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Thanksgiving, basted in traditionBy Times staff writer © St. Petersburg Times, published November 8, 2000
Smoke-Grilled Cider-Basted Turkey
For cider baste:
For turkey:
6 cups mesquite chips, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes, drained (See note) To make cider baste, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 1 minute. Add the chili powder and stir for 30 seconds. Add the cider, rosemary, sage and salt. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to very low. Simmer for 10 minutes. Cool completely. If the turkey has a pop-up thermometer, remove it. Reserve the neck and giblets for another use. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water. Pat the turkey skin dry. In a small bowl, mix the apple, onion, garlic, chili powder, rosemary, sage and salt. Turn the turkey on its breast. Loosely fill the neck cavity with the apple mixture. Using a thin wooden or metal skewer, pin the neck skin to the back. Fold the turkey's wings akimbo behind the back or tie to the body with kitchen string. Loosely fill the large body cavity with the remaining apple mixture. Place the drumsticks in the hock lock or tie together with kitchen string. Place the turkey on a roasting rack, breast-side up, in a large disposable aluminum foil pan. Cover the turkey loosely with plastic wrap and set aside while you light the grill. Light 5 pounds of charcoal briquettes in the grill and let burn until covered with white ash, about 30 minutes. Using a garden spade (protect your hands with an oven mitt), bank equal amounts of the coals on each side of the grill. Place the roasting pan on the cooking grate in the center of the grill. Sprinkle a handful of drained chips over the coals. Pour 2 cups of water into the roasting pan. Baste the turkey with the cider mixture. Cover the grill and cook until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 180 degrees, about 3 to 31/2 hours. Add more hot coals and drained wood chips every 30 to 40 minutes to maintain a temperature of about 325 degrees, and baste the turkey. Transfer the turkey to a platter and let stand for 20 minutes. Note: This recipe calls from mesquite chips, which some barbecue experts says is too harsh for subtle poultry meat. You can substitute hickory chips. Source: "Thanksgiving 101" by Rick Rodgers (Broadway Books, 1998). Apricot Sausage Stuffing
Quarter the apricots or cut into 1/2inch pieces. In a small bowl, combine the apricots, raisins, apple juice and vinegar. Cover and allow the fruit to marinate at room temperature overnight. In a medium skillet, melt the butter over moderate heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape into a large bowl and add the croutons; toss briefly. In the same skillet, cook the sausage over moderate heat, stirring to break the meat into small pieces until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Strain to drain off the fat. Add the sausage to croutons and toss lightly. Add the walnuts, parsley, thyme, pepper and marinated fruit with its liquid; toss to mix. Makes about 8 cups (enough for an 18-pound turkey). Note: When you are ready to use the stuffing, pack it loosely into the turkey; any leftover stuffing may be baked, covered, in a buttered dish alongside the turkey until heated through, about 30 minutes. (For health reasons, never stuff a turkey until right before it goes into the oven.) Source: Russ Buchan. Zucchini Custard
Bring about 6 quarts of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the zucchini and let the water return to the boil. Boil for 30 seconds, then drain well. Spread the zucchini in a single layer on kitchen towels and let dry for several hours, or all day. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Mix the zucchini with the cream, eggs, cheese and pepper. Pour the mixture into a 9- or 10-inch pie plate or ceramic quiche pan. Place on a baking sheet in the lower third of the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until puffed, brown, custardy and set. Serve immediately. Source: "American Food and California Wine" by Barbara Kafka. Triple-Cranberry Sauce
Combine cranberry juice concentrate and sugar in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add fresh and dried cranberries and cook until dried berries begin to soften and fresh berries begin to pop, stirring often, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in orange marmalade, orange juice, orange peel and allspice. Cool completely. Cover; chill until cold, about 2 hours. (Can be made three days ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Makes about 21/2 cups. Source: Bon Appetit, November 1993. Sour Cream or Buttermilk Corn Bread
Sift together the corn meal, flour, baking powder and soda, salt and brown sugar. Sift again. Beat the egg thoroughly, then add the melted butter, sour cream and milk, or buttermilk, and beat them all together. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and beat thoroughly. Pour the batter into a buttered round 9-inch shallow earthenware dish or cake pan. Bake in a preheated 425-degree oven for 20 minutes. Serve warm from the pan. Makes one 9-inch round. Source: "The Book of Bread" by Judith and Evan Jones, Harper and Row, $15.95. Indian Pudding with Nutmeg Ice CreamFor ice cream:
For pudding:
For ice cream: Stir ice cream and nutmeg in medium bowl to blend. Cover with foil and freeze. (Can be prepared three days ahead. Keep frozen.) Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter an 8- by 8- by 2-inch glass baking dish. Combine cornmeal and salt in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in 21/2 cups milk. Whisk over medium heat until mixture boils. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until mixture is thick and creamy, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Whisk in butter. Remove from heat. Whisk eggs, molasses, brown sugar, sugar, ground ginger and cinnamon in large bowl. Gradually whisk in hot cornmeal mixture. Stir in raisins. Pour pudding into prepared baking dish. Pour remaining 1/2 cup milk over pudding (do not mix into pudding). Place pudding dish in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of pudding dish. Bake pudding until just set, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove pudding from roasting pan. Cool until lukewarm, about 20 minutes. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cool; cover with plastic and let stand at room temperature. Rewarm covered pudding in microwave oven on low about 8 minutes.) Spoon warm pudding into shallow bowls. Top with scoop of ice cream. Serves 10. Source: Bon Appetit, November 1996. Not-Your-Grandmother's Succotash
Cook the salt pork in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Cook until the stock is reduced to about 1/4 cup, 12 to 15 minutes. Add corn, lima beans and thyme. Cook, stirring often, until heated through, about 3 minutes. (The succotash can be prepared to this point up to one day ahead, cooled, stored in self-sealing plastic bags and refrigerated. Reheat gently in a large skillet over low heat. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until they are heated through but not collapsing, about 2 minutes. Season with the pepper and add salt to taste (be careful, as the salt pork may have seasoned the succotash enough). Transfer to a heated serving dish and serve hot.
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