back this Thanksgiving. Some of her unique offerings include a cream of Portobello mushroom soup, wild mushroom and brie bread pudding, and a flourless chocolate cake.
Family tradition
Chef Don Bergeron’s trademark lies in his interpretation of south Louisiana favorites like cornbread dressing, spinach Madeleine, and crabmeat and eggplant casserole. Using recipes that have been passed down from his mother and grandmother, Bergeron hopes to spread a little family love throughout the Capital City. This year, his dishes will come in special oven-to-table pans that eliminate the need for extra dishes.
North meets South
Originally hailing from the D.C. metropolitan area, Bonanno’s Fine Catering executive chef Sara Salgado is serving up some of her downhome favorites that might seem foreign to Louisiana natives. “My uncle always brought orange-glazed baby carrots to our Thanksgivings,” she explains. “So I wanted to bring some of the things I grew up with to tables around here.”
Salgado’s menu will also feature dishes like roasted butternut squash soup with andouille sausage, herbed wild rice pilaf with goat cheese and cranberry, and oven-roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon.
Find more ideas for Thanksgiving side dish recipes you can prepare at home in this article from the inRegister archives.
