4 Day Turkey Day Game Plan

Monday & Tuesday:

•    Shopping for food, wine and flowers
•    Organize serving pieces, china, glassware, flatware and linens
•    Cube bread for stuffing, let dry overnight then put in zip lock bag
 (can freeze) 
•    Sauté sausage & vegetables for stuffing, put in zip lock bag (can freeze)
•    Toast nuts
•     Cut figs
•    Make pastry for tart & galette (can freeze)

Wednesday:

•    Set Table
•    Wash bird
•    Cut carrots
•    Cut parsley
•    Blanch Brussels Sprouts
•    Make Béchamel Sauce
•    Blind bake tart shell
•    Cut Cranberries/ prep filling except for pears

Thursday/ Thanksgiving:

•    Pull turkey out 1 hour ahead. 
•    Assemble stuffing. Stuff turkey, place in oven
•    Assemble galette & bake
•    Assemble Brussels Sprouts– reheat when ready to serve
•    Make gravy
•    Sauté carrots
•    Assemble and bake tart
•    Relax, Enjoy, Happy Thanksgiving!!

Greens & Mushroom Galette

Ingredients

Pastry:
1½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup unsalted butter cut into ½” cubes and cold
8T iced, cold water

Filling:
8 oz. mushrooms ( any Varity you like )
1 bunch Swiss chard
4T olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely diced
2 cloves garlic
1T fresh thyme, finely chopped
1T lemon zest
1 cup ricotta

1.    Preheat oven to 400º F. If you have a pizza stone, place it on a rack in the middle of the oven.

2. Pastry:In a food processor, add the flour, sugar and salt; pulse a few times until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture has pea size bits of butter. Add the cold water and pulse just until the mixture just starts to come together.

3.    Dump the dough onto a piece of plastic film, flatten into a rectangle, and chill for at least an hour.

4.    With a damp towel or vegetable brush, gently wipe the mushrooms to remove any dirt.  Remove the dead ends from the stems and slice into slices. Set aside. 

5.    Wash the Swiss chard, place in colander to drain but do not dry off. Chop the stems into small dice. Set aside. Chop the leaves into bite-size pieces. Set aside. 

6.    In a medium sauté pan with a lid over medium heat, add the 2 tablespoons of the oil.  When warm, add the onions and Swiss chard stems. Sauté until slightly soft, about 4 minutes.

7.    Add the garlic and cook an additional minute. 

8.    Add the leaves stir to combine. Place on the lid and cook for 3-4 minutes until the leaves are wilted. 

9.    Remove the lid Stir in the thyme and lemon zest.

10.    Place the Swiss chard into a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

11.    Place the pan back on the fire. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the mushrooms and sauté until brown and all the water has cooked off; about 4-6 minutes. 

12.    Place the mushrooms in a bowl and season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.

13.    Place a piece of parchment on the counter. Roll dough out into a 15 x 12-inch rectangle; transfer the dough to a baking pan.

14.    Spread the ricotta on the dough, leaving a ½-inch border.

15.    Spread out the Swiss chard on top of the ricotta.

16.    Sprinkle the mushrooms on top.

17.    Using the parchment paper to help you fold the ½-inch border over the vegetables, making pleats. Brush with beaten egg.

18.    Place the galette into the 400° F oven onto the pizza stone for 40-45 minutes, until brown.

19.    Pull the parchment paper with the tart off the baking sheet and place onto a cooling rack. Cool for 5-10 minutes.

20.    Cut into squares, place on platter and serve. Best served warm. 

TIPS & TRICKS

•    Pastry can be made ahead and kept frozen for up to 3 months in an air tight container or zip lock bag. Defrost in the refrigerator when needed.
•    You can use any mushrooms if you like. I used a combo of baby belle and button mushrooms. 
•    The galette makes a great lunch or picnic food. Serve cold or reheat in 350º oven for 5-8 mins. 
•    You could add other topping to this galette, like cooked sausage, chopped chicken, or crumbled cheese. I love goat cheese!
•    You can also change the vegetables to sautéed zucchini, eggplant, and peppers. Use about 1 cup of cooked veggies. Do not overfill or the crust will be soggy.

Brussels Sprout Gratin

Ingredients

2 pounds small Brussels sprouts, all about the same size
4 pieces bacon, cut into strips
2T olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2T flour
2 cups milk
¼ tsp. nutmeg
salt & pepper

1 cup panko breadcrumbs
¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1.    Preheat oven to 375° F.

2.    Wash then trim the bottom off the Brussels sprouts. Cut each one into half. 

3.    Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add 1 tsp. of salt. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook 3-4 minutes, just until they start to soften. 

4.    In a large-size sauté pan over medium heat, add the bacon and cook until crispy. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and place onto a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.

5.    If needed, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan (you may have enough oil left from cooking the bacon); add the onions and sauté until slightly soft, about 3-4 minutes. 

6.    Add the garlic and continue to cook 1-2 minutes more. 

7.    Sprinkle in the flour; stir until the onions are well coated with the flour.  Scrape the flour off the bottom of the pan, stirring for 1-2 minutes.  

8.    Add the milk mix until well combined and scrape the bottom of the pan to incorporate all the flour. Cook until the mixture thickens slightly, about 3-4 minutes.  Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Toss in the Brussels sprouts and stir until well coated.

9.    In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs and cheese. Stir until combined.  Set aside.

10.    Pour the sprouts mixture into a 10x12-inch baking dish.
11.    Sprinkle on top the bacon bits, then top with the breadcrumb mixture.
12.    Bake in a 375° F oven for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.  Allow to sit 5-10 minutes. Serve warm.

TIPS & TRICKS

•    You can do step #1-8 ahead of time. 
•    You can substitute brussels sprouts for blanched broccoli or cauliflower.

Cardamom Carrots

Ingredients

2T unsalted butter
1-inch piece ginger root, peeled and cut into pieces
1T cardamom seeds
2 pounds carrots, peeled, trimmed, and cut into sticks about 2 inches long
salt & pepper
½ cup chicken stock

1.    In a large sauté pan with a lid, over medium- heat, heat the butter; add the ginger and cardamom seeds and sauté 1-2 minutes.

2.    Add the carrots; toss until well coated.

3.    Add the chicken stock.

4.    Place a piece of parchment paper directly on top of the carrots, then cover with lid and cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated and the carrots are tender, but still have a little crunch to them, about 8-10 minutes.

5.    Discard the ginger and cardamom seeds. Season with salt and pepper. Place in serving dish. Serve warm.

Fig, Sausage & Sage Stuffing

Ingredients

2 baguettes, cut into ½” cubes (10-12 cups)
1 pound sausage, removed from casing
4T olive oil
3 large leeks, washed and finely diced, white & light green parts
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 ½  cups celery, medium dice (6 large stalks)
2 cup (8 oz.) mushrooms, washed and sliced
1½-cup chicken stock
½ cup white wine
3T fresh sage, chopped
½ cup dried mission figs, finely diced
½ cup toasted walnuts* rough chopped
2 eggs, beaten
salt & pepper

1.    Put the bread cubes on a baking sheet and let them dry completely; overnight or place in a 350° F oven for 10 minutes.

2.    In a medium size sauté pan over medium heat, heat 2T of the olive oil; add the sausage. Using a spoon, break it up into pieces and cook until brown. Remove the sausage from the pan with a slotted spoon and place into a large bowl.

3.    If needed, add the remaining 2T olive oil to the pan pan (you may have enough oil left from cooking the sausage); and sauté the leeks for 2–3 minutes, then and the garlic cook another minute. Add the celery and mushrooms. Continue cooking until slightly softened, about 5-8 minutes.

4.    To the large bowl with the sausage, add the bread cubes, sautéed vegetables, chicken stock, wine, sage, figs and walnuts. Mix until well combined. Taste and season with salt & pepper, then add the eggs and fold them into the stuffing. The stuffing mixture should look moist, but not have puddles of liquid. If too dry, add a little more wine or stock.

5.    Stuffing can be used to stuff turkey or place in baking dish cover with foil and bake place in a 350° F oven until hot, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for additional 5-10 minutes to brown and crisp up stuffing. 

•    To roast nuts: preheat oven 350º F.  Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes.  Shake the pan and continue baking until nuts are toasted, about 3-5 minutes more.  Let them cool. The roasted nuts can be store in an airtight container for weeks.

TIPS & TRICKS

•    You can cube and dry out your bread ahead of time. Store in an air tight container. It can also be frozen.
•    You can also do step #2 and 3 ahead of time and freeze them.

Perfect Thanksgiving Gravy

Ingredients

4T butter
5T flour
4 cups pan dripping or stock or combination of both
1T flat leaf parsley, chopped
salt and pepper

1.    Pour the pan dripping into a fat separator. Allow it to sit for a few minutes then pass through a strainer. If you do not have 4 cups of liquid add stock to make 4 cups.

2.    In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter; add the   flour and stir constantly.  Cook until light brown and smells like toast, approximately 2-3 minutes.

3.    Add the pan drippings while stirring. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook until slightly reduced and gravy has thickened, approximately another 4-6 minutes. 

4.    Season with salt and pepper to taste; add parsley.
5.    Serve with turkey and side dishes.

TIPS & TRICKS

•    This gravy is a little on the thin side. I like it this way so you can put it on top of everything!
•     If you wish it thicker gravy, simply take 1 tablespoon flour and mix it with 1 tablespoon soft butter until it forms a paste. Add just a marble size piece of the paste to the hot gravy then whisk till combine. Allow the gravy to cook a minute. Continue adding the butter mixture a little at a time until you reach your desired thickness. It should thicken up very quickly so add the mixture slowly. 

Perfectly Roasted Turkey

Ingredients

1 14-16 pound turkey
1T dried sage
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper

3 slices bacon, cut in half
fresh thyme & sage leaves
olive oil
3 cups chicken stock

1.    Preheat oven to 425° F.

2.    Wash the turkey inside and out, removing the little bag of goodies.
 

3.    Pat the turkey dry.
4.    In a small bowl, combine the dry sage, salt and pepper
 

5.    Using your fingers, separate the skin from the breast meat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place 3 half slices of bacon, thyme, and sage leaves under the skin of each breast.
 

6.    Rub the bird with olive oil, then rub with sage, salt and pepper mixture.
7.    Let stand on the counter for 1 hour.

8.    Stuff the cavity of the turkey with stuffing, not too stuffed.

9.    Place the stuffed turkey on the rack in a roasting pan, and then pour the stock into the pan.

10.    Place uncovered turkey in a preheated 425º F oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, cover the roasting pan with foil. Using potholders, crimp and press the foil into the edges of the pan making a tight seal and return to oven and reduce the heat to 350º F and continue roasting for 3½ more hours.

11.    Check the internal temperature; it should be 160-165º F deep in breast.  If it is not 165º F, recover with the foil and continue cooking, checking every 30 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 160-165º F.
 

12.    Remove foil; baste with pan drippings, and brown an additional 5-10 minutes. Remove from the oven.

13.    Rest the turkey at least 30 minutes before carving.

14.    To carve the turkey use a carving knife remove the leg and thigh. Then separate the leg from the thigh. Remove the meat from the bones and slice into chunks and place on platter. Repeat with other leg. 

15.    Remove the wings.

16.    Cut down the breastbone to remove the breast meat from the bone. Remove the bacon and herbs from under the skin. Slice into chunks and place on platter. Repeat with other side. Enjoy!

TIPS & TRICKS

•    I wash the turkey (step #2) the night before and then place it in a clean garbage bag. 
•    On Thanksgiving Day 6 hours before serving I take the turkey out of the refrigerator and start the recipe from step #3. This allows the turkey to sit an hour on the counter. Then it gives the bird 4 hours to roast. That leaves an additional hour to spare in case it needs longer roasting time and time to rest before carving.
•    The cooked turkey can sit up 1½ hour before carving. The meat will still be warm. Serve with plenty of hot gravy.

Cranberry, Ginger & Pear Tart

Ingredients

Pastry:
1½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. granulated sugar
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup unsalted butter cut into ½ inch cubes and cold
8T iced, cold water

Filling:
3 large ripe pears, Anjou or Bartlett
2 cups fresh cranberries
½ cup walnuts, toasted* 
¼ cup granulated sugar
2T crystalized ginger cut into small dice
½ tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt

Topping:
3T all-purpose flour
¼ cup walnuts, toasted* cut into small dice
¼ cup brown sugar
2T crystalized ginger cut into small diced
2T butter, softened

1.    Preheat oven to 400º F.

2.    Pastry:  In a food processor, add the flour, sugar and salt; pulse a few times until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture has pea size bits of butter. Add the cold water and pulse just until the mixture just starts to come together.

3.    Dump the dough onto a piece of plastic film, using the plastic to gather the dough and flatten into a circle, and chill for at least an hour.

4.    On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out into a circle slightly larger than your 10-inch tart pan, and then transfer the dough to the pan.

5.    Careful push the dough into the sides of the pan.  Trim off any excess dough. 

6.    Prick the bottom of the tart with a fork and line with parchment paper and pie weights.

7.    Bake at 400º F oven for 20 -25 minutes until till dough is set. Remove the tart from the oven, take out the pie weights and the parchment, and return the tart pan to the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes, until golden brown.

8.    Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

9.    Lower oven temperature to 350º F.

10.    Filling:  Peel the pears, core and slice into ¼ inch-thick slices and place into a medium-size bowl.

11.    In a food processor, coarsely chop the cranberries.  Add the walnuts. Pulse few times. Add mixture to the pears.

12.    Add the sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and salt to the cranberry-pear mixture.

12b. Tossing to combine. Spoon the filling into the crust.

13.    Topping: In a small bowl, mix the flour, walnuts, brown sugar, and ginger. Add the butter, combine with your fingers or fork, and sprinkle oven the filling.

14.    Place tart into the oven and bake at 350º F until the fruit is tender and the crust is brown, about 30-40 minutes. If crust starts to get too brown before the fruit inside is done, cover with foil.

15.    When tart is done, remove from oven and place onto a cooling rack.  Serve the tart warm or cool.

*    To roast nuts: preheat oven 350º F.  Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes.  Shake the pan and continue baking until nuts are toasted, about 3-5 minutes more.  Let them cool. The roasted nuts can be store in an airtight container for weeks.

TIPS & TRICKS

•    Pastry can be made ahead of time and kept frozen for up to 3 months in an air tight container or zip lock bag. Defrost in the refrigerator when needed.
•    The tart is best enjoyed the day it is made, but you can:
•    Bake the crust the day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and store on the counter. Don’t refrigerate.
•    Topping can be made ahead.
•    Except for the pears, the filling ingredients can be prepared ahead. The day of serving, peel the pears and combine with the other filling ingredients. Then fill the crust and bake.