Talkin' Turkey Day

OK, by now just about everyone has heard my spiel about brining the turkey. My lectures are working! I have been getting requests for my brine recipe for several days now, enough so that I posted it on Facebook. (see below in case you have missed seeing it previously).

So for this year's pre-Thanksgiving blog post, I am going to talk about two other important parts of the traditional meal - gravy and mashed potatoes. I make both ahead and reheat while the turkey is resting after coming out of the oven. The time it takes for the turkey juices to redistribute (about an hour) is the same amount of time it will take for the mashed potatoes to be heated through until bubbling and for the gravy to simmer and thicken.

To start the gravy, I make a stock a few days in advance. I picked up a package of turkey necks at the grocery store this week, but turkey wings will also work. I roasted the necks and an onion (peel on, for extra flavor) at 400 degrees until brown and slightly caramelized (see photo). This will give the stock deeper color and flavor. These went into a stock pot along with a rough-chopped stalk of celery. I added about 2 cups of water and 2 cups of stock from the grocery store. I generally use chicken stock, but when I went to make it last evening we had only beef stock, so in it went. The stock simmered for about 2 hours. I discarded the necks and onion and placed the pot in the refrigerator. The fat will rise to the top and solidify....you can just pop it off before heating. You can use the fat to start your gravy, or use butter or oil, whichever you prefer. Add flour to the melted fat, whisking and cooking for several minutes, then add the turkey stock. Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened. Taste....does it need more salt and pepper? When the turkey is resting on the carving board I pour the pan drippings into one of those fat separating cups, discarding the fat. The good stuff left on the bottom is added to the gravy base for even more turkey flavor. If for some reason it just isn't tasting the way you want (which can happen, despite your best efforts), a tablespoon or two of chicken or turkey base (in the soup aisle at the grocery store) will round things out.

The mashed potatoes recipe was given to me by one of my students, back when I ran a little cooking school in Maryland. The extra ingredients allow the potatoes to be reheated several times without drying out. Before making them this way I remember heating up mashed potatoes with milk in a sauce pan, and the texture was never right after that first time. Yes, these have a some extra fat and calories for sure, but it's Thanksgiving. We can worry about that later. When we wake up from our food coma, after the football game. And after some pumpkin pie and a brisk walk around the block. Enjoy your dinner and your day....Happy Thanksgiving!

The Recipes

Turkey Brine

1 cup salt
1 cup brown sugar
2 oranges, quartered
2 lemons, quartered
6 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs rosemary

Dissolve the salt and brown sugar in two gallons cold water. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring to combine. Add the turkey and chill overnight. (If you have an extra-large turkey and need more brine, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water.)

Day Before Mashed Potatoes

5 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 stick butter
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add potatoes and cook until fork tender. Drain and return to pot. Add remaining ingredients and using a masher or hand mixer, combine until smooth. Add milk or cream to thin if needed. Transfer to a baking dish, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before baking for approximately 45 minutes at 350, until heated through and bubbling.

It's in the Air

This is my favorite time of year in Key West. The major tourism events are over, the humidity has finally gone, and the holidays are just around the corner. We've actually had a brief hot spell, but today's forecast promises a return to coolness with falling temps this afternoon. My windows will be open and the curtains will be blowing in the breeze. And that breeze is what late fall/winter in Key West is ALL about. It's just heavenly....cool air with the scent of the sea and tropical flowers somewhere in the background.

This is the time of year that I truly appreciate living here. The light changes to make the shadows deeper. Flowers and plants that were on break from last fall and winter and just bursting with blooms. After struggling to wake up in darkness each morning (is it 2:30 in the morning or 6:30? Both looked the same before daylight savings arrived a few weekends ago) my whole family starts stirring as the sun starts to rise. And after a full day of doing whatever it is we do, it's refreshing to see the sun start to set earlier. Especially when you may need to grab a light sweater or wrap to sit outside and enjoy it. People have told me that they could never live here year-round because they would miss the seasons. Ours are certainly different than those of the mid Atlantic region, but each season is distinct and brings its own pleasures. Maybe we just have to look for them a little harder.

It has been busy, busy, busy here on Duncan Street. I haven't had the time to sit down and write a blog post since October 30! In the last few weeks we have covered everything from getting braces to redoing the girls' room to organizing a large-scale school event. And don't forget that pesky kitchen renovation, lurking in the background of all the other activities and events. I am thrilled to report that the new counter tops arrive tomorrow. Those plywood counter tops WILL NOT be missed! We still have some painting to do throughout the house and one wall of accent wallpaper to hang, but after the construction and mess and long wait for completion, I am looking forward to tackling some easy DIY stuff.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and I am so happy that my obligations are met and our home is falling into place just now, the week before the big day. I am extremely thankful this year for many, many things. I am looking forward to cooking my favorite meal of the year in the new kitchen space, and to serving it to family and friends on the long dining table we had moved from Maryland. The table was the board table at one of John's father's banks (he was president of five banks in his career). His parents had it refinished and used it for a dining table for many years, and they passed it on to us when we finished the major reconstruction on our 1897 row house in Frederick. That table held hors d'oeuvres at our wedding reception, rows of silver julep cups at our annual Kentucky Derby bashes, and Mari 'cruised' between the chairs while she was learning to walk. I look forward to making many more memories gathered together around it here in Key West.

How to Brine a Turkey

I'm afraid people are going to start calling me the Crazy Turkey Brining Lady....the subject has come up many times this past week, and I've certainly done my best to share my enthusiasm. If you haven't already heard this in person at Isle Style, Publix or the Basilica School, here is how to do it:

In a large stock pot or brining bag (they have those now at the grocery store), combine about 2 gallons cold water with 1 cup kosher salt and 1 cup brown sugar. Stir to dissolve. Slice two oranges into quarters....do the same to two lemons. Toss in lime if you've got it or want to use it up. Add a handful of fresh rosemary stems, and a handful of fresh thyme stems. Add the thawed or fresh turkey - make sure you removed the package of giblets from inside the cavity! This needs to sit in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, and I usually do it overnight.

When it is time to get the turkey ready for the oven, remove it from the brine (discard the brine) and drain any remaining liquid by turning it upside down. Place in your roasting pan and dry with paper towels. Rub with softened butter or oil, and season liberally with salt and pepper, inside and out. I roast my turkey at 325 degrees. And here is another tip - start roasting it BREAST SIDE DOWN. About half way through, flip it over. This ensures that the breast meat won't dry out and the dark meat will cook through. There are many cooking time charts online to figure out just how long to cook your bird....just type in the weight. The photo is last year's Thanksgiving turkey....it was delicious!

Six days out....Thanksgiving prep

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and the traditional turkey dinner is my favorite meal to prepare. I look forward to it, and I really enjoy the planning and preparations. Brining the turkey is truly the best thing you can do for a moist, flavorful bird. Seriously. If you haven't done it yet, make this year the year....you will never go back, I promise! (I will post my brine recipe in my next post.) In Maryland, I would put the turkey and brine mixture outside on the patio over night, with a rock on the stock pot lid to prevent any squirrels or other critters from getting involved. The outside temp was always in the high 30s or low 40s, just like the inside of the refrigerator. Not the case here in Key West! So my first official prep project is to clean out our outside 'beer and bait' fridge to make room for the turkey and all the extras. I've been cleaning out the refrigerator in the kitchen all week, using up or discarding leftovers and produce. It's nice to have the space available, plus it's a great way to start the shopping list. This morning I am also going to go through the freezer and check the cabinets to see what staples I already have on hand. My small island kitchen dictates these inventories....I don't have the space to keep extra stuff. The photo below shows John's cooler contraption to brine the turkey for our first Thanksgiving here in 2010, before we had the second refrigerator. We had only lived here for seven months but we had a house full of friends join us. The more the merrier on Thanksgiving, for sure. :)