Relax. Thanksgiving is not a time for reinvention. It’s a time for classics. Straightforward roast turkey. Old-fashioned stuffing. Unadorned mashed potatoes (well, except for the cream and butter). Simple gravy. Traditional cranberry sauce. Crunchy green beans. Crowd-pleasing pumpkin pie.
Our advice: Carefully select beautiful, pure ingredients, and do just enough to them to bring out their essence.
Because the truth is, Thanksgiving isn’t about the food. It’s about time around the table with the people you love most. This year, make it special by keeping it simple.
RECIPES
Roast Turkey
Adapted from “The Professional Chef,” Seventh Edition, by The Culinary Institute of America, with additional directions from Cook’s Illustrated magazine, December 2006. Serves 10 with plenty of leftovers.
Ingredients
One 15-pound turkey
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 large onions, peeled and quartered
1/2 bunch parsley stems (leaves removed)
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled, or more as needed
2 more large onions, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
Directions
Place oven rack in lowest position. Preheat oven to 425.
Thoroughly rinse turkey, removing giblets and neck from cavity. Rub salt around interior and all over turkey. Place the quartered onions and the parsley stems in cavity. Tuck wings under. Tuck legs under flap of skin at tail. Secure neck cavity with skewers.
Brush turkey breast with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Place turkey breast-side down on V-rack. Brush back and legs with remaining butter. Scatter onions, celery and carrots around bottom of pan.
Roast for 45 minutes. Remove roasting pan from oven. Using clean kitchen towels, carefully flip bird over. Return to oven, and reduce temperature to 325. Roast, basting once every half-hour, until meat thermometer registers 175 in the thickest part of the thigh, about 2 hours.
Remove turkey to carving platter, reserving pan drippings for gravy. Allow turkey to rest at least 30 minutes before carving.
TIPS:
*Do not oversalt the turkey. It’s a fine line between well-seasoned turkey and a too-salty bird.
*Use a proper meat thermometer. Get rid of that pop-up thermometer, because they aren’t as effective as real ones.
*Smaller turkeys can be more manageable than big ones. If you have a big dinner planned, roast two 12-pound birds instead of one 24-pounder.
VARIATIONS:
*Salt-rubbed turkey (adapted from Cooks’ Illustrated magazine): A day before roasting, use the handle of a wooden spoon to carefully separate skin from breast. Rub 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt onto breast, underneath the skin. Rub remaining tablespoon salt on upper wall of cavity. Wrap turkey in plastic wrap and refrigerate 24 hours. Remove, rinse thoroughly and roast according to above instructions.
*Brined turkey: A day before roasting, submerge turkey in a solution of 2 cups kosher salt and 1 cup granulated sugar per gallon of water. (Be sure salt and sugar are thoroughly dissolved.) Place turkey and solution in fridge, or in a cooler with several ice packs for 24 hours. Rinse thoroughly, pat dry and roast according to above instructions.
*Lemon-sage turkey: Place a few leaves of sage on the turkey breast underneath the skin and bunch of sage leaves in the cavity. Add two lemons, halved, to cavity along with onions and parsley.
Mashed Potatoes
Adapted from “The Professional Chef,” Seventh Edition, by The Culinary Institute of America. Serves about 10.
Ingredients
4-5 pounds russet potatoes
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup heavy cream, or extra as needed
2-3 tablespoons butter at room temperature, or extra as needed
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Peel potatoes and cut into 2-inch cubes. Place in large saucepan. Add cold water to just submerge the potatoes. Bring water to a low boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and simmer at a lazy boil until done, about 30 minutes. (Test for doneness by poking with a fork. If the potato offers no resistance, it’s done.)
In separate saucepan, warm cream to just below boiling.
Using a slotted spoon, remove potatoes from cooking liquid directly into a food mill or ricer. Pass potatoes through, working in batches if necessary. Add warmed cream and butter, stir gently until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper and serve with butter.
TIPS:
*For softer, finer mashed potatoes, purée them through a ricer or potato mill. For more rustic mashed potatoes, use a potato masher.
*Choose russet or baking potatoes for smoother mashed potatoes, or more waxy yellow or red potatoes for a rustic mash.
*Do not overwork your potatoes, or they will become starchy and gummy. Never use a blender or food processor, or your potatoes will be sticky.
VARIATIONS:
*Roasted garlic mashed potatoes: Slice tips from two heads of garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil and roast at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Allow to cool, then squeeze out cloves and mash with a fork. Mix well into potatoes.
*Buttermilk mashed potatoes: Substitute buttermilk for the cream.
*Hot potatoes: Add 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, a few chopped jalapeños, or a pinch red pepper flakes to the mix.
Turkey Gravy
This recipe makes about 4 cups gravy, enough for 8-10 people.
Ingredients
Stock:
Roasted turkey neck (and giblets if desired)
1 medium onion, quartered
2 stalks celery, cut in thirds
2 carrots, cut into thirds
1 bay leaf
5 cups water
1/2 cup white wine
Roux:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons turkey fat
1/4 cup flour
Salt and white pepper
Directions
In a large, deep saucepan, bring neck, onion, celery, carrots, bay leaf and water to a boil, and lower heat to simmer.
Remove finished turkey from roasting pan. With a large metal spoon, skim off and reserve as much fat as you can from the pan. Pour remaining liquid into a fat separator.
Place roasting pan on the stove over medium heat, pour in wine and scrape up all the brown bits. Simmer about 5 minutes, then pour wine into fat separator, placing vegetables and other solids into the strainer portion. Press to release juices; discard cooked veggies as they have given their all to this recipe.
Allow liquids to settle. There will be three distinct layers: dark brown stock, a lighter, milky layer of cooked solids and the golden fat.
Place a mesh strainer over the simmering stock and pour stock and solids in fat separator through a mesh strainer into pan. Continue to simmer.
Make roux: Pour fat remaining in separator into a measuring cup. Melt 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons fat in a large saucepan. Add flour, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until roux turns golden brown and releases a nutty aroma.
Make gravy: Whisk stock into roux and simmer 10 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.
TIPS
*A little grease goes a long way, so keep the flour-fat proportions 50/50.
*Cook roux until it turns golden brown and has a distinct nutty smell. Undercooked roux tastes like raw flour.
*If your gravy’s lumpy, pass it through a medium-mesh strainer to remove lumps.
*If you don’t have time to make stock, use chicken stock. We tasted Naturally Preferred Free Range Chicken Broth, Imagine Organic Free Range Chicken Broth and Pacific Natural Foods Organic Free Range Chicken Broth. Tasters liked Naturally Preferred best, followed by Imagine, but its strong chicken flavor will affect your dish.
VARIATIONS
*Whatever wine you use to deglaze the pan will impart its own flavor to the gravy. You can use white or red.
*Another deglazing option: Water or chicken stock. Add 1 tablespoon cider or balsamic vinegar, or 2 tablespoons port.
*Toss in chopped herbs and/or garlic.
Cranberry Sauce
This recipe comes straight off the Ocean Spray cranberry package. Makes about 2 1/4 cups, to serve about 8.
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 12-ounce package fresh (or frozen) cranberries
Directions
In medium saucepan, mix sugar and water. Stir to dissolve sugar. Bring to a boil, add cranberries. Return to a boil, reduce heat, boil gently 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cool completely at room temperature and refrigerate.
ADDITIONS
*Chopped apple, grapes, nuts, jalapeños
*Orange or lemon zest, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, ginger
Pumpkin Pie
This family recipe comes from food editor Kristen Browning-Blas. The secret is to not use too much spice, which makes the filling bitter. This recipe makes 2 10-inch pies.
Ingredients
Crust:
3 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (or substitute 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour for 1 cup of the white flour)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup Earth Balance Natural Shortening (2 sticks) or Spectrum Naturals Organic Shortening
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg, beaten until frothy
About 3/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Ice cube
Filling:
1 29-ounce can pumpkin purée (not “pie filling”)
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
3/4 cup half-and-half or whipping cream
3/4 cup whole milk
6 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 tsps cinnamon
Scant 1/8 teaspoon each: ground allspice, ginger, nutmeg, cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whipped cream, optional
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Make crust: In a large bowl, mix flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut shortening and butter with flour mixture. Incorporate fats until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Place beaten egg in measuring cup and add orange juice up to 3/4 cup. Add vinegar and one ice cube. Add half of liquid to flour mixture and incorporate with a fork, using a light touch. Add the rest of the liquid and mix gently until it begins to stick together. It should feel like Play-Doh, but do not over-warm dough by too much handling. Gather dough into two discs, patting gently into shape.
Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out dough on floured surface (parchment paper, wax paper or a Silpat mat) to about 1/4-inch thick. Place in buttered 10-inch pie plate and crimp edges. Place crust in fridge.
Make filling: With a whisk, hand or stand mixer, blend all filling ingredients. Pour into uncooked 10-inch pie crust.
Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350 degrees and continue baking 35-45 minutes, depending on your oven.
To test for doneness, reach into oven with a baking mitt and gently shake pie. If an area the size of a nickel jiggles in the center, it’s ready.
Cool to room temperature. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve. Top with whipped cream, if desired.
TIPS
*Keep all the dough ingredients very cold so that the crust is flaky and tender.
*When rolling, start in the center of the dough disc and push outward. Turn the dough as you work, always rolling from the center outward. Do not roll back and forth, or the crust will toughen.
*If crust tears, moisten a patch with a bit of water and paste over tear.
VARIATIONS
*Use ice water or seltzer instead of orange juice.
*Use any type of vinegar (except balsamic) – it helps tenderize the crust and balances the flavor.
*Use all white flour for a lighter classic crust.
Green Beans
Adapted from “The Way to Cook,” by Julia Child. Serves 8-10.
Ingredients
2 pounds fresh green beans
6-8 quarts water
1 tablespoon salt
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 trays ice cubes
1 clove garlic, sliced thin
1-2 teaspoons coarse salt
Directions
In a large, deep pot, bring water and salt to a rolling boil. Drop beans into water. Cook 2-3 minutes until slightly cooked but still a little crunchy. Test by eating one.
Set a colander in the sink. Have a bowl of ice water ready. Drain beans into colander, then plunge them into the ice water to stop the cooking and preserve the bright green color. Drain, blot dry with paper towels.
AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE: If you are not serving immediately, drain beans, wrap in a clean, dry towel, and refrigerate in a plastic bag for 2-3 hours.
Just before serving, heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Toss beans and garlic in oil, sprinkle with salt and serve.
TIPS
*To prepare ahead of time: Wash and drain beans. Snap off stem and pull down toward the tail on one side to remove string (if any). Repeat on the other side. Wrap in damp paper towels and refrigerate in a plastic bag.
*Cooked beans can be refrigerated several hours ahead of sautéing, but will lose flavor and texture if kept longer.
VARIATIONS
*Sauté in butter, peanut oil or roasted walnut oil.
*Sprinkle with lemon juice just before serving.
*Top with toasted almonds or pecans.
*Garnish with shaved parmesan or grana padano cheese.
Cornbread Stuffing
Think of this recipe as a starting point, a base for whatever flavors and textures you want to add. Adapted from “Williams-Sonoma Thanksgiving,” serves 8-10.
Ingredients
2-3 onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs
3-4 cups stock (chicken or turkey)
5 cups day-old cornbread chunks (one 8-by-8-inch pan cornbread – use your favorite mix or recipe)
1/2 loaf artisan wheat bread, torn into rough pieces, about 4 cups
Directions
In a large pan, sauté onions and celery in butter over medium-high heat until soft and just beginning to brown, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
In a medium bowl, beat eggs. Whisk in stock.
Place bread in a large bowl, toss with celery/onion mixture. Cover with egg/stock liquid and gently stir. Depending on the saltiness of your stock, you might want to add salt. (If you are concerned about consuming raw eggs, taste and season after baking.)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously butter a 9-by- 13-inch baking dish. Spoon stuffing into dish (do not pack down), cover with foil and bake 35-45 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until browned on top and sides, about 30 minutes more. Add more stock if it seems dry. Keep warm until serving.
TIPS
*To dry bread, place slices in oven at 200 for about 1/2 hour.
*If you prefer a neater-looking stuffing, cut the bread into cubes.
*To stuff the bird, fill it loosely. Close openings with kitchen string and trussing pins. Increase roasting time by 35-45 minutes.
VARIATIONS
*Use any combination of bread you like. We tested this recipe with Martha White cornbread mix, Daily Batard from Whole Foods, Goldminer California Sourdough Wheat Boule, and Ecce Panis Country Wheat from King Soopers.
*Add poultry seasoning, parsley, sage, thyme (fresh or dried) to onions and celery before sautéing.
*Other additions: Cooked wild rice, oysters, water chestnuts, prunes, sausage, Craisins, ham.
Melba Sweets’ Oyster Dressing
Denver Post Food writer Ellen Sweets shares this recipe from her mother, who died earlier this month at the age of 97: “My father loved oysters. The rest of us, well, not so much – until we learned better. What went in the bird was plain. What got baked separately was oyster. Some recipes call for oysters to be cut into pieces, a notion that would have appalled Nathaniel Sweets. In our family, oysters were always left whole, lest the family run out of plain dressing and wander into corrupted territory. Serves 4 enthusiastic eaters or 6-8 normal people, considering all the other goodies at table.”
Ingredients
1 loaf day-old white bread, crusts removed and cubed
1/2 cup unsalted butter, divided use
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse-ground black pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups small oysters, with liquid
1 1/2 cups organic chicken stock
Olive oil spray
Paprika
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place bread cubes in a large mixing bowl.
In a sauté pan, melt 1/4 cup butter. Sauté onions and celery until both are slightly softened. Stir in parsley, poultry seasoning, sage, salt and pepper. Add to bread crumbs and combine with a rubber spatula. Stir in egg, oysters and chicken stock. Toss to ensure that mixture is moist, but not soggy.
Spray a casserole with olive oil. Transfer dressing contents to casserole. Sprinkle top with paprika and drizzle remaining melted butter over top. Bake about 45 minutes.
Brussels Sprouts Vinaigrette
From Everyday Food, serves 8. Prep time: 10 minutes, total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
2 pounds Brussels sprouts (about same size, if possible), discolored outer leaves removed and a thin slice cut off from base
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Directions
Fill a large bowl with ice water; set aside. Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan with a lid; fill with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil; add sprouts, cover, and cook until easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 10-15 minutes (depending on size).
In a small bowl or liquid-measuring cup, combine mustard, vinegar and oil. Season with salt and pepper, and whisk until combined.
Lift basket and transfer sprouts to ice water. Let stand until cooled, about 5 minutes. Drain well and pat dry; cut lengthwise through core into quarters. Serve sprouts drizzled with vinaigrette.
Note: To make ahead, trim, steam, cool, and quarter Brussels sprouts up to 1 day ahead; refrigerate in a resealable plastic bag lined with a paper towel. Make vinaigrette up to 1 day ahead; cover, and refrigerate separately from sprouts. Serve sprouts drizzled with vinaigrette. Curried Sweet Potatoes with Golden Raisins
Curried Sweet Potatoes with Golden Raisins
From “Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade 20-Minute Meals,” and Sun-Maid Raisins,
serves 4.
Ingredients
1 can (29-ounce cut sweet potatoes, drained
1 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2-3 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sliced almonds or pistachios, lightly toasted
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 1-quart casserole dish with cooking spray; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine sweet potatoes and raisins; set aside.
In a small bowl, combine melted butter, curry powder, pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar and salt. Stir to combine. Add to sweet potatoes and toss to coat. Transfer to prepared casserole dish. Top with toasted sliced almonds or pistachios. Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes.
Cauliflower Gratin With Endive
Sardinian pasta, also known as fregola or friulli, is a flour- based, nutty-flavored pasta; it absorbs juices in gratin beautifully. Small pasta such as tubettini may be used instead; boil it for 3 minutes and rinse under cool water before using in recipe. From Martha Stewart Living, serves 8.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
2 heads Belgian endive, cut lengthwise into sixths
1 cup large-style Freula Sarda, Sardinian pasta, or 1 cup parboiled tubettini pasta
2 pounds cauliflower florets (2 large heads)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups hot milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons minced chopped fresh marjoram or oregano
10 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated on small holes of a box grater
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 ounces parmesan cheese grated on large holes of a box grater to yield 1/4 cup
Directions
Place rack in lower third of oven; heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly butter a deep heat-proof dish. Arrange endive in bottom of pan. Spread pasta evenly over endive. Arrange cauliflower florets in dish in a mound.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; when bubbling, stir in flour with a wooden spoon. Reduce heat to medium low, and stir 2 minutes to cook flour. Whisk in hot milk, whisking constantly until mixture thickens, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and marjoram. When well blended, whisk in Gruyère until smooth. Pour mixture over cauliflower. Wipe any spills from side of dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Transfer gratin dish to a baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with parmesan. Reduce temperature to 350, and continue baking until a knife easily pierces larger cauliflower pieces, about 40 minutes. (Cover with aluminum foil if top darkens before cauliflower is cooked through.) Remove from oven, and place on a cooling rack to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Cranberry, Apple and Walnut Conserve
From Gourmet magazine, makes about 12 cups. Start to finish 25 minutes, 15 minutes active.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups water
3 cups turbinado sugar
3-inch cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon allspice
3 12-ounce bags fresh cranberries (about 2 1/2 pounds, or 11 cups)
3 Gala or Pink Lady apples
2 cups walnuts, toasted, cooled and broken into small pieces
2 tablespoons Calvados or brandy
Directions
In a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, simmer water, sugar, cinnamon stick, allspice and half of cranberries, stirring occasionally, until cranberries just start to pop, about 5 minutes.
Add half of remaining cranberries and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel and core apples, then cut them into 1/4-inch dice. Add to pot, along with walnuts and remaining cranberries. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in Calvados and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool to warm or room temperature.
Discard cinnamon stick.
Raw Cranberry Relish
From Real Simple magazine, makes 6-8 servings. Start to finish 40 minutes, 10 minutes active.
Ingredients
2 navel oranges, washed and patted dry
1 cup dark or golden raisins
12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
1 tablespoon orange liqueur
Directions
Peel one orange, discarding peel. Leave peel on other orange. Cut both oranges into wedges.
Place oranges and raisins in a food processor. Pulse until roughly chopped. Add cranberries and pulse until finely chopped, but not puréed.
Transfer relish to a serving bowl. Stir in liqueur.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Chipotle Cranberry Compote
From Cooking Light magazine, makes 14 servings. Start to finish 2 hours, 30 minutes active.
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
Two 12-ounce packages fresh cranberries
1 tablespoon chipotle chili, canned in adobo sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange rind
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
In a large saucepan over a high heat, combine sugar, orange juice and cranberries. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, 7 minutes, or until cranberries begin to pop.
Stir in chipotle, orange rind, cinnamon, coriander and salt.
Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, or until mixture is thick.
Chill before serving.
