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Category: Thanksgiving
A poll
I wanted to thank everyone who has subscribed recently. I’ve seen some fellow WordPress bloggers and also someone with an address from Whole Foods, which is a great market!
My readers are so important to me and I love to get your feedback!
Let’s try a poll!
Aren’t you glad you don’t really have to choose just one!
Good Gravy!
Turkey just isn’t the same without a nice rich gravy. Here’s how I make mine.
1. After you put your turkey on the carving board, you’ll see you have a lot of delicious drippings left in the pan. Measure out 8 TBS. and discard the rest. (Don’t pour it down the sink unless you want a clogged drain!)
2. Return the 8 TBS you measured out to the pan. Stir, scraping up all the delicious browned bits of skin and turkey that remained stuck on the bottom of the pan. These have a lot of flavor.
3. Add enough flour to make a thick paste, stirring until it’s smooth. I like using Wondra brand flour, because it’s very fine and doesn’t make lumps.
4. VERY gradually pour in about 4 cups of broth or stock, stirring constantly as it thickens.
5. If you want a richer, deeper color, stir in 1 tsp. Gravy Master, available in the spice aisle.
6. Salt and pepper to taste.
7. If you have any lumps, despite all the stirring, you can pour the gravy through a mesh sieve.
Enjoy!
Stay tuned later in the week. I’ll be running my first-ever contest, and one of my readers will win a great prize!
Let’s Talk Turkey!
A lot of people worry about cooking a whole turkey, but there’s no reason to worry at all!
Keep a few things in mind.
1. Count your guests. If you have 12 people, get a 12-pound turkey, 15 people, get a 15-pound turkey, and so on. You get the idea!
2. If you buy a frozen instead of fresh, leave plenty of time for it to defrost (About 2 full days for a 12-pound turkey. Defrost in the fridge. That’s the safest way!!)
3. Do not, not, not forget to remove the giblets before roasting! You can discard them or save them to make gravy later.
Here’s a nice basic recipe using fresh herbs.
- 1 turkey (about 12-14 pounds)
- 1 TBS. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- a bunch of fresh thyme
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 2 celery ribs, sliced
- 2 large carrots, sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup melted margerine or butter
- 1 tsp. minced fresh sage
- 1 tsp. minced chives
- 1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
- Rub the turkey inside and out with salt and pepper. Place several sprigs of thyme in cavity. In a large roasting pan, place onions, celery, carrots, bay leaves, and more thyme sprigs. Place the turkey, breast side up, over vegetables. Drizzle margerine or butter over the turkey and sprinkle with minced herbs.
- Cover loosely with foil. Bake at 325° for 2-1/2 hours. Remove foil; bake 1-1/2 to 2 hours longer or until a meat thermometer reads 180°, basting every 20 minutes.
- Cover and let stand for at least 20 minutes before carving to let the juices settle. Discard bay leaves and use the pan drippings for gravy (Wondra brand flour is great for making a nice, smooth gravy. I’ll talk about that in my next post.)
Time to Start Planning for Thanksgiving
One of the best things you can do for your Thanksgiving guests is throw away that old, dusty can of poultry seasoning you’ve had for 10 years (almost as long as I’ve been alive!)
Thanksgiving is a great time to use fresh herbs. In the next few weeks I’ll be posting lots of great recipes for your Thanksgiving dinner, from appetizers to side dishes to the big bird itself.
So, start thinking about frsh thyme, rosemary, and parsley. We’ll need all of them when we get to my instructions for making the most flavorful turkey ever.
So strap yourselves in and get ready to be Thanksgivified!
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