Thanksgiving 2019 Recipes

Below are the features recipes that were part of the 2019 Thanksgiving Day Show, which aired on Nov. 24, 2019

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Pistachios

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

4 pounds Brussels sprouts, cleaned and trimmed
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 small red onions, cut into strips
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons white sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pistachios

Directions:

1. Place Brussels sprouts in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover saucepan and steam 6 -8 minutes or until Brussels sprouts are tender yet crisp.

2. Melt the butter in a deep skillet, add the onions and 3 tablespoons vinegar; cook until onions brown.

3. Add the Brussels sprouts, sugar and remaining vinegar. Sauté over medium heat until the Brussels sprouts are lightly caramelized.

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with pistachios

Not Your Grandmothers Succotash
yield: 6 – 8 servings

1/4 lb sliced bacon, small dice
1 small onion, small dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small summer squash, small dice
1 small zucchini, small dice
1 large fresh jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 (16-oz)package  frozen corn
1 (16-oz) package frozen baby lima beans
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons cider vinegar, or to taste
1 T chopped fresh thyme

1. Cook bacon in a large skillet over moderate heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels, leaving fat in skillet.
2. Add onion to skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in summer squash, zucchini and jalapeño, and cook, stirring, until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Add lima beans and corn, continue to cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes, vinegar, bacon and thyme, season with salt and pepper to taste

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Makes 3 cups

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks

1/2 cup half-and-half

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons light-brown sugar

Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. In a sauce pan place potatoes and cover with cold water, salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain, and return to saucepan.

2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring half-and-half, butter, and brown sugar to a simmer, stirring to combine; remove from heat. Add to drained sweet potatoes, and mash just until smooth; season with salt and pepper.

Getting It Done Days in Advance

Thanksgiving is a multifaceted meal, usually anchored by a big bird with many side dishes and pie! That’s why it’s nice to get as much prepared ahead as possible.

One Week (or More) Before

Turkey Stock — There’s no need to wait until you get your bird to make it. Pick up some turkey wings and turn them into a wonderfully flavored stock. You can also make the gravy at the beginning of the week. Save the pan drippings for a second batch of gravy for the leftovers!

Two to Three Days Before

Pies — Start by making pie dough three days ahead of time. Bake all pies at least a day before they will be served to develop flavors and set fruit-pie juices (at room temperature) or custards (in the refrigerator).

Vegetables — Chop all ingredients for stuffing and side dishes, then combine and label them in containers in the fridge.

Casseroles — Can be made on Tuesday and Wednesday and refrigerated. Turkeys need to rest for 45 – 60 minutes before carving so that time is perfect for baking and/or reheating your casseroles and sides.

A Buyer’s Guide to Turkey

Fresh

According to the USDA, a fresh turkey has never been chilled below 26 degrees or frozen. The organization recommends that you purchase a fresh turkey no more than two days ahead. Supermarket meat departments start taking orders for fresh turkeys a few weeks before Thanksgiving.

 Frozen

Every four or five pounds of meat requires 24 hours of thawing in the refrigerator, so a 12‐ to 16‐pound bird will take three to four days to thaw. (Place it on a rimmed baking sheet to corral any dripping juices.) Once thawed, it can stay in the fridge up to two days before roasting.

 What Turkey Size Should I Buy?

Calculate one pound per person. So, for a group of six, a six-pound turkey should suffice. Go for one that’s bigger if you want to have leftovers.

This is a great resource to figure out how much turkey to buy, how long it takes to thaw and cooking time.
http://www.butterball.com/calculators-and-conversions

Brining your turkey

Brining is like a marinade, as it keeps food moist and tender. Brining or salting is a way of increasing the moisture holding capacity of meat resulting in a moister product when it is cooked. Salt changes the structure of the muscle tissue in the meat which allows it to swell and absorb water and flavorings which results in a tender turkey or chicken once cooked.  When you add aromatics to the brine, the resulting roast is also infused with a subtle character all its own.

Method

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and cover.  Allow to cool completely, then pour into a large brining bag or pot. Place uncooked turkey in brine solution, then refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours.

When ready to roast turkey, remove turkey from brine. Submerge turkey in a pot or sink of fresh, cold water. Allow to sit in clean water for 15 minutes to remove excess salt from the outside.

Discard brine. Remove turkey from clean water, pat dry, and cook according to your normal roasting method.

THE BEST TURKEY BRINE

This turkey brine recipe is the EASIEST method for producing the most flavorful Roasted Turkey you have ever had. With these step by step directions for how to brine a turkey, you will be a rock star this at your holiday meal with very little effort on your part!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1-3 sprigs rosemary
1-3 sprigs thyme
2-4 bay leaves
1 cup carrot peels
1 cup apple peels
1 cup celery pieces
2 cups onion pieces
10-12 cups water

INSTRUCTIONS

Turkey Brine Recipe

1. Place salt, sugar, and vegetable and fruit scraps in a large stock pan.
2. Cover with cold, filtered water or chicken/turkey stock.
3. Bring brine to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, or until sugar and salt have dissolved in water.
4. Remove from heat and cool for 30 minutes, before storing in refrigerator to cool the remaining way.
5. At this point, you can strain off the solids from your brine. I typically leave them in the brine and then discard with brining bag in the morning after removing turkey from the brine.

How to Brine the Turkey

1. On the night before you plan to roast your turkey, place your thawed and cleaned out turkey into the brining bag or large pot/bucket.
2. Pour the brining liquid over the into the bag/bucket.
3. Pour cold water in to cover the bird completely in liquid–this is about 1 gallon of cold water.
4. Seal the brining bag/cover the bucket and refrigerate the turkey in the brine overnight.
5. Before roasting the turkey, remove the turkey from the brine and rinse off the excess salt on the turkey. Blot the turkey dry with paper towels.

Roast Turkey

1. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees.
2. Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees for 30 minutes.
3. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
4. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16-pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting.
5. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil for 15 – 30 minutes before carving.

NOTES

• This recipe is for a 10-14-pound turkey. Double for a larger turkey or cut in half for a turkey breast.
• It is best to brine a fresh turkey that has not been injected with a sodium solution.
• Instead of veggie and fruit scraps, you can use 2 chopped onions, 6 stalks of celery, 1 chopped apple, and 4 large carrots.
• Feel free to use more or less vegetables (the salt is the most important part of the turkey brine.)
• Use water, stock, or apple juice for the brining liquid.

Drink Recipes

Flag Hill Sparkling Martini

• 2 ¼ oz. Sparkling Apple Cranberry
• 1 ½ oz.  Karner Blue Gin
• Served in a martini glass with cinnamon stick to garnish

Served in a martini glass with cinnamon stick to garnish

Flag Hill Apple Brandy Fizz

• 6 ounces cranberry juice
• 3 ounces Flag Hill Apple Brandy
• 2 ounces simple syrup
• 2 ounces seltzer water or soda water
• Ice
• Cranberries, for garnish

• Add the cranberry juice, brandy, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker.
• Use a long spoon to stir until combined.
• Fill 2 rocks glasses with ice.
• Pour half of the cocktail into each glass. Do not fill each glass completely.
• Float 1 ounce of seltzer water on top of each cocktail and add a few cranberries to the glass.
• Serve immediately.