Every year, on every fourth Thursday in November, Thanksgiving is celebrated in the United States, from which the festive season begins, which includes Christmas and continues until the New Year.
Baked turkey is traditionally associated with this holiday, but how exactly is it prepared in America for a family feast and what else is customary to put on the table on this day?
We have made a selection of the five most classic recipes for Thanksgiving.
Festive turkey
Bird Size
For a company of 4 people, you will need a turkey weighing about 2.2 kg. Every next two participants of the feast increase the weight of the bird by one and a half kg.
Preparation
If you bought a turkey frozen, be sure to keep it in the refrigerator for at least 1 day for complete defrosting. Depending on the size, larger birds will most likely take 2 days to fully unfreeze.
If you want to get perfectly browned skin, a little extra effort will make a big difference. Once the turkey is completely thawed, pat it dry and season with salt and pepper. Leave in the refrigerator without a lid for 24-48 hours. This will allow the skin to release additional moisture before cooking, contributing to a crisper crust. Then you can stuff and grease the bird with butter – lots of butter – before cooking. This is the key to a crisp, fragrant and golden crust.
Cooking
After drying the turkey, season the inside generously with salt and pepper before stuffing it with onion, thyme, rosemary, sage and garlic. Also season under the skin – legs and breast. And don’t forget to grease the outside of the bird with melted butter and season with salt and pepper before putting it all on a baking tray.
Roast the turkey should be started on high heat (230 °) for the first 30 minutes, so that the skin becomes really crispy; then lower the temperature to 180 ° so that the rest of the bird is fried without burning.
After the turkey is out of the oven, let it rest for at least 20 minutes before butchering it. To keep warm, cover the bird with foil. So that the perfectly golden skin does not become raw, be sure to make a fold in the foil so that you can “cover” the bird with it so that it does not come into direct contact with the turkey and does not absorb moisture.
Puff pastry tartlets with caramelized onion and goat cheese
Ingredients
Olive oil – 2 tbsp
Unsalted butter – 1 tbsp
Medium yellow thinly sliced onion – 4 pcs .
Salt – 2 tsp
Ground black pepper – ¼ tsp
Balsamic vinegar – 1 tbsp
Fresh thyme leaves – 1 tbsp
Flour – for the work surface
Puff pastry sheets – 2 pcs.
Egg beaten to a homogeneous mass – 1 pc .
Crumbled goat cheese – 115 gr.
Honey – 2 tbsp
Preparation
Do not forget to leave enough time for the puff pastry to thaw before cooking – it is stored in the refrigerator for about 4 hours. Caramelizing onions requires careful supervision, but the deep onion flavor is worth it. If your onion starts to burn or stick to the pan, just add one or two tablespoons of water to loosen it and slow down cooking. The water will evaporate, leaving behind a perfectly caramelized onion. A tablespoon of balsamic vinegar added at the end balances the deep taste.
Cooking
In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat the butter. Add the onion, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is very caramelized, about 35 minutes. Add vinegar and thyme. Let cool to room temperature.
Arrange the baking sheets in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 190°. Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment.
On a lightly floured surface, cut each sheet of puff pastry into 9 squares. Transfer the squares to the prepared sheets. Sprinkle each with about 1 tablespoon of onion, leaving a small rim on all sides. Lubricate the open edges with egg. Sprinkle the squares with goat cheese.
Bake the tartlets until they are fluffy and golden brown, 25 to 28 minutes.
The final step is a light strip of honey for that salty–sweet combination that everyone loves. It’s time to get the good quality honey that you have been saving.
Mashed potato casserole
Ingredients
Milk – 1 cup
Thyme sprigs – 6 pcs .
Dried bay leaves – 2 pcs.
Unsalted butter – 6 tbsp . l
. Salt – ½ tsp
. Ground black pepper – ¼ tsp
. Peeled and sliced potatoes – 2 kg .
Crushed and peeled garlic cloves – 3 pcs .
Cream cheese at room temperature – 230 gr.
Finely grated parmesan
Eggs beaten to a homogeneous mass – 2 pcs .
Breadcrumbs
Chopped green onions
Cooking
In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, bring milk, thyme, bay leaf, 4 tablespoons butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 190°. Grease the baking dish with butter.
In a large saucepan, mix the potatoes and garlic. Fill with water; season with 2 tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Leave 3/4 cup of liquid. Return the potatoes and garlic to the pan and mash with a potato masher until smooth.
Meanwhile, bring the infused milk to a boil over medium heat; add thyme and bay leaf. Add cream cheese and 1/4 cup of parmesan and mix until smooth, which melts. Add to the mashed potatoes along with the eggs. If necessary, gradually add the remaining cooking liquid until the consistency is thick but spreading; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish.
In a small frying pan over medium heat, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook, rotating the pan, until the oil begins to brown and acquires a nutty smell, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add breadcrumbs and remaining parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle this over the mashed potatoes. Cover the baking sheet with foil.
Bake the casserole for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking until the filling is golden brown, 20 to 22 minutes. Sprinkle green onions on top.
Apple stuffing
Ingredients
Torn into small pieces of bread – 0.5 kg.
Melted butter – 4 tbsp
Salt – ½ tsp
Ground black pepper – ¼ tsp
Olive oil – 2 tbsp
Medium yellow thinly sliced onion – 1 pc .
Chopped celery stalks – 2 pcs .
Fresh chopped rosemary – 4 tsp
. Peeled and sliced Granny Smith apples (or any other sour variety) – 2 pcs.
Dried cranberries – ½ cup
Crushed almonds – ½ cup
Chicken broth – ¼ cup
Cooking
Preheat the oven to 180°. Put the bread in a large bowl and mix with the melted butter, salt and a few pinches of black pepper. Place on a large baking sheet and bake until the bread is browned, about 15-20 minutes.
Heat the oil in a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and rosemary and cook until the vegetables are tender, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, combine toasted bread, vegetables, apples, cranberries and almonds. Add the broth and stir to coat the bread. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and cover with foil.
Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake until the top is golden, another 30 minutes.
Thanksgiving Buns
Ingredients
Milk – 1 cup
Yeast – ¼ tsp
Sugar – 2 tbsp
Egg – 1 pc .
Salt – ½ tsp
Melted unsalted butter – 6 tbsp.
Flour – 390 gr.
Sunflower oil – for lubrication
Cooking
In a small heat-resistant bowl, heat the milk in the microwave at 30-second intervals. Pour into a large bowl of a stationary mixer. Add yeast and 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and whisk until smooth. Let it brew until foam forms, about 5 minutes.
Add the egg, salt, 4 tablespoons of butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Beat at medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add 1 cup of flour and beat at medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Scrape the edges of the bowl with a rubber spatula and add the remaining 2 1/4 cups of flour. Beat at medium speed until the dough is smooth and comes off the sides of the bowl, about 1 minute. Continue whipping, hooking the dough with a hook if necessary, until it becomes smoother and more elastic, for about 3 more minutes.
Lightly oil a large bowl. Put the dough in a bowl and mix so that it is covered with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Lubricate the baking dish with oil or cooking spray. Beat the risen dough. Divide into 12 pieces (about 70 grams each). Form smooth round balls from each piece and put them on the prepared mold. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place until foam forms, about 1 hour.
Prepare the grill in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 180°. Bake the rolls, turning halfway and covering with foil if they brown too quickly, until the tops turn golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
Brush the rolls with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and sprinkle with sea salt.
Enjoy your meal!
Author of the article: Varvara Kartushina
