Thanksgiving 2011
Yesterday was my first hosted Thanksgiving, and everything went really well.
There was Derek, Josh, & myself, Carol (D's mom), my 2 cousins Noah and Aaron, and my Uncle Erik and Aunt Meredith.
I made Turkey & gravy, cranberry relish, roasted veggies, and Moroccan Rice Pilaf.
Carol brought in 2 versions of mashed potatoes
Also brought was massive carrot+apple salad, kale w shallots, chestnut/apple/leek, baked sweet potatoes, and baked apples for dessert.
I think that was all of the food. Simply massive amount of it.
Turkey:
dry rub of pepper and kosher salt the day before.
set in roasting pan on top of celery and carrots, bring to room temp. for about 2 hours.
truss bird with baking string to keep things tight.
pour 2 cups of stock in roasting pan and put in 425 oven.
calculate ~13min/lb of unstuffed bird, but use meat thermometer anyway.
do not trust the pop up indicator (mine went off when the core of the bird only registered at 135F)
For the love of all things holy, let the bird rest after pulling it out of the oven.
Gravy:
simmer neck, gizzard & heart in saucepan.
When the bird comes out of the oven, clear out the solid bits from the sauce pan, and add the drippings from the roasting pan, turn up the heat.
pull the carrots out from under the bird and add to the saucepan, as well as a few of the potatoes that will be mashed (or post mash)
after breaking up the veg into smaller bits, puree everything together with a wand blender.
Makes for an orange-ish gravy, but the flavor is spectacular.
There was Derek, Josh, & myself, Carol (D's mom), my 2 cousins Noah and Aaron, and my Uncle Erik and Aunt Meredith.
I made Turkey & gravy, cranberry relish, roasted veggies, and Moroccan Rice Pilaf.
Carol brought in 2 versions of mashed potatoes
Also brought was massive carrot+apple salad, kale w shallots, chestnut/apple/leek, baked sweet potatoes, and baked apples for dessert.
I think that was all of the food. Simply massive amount of it.
Turkey:
dry rub of pepper and kosher salt the day before.
set in roasting pan on top of celery and carrots, bring to room temp. for about 2 hours.
truss bird with baking string to keep things tight.
pour 2 cups of stock in roasting pan and put in 425 oven.
calculate ~13min/lb of unstuffed bird, but use meat thermometer anyway.
do not trust the pop up indicator (mine went off when the core of the bird only registered at 135F)
For the love of all things holy, let the bird rest after pulling it out of the oven.
Gravy:
simmer neck, gizzard & heart in saucepan.
When the bird comes out of the oven, clear out the solid bits from the sauce pan, and add the drippings from the roasting pan, turn up the heat.
pull the carrots out from under the bird and add to the saucepan, as well as a few of the potatoes that will be mashed (or post mash)
after breaking up the veg into smaller bits, puree everything together with a wand blender.
Makes for an orange-ish gravy, but the flavor is spectacular.