Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Roast Bone Marrow with Parsley Salad {Macabre Meals}

I enjoyed researching, cooking, writing - and of course eating - my October Serial Killer Supper series so very much that I've decided to continue with it indefinitely. And because the space where death, culture, and food intersects is so vast, I'm expanding the category. Under the umbrella of "Macabre Meals" I'll be exploring all sorts of dark and lovely things. Real murderers, fictional killers, history, scandal, myth, and more. It's going to be so much fun!

As luck would have it, this month's Creative Cooking Crew Challenge, hosted by the lovely Joan of Foodalogue and Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks, has dovetailed nicely with my current preoccupation. The task: Create an appetizer for Thanksgiving, something for guests to enjoy before the main feast.


My mind naturally goes to a dark place when it comes to Thanksgiving. I realize that it's supposed to conjure up all sorts of warm and fuzzy family memories, but the Thanksgivings of my youth were, in a word, an ordeal. I know I'm not alone in this, and suspect that for many, the Norman Rockwell-esque holiday ideal is more wishful thinking than fact. I won't bore you with the details, but suffice it to say that we considered ourselves lucky if we got through the meal without too many inappropriate jokes and grotesque bodily noises on the part of my father. I'm so relieved that's a thing of the past. Estrangement, my dears, has its privileges.

For this challenge I found myself (once again) thinking about the incredible variety of gourmet food cooked by Dr. Hannibal Lecter on the NBC series of the same name. In this case, I thought particularly of the tete de veau he served to his therapist in the season finale, Savoreaux:
Tete de veau translates to calf or veal's head. I don't want to give too much away if you haven't seen the series (which you really should, it's beautifully shot and Mads Mikkelsen is superb as Hannibal), but let's just say that while the meat and marrow bones in question are indeed from a young creature, they are not in fact from a calf. Or anything with four legs, for that matter.

Naturally, I had no desire to source my meat using the same methods as Hannibal, nor do I have the training to make a dish that takes upwards of seven hours and requires a kitchen brigade (or the brilliant mind of a serial killer) to execute. Instead, I decided to focus on the marrow bones component. I modeled my dish after an excellent one I recently had at the bar at one of Fergus Henderson's London restaurants, St. John's, near Smithfield meat market.
The dish is pure simplicity. Roast the marrow bones (one per guest) at 450 F for 15-20 minutes, then serve with a parsley, shallot, and caper salad that's been dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. The marrow is spread on toast and topped with a bit of the salad and a sprinkle of coarse salt. It really is butter of the gods, and so good for you.

I think this is the perfect first course for Thanksgiving, as the bones can roast while the turkey rests. And if family squabbles and annoyances crop up at the table, who cares? At least the food will be good.

Make sure to check out the round up of other Thanksgiving starters tomorrow (the 21st) over at Foodalogue!






11 comments:

  1. This looks scrumptious, and I have just the chianti to go with it ;}

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  2. I know that bone marrow isn't to everyone's taste but for the life of me I don't know why everybody doesn't enjoy sucking the goo out of a bone? Yum. I could lick my, um, screen.

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  3. Well I am all for this new macabre food series! And I adore the show Hannibal, love the gourmet aspect of it too in its creepy setting. This is a great dish to represent the horror theme for an appetizer, I do enjoy marrow.

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  4. I love this Trix. Bone Marrow has regained much popularity lately, and we're all the better for it. Your interest in the macabre is fascinating. I miss my own family's Thanksgivings and no other family can ever replace them.

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  5. Little factoid: in Italian, they call those little marrow spoons "l'agente delle tasse" or the tax collector.

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  6. Ah, I love marrow spoons. I've never bought them because the ones I like most cost a fortune. I can dream however of having one to eat your lovely dish. Oh please do stay on your macabre path... it is obviously inspiring you and most certainly is making your fans happy. You do it terribly well... love the photos too!!!

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  7. bone marrow is one of the best things ever. perfect appetizer and I love your macabre series of posts :)

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  8. Your macabre series sounds so cool (I have a dark mind, myself), and this bone marrow is such a decadent way to start the most gluttonous holiday of the year! Bravo :)

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  9. You make macabre sound hep. I am adoring this series. Happy Thanksgiving!

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  10. Hi Trixie! I'm so glad you are continuing a series that has not only been delicious but also one you are passionate about. Haha, and here I thought my family's gatherings were so not the norm.:) I haven't eaten bone marrow since I was a child. My mom tried to force us to eat but it hardly ever happened. It is super nutritious and the way you've prepared it sounds mouthwatering. Adding your recipe to my list to try -- I'll let you know.:)

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