|
|
Turkey may star, but the supporting cast has to be good too
Turkey spells Thanksgiving for most of us. We once were invited to a Thanksgiving dinner in Paris, given in honor of two visiting Americans. The entrée was absolutely delicious, perfectly cooked, roast lamb. No matter how good that poor lamb was he just couldn't spell Thanksgiving. We consoled ourselves by looking at the scrawny, well meaning turkeys hanging in the butcher shops the next day. They wouldn't have tasted like our succulent juicy birds, anyway. So no turkey and worst of all, no leftovers from the bird and his co-stars of the holiday table. There are many, many schools of thought on how a turkey should be stuffed and roasted, smoked, grilled, brined, bones, etc. There are even more on what fruits and vegetables should be chosen to grace the table with Tom turkey. You can't just boil a carrot. It must be extra-special for the extra-special holiday. They're even more appreciated by the cook if most of the preparation can be done a day or so ahead. Some thoughts on the matter follow here: Really Different Cranberry & Grape Relish Dried cranberries and reduced cranberry juice cocktail share the bowl with red seedless grapes. Can be made 3 days ahead to the point where you stir in grapes and lemon. 8 cups cranberry juice cocktail 3 cups dried cranberries 3 cups red seedless grapes, halved 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel Boil cranberry juice in large saucepan without a cover until reduced to 1 cup, about 50 minutes. Place dried cranberries in large bowl; pour hot reduced juice over and stir to coat. Cool. Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. Remove from refrigerator 1 hour ahead of seating guests. Just before serving, stir grapes, lemon juice and peel into cranberries. Makes 6 cups. Make-Ahead Mashed Yam Puff A recipe for those who do not like their yams or sweet potatoes sweetened. The entire dish can be done ahead and heated in oven or a microwave at serving time. 3 1/2 pounds yams (not sweet potatoes) 3/4 cup sour cream, can be low- or non-fat 2 tablespoons grated lemon peel 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg Butter a 2-quart casserole. Peel yams and cut into 1/2-inch pieces; steam until tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Place yams in mixer bowl. Add sour cream, 2 tablespoons lemon peel, and nutmeg; beat with electric mixer on medium speed until mixture is very smooth. Spoon into casserole. (If making ahead cover and chill up to 1 day.) Place covered casserole in a preheated 375 F oven until yams are hot, about 20 minutes (30 minutes if yams have been chilled). Garnish with additional lemon peel, if desired. Makes 8 servings. Cider-Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Bacon and hard cider (or beer) help balance the flavor of Brussels sprouts. You need a pan large enough to cook sprouts in a single layer. Sprouts can be blanched a day ahead and kept in paper towels in a plastic bag overnight. 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, stem ends trimmed, halved through the core 6 strips of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch strips, optional 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup minced shallots or scallions 1 garlic clove, minced 1 cup hard cider or beer 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste Black pepper Bring pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath. Blanch the sprouts in the boiling water until just crisp-tender but no longer crunchy, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge into ice water. When cool, drain well. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and brown until crisp. Remove bacon with slotted spoon to drain on paper towels (laid over newspaper). Discard bacon fat. Add olive oil to pan. When hot, add 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the sprouts and sauté for 5 minutes, shaking the pan gently from time to time rather than stirring. Stir in shallots and garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until all of the vegetables are lightly browned, stirring often. Add the cider, 1 teaspoon salt and lots of black pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook until sprouts are cooked through at the core, 3 to 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to high and cook until liquid is almost completely evaporated, about 2 minutes. If sprouts are done before that, it's okay to have a little extra liquid. Season lightly and toss with bacon. Add the extra tablespoon of butter. Makes 6 to 8 servings. Nancy's Tomato Bake Friend Nancy raises a ton of tomatoes every year and always has some left wrapped in newspaper when they were green and now ready to help celebrate Thanksgiving. 6 to 8 large tomatoes, sliced 1 bunch scallions, chopped 1 pound button mushrooms, sliced (or other varieties) 8 to 12 ounces grated cheese of your choice Sauce 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, melted 1 lemon's juice 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano Stuffing mix or cracker crumbs, optional Lightly butter a casserole dish. Make 2 to 3 layers of sliced tomatoes, chopped scallions, mushrooms, and cheese. Sauce: Mix ingredients listed for sauce. Pour sauce over layered ingredients. Sprinkle top with stuffing mix or cracker or breadcrumbs. Can be prepared to this point and refrigerated until half hour or so before serving. Bake in preheated 375 F oven until browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Makes 8 servings. Your turkey can strut to the table in very fine company! Date: 11/12/07
Copyright/Privacy
Copyright 1995-2012. High Plains Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Any republishing of these pages, including electronic reproduction of the editorial archives or classified advertising, is strictly prohibited. If you have questions or comments you can reach us at High Plains Journal 1500 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., P.O. Box 760, Dodge City, KS 67801 or call 1-800-452-7171. Email: webmaster@hpj.com |
|
