Thanksgiving Dinner

Holiday meals are special; we all have our cherished, family recipes and childhood memories. I believe it’s important to prepare a large, delicious meal with a good game plan in mind…

Cranberry sauce and pies are great to make a day or two ahead of time, basic poultry gravy can be made a day ahead and veggies, stuffing, trimmings can be mise en placed the night before. If you prepare your feast over 2 or 3 days, it makes ‘conquering your kitchen’ much less of a challenge.

These are some of my favorite recipes and I’m happy to share…

CRANBERRY COMPOTE

  • Yield: 10 portions Fresh cranberries                   1   lb. Orange juice                            ½ lb. Apple; peeled & diced           4  ea. Sugar                                       1  Cup Cinnamon stick                    1   ea. Apple cider                           1  Cup

  • Method. Combine all ingredients, cover and simmer in a heavy pan until the berries pop; remove the cinnamon stick and cool.

ROASTED TURKEY

  • Yield: 10 portions Fresh Turkey                                      18  lb. Mirepoix (carrot, celery, onion)      ½   lb. Orange or lemon quartered 1    ea. Bay leaf, rosemary, thyme                                                              Salt & Pepper                                      to taste

Method. 1. Remove the giblets and neck from the cavity of the turkey. Place one bay leaf, 1 sprig of rosemary and 1 sprig of thyme into the cavity of the turkey along with the lemon or orange pieces. 2. Rub the entire turkey with melted butter or olive oil and season with kosher salt and fresh black pepper. This year I rubbed a poultry bbq seasoning on my turkey and the sugars created darker browning. Delicious! You can truss the turkey if you like as well-simply tie butchers twine around the turkey, anchoring above the neck bone, pinning the wings against the turkey and looped around the drumsticks. 3. Place the turkey over a befd of mirepoix (into a large roasting pan) into preheated oven at 400 F for 30 minutes to lightly brown the skin. Lower the temperature to 300 F and roast until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 160F (thermometer is inserted into the meaty portion of the thigh) about 2 1/2 hours. Cover the breast with buttered foil if it begins to get too dark. When you pierce the thigh with the thermometer, the juices should run clear (no pink/ red tint). Rest for 30 minutes before carving.

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

  • Yield: 10 portions Fresh green beans            1 lb. Fresh wax beans              1 lb. Shiitake mushrooms      ½ lb. Dried cepes 2 ea. Butter 2  oz. AP Flour                            2  oz. Chicken stock                 1 Cup Heavy cream 1 Cup Fried Shallots                  1 Cup

Method. 1. Blanch the beans separately in salted, boiling water, shock in ice water and drain. Reserve. 2. Melt the butter in a sauce pan, add the sliced shiitake and lightly brown. Place the mushrooms into a small bowl and whisk the flour into the butter you cooked the mushrooms in to create a blonde roux. 3. Slowly add the cold chicken stock, whisking to a smooth sauce, add the dried cepes and cream; simmer for 5 minutes. 4. Season to taste, fold the mushrooms, blanched beans and mushroom sauce together, transfer to a casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes at 300 F. 5. Top with fried shallots and enjoy.

MASHED POTATOES

  • Yield: 10 portions Idaho potatoes               5   ea Butter, softened           1/4   lbs. Milk/ Heavy cream        3   Tbsp Salt Black pepper Nutmeg                               ¼   tsp Method

    1.     Peel the potatoes, cut into 2 inch chunks; simmer until tender and strain. Dry in the pot or oven to remove all moisture.

    2.     Rice or mash the potatoes, add softened butter, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and gently fold to incorporate. Add hot milk or cream and adjust seasoning.

CORNBREAD

  • Yield: 10 portions All purpose Flour                  ½   Cup Yellow Cornmeal                   1   Cup Sugar                                      ¼   Cup Corn flour                              ¾   Cup Baking powder                      2   Tbsp. Salt                                          ¾   tsps. Milk                                         2   Cups Butter, melted                        1   stick Eggs, whisked            1   ea.

  • Method 1.      Mix the dry ingredients together.  2. Mix the egg, melted butter and milk together. 3. Using a fork, slowly add the wet ingredients in to the dry ingredients and gently mix until it is a smooth batter. 3. Pour the batter into a buttered, preheated muffin or brownie pan; bake at 400°F until lightly browned. 4. Cool & serve warm with rich, creamy butter.

SWEET POTATOES W PEAR

Yield: 10 portions Sweet potatoes, skin washed             6  ea Pears, peeled and diced                      3  ea Apple cider                                            1   pt Honey                                                     1   Tbsp Chinese Five Spice                             1/4   tsp Cognac                                                    1   Tbsp Salt & Pepper To taste

Method 1.Simmer the diced pears in cider until tender, cool and strain (save the cider).     2. Bake the sweet potatoes until tender, peel and put through a sieve, fold in the remaining ingredients to taste. 3. Place into a casserole and reheat in the oven. Can be made a day ahead.

BREAD STUFFING

  1.  Yield: 10 portions Butter                                                           1   lb Croutons, small dice, toasted                          2   Cups Onions, minced & sweated                            ½   Cup Celery, minced & sweated                             ½   Cup Poultry seasoning                                         ¼   tsp Turkey stock                                                  1   Cup Eggs                                                             2   ea Salt                                                                     t.t. Black pepper                                                       t.t.

Method 1. Coat the croutons in melted butter and bake until lightly browned. 2. Sauté the onions and celery in butter, season, drain and cool.   3. Mix the egg and turkey stock together. 4. Toss the celery, onions, croutons together in a bowl, transfer to a buttered casserole dish. Pour the egg mixture on top and bake at 350°F until lightly browned. 5.  I love to fold in fresh herbs, cooked giblets or sausage before pouring the egg mixture over the croutons.