So, what is everybody planning? (Besides panic----I've just realised I'm going to be cramming 21 people in my house)
Brine or not? New Gourmet Magazine side dishes, or the green beans and canned onions Aunt Martha insists on? Does anybody besides me love brussel sprouts? Favorite stuffing recipes? Ways to occupy the kids if it's raining and 7 teenagers can't play football?
I have no plans. I won't be having turkey. There will be no pumpkin pie for me. No cranberries.....and no parade!
Before you go feeling all sad for me I'll tell you why I won't be partaking this year. On Thanksgiving day my plane will be touching down in Firenze.
Amy, I could tell you so many Thanksgiving stories. One where we nearly set the house on fire because we put the bird back in the oven to store it while we all went out for the evening after dinner.(forgot the oven was still on).
Another time the kids and dog were all out playing in the snow and woods --- dog fell thru the ice and floated downriver quite a ways before my daughter (who professed to dislike the dog) finally jumped in to rescue her.
There was one Thanksgiving at a truly rustic cabin we had where we made everything in miniature. Instead of a turkey each person got their own personal game hen, surrounded by tiny new potatoes and micro-mini carrots. We had baby quiche, baby corn, tiny baby peas, individual pumpkin pies in tiny tart pans, mini cheesecake,etc. We had fresh bread made in mini loaf pans. Don't ask me how that all got started cuz no one in the family seems to remember why we did that. Once we decided on "baby-turkey", as my neice called the game hens, things just kind of snow-balled from there.
Posts: 690 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 14 January 2005
I'm going next door to our friend's house for Thanksgiving. They do a fabulous big get together every year. I'm bringing the Sweet Potato Casserole (I'm going to try the recipe in this month's "Cooks Illustrated" - no marshmallows!) and a pie or two. One will be Chocolate Pumpkin pie - one I've made before, it's an old Martha Stewart Living recipe. And if I'm feeling like baking more, I might do a berry pie. I won second place at the company picnic pie contest this year with a nice berry pie recipe that I improvised from a couple Epicurious recipes. The only problem is that it really needs fresh berries - so it depends on whether I can find fresh berries in the markets and if they don't cost a small fortune. If anyone would like the recipe, let me know and I'll post it. It's not very "Thanksgivingish" but some people are nontraditionalists...
And, I love Brussels sprouts, too. I really like the Laurie Colwin recipe for Marinated Brussels Sprouts - and it's make-ahead easy.
-Krista
Posts: 1688 | Location: Santa Barbara, California | Registered: 21 May 2004
We will have 11 for dinner and it will be the epicurian extravaganza for gastronomic overindulgence. Turkey (vertically roasted), stuffing (both corn bread and traditional giblet dressing), mushrooms (my way), mashed potatoes, candied sweet potatoes (though that may switch to sweet potatoe gnocchi thanks to Torile), and just too much other stuff.
Now for the humor, in following Torile's recounts... The year the dog's ate the Ham.
I was coming to my SIL's house for Christmas dinner in Atlanta where I had to catch a flight later in the day to NYC to see my children and my SIL wanted to have a wonderful dinner for me before I left. Her and my wife spent 3 hours in line at the Honey Baked Ham store for a ham and they arrived home just in time for us to put it in the refrigerator before running off to a church service the kids wanted to attend. The service ran for at least 1 1/2 hours. My SIL entered the kitchen and we heard the screams so we thought something terrible had happened. It was horrible. On the floor laid shredded aluminum foil and some remnants of a ham bone. The two dogs, a labrador and a Burmese Mountain dog opened the door of the fridge, pulled out the ham and devoured it!! All 8 lbs of it!!! I wanted to cook the dogs figuring by now they would taste like ham but my loving SIL stayed up all night defrosting a 15 lb frozen solid turkey so I could have a Christmas dinner before I left for NYC. We had an abreviated dinner of what turkey was done at the time but it is forever remembered by us all as the Christmas the dogs ate the ham!!
Torile... I will give it all up for THG to be in your shoes. Buon viaggi!!
Doug
Doug
ANCORA IMPARO
Posts: 2108 | Location: Winter Park, FL | Registered: 18 May 2005
Amy - last year we had 40+ people; I had to rent tables and I stopped trying to count how many kids (all stuck inside) - scarey.
This year we're going to visit my parents, ten people total including children (unless my parents take in some strays). I'm cooking there.
I'm definitely brining the bird using the recipe Cristina posted a while ago. We actually did a dry run yesterday with a turkey with paremegiano and sage seasoning - yum. I also made a sweet potato casserole that's combined with polenta - intresting and reminded me of pumpkin pie. We'll do mashed potatoes, some sort of green bean dish (haven't decided what), a salad with candied pecans, pears, blue cheese and balsamic vinagrette, and corn bread stuffing. Oh and carrot muffins - my mom's old and fantastic recipe.
Oh, for brussel sprouts, I halve the big ones, toss them with a bit of salt, pepper and olive oil and roast them at 425 until golden brown - maybe tossing once or twice; yummy!
Planning to deep fat fry turkey. Need to cook a second one, usually a turkey breast, in order to make gravy. If you have never tasted a turkey done this way, it is wonderful. The high temperature of the oil "seals" in all the juices so you end up with a very moist turkey and the skin can be delectible. We usually do a "rub", actually a "pat" of a combination of spices. This year we're going to use "Old Bay"; a popular mixture from the Mid-Atlantic states.
I know this is just awful, but we are strongly considering eating out and going to some sort of wonderful buffet somewhere. It would just be the three of us plus my parents, and my mom and I thought we'd save the big homecooked feast for a few weeks and do it at Christmas instead. I have often wished I was part of a big extended family where there was a house full of people (kids table and all)!
Is anyone else planning to go out for the big Thanksgiving meal?
I brined my first turkey last year and it was the BEST turkey I've ever eaten. We were invited to my PIL and I'm trying to get up the nerve to ask her if I can bring the turkey.
I roast the brussel sprouts without par boiling but I throw in a few whole garlic cloves and a few springs of thyme. I roast until the garlic is soft and sweet and the sprouts are a little brown on the outside. I cut a fairly deep X in the root end to even out the cooking of the root and the tip. If they are getting brown too quickly, I add a drop or two of water and turn down the oven.
On the bird, I don't brine. The night before I make a paste of herbs (rosemary and thyme), garlic cloves, olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon peel. I make about 2 cups for a 18-20 pound bird. I rub the paste in the cavity, all over the bird and, most importantly, under the skin of the bird. Start at the back cavity and slide your hands all over the flesh and let your fingertips gently separate the skin from the bird. Don't tear the skin. Be sure to work your way up and all around the leg and thigh. There is a lot of fat globules in this part of the bird that you can remove. Doing so will make the skin in this area particularly crisp, and the thigh meat will wind up leaner by far.
Since I use an all natural bird with very little fat (bought at Whole Foods), the roasting time is very short- about 10 minutes a pound for a medium rare bird- juicy breast and moist dark meat. I roast until the leg meat reads 145 degrees on an instant read thermometer. You can go to 155 or 165 if you want, but thats why turkey has a reputation for dryness. So my 18# bird needs about 3 hours total roasting time.
I bring the bird to room temp for about an hour prior to cooking. I tuck the wing tips "behind" the drumette and tie the ends of the legs together to keep it neat when roasting. I take a heavy roasting pan with a heavy non stick roasting rack. The bird goes in breast down. I pre heat the oven to 450 and turn the heat down to 425 as I pop in the bird. It roasts for 30-40 minutes breast down. I flip the bird, using oven mitts to do so (I always celebrate Tanksgiving by buying a new set of mitts as the old ones are tossable after flipping a hot and greasy bird). I continue the high heat for about an hour total. Then I turn down the heat to 325 and finish the bird to my total roasting time. I only baste in the half of the cooking time. Only open the door of the oven every 30 minutes or less. I start checking temp about 2/3 of the way thru my projected cooking time. If the bird is getting done yet is not brown, I crank up the heat for the last 15 minutes or so.
After I pull the bird out of the oven, I let it rest for 30 minutes before carving while I finish the gravy. I make a stock the night before with the neck, giblets and maybe some purchased wings. I will usually make the gravy earlier in the day and then use the pan drippings to enrich the gravy.
I make a roux with olive oil and flour. When cappuccino colored, I add the stock and let the gravy simmer for 30 or so minutes until it is smooth and the flour taste is well integrated. I then strain it thru a fine mesh sieve. Because I am not using butter, the gravy will not be as thick, but neither will be my arteries. After straiing, I add sauteed wild mushrooms, the chopped up boiled giblets and fresh herbs.
When the turkey is out of the pan, I drain off the drippings into a glass measuring bowl and skim off most of the fat. I put the pan on the stove and crank up the heat. I then deglaze with either wine, bourbon, cognac or rum depending on what flavor you want in the gravy. Water will also do. Be sure to scrape up all the crusty bits (except if they are scorched black). I add the deglazing liquid to the gravy and then serve.
My God Dean your description of how you "undress" your turkey could have been right out of Tom Jones. Also I have never heard of cooking a turkey until medium rare. I would worry about food poisoning. (I guess I'm just a big chicken - see the T-Bone thread.)
If you have not seen this on the France message board...
Pauline just posted a "postcard" I wrote about our Thanksgiving meal in Provence last year. You might enjoy reading about our efforts to re-create an American menu, including a large turkey to feed 12. This is definitely a turkey we will never forget!
Originally posted by suncoast: My God Dean your description of how you "undress" your turkey could have been right out of Tom Jones. Also I have never heard of cooking a turkey until medium rare. I would worry about food poisoning. (I guess I'm just a big chicken - see the T-Bone thread.)
Ginger
If you cook a bird to 145 and let it sit, the temp will rise to 160 because of the retained heat. At 160 you are fine. I would not do this with a commercially raised, factory bird where they are water soaked. It is the water soaking and mechanical evicerating that is the source of most of the bacterial load on the birds.
As far as T-Bones, there is no evidence that cooking the meat has anything to do with its danger level as far as Mad Cow is concerned. In fact, the greatest risk of eating a steak is from cross contamination (again, not temperature dependent) or the health rishs of the saturated fats if you consume too many. The rish of mad couw is miniscule and can be reduced futher with proper testing and feed rules.
If you brine your turkey you can pull it out of the oven at 135°F and that is perfectly safe.
Personally, I will never go back to not brining. I love the flavor of my brine and love the taste and texture of the meat when it is used. Everuyone who has ever eaten one of my birds has said they never knew turkey could taste so good.
Oh and if you crave a steak but don't want to eat beef, I debone turkey thighs and soak them in brine for about 12 hours then put them on the BBQ. Amazing flavor.
You know I just went and checked the recipe and it says roast to 165 but I swear I have been doing it lower for the past 7 years. Okay, nix the 135 just to be on the safe side but really, if you stick the thermometer in and the juices that flow out are clear then you are good to go.
I guess old age is setting in, I really thought it was 135
As Dean mentioned above there is always what's known as "carry-over cooking" during the period you are letting the meat rest. So, by the time Cristina's bird has "rested" and all the flavorful juices have settled back into the meat the temp is most likely perfect and her turkey is probably some of the moistest around.
Posts: 690 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 14 January 2005
I've had the carryover take me up maybe 10 degrees but never more than that.
Cristina - I love that brine recipe - it makes any crappy bird taste delish. I have some left in the fridge now from Sunday that I'm going to chop up into some fried rice for lunch - yumm!
Last year my husband tried a trash pail turkey. We were all a little nervous but I'd prepared enought side dishes that I knew we wouldn't starve. Turned out great. If you're short on oven space and adventurous, give it a try. Just make sure the trash pail is clean!!
Posts: 407 | Location: Watertown, New York, USA | Registered: 22 August 2003
You place the turkey on a stake, cover with a clean 10-15 gal trash can, surround the base and cover the upside down bottom with with hot coals. We put the stake through a disposable aluminum pan to catch all the drippings for gravy. It cooks quickly but was very moist.
I'm not good at adding links but if you google "trash can turkey" you'll get some hits. The instructions from the Boy Scouts had photos.
Posts: 407 | Location: Watertown, New York, USA | Registered: 22 August 2003
Topic Closed
- see the T-Bone thread.)
