THANKSGIVING DAY MENU

Champagne Assorted Olives Almond Brie & Figs with crackers Brandied Butternut Squash Soup Herb Roasted Turkey Sausage Cranberry Fig & Apple Stuffing  Maple Cranberry Sauce Haricots Verts with Caramelized Onions Sweet Potato Orange Cups Guests Bring Dessert Serves 8

Assorted Olives

Buy about 6 cups of assorted olives and place in a serving bowl with a serving spoon -  drain off any brine.  Drizzle some good extra virgin olive oil over the olives, thin strips of the zest of one lemon; sprinkle the olives with dried oregano and some hot red pepper flakes and toss to combine.  Slice a baguette and place in a basket along side the bowl of olives along with small appetizer plates a small bowl  for people to deposit the pits from the olives. 

Almond Brie "Pâté"

In the bowl of a food processor, fitted with the steel blade, whip brie and butter until smooth. Add almonds, sherry and thyme and pulse machine 3 times. Spoon mixture into a serving bowl and spread chopped figs on top. Chill mixture for at least 2 hours. Serve with assorted crackers.

Brandied Butternut Squash Soup

In a stock pot (6 or 8 quart) melt butter over medium heat and sauté onion until lightly golden in color but do not let the butter burn. Add the butternut squash, ginger and nutmeg and combine with the onions.  Add the broth; bring mixture to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.  

When butternut squash is soft, turn off the heat and use an immersion stick blender to puree the solids.  Stir in half & half and Cognac; taste for seasoning and add additional salt & ground white pepper if necessary. Garnish each serving with a dollop of plain yogurt and sprinkle with chopped chives.

*Grisini bread sticks can be found in specialty food shops and upscale supermarkets.   They are long and thinner than regular breadsticks and are delicious with soups and salads.

Herb Roasted Turkey

Heat oven to 400° F.

Remove the turkey from the refrigerator at least 1 or 2 hours before roasting. Dry turkey inside and out with paper towel. Rub turkey with some of the olive oil; mix chopped herbs with remaining oil and with your fingers insert oil and herbs under the skin which can be loosened with your fingers.  Insert Bouquet Garni and lemon halves in the cavity of the turkey. (Omit this step if you are stuffing the turkey)

Place turkey in a 3-inch high open roasting pan and make a bed of the onion, whole carrots and celery ribs for the bird to sit on - this will act as a natural "rack" and flavor the drippings as well as support the bird. Lightly tent the bird with a sheet of aluminum foil.  Begin roasting the bird in the pre-heated oven for the first hour; then reduce the heat to 325°F for the remainder of the roasting time. Remove foil tent from turkey for the last hour and a half of roasting time to allow the breast to brown more.

Total Roasting Time: 15-16 pound un-stuffed turkey - 4 hours. If you are stuffing the bird, be sure that your stuffing has cooled before spooning it into the cavity and roast the turkey for 4½ to 5½ hours.  When turkey is done, remove pan from oven and transfer turkey to a carving board or other cutting surface.  Let sit for at least 30 minutes to allow juices to settle inside the bird before carving.

Using an "instant read" thermometer the internal temperature of properly cooked turkey and stuffing should be:

Thigh -- 180 - 185 ° F
Breast -- 170° F
Stuffing -- 160 - 165° F

Homemade Stock: Remove and rinse the neck and gizzard parts from the bag (usually found in the tail end of the turkey). Discard the liver if it's in the bag.

This homemade stock can be cooking on the stovetop while the turkey is roasting. In a 4 qt. saucepan, with 4 cups of water, add the neck and gizzard. Add a medium carrot, cut in pieces, 2 ribs of celery cut in half, a handful of parsley, the white part of a cleaned leek and a quart container of chicken stock. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Use this hot stock to add to the roasting pan as needed while the turkey is roasting. 

Making Gravy The Old Fashioned Way....

When turkey is done, transfer it to a carving board.  Remove and discard the vegetable bouquet garni from the cavity. If the bird has been stuffed, be sure the stuffing registers 160-165 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. Remove stuffing from the turkey before carving and place the stuffing into a microwave or oven-proof bowl so that you can reheat stuffing just before serving time. Tent the bird with a piece of foil for resting time (approximately 30 minutes) before carving.

Pour the pan drippings from the roasting pan into a large "fat separating" cup in which  the fat rises to the top leaving the de-fatted juices at the bottom.  Pour off the de-fatted juices into an 8-cup measuring cup and add enough of the remaining stock to measure at least  5 cups of liquid.  Reserve a few tablespoons of the fat.  Place roasting pan directly onto the stove top over high heat.

When the roasting pan is hot, add the reserved 2 or 3 tablespoons of the fat and a 1/2 cup of chopped shallot.  Let shallot cook/sizzle for a few minutes and then add a little of the stock to the roasting pan and de-glaze the pan scraping up any browned bits in the roasting pan.  Then add the rest of the stock and bring it to a rapid boil and let cook for a few minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add a slurry (3 tablespoons cornstarch  dissolved in a ¼ cup of cold water). Stir slurry into the gravy and let cook until thickening begins. Taste gravy and add salt and pepper if needed.  Strain gravy into a saucepan through a sieve to catch any bits. 

An alternate, and more modern method of making gravy is described in the "All About Turkey" article on this website which calls for using a reduced turkey stock from More Than Gourmet.

Sausage/Cranberry/Fig/Apple Stuffing*or Dressing*

*called stuffing when it is cooked inside the turkey. *called dressing when cooked in a casserole dish.

This recipe can be doubled if you like a lot of leftover stuffing or if you just like to have a lot to serve eight!

Blend all ingredients except the apple juice in a large mixing bowl until combined. Add 1/2 cup of apple juice at a time until mixture is dampened but not mushy. When mixture is room temperature, stuff turkey cavity loosely with stuffing; If you prefer to bake as a dressing, butter an oven-proof 13 X 9-inch casserole and spoon dressing into it. Cover with a piece of foil and bake for approximately hour along with the turkey on another shelf.  Remove foil and let dressing brown slightly on top. If you have a second oven, even better - bake dressing at 350° F. for one hour.

Fresh Cranberry Sauce

Can be made 2 days before Thanksgiving, covered and refrigerated.

In a 3 or 4 quart saucepan, combine first six ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for approximately 15 minutes or until cranberries pop open. Skim off any residue foam. Remove pan from heat and stir in the toasted nuts. Allow mixture to cool before refrigerating. Sauce can be made 2 days in advance, refrigerated and covered with plastic wrap. Yield: approximately 3 cups.

To toast nuts: Place pecan or walnut halves in a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast nuts until fragrant and lightly toasted being careful not to let them burn. Remove from heat and let cool before adding to finished cranberry sauce.

Orange Sweet Potato Cups

Cut orange in half and scoop out the pulp being careful not to tear the skins.  Reserve the orange pulp for juicing or eating Cut a very thin slice from the bottom of each orange half so it can sit flat in the pan. Place halves in a lightly greased baking dish in one layer.

Cook sweet potatoes in boiling salted water for approximately 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and peel potatoes when they are cool enough to handle. In a large bowl, mash potatoes until smooth, add butter, liquor, honey, Five Spice and chopped parsley.  Beat until smooth and fluffy. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if desired, or adjust other seasonings. Spoon into prepared orange shells. Top each with a teaspoon of butter.  Add about a cup of apple juice or water to the pan. Bake in a 400 degree F oven for 15 - 20 minutes or until potatoes are heated through. Garnish the top of each orange cup with a sprig of fresh parsley.

NOTE: This dish can be prepared several hours ahead of serving (without the garnish) covered and refrigerated until ready to re-heat. Remove from the refrigerator an hour before re-heating and then garnish with the parsley sprig just before serving.

Haricots Verts with Shallots

If using haricots verts, cook beans in an 8 qt. stock pot of boiling salted water for approximately 3 to 4 minutes only. Taste one to be sure it's cooked but still slightly crunchy. Regular green string beans will need to cook about 6 - 8 minutes. Taste a bean half way through the cooking time to test it. Drain beans and put them in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking; drain again and dry well with paper towel.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a 10-inch non stick skillet and add the sliced shallots.  Sprinkle  with sugar and let shallots cook over a low-medium heat until they begin to release their own sugars and caramelize or brown.  Be careful not to let them burn. Add thyme leaves at the end when shallots are nicely browned.  This can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until needed.

When ready to serve, re-heat shallots in a fry pan and add green beans. Toss lightly with beans and cook until both beans and shallots are heated through. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

Guests Bring Dessert

The hostess/cook has done enough cooking.  Since everyone always offers to bring something to the Thanksgiving table,  ask your guests, friends and relatives  bring desserts of their choice - homemade or store-bought! 

_{Copyright © 2006 Ann Hall Every, CCP}