My First Thanksgiving Dinner

[SondraG]

A vegetable dish that can be served at room temp. Take license with the veggies, keeping in mind that some ccok faster than others. Carrots, cauliflower, brussel srpouts - all good!

Balsamic and Herb Roasted Vegetables

½ cup balsamic vinegar

¾ cup olive oil

¼ cup mixed chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, and parsley, or 1 heaping tablespoon dried herbs

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch wedges

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2-inch wedges

1 red onion, cut into 2-inch wedges

1 pint cherry tomatoes, stems removed

2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 head broccoli, stem removed, cut into florets

1 pound green beans, trimmed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Fresh herbs, to garnish, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Whisk the vinegar, olive oil, and herbs together in a large bowl. Add the sweet potatoes, squash, and onion and toss until the vegetables are well coated.

3. Transfer the vegetables with a slotted spoon (reserve the liquid in the bowl) to a baking dish and spread them out in 1 even layer. Roast them in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and slightly brown and the vinegar mixture has evaporated to a thick glaze. Stir several times during the cooking.

4. Meanwhile, toss tomatoes, red bell peppers, broccoli, and green beans with the reserved liquid, and spread them in 1 even layer in a separate baking dish. Roast them in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the skin on the tomatoes starts to shrivel.

5. Gently toss all of the vegetables together in a bowl with any remaining cooking liquid until just mixed. Season with salt and pepper; garnish with fresh herb leaves if desired. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

And may I suggest that you look at Diane Phillips Do Ahead Holidays book. She has some great recipes for do aheads. And, if you want expertise on cooking a turkey, check out Fine Cookings How to Cook a Turkey.

Good Luck!

[Katie Meadow]

Wow, I'm amazed--as usual--by the ambition of so many eGulleters. I'm with those in the "simplify, simplify, simplify" category--and my immutable responsibilities for the yearly dinner w/my husband's large family only extend to the turkey and stuffing/dressing, gravy and a cranberry side-dish.

My first thought is that if you are inviting friends who are good cooks, by all means let them help! Let them bring veggie side-dishes, their best pie, etc. You can't have too many vegetables. If they are bad cooks tell them to bring wine.

After many years of hors d'oeuvres before a turkey dinner, I think less is more. With the exception of my father-in-law's home-cured olives, we have pretty much abandoned the pre-feast. Keeping it simple and not too rich seems to have a good payoff. Olives, spiced nuts, cruditees--it's my belief your guests will thank you--and maybe the kids will actually sit still for longer during dinner. Keep that beautiful brie for the day after when it will be easier to appreciate.

My husband grew up assuming that you had to have mashed potatoes and yams or sweet potatoes at T-giving, but I grew up with only yams. Baked whole yams are yummy with butter and salt right out of the oven; they can be kept warm easily and timing isn't critical. Mashed potatoes are an art form and I think they are one of the hardest dishes to make really well and get to the table hot in the chaotic environment of a Thanksgiving kitchen. I also think they lose their loft if they sit around. 1) find a friend with talent to take on the job while you are busy with deglazing and gravy-making and all the last minute stuff or 2) make a twice-cooked mashed potato dish: whip up potatoes with goat cheese, garlic, butter and chives or whatever way ahead of time, put it in a casserole and then stick it in the oven close to dinner time.

Stuffing/Dressing: Half of the adults in my husband's family are vegetarians. They won't eat stuffing cooked inside the turkey, but that's my favorite kind, so I make a vegetarian stuffing, stuff the bird, and then have a large casserole of the same dressing cooked separately. I make a chestnut dressing that's vey simple with white and cornmeal bread, onions, celery, apples and herbs: parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme! (I always assumed that Simon and Garfunkle wrote that song during Thanksgiving Break and the first time I ever attempted to cook a turkey I just followed their recipe.) The chestnuts get boiled or roasted and peeled a day or two ahead of time, so sauteing and assembling the dressing is pretty easy.

As for gravy, my husband makes what is called a Quick Brown Sauce, which I believe came from an old James Beard recipe. Days ahead he cooks down a savory brew of red wine, veal stock, shallots, thyme, butter and then a little flour. That gets put in a jar. While the turkey cooks, the neck, gizzard, onion, parsley, gets simmered into a stock. That deglazes the pan after the bird is out, and then the brown sauce is added in the same roasting pan until the gravy is as we like it. It packs a huge amount of flavor and you can control the amount of thickening really easily that way.

There seem to be five universal disagreements; anyone who can find solutions to them will have a great thanksgiving. You can compromise or overrule the offenders or commit murder.

1) The turkey should be cooked so that the breast meat remains moist and juicy OR so that the dark meat is tender and falls off the bone

2) Gravy should be delicate, meaty and relatively thin with only a very modest amount of flour and no dairy products OR thick and creamy

3) Brussel sprouts are disgusting OR no, they're actually good!

4) Marshmallows have no place at the dinner table OR, aww, but that's how my mother made it

5) Cranberries should be prepared raw so they are crunchy and tart OR cooked to death with ten pounds of sugar and then molded in the shape of the Taj Mahal.

Confidential to Icanmakeit: Whizzed Giblets? But I'm usually too tired after a big dinner like this.

[Kris]

For most people, gravy is really important at Thanksgiving.  Some thoughts:

If you aren't already a gravy master, start buying some turkey wings and/or legs, roast them, and practice making gravy beforehand.  Believe me:  you do not want to be trying to rescue gravy-gone-wrong in the midst of trying to get everything else to turn out.

Also, there is almost never enough gravy.  A couple of days ahead, you can roast up the aforementioned wings and legs, and save the drippings so that you can make plenty of gravy.  Check The Joy of Cooking or a similar cookbook, and see what it has to say about making gravy ahead.  I am pretty sure it can be done successfully.

Additionally, the cookbooks put out by the folks at Cook's Illustrated Magazine have a method for making gravy only from vegetables.  I've never done it, but they swear it tastes as good as gravy made from meat.

Now about the mashed potatoes:  Although most people swear that freshly-mashed potatoes are the only way to go, I have found that they can be successfully made early and reheated.  If you're going to do this, make them slightly on the dry side, and then when it's within about 1/2 hour of when you want to eat, warm them either as above, in foil, or over a double-boiler type arrangement; then stir in a little hot milk until they are of the desired consistency.

←

This is so true! Last year, I hosted Thanksgiving dinner for my family and MIL. I spent days making foods, pies and prepping in advance. On the "Big Day," I made the gravy last and ended up underestimating how much to make. I had tons of food, but the gravy was the ONLY thing I ran out of! And wouldn't you know it...folks were looking for more gravy for their second helpings and leftovers.

A good gravy does cover a multitude of sins though.

Instead of worrying about making fresh mashed potatoes at the last minute, I made a mashed potato casserole recipe that could be prepped the night before (thanks to chef/author Rick Rodgers). Pop it in the oven 35 minutes or so before dinnertime and voila! You have a tasty mashed potato dish that didn't require last minute effort.

[rooftop1000]

Well... How was dinner???

tracey

[Verjuice]

Okay, so I never posted that timetable, I know. The reason for that is I was writing it until it started writing itself. And that was partially due to the fact that I (unexpectedly) didn't get back to my house after an extended trip away until 48 hours before yesterday's dinner. Wait... that's not an excuse? I definitely wasn't as organized as I usually am. But that's my lame excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Dinner went amazingly well considering the fact that I hadn't slept in three days (jet lag). Two guests cancelled at the last minute due to personal crises (No comment... or, on second thought, @#%!) so there were eight people present, including one vegetarian. To be frank, there could have been another eight guests and I'd still have leftovers.

Here is the menu from yesterday's meal. It was the first time I had hosted Thanksgiving or any dinner party for more than six people. It was also my first experience with turkey and gravy, and my first taste ever of this strange but wonderful thing called stuffing.

I had a 12.5 lb heritage bronze turkey, and for it I used the recipe out of last month's Saveur: Crisp Apple-Scented Turkey with Cider-Calvados Gravy. The wines were provided by a dear friend who runs a restaurant and wine cellar locally.

My only regret is that I forgot to take pictures!

Here is what I served:

..............................

Abra's White Gazpacho

…

Brie en Croute

Walnut toast, fried sage leaves, apple compote, saba

…

Sigara Borek

…

Tana Butler's Spicy Roasted Herb Nuts

…

Salumi Salami

Pullman croutons, mascarpone

…

Smoked sablefish

Beet and horseradish marmalade, crème fraiche

……………………

Crisp Apple-Scented Turkey with Cider-Calvados Gravy

…

Cornbread Stuffing

Sausage, Sage, Green Apples

…

Traditional Mashed Russet Potatoes

…

Pan-fried Brussels Sprout with Duck Bacon

…

Braised Red Cabbage with Bucherondin Goat’s Cheese

Trockenbeerenauslese vinegar

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Braised Endive

Meyer lemon, panko

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Roasted Kabocha Squash

Maple crème fraiche, apple compote

…

Orzo made from Saffron, Porcini Mushrooms, and Sweet Potato

Porcini butter, pinon nuts

…

Fresh Cranberry-Orange relish

…

Butter Lettuce Salad

Almond oil, 30 year old balsamico, raw milk pecorino, blackened sherry vinegar onions

…

Vegetarian Sage Mushroom Gravy

………………….

Pumpkin Pie

Gingersnap crust

…

Tarte Tatin

…

Neil Wyles' Warm Gingerbread Pudding

Salted butter caramel

…

Ice Creams: Vanilla, Cinnamon Dulce de Leche, Black Walnut

…

Royal Tokaji 2001

………………….

Thanks you so much to everyone who responded to my amateur questions. Of course, I was naughty and disobeyed many of the sound suggestions here because I am a) a glutton and b) perpetually and irrationally terrifed of not having enough.

I think I was nervous because Thanksgiving dinner is not like a regular dinner party to me. I'm not American, but after living here for a few years I know that people have certain expectations and emotional associations with this meal, so I wanted to fulfill all of them, which was silly and unrealistic. I've learned my lesson, though I had a lot of fun and I loved every minute if it. Thanks again, everyone!

Edited November 24, 2007 by Verjuice (log)

[ludja]

So glad to hear that your dinner went swimmingly Verjuice! The menu looks incredible and it's neat that you used so many eGullet member's recipes! Your guests must have been blown away.

I have a few questions after looking over your amazing menu:

Any comments on the kabocha squash and sweet potatoe recipes? They look like an interesting way to add these items to the menu but without too much overt sweetness. (a good thing for me!)

How is the goat cheese incorporated into the braised red cabbage recipe? Also any comments on the trockenbeerenauslese vinegar? Is it some type of special wine vinegar from Germany or Austria? Were you able to buy it here?

Did you like the cider/calvados turkey and gravy from Saveur? I looked at that recipe for a long time but ended up going w/my tradtional prep.

(As an aside, I made the cardamom buttermilk pie recipe from the same article and it was very good. I used my own pie crust recipe.)

[Sony]

I'm impressed! Tell us more about the timetable for prepping things, please. Hope you're recovered .

[rooftop1000]

""and my first taste ever of this strange but wonderful thing called stuffing.""

Dont forget you can stuff other things like chicken or chops or bell peppers...

and there is rice stuffing, corn bread stuffing and regular bread stuffing...pretty much any 3 flavors you like together can be combined with the above and called stuffing

tracey

[Verjuice]

So glad to hear that your dinner went swimmingly Verjuice!  The menu looks incredible and it's neat that you used so many eGullet member's recipes!  Your guests must have been blown away.

I have a few questions after looking over your amazing menu:

Any comments on the kabocha squash and sweet potatoe recipes?  They look like an interesting way to add these items to the menu but without too much overt sweetness.  (a good thing for me!)

How is the goat cheese incorporated into the braised red cabbage recipe?  Also any comments on the trockenbeerenauslese vinegar?  Is it some type of special wine vinegar from Germany or Austria?  Were you able to buy it here?

Did you like the cider/calvados turkey and gravy from Saveur?  I looked at that recipe for a long time but ended up going w/my tradtional prep.

(As an aside, I made the cardamom buttermilk pie recipe from the same article and it was very good.  I used my own pie crust recipe.)

←

It was my first time making/eating kabocha squash-- it's so much richer and creamier than any other squash I have tried. All I did was slice the squash (the pieces were shaped like the letter "C"), toss with olive oil and bit of Maldon salt, maple syrup and cinnamon, spread onto a baking sheet and throw into a 375 degree oven for an hour and a half, until the edges caramelized and turned crisp. To serve, I layered the pieces on a long, white rectangular platter to form a row of C-shaped squash slices. I garnished this with the apple compote that I also used for the brie en croute starter, and then spooned some creme fraiche mixed with a little maple syrup on top of all of it (though I will skip that step next time).

The goat cheese on the braised red cabbage was inspired by the greatest dish I have ever eaten at a chain restaurant, 'braised red cabbage with Montrachet goat's cheese' from Houston's. I don't live near one but I tasted the dish last year while visiting family in Jersey and became obsessed with replicating it at home. I have made it a number of ways, and using a number of different vinegars, but my preferred method is use the trockenbeerenauslese vinegar (this,which I bought from chefshop.com) and finish before serving with an aged balsamico.

As far as the cheese, I used the Bucherondin because I wanted something that would look gorgeous crowning the dish, but I now know for certain that I prefer the same sort of cheese and presentation that Houston's uses: a mild, creamy log of goat's cheese pulled into small lumps and scattered atop the cabbage.

The turkey and gravy... well... umm... I was not impressed at all. I don't know if it's the law of diminishing returns that makes a turkey nothing more than a turkey at the end of the day, but that's what it was. I couldn't believe how little reward there was for a recipe that was such a pain in the butt. Granted, it was my first turkey, but I wish I had just done something simpler and had more time to relax as a result. The gravy was not delicious and most of us ended up eating the Whole Foods vegetarian gravy that I doctored. It was a good learning experience, though!

Edited November 30, 2007 by Verjuice (log)

[Verjuice]

I'm impressed! Tell us more about the timetable for prepping things, please. Hope you're recovered  .

←

I have no idea how to post a timetable that won’t be tedious drudgery to read, so apologies to anyone who makes it through this post.

For the record:

-People were told to arrive between 6 and 7 p.m. for starters and cocktails, and dinner was on the table at three minutes past 8 p.m., as scheduled (while people were getting settled I scrambled to get two desserts into the oven, which took about three minutes).

I have an open kitchen/living/dining area so I couldn’t afford any last minute catastrophes.

-A lot of my planning was determined by how little fridge space I had to store stuff in various stages of completion.

-Once the turkey went into the oven at 5 pm, everything else had to be prepared in a small toaster oven (such as the brie en croute) or on a stovetop. During the half hour while the turkey was resting, I made the gravy, heated up all the vegetables in the oven, put the boiled potatoes through a ricer and beat them with lots of butter and cream.

-The table was set in the early afternoon. After the turkey was placed in the oven at 5 p.m., I took a half hour breather to shower, have a cup of tea, and get dressed.

-Plates were put in the oven to heat at five minutes to 8.

-Just as we sat down to eat, I popped the tarte tatin and the gingerbread pudding into the oven.

-No microwaves were used, because I don’t like them.

And finally, if you have lived at 7,000 feet, then you understand how big a factor the following can be:

-Water boils at 92 degrees. If you think a hard-boiled egg takes a long time to boil. try a potato.

-Nothing stays hot for more than a couple minutes once it is taken off the heat, so you have to work FAST.

Abra's White Gazpacho

11/21 11 p.m. Made and put into a pitcher in the fridge

11/22 6:15 p.m. Sliced chives and cucumbers for garnish

11/22 6:30 p.m. Poured gazpacho into small, chilled glasses, garnished, placed on a tray and served

…

Brie en Croute

Walnut toast, fried sage leaves, apple compote, saba

11/21 11a.m. Made apple compote and reserved

11/22 9 a.m. Put puff pastry in fridge to thaw

11/22 11a.m. Fried sage leaves until crisp and reserved on a paper towel in a dry place until serving

11/22 5:50 p.m. Toasted bread, wrapped in napkin and set aside

11/22 6:05 p.m. Placed pastry-wrapped brie in 275 degree toaster oven

…

Sigara Borek

11/22 11:30 a.m. Made filling, put filo dough out to thaw

11/22 2 p.m. Made boreks with individual sheets of filo dough (a teeth-gnashing task, if ever there was one). Baked, covered loosely with foil and set aside

Tana Butler's Spicy Roasted Herb Nuts

11/20 11 p.m. Made and stored in Tupperware containers far, far away from my greedy little mitts

…

Salumi Salami

Pullman croutons, mascarpone

11/22 8 a.m. Used meat slicer at friend’s restaurant to slice the goods

11/22 4:30 p.m. Cut round slices from loaf, bathed in butter and toasted

11/22 5:30 p.m. Assembled

…

Smoked sablefish

Beet and horseradish marmalade, crème fraiche

11/21 8 p.m. Made pita toasts and stored in Tupperware

11/22 3:30 p.m. Sliced fish and refrigerated

11/22 5:45 p.m. Assembled

……………………

Crisp Apple-Scented Turkey with Cider-Calvados Gravy

Not sure how much detail is wanted, but the turkey has to be slipped into the brine at half past 2 a.m. the morning of Thanksgiving in order to get its full 12.5 hours. This meant that the brine had to be made at around 1 a.m.. I rendered the fat from 2lbs of chicken thighs at 3 a.m. and that, along with the giblets etc., was the base for the broth that would later make the gravy.

…

Cornbread Stuffing

Sausage, Sage, Green Apples

11/22 10 a.m. Browned sausage and set aside

11/22 1 p.m. Made stuffing and set aside

11/22 7:40 p.m. Heated through in oven for 10 minutes

…

Traditional Mashed Russet Potatoes

11/22 6 p.m. Boiled potatoes.

11/22 7:30 p.m. Put potatoes through ricer, beat with butter and cream, placed on warm stovetop.

…

Pan-fried Brussels Sprout with Duck Bacon

11/21 9 p.m. Par-boiled sprouts, halved them, wrapped and sealed in airtight container.

11/22 3:30 p.m. Chopped and fried bacon, tossed sprouts into pan with bacon and cooked until outer leaves crisp but still crunchy throughout

11/22 7:30 p.m. Placed in Tierra Negra baking dish and roasted in oven for 25 minutes

…

Braised Red Cabbage with Bucherondin Goat’s Cheese and Trockenbeerenauslese Vinegar

11/21 5 p.m. Cooked cabbage on stovetop until reduced by half

11/22 9 a.m. Braised cabbage in oven until reduced by half again

11/22 7:30 p.m. Warmed cabbage in oven for 20 minutes. Finish with aged balsamico, garnish with round of Bucherondin.

…

Braised Endive with Meyer Lemon and Panko

11/22 12 p.m. Braised endive until tender and placed in fridge

11/22 7:30 p.m. Sprinkled with panko and heated for 20 minutes in oven

…

Roasted Kabocha Squash with Apple Compote and Maple Creme Fraiche

11/22 1 p.m. Roasted squash until soft and edges are caramelized, approx 1.5 hrs

11/21 11a.m. Made apple compote and reserved

11/22 1:30 p.m. Maple crème fraiche mixed and refigerated

…

Orzo made from Saffron, Porcini Mushrooms, and Sweet Potato with Porcini Butter and Pinon Nuts

11/21 7 p.m. Orzo cooked until almost al dente and refrigerated. 2 c. pasta cooking water reserved

11/21 6 p.m. Toasted pinon nuts

11/22 7 p.m. Reheated pasta, added cooking water, seasonings. Finish with pine nuts and porcini butter

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Fresh Cranberry-Orange relish

11/21 4 p.m. Prepared and refrigerated

…

Butter Lettuce Salad

Almond oil, 30 year old balsamico, raw milk pecorino, blackened sherry vinegar onions

11/21 3 p.m. Blackened onions and refrigerated

11/21 3:30 p.m. Shaved pecorino into slices and refigerated

11/22 7:15 p.m. Washed and dried lettuce, made dressing and set aside.

11/22 7:50 p.m. Dressed salad

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Vegetarian Sage Mushroom Gravy

11/20 9 p.m. Purchased from Whole Foods!

………………….

Pumpkin Pie with Gingersnap Crust

11/20 5 p.m. Made crust and filling, baked pie and refrigerated

11/22 1 p.m. Made garnish of pepita brittle and maple granola, decorated pie

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Tarte Tatin

11/22 9 a.m. Put puff pastry in fridge to thaw

11/22 3 p.m. Began preparing apple mixture, let sit for 40 mins

11/22 4 p.m. Caramelized apples and set aside to rest

11/22 4:15 p.m. Rolled out puff pastry and set aside

11/22 8 p.m. Draped puff pastry over apples and and placed in oven

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Neil Wyles' Warm Gingerbread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

11/20 7 p.m. Made evil, evil caramel sauce

11/21 10 a.m. Baked gingerbread

11/22 7:20 p.m. Made custard for soaking gingerbread and set aside

11/22 8 p.m. Cubed and tossed gingerbread with custard base and placed in oven

…

Ice Creams: Vanilla (homemade, midday on the 20th), Cinnamon Dulce de Leche, Black Walnut (store-bought)

Edited December 1, 2007 by Verjuice (log)