Good morning, GUSwattles! OMG! Thanksgiving is Thursday. I have to shop today just for dinner stuff this evening -- and I already have the roast. The store will be packed. Thankfully, Connecticut changed its idiotic law re: the sale of alcohol on Sundays and all federal holidays. Methinks they are just closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas -- Christmas being a not federal holiday. So, I can get the red wine I need for the roast and a glass at dinner. My friend can finish off the rest.
So, everyone basically knows how to cook a turkey but I'm going to offer a few great tips which can enhance the turkey to pure brilliance.
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Turkey Tips
Brining
I've only brined a turkey once -- at my mother's. I generally am invited to a great family of friends for holidays because a trip to California is too expensive at holiday times now. Hence the reason I've only brined a turkey once since they make the food!
My mother, who is a brilliant baker and good cook, has cooked our turkeys by just slathering some butter under the skin and on top and periodically basted -- they came out perfectly most times but sometimes the white meat was a bit dry. When I suggested brining, she was skeptical, but let me do it.
For the brine, I used enough water to cover the bird and 1 cup of kosher salt (I recommend kosher not table salt). Mix the salt and water together first. If you find you need more water, just add it will be fine. The salt amount is good for a 14-16 pound turkey -- if you have a smaller one, cut back on the salt just a titch; larger one, add a titch more salt.
The method I used:
Remove the neck and gizzards (yuck) and save both if you use the gizzards for gravy or want to try a Maryland side dish with the neck. Wash the bird thoroughly then place in the container you will use. Mix your brine solution.
I used a clean styrofoam cooler that could hold the 22 pound bird plus enough room to cover it completely. Of course, it was too big to put in the refrigerator. She's in Southern California, and while it can get cool in the evenings that time of year, not cool enough to take a chance of spoiling. I added a bunch of zip lock bags full of ice and that did the trick. I then put a tea towel on top of the submerged bird and a couple of heavy stainless steel thingies to keep the bugger submerged. Put the lid on and let it brine for about 12 hours. Some folks recommend 1 hour per pound, but that turkey came out perfectly.
Rinse the bird inside and out after brining and pat dry with paper towels. Proceed as normal or follow my next tip.
A Much More brilliant Method:
The brine is the same and the removal of the stuff from the turkey and thorough washing inside out.
This method uses an oven bag for poultry. I just looked online and Reynolds has them which hold up to 24 pounds. They can also be used for chicken.
Prepare your brine and put lots of ice cubes in it to get it cold.
After rinsing the bird, place an oven bag in a big stock pot and leave some of the bag over the rim. Wrap a bungee cord around the overlap to keep the bag in place. If you don't have a bungee, someone can help hold the bag. Carefully place the turkey in the oven bag, then pour in brine -- don't fill to the top. It isn't important to have the bird completely covered. Loosely tie off the bag but toward the top of the breast so it will be above the most volume of the brine. Place the bird in a shallow pan, bottom side down and put it in the space you emptied in the refrigerator. Chill for 12 hours or more -- but 1/2 through, flip the bird so the top can get brined as well.
Then -- Proceed, Gusswattles. Don't forget to rinse after you remove the turkey.
Flipping the Bird hahaha -- GUSsack humor
I've done this process for decades and it does make a difference. I do it with chickens as well. Julia Child told me to do it and I obey Julia. Also, Cook's Illustrated recommends this method. This method gives the drumsticks a head start so the white meat doesn't overcook.
Place the turkey upside down (breast side down) in your pan and cook with lid or tented with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour. Remove the pan and turn the turkey on one side and baste with whatever juices you have. Place back in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove, baste, flip to the other side. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove, flip so breast side is up, baste, return to oven for the rest of the cooking time.
This method makes a huge difference in distributing juices. I've done with and without a rack and it works just fine.
Side Dishes
If you are from Baltimore -- or parts of Maryland -- chances are you have had this dish. Others may be horrified! It is unbelievably delish and great with some gravy. Also, it is a way to use up that turkey neck because it has lots of meat on it.
Sauerkraut and Turkey Neck
Large bag of Sauerkraut or two small bags. Place 1/2 the sauerkraut in a crockpot. Add the neck, then the rest of the sauerkraut. Start the day before. Set the crockpot to low. Periodically check it, give it a stir and add water if necessary. If you like sauerkraut but hate the smell, add several slices of an apple.
One caution. Once fully cooked, the vertebrae separate from the meat. Either pick them all out before serving or warn folks to mash the sauerkraut with their forks -- the bones are easy to find. Some folks remove the neck after a few hours and pick the meat off to save the end aggravation.
Unless you have a two oven kitchen, this recipe can be a challenge -- but not insurmountable. Once the turkey is finished, remove from the oven and immediately turn it up to 425. The turkey has to rest for 20 minutes. Then your other dishes have to get to the table. Then people have to get their asses to the table. Then the the carving either at the table or in the kitchen. You folks all know your timing and how may times you've had to jump up and get something while everyone starts digging in. The carrots can be part of the meal. Just make sure you set the timer.
These carrots come out gorgeously caramelized. If you don't want to do them for Thanksgiving, save the recipe for another time.
Roasted Carrots
Ingredients
1 1/2pounds carrots, peeled, halved crosswise, and cut lengthwise if necessary to create even pieces
2tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Table salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. In large bowl, combine carrots with butter, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; toss to coat. Transfer carrots to foil- or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and spread in single layer.
2. Cover baking sheet tightly with foil and cook for 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue to cook, stirring twice, until carrots are well browned and tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to serving platter, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
Breads
Breadmaking is what I do best. I love making bread. Long ago lost my machine to the floor. The only reason I had it was because it was a Christmas gift about 20 years ago. The first bread I do most of the work in my kitchenaid with the dough hook. It can also be done by hand. The second is the one I grew up eating. My Mom made this bread every Sunday. Enough for dinner and sandwiches for school for the entire week. It is the recipe from the original Betty Crocker Cookbook. It can be made into loaves, buns, cinamon buns and an incredible ring filled with raisins, nuts, cinnamon and sugar.
Challah (Williams Sonoma Essentials of Baking)
Stand Mixer and by Hand are basically the same process. Use a deep enough bowl and wooden spoon then your hand for the hand method.
Ingredients
2 packages (5 tsps.) active dry yeast. I made this bread with rapid rise because I picked it up by mistake -- honestly, I thought the texture was better. If you already have regular yeast -- the bread will still be brilliant.
1 cup warm water (remember -- lukewarm -- you don't want to kill the yeast
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs, plus 1 egg beaten for the glaze (don't do that beaten egg until you are ready to put the bread in the oven) Also, take the 3 eggs out of the fridge and let them acclimate to room temperature -- do the same for any baked goods.
5 cups unbleached flour
2 tsps salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 tblsp poppy or sesame seeds (optional)
In the 5 quart bowl of the stand mixer, dissolve the yeast until foamy about 5 minutes -- add a pinch of sugar, yeast loves to eat sugar. [I have a coldish apartment. I always slightly warm a pyrex measuring cup and do my yeast thingy in that then add to the bowl when foamed.] If yeast done separately, add to bowl, scraping all out with a rubber spatula.
Add the sugar, 3 eggs, 4 1/2 cups of the flour, the salt, and the butter. Place the bowl on the mixer, attach the dough hook and knead on low speed, working in the remaining flour as necessary to keep the dough from being too sticky, until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5-7 minutes. Be very cautious not to add too much flour at this point -- you don't want it to be dry. The dough should stay soft, and it will become less sticky with kneading. Remove the dough from the bowl.
Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl. [I flip it once to get some oil on the top -- I hate that crust that can form.] Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it doubles in bulk, about 2 hours.
Line a half sheet pan or rimless baking sheet with parchment paper. Punch down the dough. Using a plastic pastry scraper, scrape the dough out onto a clean surface. You can use a rubber spatula also.
[If you know how to braid 4 strands -- wow -- that is how the recipe goes and the bread looks gorgeously complicated when done. I have tried and failed so I braid three strands. I'll proceed with 3 strands.]
To make 3 strand braid, cut the dough into 3 equal pieces with a sharp knife or bench scraper. Using the palms, and starting in the center and working outward, enongate 1 piece by rolling it gently against the work surface with even pressure until you have formed a rope as long as the prepared pan. Repeat with the remaining 2 pieces.
Line up the 3 strands in front of you horizontally, braid. Pinch each end and tuck under.
Place the braided loaf on the prepared pan, cover with a dry kitchen towel and let rise again in a warm, draft-free spot until it doubles in size and is spongy to the touch, 45-60 minutes.
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
Brush the braid gently with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the seeds if using. Bake the braid until it is nicely browned and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom or reads 190 degrees on an instant read thermometer, 30-35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Betty Crocker Sweet Dough Loaf
I use the sweet dough recipe because that is what my Mom uses. The regular White loaf seems a bit bland to me. This recipe lets you get down into the flour.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 packets active dry yeast or rapid rise yeast (again, I now prefer the rapid rise)
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup soft shortening (I once used soft unsalted butter because my shortening had gone rancid. The bread was delicious)
7 to 7 1/2 cups unbleached flour
Mix together the milk, sugar and salt. Proof your yeast in a glass measuring cup or some other glass thingy with a pinch of sugar until foamy (5 minutes). Add yeast to your milk mixture. Stir in 2 beaten eggs and shortening.
Add flour one cup at a time stirring in completely until it gets too stiff to handle. Then, it is get your hand in the flour time. Continue to add flour, mixing with one hand and holding bowl and adding with the other. You will feel when the dough comes together -- and it may or may not be shy of 7 cups.
When the dough begins to leave the sides of the bowl, turn it out onto a lightly floured board to knead. Fold dough over toward ou. The press down away from you with the heel of your hand. Give dough quarter turn, repeat until it is smooth, elastic and doesn't stick to the board. If it does stick in the beginning just dust the board with more flour. The kneading process takes about 8 minutes and gives you big firm breasts.
Place in greaed bowl, turning once to bring greased side up. Cover with damp cloth and let rise in war, draft free spot until double. 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Press two fingers into the dough. It will leave and indentation when dough is doubled.
Punch down: thrust fist into dough, pull edges into the center and turn completely over in the bowl. Let rise again until almost double in bulk (30-35 minuies).
For two loaves, divide the dough into 2 portions for molding and shaping. Let rest covered (10 minutes.
Flatten the dough into oblong shapes, pressing out all air. Work with bent fingers using the back of fingers on dough.
Fold dough in half lengthwise. Flatten again to press out air.
Lift dough be ends and pull, slapping table several times to elongate to 15" by 5".
Bring the two ends to the center, overlap them and seal well by pressing down firmly with knuckles.
Take further edge of the long side and fold over toward you, 1/3 of the way at a time, sealing well with the heel of your hand.
Roll back and forth to tighten. Seal each end by pressing edges with hands.
Place in greased pan, sealed edge down. Cover, let rise until sides of dough reach the top of pan and center is well rounded (50-60 minutes).
Test gently with finger. A slight indentation shows loaves are ready to bake.
Place the pans in center of hot oven (425) degrees, not touching each other or ides of oven. [I start and 425 but lower to 375 or even 350 if it looks like they are browning too fast. My oven is for shite and the oven thermometer always falls off the damned rack on its face.]
Bake until brown. Tap loaf by tipping it gently out of pan. It should sound hollow. More sane way is to use the instant read thermometer. It should be done at 190.Immediately remove bread from pans. Place on wire cooling racks. Do not place in direct draft or crust will crack.
Don't cut while it is really hot -- but you can cut your test piece when it is warm and slather with butter.
If you are interested in how to make rolls or a Swedish type ring coffee cake, just ask in the comments.
Desserts
As for desserts, I don't make them for Holidays. My best ones have to be made the same day and that's too stressful. I do bring biscotti which can be made days before and stored in an airtight container when cooled.
Cranberry-Almond Biscotti
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 ½ baking powder
½ salt
2 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
½ cup unsalted butter
1 ½ teaspoons grated orange zest (I use one good sized orange)
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 tsp. Pure almond extract
1 cup slivered or sliced almonds
½ cup dried cranberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare baking sheet either by lining with parchment paper or greasing and flouring – banging off extra flour. I've baked with both methods and they are equally fine.
Melt butter and cool. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
Combine sugar and eggs and beat until light in color and thickened – about 3 minutes in electric mixer. Beat in melted butter, orange zest, vanilla and almond extracts. Beat on low speed until blended. Add the dry ingredients and beat until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and beat until incorporated. Using a wooden spoon, incorporate cranberries and nuts. (I use a kitchenaid mixer with the paddle so I just add the fruit and nuts and slowly beat til incorporated.)
Scoop out ½ of the dough onto one half of the prepared pan. Dough will be damp so you can dampen your fingers with a little water if it sticks to fingers. Shape dough into a log – will be about 10 inches by 2 ½ to 3 inches and about ½ inches deep. Square off edges. Repeat with rest of dough.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. (Check at 25 to see if the logs are lightly brown) Remove from oven and allow to cool on the pan for 10 minutes.
Lower oven to 300 degrees.
After 10 minutes, with serrated knife (I use a bread knife) cut each log crosswise on the diagonal into slices ¾ inch thick. Place the slices, cut side down and at least ½ inch apart on baking sheet. Return to the oven and bake until the biscotti are crisp and brown on the outside. 17- 22 minutes.Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. The cookies become crisp in the inside as they cool. Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Double Chocolate Decadence
Preheat oven 325 degrees
Ingredients:
2/3 cup slivered almonds (I've used chopped walnuts)
½ cup butter (room temperature)
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tblsp Amaretto or Kahlua or double-strength coffee
2 cups unbleached flour (can add extra 2 tblsps if needed)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2/3 cups chopped milk chocolate (I just use Ghiradelli milk chocolate chips)
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and liqueur or coffee.
In a bowl combine flour, cocoa baking powder and salt (I sift, placing ½ the flour then the other ingredients then the other ½ flour). Add to the creamed mixture, mixing until blended.
Fold in nuts and milk chocolate.
Divide dough in half – it will be more dry than the regular biscotti dough. On a greased and floured baking sheet (or just put parchment paper on baking sheet) pat out into two logs about ½ inch high, 1/1/2 inch wide (I think mine are wider) and 14 inches long – height is more important than width and length. Space logs 2 inches apart.
Bake in middle of preheated oven for 25 minutes (check at 20 minutes – you can't tell by color but the top should look dry and finger touch slightly firm).
Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Using bread knife, slice diagonally on a 45 degree angle about ½ inch thick (you will have little ends). Place slices upright (I actually lay them on cut side) on baking sheet ½ inches apart and return to oven for 8-10 minutes to dry out.
Let cool completely on cookie rack. Store in a tightly covered container.
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