November…ah, Fall in Washington is truly amazing. Brilliant leaves, earthy scents rising up from all around, a newfound chill in the air and the excitement of family and friends gathering together to share a meal and give thanks. That’s the goal, anyway.
We, maybe like you have a few stories that conflict with this ‘Rockwelian’ scene. Call it modern family ‘out takes’, if you will.
Like the year I left Uncle Gilles in charge of the mashed potatoes (okay, I wasn’t switched onto the fact that the French don’t mash potatoes…). 11:30 am, a bottle of Chardonnay and a quart of half and half later…we had potato soup. I joined him in a glass of bubbly, tossed together a batch of cheesy potatoes and no one had a clue (but I get to look back and giggle…one of many Thanksgiving ‘out takes’).
Or the time we had ordered pizza (the night before the big feast), to keep things simple and out-of-the-way of the impending hustle and bustle only to enter the kitchen and discover the dog had stood up on the counter, taken the pizza out of the box- eaten off the tops off and left the crusts strewn about the house. Have you ever tried to get marinara sauce off of a white carpet? Like I had time to get the Bissell out. Damn dog…but we love her.
Might like to forget the year my honey was a little tipsy and decided the gravy was good enough to chug…literally. The coaxing from the ranks at the table didn’t help any…honey, can we not ever do that again?? An original ‘out take’ for sure.
Or the time I started the dishwasher early, (so organized getting the mess cleared before making another mess) to come back in and discover I had grabbed the wrong soap, and a foot of foaming bubbles with its free flowing carpet of suds was adorning the floor… LLucy!!
Or the Thanksgiving evening I got the call that my mother had died…
All the memories are at once funny, fantastic, frantic, melancholy and wholly wonderful. Of all of them, the following is what I look forward to year after year…and can count on with thanks, without fail;
My family sitting together around the table. I get very quiet, and just listen. Listen to the laughter, the chatter, the stories they tell to one another, the serving of one another, the poking fun, the free form thankfulness flowing from their hearts toward one another and beyond. The audible enjoyment of the food and the company. These are the sounds of the season that bring me closest to Spirit, that send my heart to its knees in pure thanks for all that we have
TIPS FOR THE FEAST:
Get your table set the night before, if you can. Get all your new candles out and in place, so all you have to do is light them. Have your music selection chosen and in the player. Make sure the chilled drinks are in a cooler or the garage or if room, in the fridge. Make sure the kitchen is cleaned up and the dishes are washed and put away before you eat.
I know, all this sounds so obvious…but you’d be surprised what you can forget when you get moving quickly in the kitchen! Taking care of all the little stuff ahead makes a huge difference.
Now…onto the Food!!
I would like to say upfront, that Turkey is not my favorite meat. We stick with the tradition…but other birds are sooo much better, oh well. In attempting to dress up the old bird, and make him (her?) as tasty-tasty as possible, I have found that Brining provides the best results for flavor, moisture/texture. Here is the Brining recipe I have modified over the last few years:
BRINE:
1 c. Salt (I use Kosher or Sea Salt)
1 c. Brown Sugar
2 Oranges, quartered
2 Lemons, quartered
6 Sprigs Thyme
4 Sprigs Rosemary
Dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a non-reactive container. I place a plastic garbage bag liner in a (new, used only for brining…)garbage pail. Squeeze and add citrus, crumple and add herbs. I brine the Turkey overnight in the pail (with a lid) outside or in the garage, as we have no room and it is cold enough here to get away with it. An extra refrigerator would be ideal.
When you are ready to ‘dress’ the bird, take it out of the brine (toss the brine, and the bag full of ingredients right away). Dry the bird and dress as you normally would.
Get your Gravy (and stock) started early, it will make your life so much easier. This Gravy is Good enough to Chug (I’ve seen it done)…but I don’t recommend it.
STOCK: Pick up some turkey wings at the grocer a few days before. Salt and Roast the wings in a 350* oven for 30-40 minutes or until nicely browned. Boil the wings (and all the bits from the roasting pan) to make the base for the stock. Separate the fat, discard the bones and keep only the meat. Can be frozen ahead, or made a few days ahead.
DO AHEAD GRAVY:
Making this a day in advance really helps out…
6 Tbsp flour
4 Tbsp. softened butter
8-10 c. roasted Turkey Stock (from the wings you made earlier, or you can buy it…)
4 tsp. chopped fresh sage
1/2 tsp. salt (to taste, depends on your stock…)
1/2 tsp. white pepper
Combine flour and butter in a med. bowl. Heat a large saucepan over high heat. Add 4 c. stock, bring to a boil. cook until reduced to 1 c (10 min). Add remaining stock, bring to a boil. Stir 1 c stock into flour mixture, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Pour mixture into saucepan, reduce heat to med-low and cook until thickened (5-10 min). Stir in sage, salt and pepper. Can add meats and bits from the turkey roasting pan before serving if you like your gravy with extra stuff in it.
STUFFING:
To stuff or not to stuff…personally, I’m a stuffer (the bird that is). I think it gives a better flavor both to the bird and to the stuffing. I know, I know…bacteria, yada, yada…it’s worth the risk. Everyone likes their stuffing a certain way…I have modified this recipe over the years and it is a family favorite. It’s a long recipe…and I am over typing…if you want the recipe I am happy to share, send me an email and I will get it to you right away! (kerry@kerrycoleart.com)
Last but not least…
Atmosphere!
Here are a few music suggestions to help set the mood! You can download these from Itunes to make an interesting cd or add to your existing playlist!
Al Green/Just for Me
She & Him/Why do you let me stay here?
Fleet Foxes/White Winter Hymnal
Bob Marley/No More Trouble
Los Lobos/Kiko and the Lavender Moon
The Raconteurs/Old enough
The National/You’ve done it again Virginia
James Taylor/October Road
(Nina Simone, Hot Chip, Lenine, Ray Davies, The Pipettes are some other artists with perfect music for thanks)
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone, and here’s to another year of unexpected out-takes!!!
~Kerry
