the thanksgiving post
This year John and I had the pleasure of putting together an early Thanksgiving dinner in our newly (finally) fixed up apartment with his parents. Yes, we are those newlyweds, straight out of a Target commercial as Nicole pointed out (minus the cute dogs and stylish exuberance). The smell of roasted savory things is still clinging to my nostrils, with visions of brussels sprouts dancing in my head. My obsessive-compulsive tendencies paid off, since advance planning (yes, I made a color-coded schedule) made everything less hectic than a typical weekday pre-class meal in this apartment. I will not go on too much about the provenance of my ingredients, but the turkey was a regular broad-breasted breed from my CSA that I was able to get a hold of a week early. Next time we’d like to save up and try a heritage turkey.
Marinated and Roasted Turkey (recipe)
I did not (and do not) have a stockpot or insulated cooler big enough to hold a 12-pound turkey, and panicked for about 5 minutes until I found some brining bags at the store. They’re basically giant zip-top plastic bags that can hold a large piece of meat and several quarts of liquid. And hey, they come in packs of 2, so I got to use the other one for the marinade. This was my first time cooking a whole turkey, but brining really kept the meat moist and flavorful. I am a little ashamed to say that we roasted the whole thing with the plastic bag of giblets inside, despite my TSA-approved search of the entire cavity. I hate making clichéd mistakes.
Simple Cranberry Sauce
1 pound fresh cranberries, 1 cup sugar, a dash of salt, and 1/2 cup water is all you need. Simmer in a saucepan until cranberries begin to soften and burst. I got impulsive and added the zest from one small lemon. I also ran out of sugar (I was about 1/4 cup short) so I made up for it with some honey. Basically, this turned into honey lemon cranberry sauce. It’s also an easy thing to make a couple days in advance.
Arugula, Frisee, and Fennel Salad
We used a cheap handheld mandoline to shave the fennel. The dressing was lemon juice, salt, pepper, and fancy expensive Nicolas Alziari olive oil that is totally worth it. I meant to add a little sherry vinegar but forgot. Oil cured black olives went on top and shaved hard cheese would’ve been good too.
Stuffing with Apples and Raisins (adapted from this recipe)
Stuffing is one of my favorite things that I had never made until this occasion. I don’t understand why the crust of the bread has to be removed, because it soaks and softens in all the other ingredients anyway. I used chopped prosciutto instead of sausage in the recipe (just added prosciutto to the pan while the apples were cooking).
Mixed Potato Gratin with Leeks and Manchego (adapted from this recipe)
Three kinds of potatoes went into this: orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, some kind of white potatoes, and red-skinned potatoes. I used whole milk in place of half of the cream, and added sliced leeks to the layers of potatoes. I also used manchego cheese instead of gruyere.
Brussels Sprouts with Chorizo and Almonds
Repeated from last year’s Thanksgiving potluck.
Pear and Apple Cobbler with Maple Bourbon Vanilla Ice Cream
Easier than pie. I tossed peeled and sliced apples and pears with a few sprinkles of flour and a little bit of cinnamon in a baking dish, then topped it with spaced-apart blobs of biscuit dough (I used really wet buttermilk biscuit dough). It sat in a 375-degree oven for about 40 minutes, until the topping was golden. Important step: letting it sit for 10 minutes before serving, to avoid ending a pleasant feast with burnt tastebuds and weird mouth blisters. I put scoops of homemade vanilla ice cream (spiked with Maker’s Mark and pure maple syrup) on top because this is definitely the season for food overkill.
