Winding Down Winter...Chocolate/Hawaiian Day and Maple Sugar on the Horizon!

Innkeepers
Colby Hill Inn

It's hard to believe after the winter we've had....but it's 48 degrees out there today (but still plenty of snow on Pat's Peak for the ski hounds) and we've had a fabulous and sunny day!

We look forward to this time of year because we start thinking about some of our favorite things. One of them is CHOCOLATE! This weekend is one of the most fun weekends at the inn. Chocolate Lover's Weekend, I believe this is the 7th Annual or maybe the 6th!

An in- room chocolate gift awaits our guests, a chocolate cooking class is hosted by our chef (with lots of goodies to taste) and recipes to take home for our guests to try themselves. Saturday evening guests enjoy a wonderful dinner and the finale is of course...a chocolate dessert creation. There's still availability for this special weekend in case you want to make some last minute plans!

Okay...so you still want to ski......so do the folks at Pat's Peak, which we can see as we write this from our windows (it's just 3 miles away as the crow flies). Don't Miss the 19th Annual Hawaiian Weekend at Pat's Peak March 13 and 14.

There's a hot tub on the deck (Saturday and Sunday), helicopter rides, a Magic Hat Beer Promo Apres Ski Party in the Sled Pub and a live Reggae Band. Wear your most outlandish Hawaiian shirt, pants, lei and watch the NASTAR Race on Downdraft. Of course, you can come on back to the Inn to rest your toes in front of our toasty fireplace and enjoy a relaxing dinner and comfy sleep before heading back to the mountain the next day! Visit www.patspeak.com for more info.

Next on the horizon is New Hampshire Maple Weekend which is March 27-29. The New Hampshire Maple Producers open their sugaring operations for us to watch the process, learn more about maple sugar and pack up a few bottles to take home. Don't forget to drench our award winning pancakes at the inn in the REAL THING..... as we only serve real New Hampshire Maple syrup.

Aside from all of those activities, we have completed our interior deep cleaning and are looking to the days getting longer, drier and sunnier so we can begin our outside projects including working on our gardens, parking lots and the normal spring items like trimming, painting etc. Life goes on at the inn as we celebrate our 10th year here and the inn celebrates 50 years of operating as a country inn.

Brrr......It's Cold Outside!


Braises, stews, rich flavors, chowders, cream sauces, dried fruits, jams, and comfort foods are all signs on a menu that it is cold outside and winter is here. That's if you didn't notice already.

Even though I love the change of seasons and what they have to offer, by Valentine's Day I am already craving spring flare! Until then...our Winter Menu offers all things, well, winter.

One appetizer that I enjoy preparing is the Yukon Gold Potato, Roasted Garlic, and Vermont Cheddar Perogi. The smooth comforting texture of a dumpling filled with whipped potatoes, roasted garlic puree, and sharp Cabot cheddar is all things winter. These tasty dumplings sit upon a braised chicken stew with fennel, leeks, and fresh herbs. Very reminiscent of chicken and dumplings that most of us grew up with! May I suggest an oakey and Buttery Chardonnay?

As for Entrees, you can't go wrong with the Spiced Breast of Duck, with house made duck confit, quinoa (keen-wa), spinach, caramelized onions, and a spiced cranberry jam.

I always prepare Braised Beef Short Ribs during winter, this year I am using a 1-pound bone in Angus beef short rib. Slow cooked until the meat falls of the bone, it is served with mashed root vegetables, seasonal vegetables and a Pomegranate Gastrique, a classic French sweet and sour sauce made by creating a caramel, then adding pomegranate juice. The only thing this dish needs is a nice glass of Syrah full of fruit flavors!

Cheers!
Chef Corey Fletcher
Colby Hill Inn

Cluck, Cluck, Gobble, Gobble!

Turkeys!

You see them along highways, in your backyard, in fields, in trees, and yes, they do fly!

Most of the year we see it sliced and piled between two pieces of bread, but for the month of November, it is roasted whole for several hours(often starting in the wee hours of the morning)and featured as the center piece of huge feast.

The white supple breast meat is favorite among most Americans. It is so sought after that the original wild ones our ancestor feasted on have been genetically modified by cross breading them with an English version to create larger breasts. These turkeys can grow as big as 80 pounds, but rarely do as the 20 pound range is more desirable. Due to the size of their breasts, farm raised turkeys can not reproduce naturally, therefor these monsters must be artificially inseminated.

Still Hungry?

Due to the length of cooking demanded by their size, turkeys are often over cooked. I recommend brinning them. Whether it is submerged or injected, the brinning process allow a sugared and salted water to penetrate the meat, keeping it very moist through while roasting.

I recommend brinning it for 2 days in the following solution.

3 gallons of warm water

1.5 # of kosher salt

12 ounces light brown sugar

as needed, your favorite spices

Combine all ingredients until the salt and sugar is dissolved, allow to cool, then pour over your bird in an appropriate container, refrigerate and allow to sit 2 days.

On the cooking day, remove from container, pat dry and roast as you normally would.

Oh yeah, Don't forget to let the bird rest, or else all the brinning effort is waisted!

Happy Cooking!

Chef Corey Fletcher
Colby Hill Inn

It's Here!! :)

It's safe to say that we can welcome Fall to The Colby Hill Inn and the quaint town of Henniker, NH. I personally welcome the warm and heartier flavors of the fall harvest with open arms (and walk-in coolers). The cool crisp nights and warm days help to ripen heirloom apples, parsnips, squashes, celery root, and the remaining list of the fall bounty. I wait all year for these three months that prepare us for the dreadfully long NH winter. The turning of the leaves in these months not only mean beautiful colors in the woods, but on the plates as well!

A Maine Lobster and Crab Cake is served with roasted pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, baby greens, and a vanilla and brown butter emulsion; House Smoked Haddock Chowder is laced with apple wood smoked bacon, fennel, and potatoes; Grilled Double Cut Pork Chops are served with apple and apple cider braised cabbage; and warm Local Apple Beignets (fritters) are set upon scoops of ice cream and drizzled with a butterscotch sauce, a play on warm apple pie with ice cream.

These are just a few of my personal favorite dishes on this year's fall menu. However, don't let me be bias of one dish over the next, as they all are fantastic. They wouldn't be on the menu if they weren't, but you can be the judge of that.

When you join us for your next dinner, ask for me, as I love to talk about food!

Hope to see you soon!

Chef Corey Fletcher

Colby Hill Inn Chef's Blog

Welcome to the inagural post of the Colby Hill Inn Chef's Blog!

In the photo you will see Spiced Breast of Duck with Sweet Potato, Duck Confit and Apple Hash with a Veal Glace and Cider Reduction as served at the Colby Hill Inn. Corey Fletcher is the head chef at the inn, and brings, in the words of Susan Laughlin of NHMagazine.com "food beautifully presented in portions that allow the diner to enjoy the full presentation of a three-course dinner"

Check back often to see what Chef Corey has to say!