Jacques Sorci, a master chef with a humble beginning came a long way from his hometown in France, where he began his culinary career at 15 by learning to cook at his grandmother’s side. These skills have brought him to where his is today, as he is one of only 65 chefs nationwide to hold the classification of MaÎtres Cuisiniers de France, the most envied title that chefs aspire to receive.
Though originally from France, Chef Jacques looks forward to celebrating his favorite American holiday, Thanksgiving. As is encouraged through his title of MaÎtres Cuisiniers de France, Chef Jacques has shared his Thanksgiving specialty so readers can further excel in the art of cooking.
Simple Thanksgiving stuffing:
Ingredients:
- 3lbs of country bread
- 1lb of mild Italian sausage
- 1/2lb chestnuts
- 1/2lb white onions
- 1lbs of green apples
- 1 cup of toasted pecans
- 2 cups of chicken stock
Method
- Prepare all ingredients as follow
- Dice the country bread into small cubes
- Roast the chestnuts in a hot oven, then peel and crumble into small pieces
- Peel, dice and sweat the onions in a small pot with a tsp of butter
- Peal and cube the apple. Sauté in butter on high heat until golden brown
- Roast the pecan and crumble into small pieces
- In bowl, add all ingredients one by one and mix well . Season salt and pepper.
- Fill in a terrine, pack well and cook in the oven at 325 for an hour
- Let rest for 30 minutes once out of the oven, slice and serve as needed.
He also added that the key to hosting a memorable Thanksgiving is to never to shy away from the white table cloth. He believes that Thanksgiving gives a rare occasion to dine in opulence, even in the comfort of your home. He encourages to bring out your finest tableware, and to set photo-ready centerpieces for decoration.
Chef Jacques returns what he is grateful for the day after Thanksgiving by gathering with the Executive Chefs from neighboring hotels – such as the Waldorf Astoria and Four Seasons – in celebration of soup kitchen regulars and volunteers. This annual event is held on behalf of Crossroads Community Services, where all proceeds and donations go towards supporting the soup kitchens and homeless shelters of NYC. Fare Share Friday, as it is better known, is a “proper” Thanksgiving meal, featuring a banquet style dinner setting and waiter service. Those who purchase tickets to the event are seated at a diverse table with soup kitchen regulars for a meal where status and prosperity are all equal. Chef’s eyes lit up as he spoke about the annual experience, saying he has never cooked for people so appreciative of the food.
Finally, Chef disclosed some secret details of VILLARD’s Thanksgiving brunch menu, hinting at their seasonal avocado toast, with a holiday turkey. He fondly talked about VILLARD, emphasizing that eating there is an experience of its own due to the historic setting of the restaurant in contrast with the creative farm-to-table dishes.
To learn more about Fare Share Friday, visit www.faresharefriday.org.