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Thanksgiving Recipe Rescue: Super Fast And Super Fancy

Photo by MICHELLE BAKER

This recipe takes very little time and will rock your guests' socks off. We promise.

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By GREG and MICHELLE BAKER

Tribune correspondents

Published: November 18, 2008

In our final installment of the Thanksgiving Recipe Rescue, we would like to tackle the thank-you dish. These are the dishes that you break out once a year because they are super fancy and take forever to make, thus showing your gratitude toward your dinner guests. It's the dish that everyone looks forward to year after year. It's the dish that you pour your blood and sweat into (sometimes literally) and will sit proudly next to the big turkey.

But not all super fancy dishes take forever to make. The simplest recipes can be the most extraordinary and the most crowd-pleasing. One just really needs to think outside the culinary box.

Before we get to our final recipe, we'd like to take a moment to thank a few people ourselves. We'll miss the Baker clan this year at our annual Thanksgiving family gathering, held every year in Houston. We'd like to thank them all for their love and support. Uncle Steve, please crack a microbrew for us.

We would like to thank all of our clients, past and present. We've been fortunate enough to meet some amazing people, whose generosity is mind-blowing.

Finally, we would like to thank Trib food writer Jeff Houck, who took a chance on a chef and a blabbermouth around this time last year. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all you have done and all of the doors you have opened.

OK, dry your eyes everyone.

We couldn't just leave you guys with three recipes for the big day. Go to www.cooksncompany.com. There you will find a link to Thanksgiving Recipe Rescue. Inside you'll find recipes for Pumpkin and Pomegranate Risotto, Cranberry and Chestnut Pesto, Butternut Squash Soup with Chile Oil — along with a few more stunners. All simple to make and amazing to eat.

This recipe takes very little time and will rock your guests' socks off. We promise. It's the perfect combination of savory, tart and sweet.

Check out The Sherpas' Web site, www.cooksncompany.com or their blog, www.culinarysherpas.com.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS, PANCETTA AND PORTABELLA GRATIN WITH POMEGRANATE CHARMS

1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, cleaned and halved

2 portabella caps, stemmed, brushed, and sliced

1 pomegranate, seeds reserved

1/3 pound pancetta, cut into small cubes

2 shallots, diced

2 garlic cloves, diced

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan-Reggiano cheese (It's Thanksgiving, use the real stuff)

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup non-seasoned bread crumbs

Sea or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Preheat broiler.

Bring the Brussels sprouts, cream, and salt to boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until a knife tip inserted into a sprout center meets no resistance -- about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the nutmeg and pepper.

Sauté the pancetta over medium-low heat until nicely browned, then add the shallots and portabella mushrooms. Season well with salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms are tender — about 5-6 minutes. Remove from the sauté pan and mix with the Brussels sprouts and cream.

Distribute the sprout mixture between two individual gratin or baking dishes. Toss the breadcrumbs in a bowl with melted butter and then top dishes evenly with breadcrumb mixture. Place under the broiler until topping is crunchy and golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds. There will be quite a few seeds, so don't feel like you have to use them all; put the extras in the refrigerator for another use. Baking dishes will be very hot, so allow them to cool before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

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