Being Thankful + full menu

This year, our American Thanksgiving shares a calendar square with the festival of lights - two holidays connected by a kindred sense of gratitude.

Food has traditionally been a familial association with each -- so while we'd planned to spend a quiet Thanksgiving at home (a first for us) with the dogs, in our sweats, enjoying time together in the kitchen, being grateful for the day off work, and the time we're able to share together each day -- we felt an entirely different type of gratitude when my grandmother died in her sleep the night before.

Loss is rooted deeply in this holiday.  Remembering the strong matriarch that she was, while pouring martinis in her honor, we decided to reinvent our day. 

Menu:
Cider Brine-Roasted Turkey with Herb Butter
Hard Cider Gravy
Challah Stuffing with Sausage + Fennel
Cauliflower Gratin
Pumpkin Pie

Cider Brine-Roasted Turkey with Herb Butter | Serves 8 to 12
Adapted from recipe by Sam Bealle

For the Brine:
2 quarts water
2 quarts apple cider
3/4 cup kosher salt
2 bay leaves
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
3 fresh thyme sprigs

1 turkey, 12 to 14 lb, neck and giblets removed, neck saved for gravy

For the Butter:

5 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon each: chopped rosemary, sage, and thyme

To make the brine, in a large saucepan over high heat, bring the water, cider, and salt to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt. Off the heat, add the bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme. Let cool.

Place the turkey in a large pot or brining bag. Add the brine plus enough water so the turkey is completely covered. Refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours.

Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse with cold water and pat dry. Place on a baking sheet. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 12 hours.

In a small bowl, mix together 4 tablespoons of butter with chopped herbs; season generously with salt and pepper.

Let the turkey stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 450°F.

Set turkey in rack with gravy vegetables (onions, carrots, and celery) and the turkey neck at the bottom of the pan. Working from the neck end, loosen the skin with your fingers and rub herb butter under the skin.

Place rack in a large roasting pan. Transfer to the oven and reduce the oven to 400°F. Roast for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven to 350°F. Continue roasting until the internal temperature of the breast registers 165°F and the thigh, 175°F, 2 to 2 1/2 hours more. Transfer the turkey to a carving board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

 

Challah Stuffing with Sausage and Fennel
adapted from bon appétit

1 challah loaf, cut into ½” cubes, set out to dry 1-2 days ahead of time
1 pound bulk breakfast sausage or links, casings removed
10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, divided, plus more for baking dish
1 medium fennel bulb, chopped, plus fronds for serving
4 celery stalks, chopped
4 shallots, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram or oregano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
2 cups (or more) low-sodium chicken broth, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 300°. Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up with a spoon, until dark brown, 6–8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a small bowl; let cool.

Reduce heat to medium and heat 8 Tbsp. butter in same skillet. Add fennel, celery, shallots, and garlic and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Add wine, increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring occasionally, until wine is almost completely evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Increase oven temperature to 400°. Butter a 13x9x2” baking dish. Combine sausage, fennel mixture, parsley, marjoram, thyme, sage, and 1½ cups broth in a large bowl. Add bread and toss to combine; season with salt and pepper. Let sit 10 minutes, then add remaining ½ cup broth and toss, adding more broth if needed (bread should be very moist but not soggy). Add eggs and mix gently just to combine. 

Transfer stuffing to prepared baking dish and dot with remaining 2 Tbsp. butter.  Cover stuffing with foil and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until stuffing is golden and crisp on top, 20–30 minutes longer.

  
 

 

Cauliflower Gratin | serves 6-8
adapted from Deb Perelman

1 head cauliflower, cut into large florets
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups hot milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3/4 cup freshly grated Gruyere, divided
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Cook the cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, whisking constantly for 2 minutes, until the roux turns tan and nutty. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Off the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the Gruyere, and the Parmesan.

Pour 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish. Place the drained cauliflower on top and then spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top. Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of Gruyere and sprinkle on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the gratin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned and bubbly. Serve hot or at room temperature.

(This can easily be put together up to a day beforehand, and popped into the oven prior to serving.)

Rich Cider Gravy | makes 3 cups
adapted from Martha Stewart

• Vegetables and turkey neck roasted under the turkey
• 1 cup hard apple cider
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups chicken stock

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
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• Take the finished turkey out of the roasting pan to rest before carving. Place the pan on stove across two burners. Bring pan liquids to a boil over high heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring, until vegetables are browned, 8 to 10 minutes more. (If pan begins to burn, turn off one burner, and push vegetables so they're over other burner.)

Pour drippings through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium saucepan; discard solids.

• Add back in drippings and 1 cup hard cider. Cook, stirring constantly, until syrupy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2/3 cup all-purpose flour; cook, stirring, until flour is incorporated and browned, about 2 minutes.
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• Slowly add 4 cups of stock; bring to a simmer, stirring, about 5 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until gravy reaches desired consistency, 10 to 15 minutes.  Add water, half a cup at a time, if too thick. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Keep warm; whisk well before serving.
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• Pumpkin Pie
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• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
  1 tablespoon cornstarch
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  1 teaspoon ground ginger
  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  1 1/2 cups fresh Pumpkin Puree, or canned
  3 large eggs, lightly beaten, plus 1 egg for glaze
  1 1/2 cups evaporated milk (to my alarm on Thanksgiving morning, I realized that my can in the pantry was in fact sweetened condensed milk, and not evaporated milk.  I reached for the cartons of half and half and eggnog in the refrigerator, using a cup of nog blended with a half cup of half and half - voila!)
  Pâte Brisée
  1 tablespoon heavy cream 
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  Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a stand mixer, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pumpkin puree, and 3 eggs. Beat well. Add evaporated milk, and combine. Set aside.
  
  Between two pieces of plastic wrap, roll pate brisee into a 12-inch circle. Fit pastry into a 9-inch glass pie plate; trim dough evenly along edge, leaving about a 1/2-inch overhang. Pinch to form a decorative edge. If the dough begins to soften, chill for 15 minutes.
  
  Make the glaze: Beat the remaining egg, and combine with heavy cream. Brush glaze very lightly on edges of pie shell. Fill pie shell with pumpkin mixture.
  
  Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 35-45 minutes more (until pumpkin is set in the center). Cool on a wire rack.

Don't forget to pour yourself a generous glass of holiday cheer!