The New York Times - USA (2020-12-02)

D6 N THE NEW YORK TIMES, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2020

This year, I have made a conscious effort to
revisit the memories of holidays past, and
those memories have been kind to me. They
have allowed me to recall my family’s tradi-
tions, and to feel connected to loved ones in
a challenging time.
My parents met as graduate students in
1970s Berlin, and their years abroad had a
powerful impact on the culinary influences
they would bring back home to Lagos, Ni-
geria. A host of German holiday traditions
took hold in our family, among them making
Christmas stollen, a fruit bread filled with
marzipan and topped with confectioners’
sugar that my mom perfected in my god-
mother’s kitchen.
I can still see my mother grinding spices
and peeling citrus rinds for a key compo-
nent of the stollen: a homemade mix of
brandied fruit. She’d blend the different
dried fruits — cherries, cranberries and
currants — and add the splashes of brandy
that would allow all of the flavors to inter-
mingle.
The taste of this steeped fruit is reminis-
cent of the kinds of spiced wines found in
many parts of the world during the holi-
days. For me, it is evocative, deeply person-
al and infinitely versatile at once.
I left Berlin as a toddler, too young to
know the difference between kinderpunsch
and glühwein, but I’ve carried those Ger-
man traditions with me wherever I go. I al-
ways keep a batch of that spiced fruit con-
coction stashed in a Mason jar at the back of
my refrigerator. When I’ve moved apart-
ments in Brooklyn, the batch moved with
me, finding its old spot in a new fridge.
“How long is this supposed to last?” my
husband will ask, hopeful he can reclaim the
corner where the jar humbly resides. How
long indeed.
I incorporate this brandied fruit mix into
an array of dishes and drinks. It’s perfectly
suited for mixing into a scone recipe before
baking, for finishing braised lamb shanks,
and for enlivening a cocktail with a lovely
spiced citrus bouquet.
But that’s only the beginning. You can
also stir the drained fruit into muffin or cake
batter, mix it into a rich bread dough, toss it
with bulkier fruit like apples or pears as a
filling for hand pies, or serve it as an accom-
paniment to roasts right out of the oven.
Whatever it touches, it imparts powerful
flavors that are, for me, inseparable from
the holidays themselves.
Because the components require a two-
week steeping, you’ll need to plan ahead.
Finding the ingredients is fairly simple —
you just need a liquor store and a purveyor
of dry goods and spices.
In my childhood, it was a few short blocks
to Allen Avenue in Ikeja, Lagos, to the shop-
keeper my mother knew had the best im-
ported dried fruits. Now it’s an easy few
blocks down Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn to
my favorite specialty grocer. The tradition
of heading out into the festive holiday at-
mosphere of my neighborhood is almost
part of the recipe itself.
And preparing the mixture is simple, too.
Once it’s in a jar, it can be left on the counter
or placed in the fridge. It is ready to use af-
ter a few days, but after 14 days, it becomes
deeply complex, almost intoxicating (and
not from the alcohol itself ). If you divide the
batch into smaller jars, they can be wonder-
ful gifts for those who could use a reminder
of the holiday season’s sweet rewards.

Festive Brandied Fruit to Lift Holidays

A spiced and steeped mixture,

inspired by a family tradition.

By YEWANDE KOMOLAFE

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRISTOPHER TESTANI FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES. FOOD STYLIST: SIMON ANDREWS.

TIME: ABOUT 2½ HOURS

YIELD: 4 SERVINGS

1 (3- to 4-pound) butternut squash

5 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt

6 fresh thyme sprigs

6 sage sprigs

6 shallots (5 peeled and quartered, 1

minced)

4 bone-in lamb shanks (about 3½ to 4

pounds total)

Black pepper

4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes

2 cups beef or chicken stock or water

½ cup brandied dried fruit

¼ cup fresh mint leaves

Steamed rice, couscous or thick slices

of sourdough, for serving

1. Place the racks in the top and bottom thirds
   of the oven, and heat oven to 350 degrees.


2. Halve the squash lengthwise, then scoop out

the seeds and discard them. Rub the flesh of

the squash with 1 tablespoon oil and season

with salt. Place 3 sprigs each of thyme and

sage on a small baking sheet. Place the cut

side of the squash directly on top of the herbs.

Set aside.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven
   over medium-high. Add the quartered shallots
   cut-side down and cook until golden brown,
   about 2 to 3 minutes per side, adjusting the
   heat as necessary to avoid scorching. Season
   with salt and transfer to a plate. Set aside.


4. Pat the lamb dry and season generously with
   salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 2
   tablespoons olive oil in the pot over
   medium-high. Cook the lamb on both sides
   until browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. Work in
   batches if necessary.


5. Add the minced shallots and garlic to the
   pan, season with salt and stir to coat with the
   pan drippings. Add the whole peeled tomatoes
   and their juices, then add the stock or water
   and bring to a boil. Return the lamb shanks to
   the pot and add the remaining thyme and sage.


6. Cover the pot with a lid or a piece of foil and
   move the pot to the bottom rack of the oven.

Place the squash on the top rack. Bake the

squash until the flesh is tender and a thin knife

can be easily inserted, about 75 to 90 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cover with foil.

Continue to cook the lamb until the meat is

tender enough to pull with a fork, about 1½ to

1¾ hours total.

7. Scoop out the squash with a spoon and
   place on a serving plate, then transfer the lamb
   to the plate and cover to keep warm. Remove
   the braised tomatoes from the lamb cooking
   liquid and discard along with any excess fat.


8. Set the pot over medium heat and reduce
   the liquid to about ¾ of its volume, about 5
   minutes. Add the browned shallots and
   brandied fruit. Cook until shallots are tender
   and sauce is warmed through, about 5 to 6
   minutes. Spoon the sauce over the lamb and
   squash and garnish with mint leaves. Serve
   with steamed rice, couscous or thick slices of a
   crusty sourdough loaf.

Note: To make a heartier version of this dish,

leave the tomatoes in the pot in Step 7 and

break up the pieces using a spatula. Reduce

the liquid as directed, then add the shallots and

fruit and cook until warmed through, about 2 to

3 minutes.

BRAISED LAMB WITH SQUASH

AND BRANDIED FRUIT

TIME: 30 MINUTES

YIELD: 16 SCONES

3 cups/385 grams all-purpose flour, plus

more for rolling the dough

¼ cup/50 grams granulated sugar, plus

more for sprinkling (which is optional,

but encouraged)

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¾ cup/170 grams cold unsalted butter

(1½ sticks), cut into 1-inch cubes

1 cup/180 grams drained brandied dried

fruit

1¼ cups/300 milliliters cold heavy cream,

plus more for brushing

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan
   with parchment paper.


2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine 3 cups
   flour, ¼ cup sugar, the salt, baking powder and
   baking soda, and whisk to incorporate. Working
   quickly, rub the cold butter into the dry mixture
   using your fingers or a pastry cutter. Cut the
   butter into the flour until the pieces are the size
   of small pebbles. (Alternatively, use a food
   processor to pulse the dry ingredients with the
   butter, to cut the butter.)


3. Add the drained brandied fruit and toss to
   combine. Make a well in the center and pour in
   the heavy cream. Use a wooden spoon to
   combine until a shaggy dough forms. Transfer

the dough to a work surface and press the

clumps together enough to form a slightly

uniform piece.

4. Lift the dough and flour your work surface.
   Pat or roll the dough out into an 8-inch square.
   Use a sharp knife or a bench scraper to divide
   the dough into 16 square pieces. Transfer the
   scones to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the
   tops with heavy cream, and sprinkle with sugar
   if you like.
   5. Bake until cooked through and the tops are
   golden brown, 20 to 22 minutes. Serve warm
   or at room temperature.

Note: The scone dough can be mixed, cut,

wrapped and stored frozen up to a week ahead.

To bake frozen scones, heat oven to 375

degrees. Pop the frozen scones on a lined

baking sheet, leaving some space between the

pieces. Brush the tops with heavy cream,

sprinkle with sugar and bake for 25 minutes.

BRANDIED FRUIT SCONES

TIME: 15 MINUTES, PLUS 2 TO 14 DAYS’ SOAKING

YIELD: ABOUT 5 CUPS

8 ounces/225 grams currants or raisins

8 ounces/225 grams dried cranberries

4 ounces/110 grams dried cherries

2 ounces/55 grams dried pears, finely

chopped

2 ounces/55 grams dried apricots, thinly

sliced

1 orange

1 lemon, sliced thin and seeds removed,

chopped

2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger (from

about a 2-inch piece)

1 teaspoon anise seeds

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon grated nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

About 1 cup/250 milliliters brandy

1. In a large bowl, combine the currants,
   cranberries, cherries, pears and apricots. Zest
   the orange and add the zest to the bowl. Add
   the lemon, ginger, anise seeds, black pepper,
   nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom.


2. Juice the orange and add the liquid to the
   bowl. Add the brandy and stir to combine.
   Transfer the mixture to a jar, cover and
   refrigerate. (If you don’t have a jar that’s large
   enough, keep the mixture in the bowl and cover
   with plastic wrap.) Allow the fruit to sit in the
   liquid for 2 to 14 days before using. The flavor
   of the fruit, spices and brandy will improve with
   time. At least once a day, turn the jar
   upside-down (or thoroughly stir the mixture if
   it’s in a bowl) to make sure all the dried fruit
   gets coated in the brandied liquid. The mixture
   keeps in the refrigerator for months, stored in
   an airtight container.

BRANDIED DRIED FRUIT

YIELD: 1 DRINK

2 tablespoons brandied dried fruit

1 ounce rye whiskey

1 ounce brandy

1 ounce sweet vermouth

2 dashes aromatic bitters

1 orange twist or freshly grated nutmeg,

for garnish

1. Add brandied dried fruit, rye, brandy, sweet
   vermouth and bitters to a cocktail shaker. Stir
   for 20 to 30 seconds to incorporate the fruit.
   Add ice and stir again for 20 to 30 seconds or
   until sufficiently chilled.


2. Using a cocktail strainer, strain the cocktail
   into a coupe glass and garnish with a twist of
   orange or a fresh grating of nutmeg.

SARATOGA HOLIDAY COCKTAIL