Thanksgiving 2017: Three recipes from ‘America: The Cookbook’

Maple Brussels with bacon: an indulgent way to eat one’s greens

Maple-glazed Brussels sprouts with bacon

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves 8

455g bacon (streaky), cut into 2.5cm pieces
910g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
60ml pure maple syrup
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large frying pan, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, leaving the bacon fat in the pan.

Add the Brussels sprouts and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sprouts are golden brown and barely tender, about 15 minutes. Add the maple syrup and cook for another 5 minutes. Add in the bacon and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Coca-cola glazed ham

Coca-Cola, the major beverage brand born in Georgia, now serves almost two billion drinks worldwide daily. Its global headquarters are in downtown Atlanta, and some people use the fizzy drink in cooking.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 4 hours

Serves 12-16

4.5-5.4kg bone-in cured ham
95g packed light brown sugar
80ml Dijon mustard
1 large orange, washed and cut into 8 wedges (optional)
355 ml Coca-Cola

Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 160C/Gas Mark 3. Trim any excess skin and/or fat from the ham. Using a sharp knife, score the ham in a diamond pattern, making 6mm-deep cuts spaced 2.5cm apart. Place on the rack of a roasting pan.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and mustard. Rub the mixture all over the ham. Place the orange wedges on the roasting rack, around the edges of the ham. Pour the Coca-Cola into the bottom of the roasting pan (not over the ham). Cover the pan tightly with foil, wrapping it around the edges of the pan to seal. Using a small, sharp knife, make three small slits in the top of the foil.

Roast until the internal temperature reads 74C – 3–3½ hours. After the first hour, baste with the pan juices every 30 minutes.

Cover the ham with foil and let the ham rest in the pan for 30 minutes. Baste once more with the Coke mixture at the bottom of the roasting pan, then transfer to a carving board and slice.

Green chilli cornbread

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes

Serves 8-10

3 Sandia green chilies roasted and peeled 
2 Big Jim green chilies, roasted and peeled
115g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
180g cornmeal mix (self-raising cornmeal)
130g all-purpose (plain) flour
½ tsp baking powder
50g packed light brown sugar
590ml buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Cut the roasted chilies into 1.25 cm pieces. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 220C/Gas Mark 7. Place 4 tablespoons of melted butter in a 23 cm cast-iron skillet and place in the oven for 4 minutes, until the butter is foamy and golden.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal mix, flour, baking powder, and brown sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and remaining 4 tablespoons of melted butter. Stir in the chopped green chilies. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients, and stir just until moistened. Pour the batter into the hot skillet with melted butter.

Bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a cutting board and serve.

America: The Cookbook by Gabrielle Langholtz is published by Phaidon, £29.95