Thanksgiving Recipe Ideas
Turkey with Pomegranate Sauce, Goat Cheese and Wild Rice Stuffing
1 fresh turkey, about 16 pounds
20 fresh sage leaves
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Pomegranate Sauce, recipe follows
Wild Rice and Goat Cheese Stuffing, recipe follows
Chopped chives, for garnish
Pomegranate seeds, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Remove the neck and gizzard from the turkey and discard. Rinse the bird thoroughly with cold water and pat dry. Using your fingers, gently loosen the skin from the breasts and drumsticks and slip the sage leaves underneath. Rub the entire surface with 1/4 cup of the melted butter. Lightly sprinkle the skin and cavity with salt and pepper.
Truss the turkey and place on a rack in a large roasting pan. Roast for about 45 minutes, until brown, basting with the remaining butter every 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 F and continue roasting for another 1 1/4 hours or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 180 degrees F. If the legs or breast brown too quickly, cover them with foil.
Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and allow it to rest 20 to 30 minutes before carving.
To serve, cut down along each breast and remove it whole. Cut the breast into slices, the way you would a loaf of bread. Place on a large serving platter and arrange the thigh meat in chunks and the legs on top. Spoon some pomegranate sauce over the top and sprinkle everything with the pomegranate seeds and chives. Serve the remaining Pomegranate Sauce and the Wild Rice and Goat Cheese Stuffing alongside.
You can reheat sliced turkey over medium heat in stock just to cover. Top with sauce, pomegranate seeds, and chives just before serving.
Pomegranate Sauce:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium Spanish onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 cup port wine
6 cups home-made chicken stock
2 cups pomegranate juice (or substitute cranberry juice)
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, and sweat the onion and garlic until the onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Add the peppercorns and cook another 3 minutes.
Add the port and cook, stirring, until most of it has evaporated. Add the stock, pomegranate juice, molasses and brown sugar, raise the heat to medium-high, and reduce slowly to a sauce consistency. As the sugars caramelize, the sauce will turn brownish red. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and add chives and pomegranate seeds.
Wild Rice and Goat Cheese Stuffing:
1 1/2 cups wild rice
5 cups water
Salt
1/2 cup coarsely diced chorizo
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, finely diced
1 tablespoons minced garlic
2 carrots, finely chopped
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
3/4 pound stale country-style bread, cubed
6 ounces goat cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups chicken stock, plus extra, if needed Place the rice, water, and salt to taste in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer until the grains open all the way. Drain the rice.
Meanwhile, cook the chorizo in a small saucepan over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the chorizo gets a little crisp. Drain.
Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery and sweat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the rice, chorizo, bread, cheese, parsley, thyme, and stock and stir to combine. The mixture should be quite wet: add a little more stock or water, if needed. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Transfer to a 6-cup buttered baking dish and bake, uncovered, until golden brown and heated through, 25 to 30 minutes. May be refrigerated up to 1 day; reheat with a little chicken stock for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F. Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta
1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 ounces paper-thin slices pancetta, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup low-salt chicken broth
Partially cook the Brussels sprouts in a large pot of boiling salted water, about 4 minutes. Drain.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until beginning to crisp, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts to the same skillet and saute until heated through and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the broth and simmer until the broth reduces just enough to coat the Brussels sprouts, about 3 minutes. Serve.
Mashed Maple Sweet Potatoes
2 pounds sweet potatoes or yams, scrubbed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons dark amber maple syrup, grade A or B
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Pierce the sweet potatoes 2 or 3 times with a fork. Bake in a roasting pan for 45 to 60 minutes, until tender. Cut the potatoes in half, lengthwise. Hold the sweet potatoes with a potholder or towel and scoop out the potato flesh into a food mill or ricer.
In a medium saucepan, heat the butter, syrup, zest, and vinegar over medium heat. Remove from the heat and mash the sweet potatoes in the pan. Stir to combine evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Oyster and Eggplant Stuffing
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 cups small diced eggplant
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
Salt and cayenne
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 pound shucked oysters, roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups oyster liqueur
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1 quart heavy cream
3 to 4 cups day old bread, cubed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 13 by 9-inch rectangular baking dish.
Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and celery and saute for 2 minutes. Add the eggplant and peppers and saute for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Season with salt and cayenne. Add the garlic and green onions and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped oysters and saute for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the oyster liqueur, eggs, and cream together. Add the oyster mixture, bread cubes and cheese and mix well. Reseason with salt and cayenne. Pour the dressing into the prepared pan and cover. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the dressing is set in the center. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving.
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Bourbon Whipped Cream
1 1/2 cups vanilla wafers, crushed into crumbs
1 cup ground pecan pieces
1 stick melted butter
2 pounds cream cheese, softened and cubed
1 cup light brown sugar
6 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups pumpkin puree
2 cups sweetened whipped cream
Dash bourbon
1 cup semisweet chocolate sauce, warm, recipe follows Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the crumbs, ground pecans and the butter together. Mix well and press into a 12-inch spring-form pan. In a food processor, with the metal blade, mix the cream cheese until smooth. Add the brown sugar and blend. Add the eggs 1 at a time to thoroughly incorporate into the cheese mixture. Add the heavy cream. Add the flour, salt, cinnamon and vanilla and blend until smooth. Add the mashed pumpkin and blend until smooth.
Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the cake is set. Remove from the oven and with a knife loosen the sides from the pan. This will prevent the cake from splitting down the center. Completely cool the cake before cutting. Combine the whipped cream and bourbon together, blend well. Garnish each piece of cake with the Bourbon Whipped Cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce.
Chocolate Sauce:
3/4 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 pound semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Combine the half-and-half and butter in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Heat the mixture until a thin paper-like skin appears on the top. Do not boil. Add the chocolate and vanilla and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Yield: 1 1/2 cups |
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