Thanksgiving is a holiday tailor-made for those of us who enjoy gathering friends and family together to share in a feast of fun, fare and tradition. It is an occasion to pause and acknowledge our blessings, and a time to express our gratitude to those people who make our lives a better place.
Eleanor Andersen, (queen of all that is Thanksgiving), and I have teamed up to share a collection of our favorite, tried and true Thanksgiving day recipes to make yours extra special.
Lisa & Eleanor's Favorite Thanksgiving Holiday Recipes
Homemade Butter
This recipe is inspired from a wonderful book, "Food, Gift, Love" by Maggie Battista. When giving butter as a gift, I like to wrap it in unbleached parchment and tie it with kitchen string.
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Cheesecloth
Ingredients
- 1 pint heavy cream
- ½ cup cold water
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt plus more to taste
Instructions
- Line a fine-mesh strainer with 4 layers of cheesecloth and place it over a deep bowl. Set aside.
- Place the cream into the bowl of a food processor. Blend 4 to 5 minutes until the butter separates from the liquid (the buttermilk). When most of the butter has separated from the buttermilk and formed tiny curd-=like bits, turn off the food processor. The process will go something like this: 1. After 1 minute, the cream starts to become whipped cream.2. After 1½ minutes, the mixture takes on a slightly pale yellow hue.3. After 4½ minutes, check it and feel the consistency. It should feel like soft butter.
- With a rubber spatula, scoop the entire contents of the food processor into the cheesecloth. (If it leaks through the cheesecloth then it's likely not yet separated enough-return it to the food processor and keep blending.) Press down on the butter to help push out all the remaining buttermilk. To further help it along, pull up the sides of the cheesecloth to fully enclose the butter. Squeeze and press on the cheesecloth to push out any remaining buttermilk.
- Clean out the bowl of your food processor completely. Remove the butter from the cheesecloth and return it to the food processor. Add the col water. Turn the food processor on for 30 seconds to clean the butter. This helps to wash the butter and remove extra buttermilk. (This is important because any remaining buttermilk will cause the butter to sour.)
- Return the butter to the cheesecloth in the sieve. Squeeze out any remaining buttermilk. Place the butter in a bowl. Using a rubber spatula, mix it with the sea salt.
- Store the butter well wrapped in plastic wrap and sealed in airtight container in the fridge up to 1 week or in the freezer up to 3 months. Store the buttermilk separately and use within 3 days.
Roast Turkey With Prosciutto-Hazelnut Crust
This recipe comes from the November 2003 issue of Bon Appétit. Hazelnuts and prosciutto are combined in a seasoned butter that coats the turkey as it roasts, and also flavors the gravy.
Servings 12
Equipment
- Instant Read Thermometer
Ingredients
Prosciutto Butter
- 1½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature 3 sticks
- 6 tbsp chopped hazelnuts
- 1½ tbsp Sherry wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tsp crushed black peppercorns
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¾ tsp salt
- 9 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto chopped
- 3 green onions chopped
Gravy Base
- Neck, heart, and gizzard reserved from one 16-18 pound turkey
- 3 large shallots finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 large fresh thyme sprig
- ½ tsp chopped fresh rosemary
- 4 cups low-salt chicken broth
Turkey
- 1 16-18 lbs turkey
- 1 onion quartered
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and halved
- 5 large fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 large fresh summer savory sprigs
- 1 tbsp crushed black peppercorns
- 5 cups low-salt chicken broth approximate measure
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
For prosciutto butter
- Place butter in large bowl. Mix in hazelnuts, vinegar, thyme, crushed pepper, garlic, and salt. Mix in prosciutto and green onions.
For gravy base
- Melt 2 tablespoons prosciutto butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add neck, heart, gizzard, shallots and bay leaf; sauté until brown, about 20 minutes.Add wine, thyme, and rosemary; boil until liquid is reduced almost to glaze, about 3 minutes.Add 4 cups broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until giblets and neck are tender, about 1 hour. Discard bay leaf and thyme sprig. Transfer neck and giblets to work surface. Chop enough giblets to measure 1 cup. Remove meat from neck and chop. Combine neck meat and chopped giblets in bowl with broth from pot. (Prosciutto butter and gravy base can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill butter; bring to room temperature before using. Chill gravy base until cold, then cover and keep chilled.)
For turkey
- Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 325°F. Rinse turkey inside and out; pat dry. Starting at neck end, slide hand between skin and breast, thigh, and leg meat to loosen skin. Set aside ¼ cup prosciutto butter for gravy. Spread 1 cup prosciutto butter over turkey meat under skin. Spread 1 cup prosciutto butter over outside of turkey. Sprinkle turkey inside and out with salt and pepper; place on rack set in large roasting pan. Place onion and next 4 ingredients in main turkey cavity. Tuck wing tips under; tie legs together loosely.
- Roast turkey uncovered 1½ hours. Tent turkey with foil; add 2 cups broth to pan. Roast until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175°F, occasionally basting with pan drippings and adding more broth to pan, about 2 hours longer. Transfer to platter; tent with foil. Let stand 30 minutes (internal temperature will increase 5 to 10 degrees).
- Strain pan juices into 8-cup measuring cup; spoon fat off top. Add reserved gravy base. Add enough chicken broth to mixture to measure 5 cups total. Melt reserved ¼ cup prosciutto butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add flour; whisk 1 minute. Gradually add pan-juice mixture, whisking constantly. Boil, whisking frequently, until gravy is very slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve turkey with gravy.
Perfect Pecan Pie
This recipe has a luscious texture, isn't too sweet and comes out perfect every time.
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup light corn syrup or maple syrup
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 1 unbaked pie crust
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Combine granulated sugar and eggs in a large bowl. Whisk together until well blended.Add corn syrup, ,melted butter, vanilla and salt. Stir in pecan halves and pour int a 9" unbaked pie crust.
- Place in oven and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour. A pice of foil may be placed over the top for the last few minutes of baking to prevent the edges of the crust from becoming too brown.
When Preparing Thanksgiving Dinner, Timing Is EVERYTHING!
Here is how Eleanor breaks things down.
