Oswald Thanksgiving 2009

Menu:

Brined and Smoked Turkey

Fennel , Prosciutto and Pine Nut Stuffing

Yams Braised with Cream, Rosemary and Nutmeg

Mashed Potatoes and Celery root

Giblit Gravy Supreme

Green Bean and Lemon Casserole

Cranberry Sauce With Port and Dried Figs

Store bought dinner rolls

Pumpkin Pie Cake with Whipped Cream

The recipe for the Turkey I found last year on About.com.  This is our adaption of the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 11 lb turkey

2 quarts apple juice

1 lb brown sugar

1 cup kosher salt

3 oranges, quartered

approximately 4 oz ginger sliced

15 whole cloves

6 bay leaves

6 cloves of garlic crushed

hickory chips

Combine apple juice, brown sugar and salt in a large saucepan.  Bring to boil and continue heating until sugar and salt dissolve.  Skim off any foam that forms and let cool.  In a large stock pot or similar container combine apple juice mixture, 3 quarts water, oranges, ginger, cloves, bay leaves and garlic.  Wash turkey, be sure to remove the giblit bag, and place in the brine mixture and refrigerate for 24 hours.  Make sure the turkey is completely submerged. Place hickory chips in water and prepare grill for indirect grilling on a medium heat.  Remove turkey from brine, rinse and pat dry.  Brush turkey with vegetable oil.  Place on grill away from direct heat with a heavy guage foil pan underneath to capture the juices of the turkey (hickory chips will go on the coals).  After 30 or so minutes you may want to wrap the wings in foil to prevent them from burning.  Brush with vegetable oil occassionally.  If the breast gets too brown cover with foil.  The turkey will be done when the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F.  in the thigh or 165 in the breast.  12 to 14 minutes per pound.  When done, remove from the grill and rest for about 15 minutes before carving. 

Mashed Potatoes and Celery Root

 This is a recipe I discovered in Martha Stewarts Living Magazine back in November of 2001.  Celery root is a delicious addition to mashed potatoes. 
For 6 people
2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes
1/2 lb celery root
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp unslated butter
 1/2 tbsp coarse salt 1/8 tsp pepper

Peel potatoes and cut into 1" pieces.  Peel celery root using a paring knife.  Cut into 1/2 " pieces.  Place potatoes and celery root in a small stockpot with enough water to cover, and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce to a simmer, and cook unti tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, return to pot; place over low heat to dry out.
Combine cream, butter, salt, and pepper in a small saucepan, and place over medium heat until butter is melted and mixture comes to a simmer.  Pour over potato mixture, and combine, using a potato masher, until fluffy and smooth.

Fennel, Prosciutto and Pine Nut Stuffing

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I found this recipe in a 1998 Bon Appetite Magazine and have adopted it to feed a family of four.

1/2 to 3/4 lb round sourdough bread, crust trimmed, cut into 3/4 " cubes (about 5 or 6 cups)

3 to 4 tbsp butter

3 cups thinly sliced green onions

2 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed, and coarsely chopped

1/2 tbsp fennel seeds, coarsley ground

4 oz prosciutto, chopped

3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

3/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1/2 tbsp fresh chopped marjoram

3/4 tsp grated lemon peel

3 large eggs beaten to blend

Canned checken broth

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place bread on a large baking sheet and bake until slightly dry, about 10 minutes. Cool and transfer to a large bowl.

Melt butter in large skillet over high heat.  Add onions and fennel bulbs and seeds; saute' until onions soften but fennel bulbs are still crisp-tender, about 8 minutes.  Remove from eat.  Mix in prosciutto, pine nuts, parsely, marjoram and lemon peel.  (Bread and fennel mixture can be made 1 day ahead.  Cover separately.  Store bread at room temperature; refrigerate fennel.) Add fennel mixture to bread.  Season with salt and pepper.  Mix in eggs. 

To bake in the turkey (which I did not do)

Loosely fill main turkey cavity with stuffing.  Add enough broth to remaining stuffing to moisten lightly (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup, depending on amount of remaining stuffing).  Generously butter glass baking dish.  Spoon remaining suffing into prepared dish.  Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down.  Bake stuffing in dish alongside turkey until heated through about 25 to 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake until top is slightly crisp and golden about 15 to 20 minutes.

To Bake in baking dish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Generously butter 13x9x2 inch glass baking dish.  Add enough broth to stuffing to moisten (about 3/4 cup).  Transfer stuffing to prepared dish.  Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down; bake until heated through, about 30 to 35 minutes.  Uncover and bake until top is slightly crisp and golden about 20 to 25 minutes longer.

 Green Bean And Lemon Casserole

   

This is a great Nigella Lawson Recipe.  Simple and British.  You really need to pull up her recipe and read it.  It cracks me up, she says things like this: "Strictly speaking, I don't think of this as a casserole, but I know that this is the traditional nomencalutre; and, besides, I do sometimes serve the beans in one so it seems silly to quibble." (I like to read that outloud in a British accent - it cracks me up)

Ingredients for 4 to 5:

1 lb green beans

6 tbsp unsalted butter

few drops of olive oil

1/2 lemon

sea salt and fresh pepper

Bring a bit pot of water to boil, trim the beans.  Once the water is boiling, salt it and cook the beans about 6 minutes.  Strain the beans and put the pot back on the stove over low heat with the butter and olive oil.  Chop up the lemon.  Slice off each end and just enough to remove skin and pith, then cut downwards turning the lemon to peel the fruit.  Squeeze the fruity peel over the pan.  Cut half the lemon up on the board.  Add the pieces and all the juice that collects to the melted butter and stir well with a wooden spoon, add the drained beans. 

Stir the beans and the lemony butter, add salt and pepper, remove to a warmed casserole.

I, unfortuantely, did not get pictures of my yam's or my cranberries.  They were very good though. The Yam recipe is from my November 1998 Bon Appetite and the Cranberry recipe I found on Epicurious.  It is from the 2003 Conde'Net magazine. 

Yams Braised with Cream, Rosemary and Nutmeg

4 servings:

2 tsp olive oil

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots

1 1/4 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 1/2 lbs yams (red skinned sweet potatoes) peeled cut into 1/2 inch thick rounds

1/2 cups +2 tbs canned chicken broth

1/4 cup whipping cream

fresh ground nutmeg

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots an minced rosemary and saute' until tender, about 3 minuets.  Add yams and broth to skillet and bring to boil.  Cover skillet, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until yams are almost tender, about 10 minutes.  Add cream and sprinkle lightly with nutmeg.  Simmer uncovered until yams are very tender and liquid thickens and coats yams, about 4 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  This can be mad a day ahead, which I did and it came out great.  Chill in a microwave safe container until it's time to rewarm in the microwave.

Cranberry Sauce With Port and Dried Figs

Yields 1 3/4 cups:

1/2 +1/3 cup ruby port (I can't always find that here and have found Tawney Port works fine)

1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

1/8 cup (packed) goden brown sugar

4 dried black Mission figs, stemmed, chopped

1 3" spring fresh rosemary

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/2 12 oz bag fresh cranberries ( cranberries freeze very well - seal the rest up and throw int he freezer)

3/8 cup sugar

Combine first 6 ingredients in medium saucepan.  Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes.  discard rosemary.  Mix in cranberries and 3/8 cup sugar.  Cook over medium heat until liquid is slightly reduced and berries burst, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.  Cool. Transfer sauce to a bowl and chill until cold.  This can be prepared up to a week ahead. 

Giblet Gracy Supreme

I'd post a link, but can't find it.  This is from my November 2008 Sunset Magazine (a recipe originally published in Sunset back in 1968).

Serves 12 (4 cups)

Giblets and nect from 10 to 24 lb turkey, rinsed

About 5 cups chicken broth

1 1/4 cups dry white wine or chicken broth

1 onion quartered

2 carrots (1/2 lb) sliced

3/4 cup sliced celery

4 parsley springs

1/2 tsp fresh marjoram leaes or 1/4 tsp dried

About 1/2 tsp each salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Fat skimmed from turkey

In a 5 qt pan over high heat, combine giblets, neck, 5 cups broth, wine, onions, carrots, celery, parsley, marjoram, and 1/2 tsp each salt and peper.  cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until all giblets are very tender when pierced, about 1 hour.

Toast flour in a large frying pan over med.high heat,stirring, until deep golden brown and smells richly toasted, but not scorched.  12 to 15 minutes.  Pour into a bowl

Pour broth through a fine strainer into a bowl, reserving pan.  Discard vegetables (sae giblets and neck if you like).  Measure broth. If you have more than 4 cups, boil to reduce; if you haveless, add more chicken broth.

If using giblets and neck, pull meat off neck; discar bones.  Finely chop meat and giblets. 

Whisk about 1 1/2 cups simmered broth into flour.  Pour into the 5 qt pan and add remaining broth.

Add drippings from turkey.  Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring; lower heat and simmer, sitrring often, about 5 minutes.  Add giblets; ifyou like (and I do like!), and stir 1 to 2 minutes more.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Make ahead tip:  Up to one day ahead, make through step 5, cover and chill.  To reheat, add turkey drippings and warm over low heat, stirring often. 

Pumpkin Pie Cake

This is a recipe my Mom gave me and I believe she got from my Uncle Paul (my dad's brother).

1 lg. can Libbey Pumpkin Pie Mix (I used 4 cups of fresh pumpkin I had harvested and frozen last year).

1 cup light brown sugar.

4 tsp pumpkin pie spice ( used a combination of dried ginger, allspice, and nutmeg)

1 large can of evaporated milk

3 eggs slightly beaten

Mix all ingredients toghether.  Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan.  Sprinkle one box of yellow cake mix over the top.  Melt 2 cubes of butter (mom's calles for margerine, but I can't bring myself to recommend synthethetic food - that's your choice) Pour over the cake mix, top with chopped walnuts. Bake 55 minutes at 350 degrees.  Serve with whipped cream. 

Last note of the evening.  Be careful suiting up your kids with fancy aprons and handing over the whipping cream and a stand mixer to them.  That whipped cream you're looking forward to going on top of that pumpkin pie cake?  Well, it's going to be a nice sweet butter when they get done. 

Oh well!  It's still pretty damn delicious!

Hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving and will find something useful here for next year.  I hope to be back posting a lot of leftover recipes soon.  I had some good ones this year and managed to use everything up without anything going to waste.  And I can't wait to see what kind of tasteys Christmas brings!