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International Executive Chef and best selling author, Eduard Peyer shares classic Thanksgiving recipes with ingredients that will put your meal over the top!
Thanksgiving Dinner
Thanksgiving gravy, in my humble opinion, is probably the most important part of your Thanksgiving dinner.
Therefore, I suggest you start making the gravy first, even before you put the turkey in the oven.
Simple Turkey Gravy
Use two turkey wings, neck and giblets
2 – 3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 sliced carrots
1 large white onion cut in large chunks
1 cup chopped celery
2 sprigs of fresh Rosemary
2 to 3 Bay Leaves
1 teaspoon of black peppercorn
2 quarts of cold water or low sodium chicken stock
1 cup of dry white wine
1 jigger of Brandy or Cognac
4 oz of soft unsalted butter
Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions:
In a roasting pan heat the olive oil and add the neck,
giblets, wings, vegetables, Bay leaves and peppercorns.
Roast in a 350 F oven until everything starts to nicely color and is well caramelized.
Transfer all ingredients to a saucepan and add the white wine and ½ of the water.
Add the remaining water to the roasting pan to loosen the dark residues. Bring to a quick boil
Add to your Saucepan.
Slowly simmer this gravy for 2 to 3 hours, add a bit more water or stock if necessary.
Mix 1/2 cup of corn starch with some cold water to form a smooth paste and thicken your Turkey Gravy to your liking. Feel free to use other thickening agents such as Arrowroot, Rice Flour, Tapioca Flour to name a few.
Strain the gravy through a sieve into another saucepan.
Finish with mixing soft, sweet Butter into the sauce, season to your taste and add the Cognac. You can also add some heavy cream.
Personally, I like to use a fortified wine like Porto or Madeira
It is entirely up to your taste.
The Turkey gravy is very important for the success of your Thanksgiving meal.
The French call it “C’est la sauce qui fait la viande” It’s the sauce that makes the meat or in this case the bird!!
Seasoning and Roasting the Turkey
Let’s assume you have a 12 to 14 lb. turkey
Make sure to give it about three days to thaw in the refrigerator.
Dry with paper towels to get rid of all the moisture. To increase the flavor, add a couple of lemons cut in half and a large orange cut in half. Add two sprigs of fresh Thyme as well as some fresh Rosemary. Four to six peeled garlic cloves, a peeled onion cut in quarters, one or two Cinnamon sticks and 4 to 5 cracked Cardamon seeds. Place all into the cavity.
To season the turkey, I suggest you make a compound butter.
1 pound of unsalted butter. Make sure the butter is soft!
In a bowl mix the butter, some freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch of chopped Italian (flat leaf) Parsley
Some fresh chopped Thyme
Fresh zest from one or two lemons
Work the butter underneath the skin, starting from the neck
Season with Kosher Salt, place the bird into a roasting pan on a roasting rack
Let it rest for at least 15 to 20 minutes
Then place into a 350 F oven
Roast for approximately 3 to 3 ½ hours. The inside temperature should read at least 165 F.
Let the Turkey rest for at least 25 minutes before carving.
Roasted Pilgrim Corn
6 fresh ears of corn with husks
Peel the husk back only to the end and remove all of the silk
Cover the corn up with the peeled back husk and tie it with some butcher string or dental floss
IMPORTANT: Next, soak the corn ears in cold water for about 20 minutes. This will prevent the corn husks from catching fire while grilling and also impart a moist, yet nutty, grilled flavor to the corn.
Gently pat the corn husks with a paper towel to remove excess water after soaking, before grilling.
Roast on a charcoal or gas grill over low heat for 30 to 35 minutes. Turn occasionally.
When done, carefully peel back husks, being very careful as corn will be very hot. Season with fresh butter, salt and ground black pepper. You can sprinkle with some smoked Paprika if desired.
This is a wonderful addition to serve with a Thanksgiving Dinner.
The recipe was given to me by a good friend of mine and it makes a great addition to any holiday meal!!
Delicious Homemade Cranberry Sauce
12 oz fresh or frozen Cranberries
1 cup of caster Sugar ( superfine sugar)
½ cup Brown Sugar
2 to 3 each Star Anise
Zest of one Orange and Lemon
I teaspoon freshly grated Ginger
I cup of Port wine
Add some water and some more sugar for sweetness if necessary
Place sugars and 2 ½ tablespoons of water into a saucepan, add Star Anise and a drop of lemon juice which will keep the mixture from hardening
Caramelize the sugar to a light brown color, (keep a low heat while constantly stirring.)
Add cranberries, some water and the freshly grated Ginger
Simmer for some 10 minutes and set aside for cooling.
Add Port wine
I suggest you make the Cranberry Relish a day ahead of time.
Happy Thanksgiving !!
I am suggesting a great Pinot Noir
Or a
Beaujolais Nouveau
