It was no ordinary Thanksgiving turkey.
Marinated in honey and wine, stuffed with wild rice, apricots and nuts, and smoked in a backyard Weber grill, the 19-pound bird emerged a glistening reddish brown.
"It looked like it jumped out of a food magazine," Odessa Dunson says of the turkey her friend Barbara Lahnstein had prepared for their joint celebration seven years ago. "There was nothing there but bones left at the end of the meal."
That is how these unlikely friends began a partnership in unusual smoked foods, first selling them in gourmet gift baskets and at the Waverly farmer's market, and now at their Metropol Cafe and Art Gallery on North Charles Street.
Ms. Dunson is a lifelong Baltimorean, Ms. Lahnstein, a native of Stuttgart, Germany. But though they grew up halfway round the world from each other, they have the same outlook on food, and on sharing it with a diverse group of people.
"I think we're a pretty good team," says Ms. Dunson, who lives a block away from her partner in the Northwood section of the city. "Our personalities are so different, and that may be why."
Ms. Dunson is a calm businesswoman with short-cropped hair. Ms. Lahnstein speaks animatedly in a thick German accent, her hair a tangle of dark curls. Though on the surface they're opposites, Ms. Lahnstein says it was a similar vision that united the two.
"Personally, we're trying to play stereotypes down," she explains. "This city has all these different neighborhoods, all these different cultures. We're trying to bring people together."
At Metropol, they say, one is likely to find a mix of people -- farmers, artists, young urban types -- with an appreciation for smoked foods. Among their specialties are moist, golden-brown rainbow trout marinated in extra virgin olive oil and fresh herbs; salmon cured in cognac with a pinch of sugar and sea salt; chicken breasts stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes and herbs; and dark, tender duck breasts with a hint of pink at their core. Most notable is the moist texture of the poultry and seafood, and the way the smoke delicately enhances and doesn't overpower the food's original taste.
After their Thanksgiving meal was such a hit, they began honing their smoking techniques and formed a specialty food company, 1536 Gourmet Cuisine. But they were friends long before they were partners.
Marriage brought Ms. Lahnstein to Baltimore in 1981, and she moved into Ms. Dunson's apartment building on Charles and Preston streets. They met and soon became as close as sisters.
When Ms. Lahnstein's son Dorian was born, Ms. Dunson became his godmother and watched him while his mother was at work. At the time, the women worked different shifts in the hotel industry, Ms. Lahnstein in the cold-foods division of the Sheraton and Ms. Dunson as "everything but sous-chef" at the Hyatt Regency.
Eventually, both tired of the male hierarchy in the food business. "It came to the point when I said I can't work for other people anymore," Ms. Lahnstein explains. "Who could I trust better than Odessa?"
Of all the foods she grew up with, Ms. Lahnstein longed most for the delicate flavor of seafood smoked over alder that she had eaten in Denmark. The tough smoked poultry in America tasted more like smoked ham. "Everything was really salty," she says.
When they decided they could do better, the pair began studying the art of smoking, reading whatever they could get their hands on and experimenting with different woods and marinades. Ms. Lahnstein, who went to art school, drew up plans for a steel commercial smoker that stands over 6 feet tall. A large vent at the top allows toxic smoke to escape, which they say makes their smoked foods more healthful than other commercially available products.
In 1993, success at the Waverly farmer's market led them to open Metropol in a small storefront tucked between the Charles movie theater and the new Everyman Theatre in the 1700 block of Charles St.
Much of what they need for the cafe, they can get through the network they've made at the farmer's market. That includes sassafras, apple and other exotic woods, herbs, produce, bread and cakes. Cheese, for their goat cheese pie and herbed goat cheese balls, comes from Brentwood Farms in Southern Maryland, fish from the Jessup seafood market, and poultry from Bill's in the Cross Street Market.
They describe Metropol as a European-style gallery and cafe that serves "serious food." That's a pretty apt description for an appetizer of jumbo shrimp, smoked over apple wood and served with fruit and banana-ginger chutney. Or the open-faced gravlax sandwich on pumpernickel with Dijon honey sauce. In December, they will start a Scandinavian Sunday brunch that brings back memories for Ms. Lahnstein.
For Thanksgiving, Ms. Dunson and Ms. Lahnstein share their recipes for goat cheese pie and smoked Cornish hen.The fruit and nut stuffing for the hens is a lot like the one they created for the first smoked turkey to grace their Thanksgiving table. For those who prefer to leave smoking to the experts, 1536 Gourmet Cuisine will smoke a whole goose, turkey, pheasant or duck on request with a week's notice.
Pate Brisee
Makes 2 9-inch pie shells or 1 10-inch springform shell
1 2/3 cups sifted flour, plus additional flour
pinch of salt
one large egg
1 1/2 sticks of salted butter
1 cup cold water or milk
Cut butter and salt into 1 2/3 cups flour until it resembles cornmeal. Add egg and mix slightly. Sprinkle cold water a tablespoon at a time and work in.
Refrigerate for an hour.
Flour surface and roll out dough to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch and place in springform or pie pan.
Goat Cheese Pie Metropol With Smoked Chicken Breast
Makes 2 9-inch pies or 1 10-inch springform pie
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound small mushrooms, sliced
1 large shallot, chopped
1 pound fresh spinach leaves, lightly steamed and squeezed dry of excess water
pinch of nutmeg
cut fresh herbs, such as basil, rosemary, cilantro or tarragon
1 1/2 pound fresh loose goat cheese
1/4 to 1/2 pound grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 pound grated Gruyere cheese
8 extra large whole eggs
cracked pepper and salt to taste
one large Metropol smoked chicken breast, sliced
2 9-inch pie shells or 1 10-inch springform shell
red and yellow tomato slices for garnish
1/2 cup pine nuts for garnish
Heat oven to 325 degrees.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over highest heat and add shallots and mushrooms. Turn mushrooms just once and allow to brown lightly and remove. Drain mushrooms on paper towels. Steam spinach and sprinkle with nutmeg. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine cheeses and eggs and add pepper and salt to taste.
Put 1/4 of cheese mixture into each of two pie shells, or 1/2 of the mixture into crust in springform pan, and spread evenly. With a spatula, level cheese mixture to remove air pockets. Layer the herbs, mushrooms and shallots, spinach and smoked chicken on top, and cover with remaining cheese mixture. Repeat leveling with spatula. Decorate top with slices of red and yellow tomatoes, basil and pine nuts. Bake for about 45 minutes or until top is golden brown and center is still quivering.
Apple-Wood Smoked Cornish Hens With Fruit Bread and Nut Stuffing
Makes 4 servings
2 Cornish game hens
2 cups tamari soy sauce
1 bunch fresh sage, chopped
1/4 cup clover honey
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Utensils needed:
1 Weber smoker (see note below for Weber grill directions)
1 small bag apple-wood chips
1 small bag hardwood charcoals
Wash game hens thoroughly inside and out. Towel-dry hens and rub them with mixture of tamari, sage, honey, salt and garlic. Allow the hens to marinate overnight in refrigerator.
Heat the grill with the charcoals and apple-wood chips. Allow it to burn for 30 minutes before cooking hens.
Stuff hens with Fruit Bread and Nut Stuffing and lace hens up with string. Place on grill, cover with lid and cook until juices run clear at thickest part of hen. Serve at room temperature.
Note: You can try this recipe with a dome-shaped Weber grill instead of a smoker, but you'll have to pay close attention to the Cornish hens. Prepare the fire the same way, put the hens on the grill, cover and open the vents on top just a quarter of the way. Air will make flames start up, so be prepared to douse them with a small amount of water. A mister bottle would work well.
Fruit Bread and Nut Stuffing
Makes 4 servings
6 ounces blond or brown raisins
1/2 cup brandy
1/4 cup olive oil or butter
1/2 pound whole wheat bread crumbs
1 cup sourdough bread crumbs
3 extra large eggs
2 Granny Smith apples, chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots
8 ounces oven-roasted pecans
2 teaspoons tamari soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped fine
1 bunch scallions, chopped
Soak raisins in brandy for about half-hour and set aside until needed.
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Spread bread crumbs on baking trays and sprinkle with oil or butter. Brown crumbs until crispy and remove from oven.
In a large stainless steel mixing bowl, allow crumbs to cool, then add eggs, apples and dried apricots and fold together.
Add brandy-soaked raisins and brandy, roasted pecans, tamari, sage and scallions and mix thoroughly.