Rosalie Harrington is a local chef with a storied career. As the founder of Rosalie’s in Marblehead, she was one of the country’s first chef-owners. Her restaurant was the focus of a national Super Bowl ad campaign for Visa. She helmed one of the first cooking shows on the Food Network, served as the head of catering at Tufts University and has taught cooking classes for the last 20 years. A Beverly Farms resident, we sat to discuss holiday hosting and what’s really important this time of year.
Yes, that’s right. Over the years many people have approached me to say, ‘I’ve got a nice new recipe for the holidays,’ or they want to reconstruct an old recipe that brings back a family memory. Those are wonderful ideas, for sure. But I tell them the holidays are not a great time to experiment. Save that for another time.
Well, for many years, when I ran Rosalie’s, I invited anyone who didn’t have a place to go for the holidays to the restaurant. That was always fun because all I had to do was cook five extra turkeys and I had plenty of help. But in the last 20 or so years we’ve been going to the home of (my husband) Todd’s cousin. She’s a lovely, lovely hostess who knows how to not overthink the holiday meal. She is relaxed and welcoming, and doesn’t put a lot of pressure on guests and what to bring. You want to bring a dessert? Fine. You want to bring a pie? She doesn’t tell what kind to bring. That’s the way to do it. The host needs to enjoy the holiday too!
So, of course, I’m the only chef in the family so I do get a job, and that’s to make the gravy, which everybody loves. Now, don’t confuse this with the ‘Sunday gravy’ that some Italians call tomato sauce for pasta. I’m talking about gravy for turkey and mashed potatoes!
I start with the beautiful drippings in the pan from the turkey and make the gravy right in that same pan. Then I have key ingredients—chicken stock, apple cider, a little flour, salt, pepper, herbs, and any type of sweet liqueur, like Grand Marnier. I skim off the fat, then put in a little flour as a thickener and as I cook the flour I add the chicken broth, stirring the whole time. I add the Grand Marnier and the cider. Sometimes I put in sauteed turkey giblets for flavor. As it thickens, I taste and season it with salt and pepper. I’ll add fresh herbs, like rosemary or thyme. If the gravy is too light, I might add a splash of soy sauce which adds a nice flavor. In the end, I’m looking for a gravy that is silky and velvety, not thick or glutinous. You want it to slide over the turkey and mashed potatoes.
My grandparents had a beautiful garden in Beachmont, which is part of Revere, that was owned by the people next door who let my grandfather garden on the land. He loved to grow anything in the squash family. This year I discovered a recipe that reminds me of my grandparents using Delicata squash, which are small and pretty and have a delicate, edible skin that doesn’t need peeling. I cut them into rings and roasted them flat with brussels sprouts. The last time I made them I added some Marsala wine to the pan juice at the end and cooked it off with almonds, which gave them a nice flavor and I used them to top the finished dish. It only took about 30 minutes.
A couple of years ago Todd and I took our grandsons to New York for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. We stayed in Brooklyn, and the local butcher prepared a simple turkey breast cut. Then I purchased prosciutto (a delicate dry-cured Italian ham). The shopowner was very smart to have roasted vegetables that were heat-and-serve, which is a great option. We wrapped the turkey breast in the prosciutto, roasted it for about an hour and then I made the same gravy I make for large gatherings. It was easy and delicious. Grocery and specialty stores now offer specialty turkey cuts, like thighs or breasts or drumsticks that are perfect for smaller holiday meals. Bacon is an easy substitute for prosciutto, and it keeps the meat moist.
Well, first, just a reminder that food should be hot or cold. Don’t leave food out for a long time hot and then use it later. I’m a stickler for food safety from my years in the restaurant business and catering at Tufts. Now, for leftovers, my personal favorite is a simple turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce with just a little bit of mayonnaise. Maybe I’ll add pesto to the mayonnaise to give it a fresh flavor. But you can do anything. I encourage people to make more than they need on the holidays. You can sauté turkey with broccoli, oil and garlic with pasta. You can do a stir-fry. Let your imagination go.
Sometimes when people host a holiday meal, they pressure themselves to have big, dramatic décor. But it’s really just about warming up your house. If digging out your best china is a lot of work and aggravation, don’t do it. When I opened my first restaurant I had no money, so I went to thrift shop after thrift shop and just mixed and matched everything, and it was beautiful.
Recently my daughter Kathy told me her neighbor in Florida had given her a collection of owls, which she had placed around her home. And I said, ‘Honey, I hate to tell you how to decorate, but you should gather them and place them together.” That’s how I feel about decorating, especially for the holidays. Pull together items of the same color or theme and create a moment of drama.
So, for the holidays, get some autumn leaves and lay them along the center of the table and mix them with a flower arrangement. Or I love using food items as a lush display. Years ago, I would return from Europe wishing we had bakeries like that here. Well, now, we have them. We have A&J King (Salem). Mayflour (Essex). Bonne Breads (Beverly) and Source Bakery (Gloucester), and many others. Why not place your holiday loafs in a basket as a lovely centerpiece? Or a collection of fruit can be a colorful display with flowers.
That’s right. It’s about being creative and having fun. And more than anything, be relaxed. Really, the older I get the more I see that the holidays are a time to remember and just let the emotions that come with memories happen. I recently ran into a friend I hadn’t seen in 40 years—a beautiful person and a beautiful teacher I knew at Tufts. When we first met, I joined her and a group for a walk on Nahant Beach and she made us bring bags because she said if we were going to the beach, we should pick up trash and leave the beach prettier than we found it. I started doing it whenever I’d go to a beach, including once on a beach in Sicily! Well, I told her about this and she actually cried because she never imagined having an impact on someone’s life. Now, during the holidays, I’m thinking about her response. It makes me a little sad, but also very grateful and happy. That’s the thing about the holidays. It’s not about the food or the décor. It’s about remembering. And being grateful for what you have.
Well, that, and the leftovers!
