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The holidays are there and that means cooking big meals for family and friends.   For the last 3 years I've basically been doing the Kenji playbook: Sous vide and deep fried turchetta (Kenji)  Stuffing waffles (Kenji)  Hasselback potato gratin (Kenji)  Brussels sprouts (not Kenji)  48 hour sous vide short ribs (Momofuku)  Turkey cake pops (not Kenji)  We can use this thread to share ideas and ask for suggestions on what to make and how to make it. IDEAS FOR THANKSGIVING DINNER: TURKEY IDEAS - Sous vide and deep fried turchetta (Kenji) - Spatchcock herb butter turkey (Kenji) <-- lets you fit two turkeys in oven - Baking steel turkey (if no baking steel, use a baking stone or cast iron griddle) (Kenji) - Smoked bbq turkey (Meathead) POTATO IDEAS - Hasselback potato gratin (Kenji) - Buttery mashed potato, 3:1 potato:butter ratio (Chef John) - If you wanna go nuts with the butter, go with Robuchon's 2:1 ratio - Mashed yellow turnips, yes I know it's not potato but it plays the part (Ina Garten) My question: I am expecting 20-24 people for Thanksgiving. Is cooking a whole turkey in the oven feasible for this size of a group? Is cooking two turkeys in a single oven feasible? The rule of thumb I've been seeing is that you want a pound of whole turkey per guest (this comes out to roughly 1/2 a pound of meat). If I also have a beef main dish, can I get by with a single turkey for this crowd? If not I guess I'll stick to making 3 turchettas sousvide/stovetop and doing a bunch of sides in the oven. Steve Yun fucked around with this message at 02:13 on Nov 7, 2017 |
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Nov 3, 2017 00:25
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I was browsing SeriousEats and one of the articles was about spatchcocking your turkey, which would allow multiple birds on your oven. I’m seriously debating on trying it this year to attempt a better turkey.
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Nov 4, 2017 04:23
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kloa posted:I was browsing SeriousEats and one of the articles was about spatchcocking your turkey, which would allow multiple birds on your oven. I’m seriously debating on trying it this year to attempt a better turkey. Do it. Spatchcocking the bird makes life so much easier.
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Nov 4, 2017 05:41
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Perfect! I completely blanked out on spatchcocking because I kept picturing doing the baking steel version of the whole turkey. I didn't want the same menu four years in a row, but now that the turkeys going in the oven I gotta think of good sides to do on the stovetop.
Steve Yun fucked around with this message at 05:58 on Nov 4, 2017 |
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Nov 4, 2017 05:54
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I'm cooking in fort worth for about 10-20 in an airbnb home where I don't know anything about what to expect kitchen wise. but, I'm ambitious and capable as always. I have relatives that would probably be willing to follow instructions re: brining turkey or something, but I don't know where you find above average turkey in that part of the country. HEB or something? I'm sort of tempted to google 'smoked turkey dallas fort worth' and find somewhere that does a premade one or something, I'm sure someone in texas knows how to cure and smoke a bird. any suggestions?
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Nov 4, 2017 11:33
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That’s a silly question. Texans know how to smoke meat better than dang near everybody else.
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Nov 4, 2017 13:49
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Those of you just cooking a turkey breast, what do you do with the leftover thighs and drumsticks? No one in my family likes dark meat. (I know I could buy just a breast but they're more expensive than buying a whole bird, plus I want them bones for stock.)
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Nov 5, 2017 04:50
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I usually make turkey confit with the legs and thighs. Alternatively, if you want the bones, remove the meat and grind it for turkey sausage?
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Nov 5, 2017 12:45
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mindphlux posted:I'm cooking in fort worth for about 10-20 in an airbnb home where I don't know anything about what to expect kitchen wise. but, I'm ambitious and capable as always. I have relatives that would probably be willing to follow instructions re: brining turkey or something, but I don't know where you find above average turkey in that part of the country. HEB or something? Bring your loving knives.. knives at other peoples places suck... (I know this because I have been living in an airbnb for 3 months now) Just bring your knives.. because Christ... These loving knives...
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Nov 5, 2017 15:44
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Happy Hat posted:Bring your loving knives.. knives at other peoples places suck... Sage truth. I recently spent a few days in a Cornish cottage where the only sharp non bendy knife was my trusty pocket knife. Had to buy a couple of cheap ones just to maintain sanity.
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Nov 5, 2017 15:58
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As I’m no longer employed by a retail company, I can enjoy Thanksgiving w my family. I love my family but it’s my least favorite dinner of the year. Years back, I asked my mom why we don’t have mashed potatoes as part of our Thanksgiving spread. She replied we already had a potato dish. She was talking about the canned yams they heat up in the crockpot, a travesty and wheee I trace my dislike for yams back to. I make a decent mashed garlic red potatoes, but wondered if anyone had a recipe that they swear by, cause I’d love to bring it to Thanksgiving this year. I typically do red potatoes, maybe 2 cloves of minced garlic, a little milk, a spoonful of sour cream, and of course, butter. Any suggestions or recommendations?
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Nov 5, 2017 17:06
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Got to cook the dinner this year and not looking forward to it. I never know if I should tin foil it or baste it every hour since I want to slow cook it most of the day. 48 hours before, I was going to brine it in a bucket of water for 24 hours then pat dry and leave in the fridge for another 24 hours ish to dry out for crispy skin. On xmas day I was going to throw it in the oven at around 180 F for 8 ish hours (8lbs turkey). Dunno whether to tinfoil it with stock, garlic and some veg and remove the foil and ramp up the heat for an hour or just leave it at 180 F for 8 hours without foil and baste once an hour. Thoughts?
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Nov 5, 2017 19:00
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Tai posted:Got to cook the dinner this year and not looking forward to it. I never know if I should tin foil it or baste it every hour since I want to slow cook it most of the day. If you mean you're gonna set the oven temp to 180F, I wouldn't. It's gonna take forever for your bird to come to temp. Preheat to like 500F and as soon as you slide the turkey in, drop it to 300F. Also spatchcock, it allows for faster, more even roasting so your breasts are not overcooked by the time the thighs are done.
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Nov 5, 2017 19:22
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I started spatchcocking my turkey a few years ago and I won't go back if I am over roasting. Yes, you can stack two birds and cook them at the same time. I also agree about bringing your own knives if you have to cook somewhere. I bring my B team knives because I can't always trust that I'll have a good cutting board. I also bring reliable tongs -- you would be shocked at how many people don't have tongs in their kitchen. I also bring my thermapen, a container of kosher salt and a pepper grinder. Years of cooking at my inlaws have taught me what I can and can't live without. About 10 years ago I did my first massive thanksgiving and planning was my key to success. I had times written down for when everything need to happen for it all to be done at meal time. Recipes and time sheets were posted on cabinets and as dishes finished the recipes were pulled down. Dishes that could hold were completed first and things that needed to be finished and served immediately were exactly that. When it came time to serve, I had a serving checklist that got marked off so we would have an "oh poo poo I forgot about the green beans" incident. The one thing I didn't prepare for -- I had more people than plates. Oops. A few people ate out of soup bowls.
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Nov 6, 2017 00:05
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This year I'm doing chafing dishes. I tested one out at a friend's daughter's birthday party and it seemed to work pretty well. Now I've got three chafers with room for six half size steam pans, this way I can do the sides in the oven in the middle of the afternoon, throw them on the chafers and oven the spatchcock turkeys over the last 90 minutes to 2 hours before serving time. Good to get confirmation that two simultaneous turkeys will work. Does it matter which racks I put them on? Steve Yun fucked around with this message at 00:50 on Nov 6, 2017 |
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Nov 6, 2017 00:47
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Sandtrout Catsuit posted:Those of you just cooking a turkey breast, what do you do with the leftover thighs and drumsticks? No one in my family likes dark meat. I used to do a fried whole turkey and a smoked whole turkey. Now I get two turkeys (hopefully I won’t need 3 this year), and make two Kenji Turchettas with the white meat, smoke the dark meat, and use the carcass for stock. Even people who don’t like dark meat have enjoyed my smoked turkey. Do a dry brine ahead or get fancy and cure them. The confit idea sounds good too, but people would revolt if I didn’t smoke some turkey here. Anyone have tips on pressure cooking stock? I figure I will roast the bones first and I’ve heard that the pressure cooker is the way to go but don’t have a good recipe. I have the big Kuhn Rikon stovetop pressure cooker. I know I can fit two carcasses in there easy.
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Nov 6, 2017 05:18
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Boywhiz88 posted:As I’m no longer employed by a retail company, I can enjoy Thanksgiving w my family. I love my family but it’s my least favorite dinner of the year. Years back, I asked my mom why we don’t have mashed potatoes as part of our Thanksgiving spread. She replied we already had a potato dish. She was talking about the canned yams they heat up in the crockpot, a travesty and wheee I trace my dislike for yams back to. I stole inspiration from Ming Tsai many many years ago for garlic mashed potatoes. I’m sure the science is all hosed up and I am doing it wrong, so feel free goons to make this process better: Preheat your oven, if it isn’t already on. Wash your potatoes. I always make too many. One year it was suggested that a pound of potato a person was really way too much. Maybe they were right. Cube up your potatoes. I leave skins on. Put them in water in a cold pot on the stove. Toss in whole peeled garlic cloves. I cheat and get the bag of whole peeled garlic from Costco. Put in more garlic. Seriously. Whoever much you added the first time isn’t enough. Salt the water. Heat up and boil the potatoes. Try to get them cooked but not mushy, but I’ve had them go too long before and it’s not the end of the world. Drain the potatoes and put them on a however many sheet pans you need to hold them. One or two if you are sane and didn’t make a pound per person. Yes, the garlic goes along for the ride. Throw them in the oven. Ming Tsai suggested that the ride in the oven dries them out and enables them to absorb more butter and cream. True or not, I roll with it. Don’t brown them in the oven, but dry them out. Maybe a little brown is okay but it’s not the flavor we want. When dried out, put them back in the put on the stove. If you want to get fancy, heat some butter and cream on the stovetop, and add that hot mixture to the potatoes. Or if you forget just put in cold butter and cream. Low heat, stir in butter and cream, mash as much or as little as you like. Salt and pepper to taste, maybe more butter and cream to taste as well because you didn’t add enough before. If you want to finish with herbs like chive or parsley or whatever, do what tastes good to you. It seriously, boil potatoes and garlic in salted water. Dry in hot oven. Add butter and cream and salt and pepper to taste as you mash. I have done fancy French puréed potatoes and retrograde starch potatoes and several modernist takes and hasselback and everything in between and the above way to do them is just what me and the people who eat them prefer. Sure, sous videing the peels in cream gets it extra potato-ey. You can get fancy and fussy. But you can also be simple and good. Goons, please tell me how the whole oven trick is BS and I don’t need to do it. Because it’s a pain and I swear it works like magic.
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Nov 6, 2017 05:30
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Ultimate Mango posted:Anyone have tips on pressure cooking stock? I figure I will roast the bones first and I’ve heard that the pressure cooker is the way to go but don’t have a good recipe. I have the big Kuhn Rikon stovetop pressure cooker. I know I can fit two carcasses in there easy. Roast or pan sear bones Break them into chunks Put into pressure cooker Chop celery, onions, carrots (optional: roast them first) Fill pressure cooker with barely enough water to submerge bones Cook at pressure for 60-90 mins Let depressurize naturally, don't rush cooling or it might get cloudy from suddenly boiling Filter out solids with fine mesh strainer Put into gallon ziploc bag and dunk in ice water. Refrigerate. If it was made right it should turn to jello. If not, you can reduce it on the stove top and refrigerate again. I don't bother measuring the veg anymore Steve Yun fucked around with this message at 05:41 on Nov 6, 2017 |
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Nov 6, 2017 05:33
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Steve Yun posted:Roast or pan sear bones My kind of recipe, thanks. I have no problem making bones into meat jello. I just don’t want to take 18 hours to do it to 2 whole carcasses. Might get some extra wings because gelatin. Good tip on natural depressurization.
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Nov 6, 2017 05:48
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thanks for the reminder on knives. honestly hadn't crossed my mind. now my dilemma is buying a cheap oxo knife for $15, or paying $50 in checked bag fees there and back :/ I'll find a family member who has a sharp knife I guess, and pack spices and poo poo into my carryon like a crazy person.
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Nov 6, 2017 07:28
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mindphlux posted:thanks for the reminder on knives. honestly hadn't crossed my mind. now my dilemma is buying a cheap oxo knife for $15, or paying $50 in checked bag fees there and back :/ Just get on amazon and order a Victorinox delivered to someone who's not flying?
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Nov 6, 2017 12:58
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I'm insane and doing FOUR Friendsgivings this year (10-12 people each). Three in a row before, and then one after. Last year I did a TON of dishes, but this time I guess I will do fewer. Someone asked "are you gonna get four turkeys?" and maybe I will? But Last year I did a red wine braised leg thing (I think it was serious eats) that was baller. Also want to do dishes that aren't obviously leftover from the day before.
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Nov 6, 2017 15:35
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Liquid Communism posted:Just get on amazon and order a Victorinox delivered to someone who's not flying? The Victorinox jumped up in price to $40 these days. You're probably better off getting one of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01D...I2ML&ref=plSrch
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Nov 6, 2017 17:10
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I'm doing Thanksgiving with same friends as the last few years. I bought them a thermometer last year after the turkey came out at well over 200 degrees. This year, I'm making the drat turkey, spatchcocked of course. I'm exited because they just moved into a new house with an awesome kitchen.
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Nov 6, 2017 20:16
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I've added a few recipes to the op, will add more over the next few days. If there's a recipe you wanna promote, I'll add it
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Nov 7, 2017 02:21
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Steve Yun posted:The Victorinox jumped up in price to $40 these days. You're probably better off getting one of these: Yikes. I haven't bought one in a couple years, that's kinda ridiculous.
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Nov 7, 2017 06:05
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Steve Yun posted:I've added a few recipes to the op, will add more over the next few days. If there's a recipe you wanna promote, I'll add it I made this sweet potato side dish last year and it was fantastic: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2016/10/smoky-spiced-pecan-roasted-sweet-potatoes-recipe.html Also, for people worried about vegan options, this stuffing is hearty enough to just serve as its own main course: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/11/best-vegan-stuffing-thanksgiving-recipe-vegetarian.html
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Nov 7, 2017 06:27
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I've also made his stuffing waffles vegetarian friendly by replacing the sausage with Morningstar patties that I crumbled down. Worked great and nobody noticed it was fake meat.
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Nov 7, 2017 06:29
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Ultimate Mango posted:Goons, please tell me how the whole oven trick is BS and I don’t need to do it. Because it’s a pain and I swear it works like magic. What temp for the oven, and how long approx in the oven? What should I be looking for to verify they’re dry?
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Nov 8, 2017 20:28
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Boywhiz88 posted:What temp for the oven, and how long approx in the oven? What should I be looking for to verify they’re dry? For drying the potatoes before the mash: I think I’ve done anything from 350 to 400. I don’t think crazy long, like 15-30 minutes. The idea is to dry the extra moisture from the potatoes, not to brown them. I have heard some people just drain them and put them in the pot hot to dry out a bit. But people really really like my potatoes and I swear they suck up the butter and cream just right. And I have done retrograde starch and Heston’s purée and like the super French style that is literally 50% fat. This way you can do it to taste for seasoning AND texture.
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Nov 9, 2017 05:34
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Have been doing the turchetta and leg/thighs confit, following recipe from modernist cuisine at home, the last couple years and it's been great. Rest of the turkey gets made into stock for the gravy. It's been great. Can do so much of ahead of time which makes the day of a lot more relaxing and free up oven space for breads/pies/etc.
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Nov 9, 2017 07:09
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Stuff I did last year in rough order of how they turned out: Green bean casserole (Kenji): http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/11/homemade-green-bean-casserole-recipe.html Pull apart stuffing rolls: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/11/pull-apart-thanksgiving-stuffing-roll-bread-recipe.html Turkey Porchetta (no deep fryer): http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/11/homemade-green-bean-casserole-recipe.html The porchetta didn't go so well since I didn't do a great job of preparing it so it wasn't as uniform as it should have been. I'm not doing turkey this year because I have a rib roast that needs to be used. The stuffing rolls were ok, but the dough I bought didn't turn out very well. If I have more prep time I might try this with some dough off of The Bread Baker's Apprentice. The casserole was pretty good, and I'm definitely doing it again this year. Still using French's onions since those things are addictive.
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Nov 10, 2017 22:25
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kirtar posted:The stuffing rolls were ok, but the dough I bought didn't turn out very well. If I have more prep time I might try this with some dough off of The Bread Baker's Apprentice. I haven't done the stuffing one but made the pepperoni garlic knot version. Have done it both a store bought trader joes pizza dough and then a version of home made dough following their new york style dough recipe(omitting the sugar) with a ~3 day cold ferment. It was like two completely different dishes. It's really worth taking the time to make the dough.
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Nov 10, 2017 23:56
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biggfoo posted:I haven't done the stuffing one but made the pepperoni garlic knot version. Have done it both a store bought trader joes pizza dough and then a version of home made dough following their new york style dough recipe(omitting the sugar) with a ~3 day cold ferment. It was like two completely different dishes. It's really worth taking the time to make the dough. I saw that recipe and it looks amazing. I really wanna try it, but unfortunately my family doesn’t have enough money to give it a shot right now. We may not even have enough to afford a real turkey for Thanksgiving this year. 
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Nov 11, 2017 00:22
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If you message me with your PayPal address I will buy you a turkey
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Nov 11, 2017 00:51
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I will pitch in $ too.
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Nov 11, 2017 01:45
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okay. Step mother in law is planning to make turkey meatballs cooked in cranberry sauce. I'm assuming in the slow cooker. What's a convincing fake illness that'll not be too serious but serious enough to not go?
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Nov 11, 2017 07:00
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Stomach flu is always a go-to. Nobody asks questions if you can claim to be camped out on the bathroom tiles.
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Nov 11, 2017 12:36
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Cavenagh posted:okay. loving Sever man. That reminds me, I need to sous vide me some cranberries this weekend.
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Nov 11, 2017 20:39
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Food poisoning is a great alibi because it lasts about 24 hours
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Nov 11, 2017 20:55
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