Thanksgiving—ah, the time when kitchens become chaotic battlegrounds and dining rooms transform into arenas of culinary delight. My grandma used to say that a feast without a touch of madness is just a meal, and I think she was onto something. So, as you prepare to fill your home with the aroma of roasted turkey and spices, let’s explore some mouthwatering recipes that might just make you forget the holiday stress, if only for a moment.
Steps
- Prepare the Turkey: Rub kosher salt all over a butterflied turkey and refrigerate overnight. Remove the backbone using poultry shears to help the turkey cook more evenly and quickly.
- Make Gravy: Use the turkey’s backbone to create a rich gravy base. Simmer with additional turkey parts and seasonings to develop a thick, flavorful gravy.
- Cranberry Sauce: Combine cranberries, sugar, water, and a pinch of salt in a pot. Add fresh orange juice to enhance the tart flavor and simmer until the sauce thickens.
- Prepare the Stuffing: Mix sage-seasoned sausage with moist bread, garlic, celery, and onion. Use a stick of butter for richness and consider making stuffing waffles for a creative twist.
- Green Bean Casserole: Blanch fresh green beans and prepare a mushroom sauce from scratch. Top with homemade fried shallots for a flavorful, nostalgic dish.
- Caramelized Sweet Potatoes: Par-cook sweet potatoes in water at 135-170°F (57-77°C) to activate enzymes that sweeten them. Roast with olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper until crisp and caramelized.
- Roast Brussels Sprouts: Trim and halve Brussels sprouts, then toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast until crispy and serve immediately for a simple but tasty side.
- Fluffy Mashed Potatoes: Peel and dice russet potatoes, rinse, and boil until tender. Rinse again before using a ricer or food mill to achieve light and fluffy mashed potatoes.
- Butternut Squash Pie: Roast butternut squash and puree with homemade condensed milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and brown sugar. For a simpler option, use canned butternut squash.
- Pecan Pie: Sweeten the filling with honey, corn syrup, and brown sugar, and add vanilla and salt. Blind-bake the crust to ensure a crisp base for the toasted pecans and custardy filling.
Ingredients
- Turkey
- Kosher salt
- Cranberries
- Sugar
- Water
- Salt
- Fresh orange juice
- Sage
- Sausage
- Garlic
- Celery
- Onion
- Butter (1 stick)
- Green beans
- Mushrooms
- Shallots
- Sweet potatoes
- Olive oil
- Honey
- Parsley
- Brussels sprouts
- Russet potatoes
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- Vanilla extract
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Butternut squash
- Condensed milk
- Honey
- Corn syrup
- Pecans
FAQ
- How do you achieve crispy skin on a roast turkey?
- To ensure a crispy-skinned roast turkey, try the spatchcocking method, which involves removing the backbone and using a dry brine of kosher salt. This technique allows the turkey to cook more evenly and quickly.
- What is the secret to flavorful sweet potatoes?
- To enhance the flavor of sweet potatoes, par-cook them in water heated between 135 and 170°F (57 and 77°C) before roasting. This activates an enzyme that transforms starches into maltose, making the potatoes sweeter and more flavorful.
- How can I make my mashed potatoes extra fluffy?
- To get truly fluffy mashed potatoes, remove as much starch as possible by peeling, dicing, and rinsing the potatoes before and after boiling. Use a ricer or food mill to mash the potatoes, as these tools preserve the texture without damaging starch granules.
- Is canned pumpkin purée really made from pumpkin?
- Surprisingly, most canned pumpkin purée is actually made from butternut squash, which offers a richer flavor than traditional pumpkin. This is why your homemade “pumpkin” pie might taste better than expected.
- What’s the key to a perfect pecan pie?
- For a perfect pecan pie, use a filling sweetened with honey, corn syrup, and brown sugar, and enhanced with vanilla and salt. Blind-bake the crust to ensure the right balance of crispiness and smoothness.
Tips
- Butterfly Your Turkey: To ensure a quicker and more even cooking process, consider spatchcocking your turkey. Remove the backbone with poultry shears and apply a dry brine overnight for a delicious, crisp-skinned result. Don’t discard the backbone; it adds depth to your gravy.
- Enhance Sweet Potato Flavor: Activate the natural sweetness in sweet potatoes by par-cooking them in water kept between 135 and 170°F (57 and 77°C) before roasting. This process converts starches into maltose, resulting in sweeter, more flavorful potatoes.
- Opt for Roasted Brussels Sprouts: For a tasty twist on Brussels sprouts, try roasting them. Simply trim, halve, and toss them in olive oil, salt, and pepper before roasting for a crispy, flavorful dish.
- Use a Ricer for Mashed Potatoes: Achieve fluffy mashed potatoes by thoroughly rinsing diced russet potatoes to remove starch before boiling. Pass them through a ricer or food mill to maintain a light texture without overworking the starch granules.
Equipment
- Poultry Shears – For removing the turkey’s backbone for spatchcocking.
- Ricer or Food Mill – Essential for achieving fluffy mashed potatoes without damaging starch granules.
- Waffle Iron – Optional, but recommended for making stuffing waffles.
