This Thanksgiving, keep it simple
And, believe me, our families have expectations.
Over the years, I’ve compiled a few tips for coping with the Thanksgiving pressure. Basically, it comes down to the “KISS” formula: Keep it simple, stupid.
This time of year, cooking magazines, the Food Network and food columns abound with recipes for Thanksgiving. Rachel Ray is promoting Zucchini Muffin Stuffin’ and Chipotle Gravy, Giada De Laurentis wants you to make turkey and cranberry ravioli, and Paula Deen, bless her heart, thinks deep-fried turkey is the ticket.
The pressure is on. Everyone wants a home-cooked meal for Thanksgiving, and even if you haven’t cooked for your family in six months, chances are you feel obliged to venture into the kitchen for Thanksgiving.
Even a personal chef like me who gets paid to cook feels the pressure. Those people in the dining room aren’t customers. They’re family. They’ll take it personally if my dinner isn’t up to expectations.
Do Not Try Anything New or Innovative
Food TV hosts get paid to come up with new ways to make turkey dinner sound exciting. But that doesn’t mean you should to try out their recipes for “Tex-Mex Turkey,” “Cauliflower Soufflé,” or “Crawfish Stuffing” on your family on Thanksgiving Day.
The truth is, your family wants the basics for Thanksgiving dinner. They want it the way they remember it growing up. They want it they way they’ve been told it’s supposed to be. Why not stick to the basics and give them what they want?
Save those fancy recipes for another occasion.
Brine Your Turkey
Turkey is lean, dry meat that lacks in flavor. The Pilgrims ate turkey for Thanksgiving because it was available. If they’d wanted something really good to eat, they’d have gone with lamb chops or pan-seared duck breast.
The best you can do for your turkey is brine it overnight. Brining adds moisture and flavor. Brine recipes abound in cookbooks and on the internet. Basically, you’ll combine salt, water, sugar (or some other sweetener) with aromatics in a large tub or cooler, then add the turkey. It’s easy.
Roast at Two Temperatures
If you’re roasting, pat your turkey dry, rub with canola oil or butter, salt and pepper, and other seasonings of your choice, and pop into a hot oven (450-500 degrees) for about 30 minutes. Then cover with aluminum foil and reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Remove the turkey when it reaches an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees. Allow it to rest 15 minutes before slicing.
The initially hot temperature crisps the skin and seals in juices. Resting the bird allows it to finish cooking and returns the juices to the meat.
Make Real Mashed Potatoes
The keys to good mashed potatoes are: avoid overcooking — they’re done when they’re fork-tender; after draining, return the potatoes to the heat briefly to release the steam — no one likes watery potatoes; and finish your potatoes by adding warm heavy cream and butter — save the 2 percent milk and margarine for another day.
Make Real Gravy
It’s not that hard and it tastes a lot better than store-bought. The most basic gravy involves de-glazing the roasting pan with water, stock, and/or some other liquid-wine comes to mind, then adding flour and stirring like crazy to get the lumps out. That’s how my grandma taught me to do it.
Make Real Cranberry Sauce
Actually, I make a cran-apple-orange relish with walnuts. My family will kill me, if I ever change the recipe. Check it out at http://www.joiedecuisine.com/tips-techniques-and-recipes/.
Gary V. Powell is Executive Chef at Joie de Cuisine. Visit his Web site at http://www.joiedecuisine.com or e-mail him at .
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