AS TURKEY DAY APPROACHES …

Growing up, Thanksgiving always meant the kickoff to Christmas was here.  And it meant it was time to start seeing “Miracle on 34^th Street” on television.  Well, today we don’t have to wait to see it.  We can get it on DVD ad watch it I the middle of a July heat wave, if we want.  But to me it will always be the true start of the Winter Holiday Season.

Maureen O’Hara was gorgeous (as she always was … and still is today).  Natalie Wood was so young and performed BILLIANTLY.  Thelma Ritter was perfectly cast as the weary mother shopping in Macy’s.  And Edmund Gwenn (Santa) would make ANYONE believe! 

Though it was made in 1947, each year it seems like seeing it for the very first time.  And that’s what makes it a tradition after all these years.  Some things don’t get old, they just get better!

Thanksgiving is almost here!  My FAVORITE day of the year!!!  It’s a day just made for those of us who love to cook and entertain with lots of gamily around to  make it an even more special day.  I’m posting my Thanksgiving recipes early, since it takes awhile to prepare for this meal.  And I’ve got the only roast turkey recipe that you will ever need for the rest of your life. 

This will be your BEST Thanksgiving meal if you follow this recipe. Butter and cheesecloth and ladled stock is what is takes to do the trick..

And the gravy!  What’s a turkey without t the gravy????  This gravy recipe is easy to follow, it works, and the results are wonderful. You just want to dip a spoon in it before you get to the table!

My favorite dish of all for Turkey Day is the dressing!  The only one I’ve used in over 25 years comes from my Aunt Frances.  Now I’d admit that I’m a dressing traditionalist … I like it stuffed in the bird, allowing drippings to run through it for added great flavor.  I mean, come on!  There’s a REASON why it’s known as “stuffing”!  But I know everyone doesn’t like it that way, so I make a big 9x13 pan of it, too. 

Roast Turkey Perfection

For the turkey:

1 fresh turkey, 15 to 20 pounds

1 to 2 3-pound boxes of kosher salt

1 cup olive oil

1 cup chopped herb leaves, such as tarragon, thyme, and sage

16 tablespoons butter at room tempter

Fresh ground black pepper

3 cups chicken stock

Two days before serving, remove the giblets and neck from the cavities of the turkey and cut off the wing tips.  Reserve for stock or gravy.  Put the turkey into a 5-gallon or larger bucker and add enough cold water (about 3 gallons) to cover the bird.  Removed the turkey and set it aside.  (This tells you how much water you need to cover the bird.)  To the bucket add 1 pound salt (roughly 2 cups) for every gallon or so of water and stir to dissolve it well.  Return the turkey to the bucket, put it in a cool place, and let site for at least 8 hours.  An unheated garage or porch overnight works fine in cool climates; otherwise remove a shelf from the refrigerator to clear enough space.

The next day, removed the truly from brine.  Dry it thoroughly with paper towns.  Discard the brine.  Transfer the turkey to a large bowl. Pour the olive oil over the turkey and rub the herbs over the outside and inside the turkey.  Cover with plastic wrap and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

On the day of serving, preheat the oven to 450°.

Scrape off the marinade.  Transfer the turkey to a large roasting pan fitted with a rack.  Rub the outside of the turkey with 1 stick of the butter to coat the entire bird.  Sprinkle salt and pepper liberally over the outside and inside of the turkey.  Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.  Put the turkey into the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 325°.

In a large sauce pan melt the remaining 1 stick of butter over medium heat.  Remove the pan from the heat and let the butter cool.  Put a quadruple layer of cheesecloth, about a foot square, into the pan and coat it with butter.  In another saucepan, warm the chicken stock over medium-low heat.

After the turkey has roasted for about 1 to 1 ½ hours and skin is turning golden brown, lay the butter-soaked cheese cloth over the turkey breast to keep it moist.  Ladle about 1 cup of the chick stock over the breast.  Continue to baste the turkey with the warm stock every hour.  Roast the turkey for about 3 hours total until a kitchen thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 175°F.  Remove the turkey from the oven and discard the cheesecloth.  Transfer the turkey to a platter, cover with foil and allow to rest of 1 hour before serving.

For the gravy:

Fat and drippings from the roasted turkey

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2  cup all-purpose flour

4 cups enriched stock or chicken stock

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

While the roast turkey is resting, pour the drippings from the roasting pan through a fine sieve into a small bowl.  Wait about 5 minutes while the fat rises to the surface, then use a spoon or ladle to remove the fat.  Reserve separated 1/4cup of the fat and all the pan juices.  Discard the remaining fat.

Combine 1/4  cup fat and the butter in a medium saucepan and warm over low heat until the butter is melted.  Whisk in the flour and increase the heat to medium.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is slightly brown and has a nutty smell, about 3 minutes.

Slowly pour the stock into the flour mixture, whisking until smooth.  Stir in the reserve pan juice and bring the gravy to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce the heat to very low and simmer for 10 minutes, whisking frequently so a not to scorch the gravy.  Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the gravy through a fine sieve into another pot.  Serve at once or cover and keep warm on the back of the stove for up to 2 hours.

THANKSGIVING TURKEY DRESSING

Dice and cook until tender:

2 medium onions, chopped
2 blades celery, sliced

Break up:

1-1/2 loaves bread, toasted
      1 pan sweet cornbread (recipe below)

Add:

1 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. sage
Cooked onion/celery (from above)

Add enough turkey broth to make well-moist. Bake at 375-degrees for 15 minutes.

Sweet Cornbread

1 (9 oz) box Jiffy Brand yellow cake mix (*)

1 (8-1/2 oz.) box Jiffy Brand cornbread mix

2 eggs

A little less than 1 c. milk

Preheat oven to 400-degrees.

Blend the two packaged mixes together in a bowl.  Mix eggs and milk together and add to the mixes.  Beat by hand until well-mixed. 

Pour into a greased 9x13-inch pan (or 2 round 8-inch cake pans).  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until it tests done and is golden brown.

(*)  Jiffy Brand Yellow Cake Mix is hard to find, so I get a regular yellow cake mix (any brand will work).  It’s usually around 18.5 oz., so I just use half the box of mix.