Chef Charles Devine began his culinary career when he started working in the restaurant industry at an early age of 15. Like most successful chefs, he slowly climbed up the kitchen hierarchy beginning from being a dishwasher, a waiter, and eventually as a prep and line cook.
Chef Devine was born and raised in France, then he moved to the United States in 1983. Right after college, he took the job as a waiter at Pescatore in 1997, and more than a decade later, he had enough money and bought the restaurant.
Thanksgiving is very special to the Pescatore Restaurant team, and Chef Devine explains why by saying, “Our Thanksgiving menu is perfect because it incorporates traditional Thanksgiving ingredients with a flair of Italian love. We have been open for Thanksgiving for 20 years and although it only lasts a single day, we prepare for it all week. You can feel the enthusiasm in the entire restaurant in anticipation of not only Thanksgiving, but the holidays as well. The atmosphere of Thanksgiving is unlike any other, the restaurant is filled with families and everyone is just so happy to be together. I feel that our customers really enjoy being at Pescatore because it is a familiar place and they know they’re going to be well fed and well taken care of. Soon after Thanksgiving we begin to decorate for Christmas/Chanukah, so the fun never ends.”
We asked Chef Devigne for a recipe that he thinks truly embodies Thanksgiving. He gave us this amazing “Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe.” The dish is a perfect play of Fall flavors, and it would be a mouth-watering side dish for the centerpiece of Thanksgiving” the turkey.
Pescatore Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe
Serves 6-10 people
8 cups of toasted ciabbata cubed
1 large onion diced
6 ribs of celery sliced thin
8 link of high quality sweet and hot sausages (thinly sliced)
2 cups of blanched and roasted chestnuts
1 1/2 cup of dry cranberries (soaked in port)
4 tbls chopped porcini (soaked in port as well)
1/2 cup pureed chicken liver
3 eggs
1 cup of buttermilk
1 cup of turkey stock
2 tbls of chopped sage and thyme
Method
1. Cook sausages over medium heat, brown in duck fat and remove with slotted spoon.
2. Add onions, celery and caramelize.
3. Add porcini and cook until all is soft.
Assembly
1. Add croutons to a bowl, add onions, celery and porcini.
2. Add 2/3 of sausages.
3. Chop 3/4 of chestnuts and add to bowl.
4. Mix in liver, eggs, buttermilk and stock.
5. Add cranberries and chopped herbs.
6. Place in ovenproof serving dish and place remaining sausages and chestnuts (halves) on top.
7. Bake at 325 for 30 to 40 minutes.
PESCATORE HOSTS LUNCH AND DINNER ON THANKSGIVING DAY
Pescatore Restaurant will be open on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 28, for lunch and dinner from 12:00 to 11:30 PM. The a la carte menu will be offered along with a special Thanksgiving meal. The holiday plate is $18 per person and includes:
- Oven-roasted Turkey
- House-made Stuffing
- Seasonal Vegetables
- Cranberry Sauce
For reservations or inquiries, contact Pescatore Restaurant at 212-752-7151. You can also visit their official website, Facebook page, and Twitter account for more information and updates.
Pescatore Restaurant is located at 955 2nd Ave New York, NY 10022.
[mappress mapid=”123″]Hours of Operation
Monday thru Friday 12:00pm to 10:30pm
Saturday
Brunch 11:30am to 4:00pm
Dinner 4:00pm to 10:30pm
Sunday
Brunch 11:30am to 4:00pm
Dinner 4:00pm to 10:30pm