My Thanksgiving Recipes
From the kitchen of Kittenpants:
Turkeys:
1 deep-fried, injected with cajun butter.
1 brined overnight, stuffed with sage, onions, cinnamon, and cloves, smoked over applewood for 12 hours before a quick dip in the deep-fryer to crisp and bring the bird up to a safe temperature.
Both were amazing. Lessons learned: don't try to use the smoker in less than 50 degree weather -- it'll never get hot enough. Must purchase a turkey-fryer. Damn, that was so good! Unbelievably tender and juicy.
Scalloped corn:
2 slices bacon
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tbs flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 egg
1 cup milk
16 oz frozen corn, thawed and drained
1 cup mozzarella cheese
Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon; drain on paper towel. Crumble bacon; set aside. Cook onions in bacon drippings until tender. Stir in flour, salt, dry mustard, paprika, and black pepper; blend well. Cook until mixture is smooth and bubbly, stirring constantly. Beat egg in small bowl; stir in milk. Gradually add to flour mixture; cook until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Stir in corn. Cook until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with bacon and shredded cheese.
Serves 6.
Not sure what I was expecting, but this wasn't it. Of course, I don't like mustard, so that may have had something to do with it. Other people seemed to enjoy it. ::shrugs::
Spinach Artichoke Mushroom Decadence
Melt 3 tbsp of butter in a wok (you'll need the room later!). Add two to three cloves of pressed garlic, and 3 c sliced mushrooms. Sautee for several minutes until the mushrooms begin to release their juices. Add 1/2 cup of dry white wine, salt and pepper. Sautee for a few more minutes, then add 2 c chopped drained artichoke hearts and 1/4 c pine nuts. Sautee until there is almost no liquid left. Pour into a bowl. Rinse out the wok and place the remaining 5 tbsp of butter in to melt. Add about 3/4 c of finely chopped onion and saute until golden. Add 5 tbsp flour and stir until bubbly. Add 2 c milk, 1 c chicken broth, 1/2 c cream, and another 1/2 c white wine, and whisk until very smooth. Add 8 oz cream cheese and stir until melted. Slowly add 8 oz shredded asiago cheese, whisking constantly. Add 1 pkg frozen spinach (thawed, drained) and stir until well mixed. Add the sauteed vegetables and stir well. Add about 1 c mozzarella cheese, slowly, stirring consantly. Pour into a 9x13 glass casserole dish, top with more mozzarella & asiago and a few sprinkles of paprika. Bake at 350 for 5-10 minutes until bubbly and the top is golden brown.
I made this up as I went along, so all measurements are estimated. This was AWESOME. We have a ton of it leftover, which I look forward to eating over the next week. Very creamy and decadent. Caroline was surprised it didn't have seafood in it. I think crab would definitely work. Serves about 50 as an appetizer.
Gravy
5 tbsp butter
1 1/2 c onion, finely chopped
5 tbsp flour
2 tsp paprika
1 c chicken broth
1 c dry white wine
3 c homemade chicken stock
1 1/2 tbsp turkey base (better than boullion)
1 tbsp sage
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp freshly cacked black pepper
2 tsp Vegit
1/2 tsp dry mustard
xanthan gum (if necessary)
Melt butter and sautee onions until golden. Add flour and stir until bubbly. Add chicken broth, stock, and wine and whisk until smooth. Add in turkey base and spices. Whisk until base is thoroughly dissolved and gravy begins to thicken. If necessary, sprinkle on small amounts of xanthan gum and whisk thoroughly to thicken more (or you can use corn starch mixed with cold water).
Again, all measurements are guesses. featherynscale called this gravy "fierce". :) Joy! Very robust flavor, with a good balance of herbs. Serves 16 or so.
Turkeys:
1 deep-fried, injected with cajun butter.
1 brined overnight, stuffed with sage, onions, cinnamon, and cloves, smoked over applewood for 12 hours before a quick dip in the deep-fryer to crisp and bring the bird up to a safe temperature.
Both were amazing. Lessons learned: don't try to use the smoker in less than 50 degree weather -- it'll never get hot enough. Must purchase a turkey-fryer. Damn, that was so good! Unbelievably tender and juicy.
Scalloped corn:
2 slices bacon
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tbs flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 egg
1 cup milk
16 oz frozen corn, thawed and drained
1 cup mozzarella cheese
Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon; drain on paper towel. Crumble bacon; set aside. Cook onions in bacon drippings until tender. Stir in flour, salt, dry mustard, paprika, and black pepper; blend well. Cook until mixture is smooth and bubbly, stirring constantly. Beat egg in small bowl; stir in milk. Gradually add to flour mixture; cook until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Stir in corn. Cook until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with bacon and shredded cheese.
Serves 6.
Not sure what I was expecting, but this wasn't it. Of course, I don't like mustard, so that may have had something to do with it. Other people seemed to enjoy it. ::shrugs::
Spinach Artichoke Mushroom Decadence
Melt 3 tbsp of butter in a wok (you'll need the room later!). Add two to three cloves of pressed garlic, and 3 c sliced mushrooms. Sautee for several minutes until the mushrooms begin to release their juices. Add 1/2 cup of dry white wine, salt and pepper. Sautee for a few more minutes, then add 2 c chopped drained artichoke hearts and 1/4 c pine nuts. Sautee until there is almost no liquid left. Pour into a bowl. Rinse out the wok and place the remaining 5 tbsp of butter in to melt. Add about 3/4 c of finely chopped onion and saute until golden. Add 5 tbsp flour and stir until bubbly. Add 2 c milk, 1 c chicken broth, 1/2 c cream, and another 1/2 c white wine, and whisk until very smooth. Add 8 oz cream cheese and stir until melted. Slowly add 8 oz shredded asiago cheese, whisking constantly. Add 1 pkg frozen spinach (thawed, drained) and stir until well mixed. Add the sauteed vegetables and stir well. Add about 1 c mozzarella cheese, slowly, stirring consantly. Pour into a 9x13 glass casserole dish, top with more mozzarella & asiago and a few sprinkles of paprika. Bake at 350 for 5-10 minutes until bubbly and the top is golden brown.
I made this up as I went along, so all measurements are estimated. This was AWESOME. We have a ton of it leftover, which I look forward to eating over the next week. Very creamy and decadent. Caroline was surprised it didn't have seafood in it. I think crab would definitely work. Serves about 50 as an appetizer.
Gravy
5 tbsp butter
1 1/2 c onion, finely chopped
5 tbsp flour
2 tsp paprika
1 c chicken broth
1 c dry white wine
3 c homemade chicken stock
1 1/2 tbsp turkey base (better than boullion)
1 tbsp sage
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp freshly cacked black pepper
2 tsp Vegit
1/2 tsp dry mustard
xanthan gum (if necessary)
Melt butter and sautee onions until golden. Add flour and stir until bubbly. Add chicken broth, stock, and wine and whisk until smooth. Add in turkey base and spices. Whisk until base is thoroughly dissolved and gravy begins to thicken. If necessary, sprinkle on small amounts of xanthan gum and whisk thoroughly to thicken more (or you can use corn starch mixed with cold water).
Again, all measurements are guesses. featherynscale called this gravy "fierce". :) Joy! Very robust flavor, with a good balance of herbs. Serves 16 or so.