The mouth-watering smell of roasting turkey will fill my house for the next two weeks. No, I haven’t added a drive-through window to my kitchen. Rather, students will be coming to ChezM to learn how to tackle Thanksgiving dinner. This workshop has been on the schedule for the past 25 years. I could never take it off. On Tuesday evening, the first of two classes of 12 students will prepare an entire meal in 3 hours. (I don’t advise you try this at home.)
As we work, I will field questions about how to manage this bountiful meal. In addition to the logistics, we will discuss how home cooks can pare down the menu. My message of empowerment: If Aunt Nora is expecting to find a sweet potatoes and marshmallow casserole (fill in with your own nemesis dish) on the table, she’ll have to bring it herself.
For my blog readers who will miss our pre-holiday meals, I’m posting what I consider the essentials for an outstanding dinner. First, I urge you to draw up a timetable and prepare as much of the meal as possible a day or two in advance. Roasting the turkey should be the only major job left for Thursday, aside from keeping the relatives off the topic of politics. If you have only one oven, reheat the side-dishes once the turkey is out of the oven. It can wait as long as an hour covered in foil.
The other important tip is to have a pot of brown turkey stock bubbling on a back burner. Making stock is too much work? I’ll show you below that it’s not. Let me add, every time I hold a comparative tasting of homemade and commercial chicken broth store-bought is found wose than inferior: it’s vile. Water would be preferable- the choice of Puritans.
Once made, turkey stock can serve as a medium for soup, to moisten stuffing and to braise vegetables. Save half to splash on sliced turkey or to make gravy. Without further ado, here’s my recipe:
1. Roasting turkey parts and vegetables
Heat oven to 450 degrees.
Oil a roasting pan..
Place 5 pounds turkey parts in the pan.
Roast for 20 minutes.
Turn the pieces over.
Roast another 20 minutes.
Chop 4 carrots and 2 onions with skins on.
Turn the turkey parts a second time.
Add carrot and onion pieces.
Roast another 20 minutes.
Note: Tie 4 springs Parsley, 2 sprigs thyme, 1 bay leaf and 10 peppercorns in cheesecloth. Add this bag and chopped celery to the pot after skimming the pot.
2. Simmering broth
Transfer the browned turkey and vegetables (photo at the top of the blog) to an 8 quart pot.
Cover with cool water by one inch.
Pour fat out of the roasting pan.
Add 1 cup water to the roasting pan; scrape the bottom clean and add this to the pot
Bring water to a simmer.
Skim off foam on the surface.
Add the celery and cheesecloth bag.
Simmer slowly for 3 hours.
Add water to maintain the original level of liquid in the pot
3. Straining and skimming broth
Transfer the turkey broth to a clean 5 quart saucepan.
(Discard meat and vegetables)
Chill broth overnight.
Skim off the thin layer of fat on the broth.
4. Reducing broth to stock
Simmer and reduce to 2 quarts of stock.
Use immediately or refrigerate 3 - 4 days.
Freeze after 4 days.
