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Chef Ouita Mchel and daughter Willa on the front porch of Holly Hill Inn in Midway, Ky. | Photo by Theresa Stanley
“I was inspired to cook by my mom, Pam Sexton. Many folks love trying out new dishes on Thanksgiving Day. For me, re-creating her recipes each year is a way for me to still be with my mom in the kitchen and for me to teach [my daughter] Willa all the things my mom taught me – how to make gravy, roast a turkey, set the table, and most of all, how to take care of those you love the most. So, I never vary the menu; it is virtually unchanged year to year, except for the vegetable sides, which we do vary because my mom always did.”
-Chef Ouita Michel
Thanksgiving is Chef Ouita Michel’s favorite holiday. The importance is conveyed through closing all of her central Kentucky restaurants, which include Holly Hill Inn, Wallace Station, Windy Corner and Smithtown Seafood, to celebrate the day sharing memories and making new ones with those she loves.
At Michel’s holiday gathering, cooking is a family affair and everyone has a dish or two to prepare throughout the day. Evening dinner time, no later than six, begins with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the late afternoon, and Michel fondly remembers her mother-in-law, Joan, wheeling in the cocktail cart with her delectable chicken liver pate. The recipe is a fixture on the Holly Hill Inn menu.
Pam’s stuffed mushrooms are always on the Thanksgiving table, along with the special linen, china and crystal. The best is for the nearest in heart – it is the way Pam taught Chef Ouita.
Papka - Sexton - Michel - Walker Family Thanksgiving Menu
Click on the links below for additional recipes!
by Chef Ouita Michel
• Roast Turkey
• Sage Stuffing (we do stuff our bird!)
• Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Brussel Sprouts or Brussel Sprout Salad
• Deviled Eggs
• Relish Tray
• Joan’s Chicken Liver Patè
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Photo by Theresa Stanley
Pam's Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients:
• 1 pound large white button mushrooms
• 1 cup grated gruyere cheese
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons dried tarragon (or even a pinch more)
• 2 tablespoons grated onion (grate a yellow or white onion on a cheese grater)
• 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon of salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil (perhaps a little more, perhaps a little less)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
(perhaps a little more)
• 1/4 stick cold butter (perhaps a little more, perhaps a little less)
Method:
1. Clean the mushrooms – I actually have a little mushroom brush specifically for this task!
2. Remove stems and grate them into a mixing bowl, using the large holes on a cheese grater.
3. Make fresh bread crumbs by grinding a few slices of good white bread or French bread in a food processor – dried crumbs may be substituted. Add to the stem.
4. Grate the gruyere cheese on the large holes of a cheese grater and add to stem mixture. Toss. Add the grated onion, tarragon, salt, pepper and just enough cream to moisten. Mix well.
5. Bathe the mushroom caps in the olive oil, making sure to oil the caps inside and out with a drop of oil in the bottom of the cap.
6. Fill the mushrooms with the cheese mixture.
7. Sprinkle the stuffed caps with parmesan cheese and top with a little pat of butter.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, until mushrooms are cooked through.
9. Enjoy!
Tipsy Cranberry Orange Relish