I didn’t grow up eating stuffing at Thanksgiving, so when I asked my friends for recipes, they referred me to Stove Top since it’s what they grew up eating. I searched around for some good stuffings/dressings and finally decided to go back to my post from last year: cornbread dressing (dressing = not stuffed in bird, stuffing = stuffed in bird). It looked similar to Williams-Sonoma’s recipe for cornbread dressing and I wanted something very simple (no mixing savories with sweets) and settled on a combination of the two recipes. I made the cornbread on Wednesday night, cut it into cubes, and let it sit out on my kitchen counter (to dry it out so it would be able to absorb more flavor).
Basic Cornbread Recipe
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
2 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup milk (I used whole milk)
1 cup sour cream (I used plain yogurt)
1/3 cup corn oil (I used EVOO)
1 egg, lightly beaten
Dry ingredients:
Wet ingredients:
In a bowl, sift together all of the dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt):
In another bowl, measure out yogurt (or sour cream):
Then add milk:
Then the egg:
Then corn oil (I didn’t have any on hand so I used olive oil instead):
Stir:
Add the wet ingredients to the sifted dry ingredients:
And stir again:
Bake in a 375 degree oven on a 9*13 buttered baking sheet for 35 minutes:
Cut the cornbread into 1 inch cubes:
And place in a bowl to let the cornbread dry out for a couple of days:
I ate a couple bites of cornbread after it came out of the oven and oversalted the cornbread…by a lot. I accidentally added 1 tablespoon of salt instead of 1 teaspoon. Instead of freaking out, I decided that I would just not season the vegetables with salt and only use half of the original amount of chicken broth (the rest of the broth I substituted with water).
On Friday night, I decided to the vegetable portion of the cornbread dressing.
Cornbread Dressing
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma
Ingredients:
8 cups corn bread (see related recipe above), cut into 1?2-inch pieces
1.5 cups turkey or chicken stock
1.5 cups water
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 egg
After finely chopping the celery, carrots, and onions, I added some butter and olive oil to a pot:
Once the pot heated up, I added in the carrots:
Then the celery:
And finally the onions:
I seasoned with a little cracked pepper, cooled the veggies, and placed them in the fridge for Saturday. On Saturday afternoon, I added the veggies to the dried out cornbread:
Then added the chopped parsley:
And added the fresh sage:
I mixed the egg with 1.5 cups of chicken stock and 1.5 cups of water:
And poured the egg mixture into my cornbread. I let the mixture sit for a little so the salty cornbread could absorb the other flavors, put it into a baking pan, and dotted with butter:
I baked it for about 40 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven, took it out, and then reheated the dish after the turkey was done. The basic dressing wasn’t too dry, the cornbread mistake was fixed with the half water/half chicken stock solution, and the dressing tasted great with the moist spatchcocked turkey.
Cost Breakdown:
1.5 cups turkey or chicken stock – $1.25
1.5 cups water – free
1 Tbs. olive oil – $0.05
1 yellow onion, finely chopped – $0.85
1 celery stalk, finely chopped – $0.25
1 carrot, finely chopped – $0.20
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste – free
3 Tbs. chopped fresh sage – $0.45
3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley – $0.45
1 egg – $0.10 (Costo has super cheap eggs)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour – $1.00
1 1/2 cups cornmeal – $0.75
2 Tbs. sugar – $0.10
1 Tbs. baking powder – $0.05
1 tsp. salt – free
1 cup milk (I used whole milk) – $0.50
1 cup sour cream (I used plain yogurt) – $0.50
1/3 cup corn oil (I used EVOO) – $0.25
1 egg, lightly beaten – $0.10
Total: $6.85 (feeds at least 14)
Nothing says fall quite like roasted butternut squash soup. You can purchase butternut squash soup at the grocery store, but I prefer making it at home because you control the amount of sodium (and flavor) that goes into the soup. It’s a hearty (and healthy) soup that’s super easy to make. I decided to make the soup for my NYC Thanksgiving party because I wasn’t sure if there would be enough food, but there was definitely more than enough and the soup was so filling that people were full before the turkey even came out.
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
5 pounds butternut squash
1 container of Chicken Broth
1/2 container pure pumpkin puree (this is definitely optional; I think it gives the soup a slightly sweet flavor)
Salt and pepper to taste
First, cutting up the butternut squash:
Butternut squash is very easy to cut – first, I cut the squash into two pieces for easier handling:
The top of the butternut squash it easily cut into thin slices for quicker roasting:
And the bottom of the butternut squash has lots of seeds and can be quickly hollowed out:
My mom grows butternut squash at home, so I packed up the seeds in a damp paper towel and mailed it to her (it’s surprisingly easy – we just threw some of the seeds into the soil and a couple months later a huge butternut squash was growing in my mom’s courtyard!):
Place the sliced up butternut squash on a baking sheet:
And roast until the squash is tender (I roasted at 450 degrees for 30 minutes):
Place the butternut squash into a blender:
And add about 1/2 of the container of the chicken broth:
Dump the puree into a pot and add some pumpkin puree:
On a low heat, slowly stir the pumpkin puree and butternut squash and add lots of pepper:
Some people add nutmeg to the soup, but I think it’s perfectly hearty without. I also added some water to smooth out the butternut squash (totally depends on your preference). The butternut squash soup was enough to feed 14 people and I also had a container of leftovers for me to enjoy by myself!
Cost Breakdown:
5 pounds butternut squash – $5.00
1 container of Chicken Broth – $1.99
1/2 container pure pumpkin puree (this is definitely optional; I think it gives the soup a slightly sweet flavor) – $0.99
Salt and pepper to taste – free
Total: $7.98 (feeds at least 14)
While I was researching recipes for my NYC Thanksgiving menu, I came across this easy (and tasty) recipe by Giada de Laurentiis. The recipe looked like it was pretty easy to make beforehand and I just happened to have all of the ingredients (some of the ingredients, like garlic, olive oil, black pepper, and parmesan cheese, are kitchen staples; other items, like flat-leafed parsley, was purchased for another dish and I had leftovers). The mushrooms were a great finger food and didn’t take much time to prepare – they kept everyone satiated while the turkey was resting and while I was busy putting the final touches on the next recipe – butternut squash soup!
Stuffed Mushrooms
adapted from The Food Network
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Italian-style dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano (I used Parmesan)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
28 large (2 1/2-inch-diameter) baby portobello mushrooms, stemmed
I added another garlic clove to the recipe to make sure everyone’s breath smelled great:
Minced and placed in a bowl:
Chopped up some flat-leafed parsley, dumped it into the bowl, and added the parmesan cheese:
Next came the breadcrumbs:
Mixed them all together:
I made the filling on Friday night and placed it in the fridge since the mushrooms only need to be baked for 20 minutes. On Saturday, after all of the guests arrived, I cleaned and stemmed the baby portobello mushrooms:
Then I loosely stuffed them, drizzled some olive oil on my baking sheet, placed them neatly on the baking sheet, and drizzled some more olive oil on top of the mushrooms. Into a preheated 400 degree oven they go (same temperature for roasting turkey):
And 20 minutes later, you have yourself some great stuffed mushrooms:
Easy, quick, and definitely a crowd pleaser.
Cost Breakdown:
1/2 cup Italian-style dried bread crumbs – $0.50
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano (I used Parmesan) – $0.50
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced – $0.25
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves – $0.25
Salt and freshly ground black pepper – free
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil – $1.00
28 large (2 1/2-inch-diameter) baby portobello mushrooms, stemmed – $3.99 (man, Costco ROCKS)
Total: $6.49
By
grace.g.yang
· November 16, 2009
Under:
Dinner,
My Life,
Recipes For this year’s Thanksgiving, I wanted to make sure that my turkey was absolutely amazing. I started researching pretty early (as in, after I finished last year’s Thanksgiving dinner). Most websites suggest brining the turkey and injecting the turkey with flavor throughout the roasting process, but I did BOTH last year and my turkey still wasn’t the best it could be. Injecting the turkey while it roasts is a bad idea because everytime you open the oven door, the temperature decreases slightly and you prolong the cooking time, which means by the time the meat is ready to eat, it’s going to be dry and overcooked. I still believe in brining (I did it this year as well) but you really have to make sure you do it for at least 8 hours to reap the benefits.
Here are my suggestions to make a great Thanksgiving Turkey:
1. Brine your turkey. Brining the turkey in a salt and herb mixture overnight allows the flavors to be evenly distributed. I did a simple brine this year (last year, I did a buttermilk brine with practically no salt because my turkey was pre-brined and the turkey turned out really well). However, if you buy a kosher turkey, there’s no need to brine the turkey because it has already gone through a salting process.
How to Make a Simple Brine
Ingredients:
1 cup kosher salt (very important)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon roughly cracked black peppercorns
1 handful of rosemary
1 handful of thyme
1 handful of sage leaves
1 gallon water
Ice cubes
Place the gallon of water in a stock pot (doesn’t have to be large enough to fit the turkey:
Add the kosher salt to the water:
Next, add the brown sugar:
Then the peppercorns:
The rosemary:
Fresh sage:
And thyme:
Stir over medium heat until salt and sugar have melted. After the sugar and salt have melted, place ice cubes in the brine to cool it down.
To get the turkey brined, let’s start with one young Butterball (make sure your turkey isn’t still frozen):
Place the turkey in a brining bag that’s placed on a roasting pan or something that will be able to hold the turkey overnight in the fridge (or cold garage, or in ice):
Dump the cold brine into the bag:
Make sure the turkey is submerged in the brine and stick it in the fridge. If the turkey is only half in the brine, make sure you turn the turkey around halfway through your brining to evenly distribute the brine.
2. Create an herb butter to place under the turkey skin. This is probably the awesomest idea EVER. Butter = good. Herbs = good. Butter + Herbs = VERY VERY GOOD. This is probably the easiest way to add flavor to the turkey; all you have to do is mix some butter with herbs, stick it under the turkey skin, and place it in the oven.
To create an herb butter, find the herbs you want to flavor your turkey with (I chose sage, thyme, and rosemary):
Chop up all of the herbs and place in a bowl. Add a stick of slightly soft butter into the bowl:
Carefully separate the skin from the turkey meat and place the mushed up herb butter all over:
3. Spatchcock the turkey. Say what?! Spatchcocking, or butterflying, is a great way to ensure an amazing Thanksgiving turkey. Last year after my Thanksgiving party, I watched Grant Achatz make a turkey sous vide. While I don’t think I’ll ever have the opportunity to make anything sous vide, the thing that stuck with me was the fact that he said it’s really stupid to cook the turkey whole (since white meat and dark meat don’t finish cooking at the same time). Well, since I couldn’t do the turkey sous vide style, the next best thing was spatchcocking. Spatchcocking is a great way to make turkey because the backbone is removed and the breastbone is broken, making the turkey lie flat for more even (and faster) cooking. Most blogs recommend spatchcocking a 10-12 pound turkey (or chicken), but I had to feed 14 people so I went with 16 pounds and it turned out well (it’s usually about a pound per person). Also, spatchcocking cuts the amount of time the turkey is actually in the oven; last year, I had to roast the turkey for about 3 hours, this year, I was down to an hour and a half (and this year’s turkey was the same size or larger than last years).
After brining your turkey (if you choose to do so), rinse it off so the residual brine doesn’t stay on the turkey and set it on your counter (I covered my counter in saran wrap for easier clean up):
With a pair of sharp kitchen scissors (or poultry scissors if you have the equipment), find the backbone and start cutting along one side:
Cutting the backbone is hard work, but David helped out:
David cutting the other side of the backbone off:
The backbone, once taken off, can be used in stews, broths, and soups. I froze mine to use at a later date:
A turkey without a backbone:
After you cut the backbone off, spread open the turkey:
A spread out turkey:
Flip the bird around and break the breast bones (there’s a loud pop when you break the bone):
David flattening out the turkey:
Place the spatchcocked turkey on a baking pan (we flipped the turkey to its side so it would fit more evenly on the sheet):
The turkey goes into the oven for 20 minutes (undisturbed) at 450 degrees. After 20 minutes, take it out of the oven and baste it (or just rub butter on it like I did). Bring the oven down to 400 degrees for another 40 or so minutes and make sure the thigh reaches around 160 degrees. Our finished turkey:
David carving the juicy bird:
Me bringing it out to our guests:
Me and David, very proud of our spatchcocked turkey:
Tigger, begging for scraps:
4. Let the turkey rest. If you don’t want to follow any of my other tips, PLEASE follow this one – after you take the turkey out of the oven, please don’t start carving it right away! Doing so releases all of the juices from the turkey and makes your bird dry and flavorless. Instead, let the bird rest for 10 – 15 minutes to obtain maximum juiciness.
Our carved turkey:
I hope my tips for creating a juicy and flavorful bird were helpful – if you need additional resources, there’s a great tutorial in Martha Stewart Living’s Thanksgiving issue, Mark Bittman has a video tutorial, and blog post about spatchcocking, and you can definitely google spatchcocking turkey for more help. I also wrote another post about tools you’ll need to spatchcock. You can check it out here.
Everyone had to contribute to the potluck by brining something to eat, drink, or use; people signed up on my etherpad page to let me know what they were bringing. Lou signed up to make his “famous cranberry sauce,” which was deliciously tart and tangy. He made this side dish on Wednesday night to give the wine and tangerine zest enough time to add a great depth of flavor to the cranberry sauce.
Ingredients (we doubled everything to feed 14 people but it definitely wasn’t necessary):
1 bag of fresh cranberries
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of sugar
Zest of one tangerine (or orange)
1/2 cup of Cabernet Sauvignon
Add sugar to water in a saucepan and stir so the sugar dissolves:
Let the sugar and water come to a boil:
Once the sugar and water start boiling, add the cranberries:
Add the tangerine zest:
As the cranberries are cooking, add the Cabernet Sauvignon:
We wanted a slightly chunky cranberry sauce, so once the mixture starts foaming, you can turn off the fire:
Pour the cranberry sauce into a container and let it cool to room temperature before placing it in the refrigerator:
The cranberry sauce will thicken in the fridge and is easy to make beforehand.
Cost Breakdown:
1 bag of fresh cranberries – $1.99
1 cup of water – free
1/2 cup of sugar – $0.50
Zest of one tangerine (or orange) – $1.00 (tangerines are expensive!!!)
1/2 cup of Cabernet Sauvignon – $0.50 (Trader Joe’s 2.99 wine is the best deal in town)
Total: $3.99
