2005 Thankgiving Recipe thread!

[mcgiver38]

Here is a place to repeat all the great recipes we shared last year and some new ones.

[mcgiver38]

Post your favorite recipes or recipe requests here for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, I got an email from the thread last year so I thought we should start a new one since people are looking.

[cgk]

Gourmet Sweet Potatoes:

Even people who hate sweet potatoes love this one.

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 sweet potatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

---

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Bake sweet potatoes 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until they begin to soften. Cool slightly, peel, and mash.
3. In a large bowl, mix the mashed sweet potatoes, salt, 1/4 cup butter, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, sugar, and heavy cream. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
4. In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup butter, flour, brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Mix with a pastry blender or your fingers to the consistency of course meal. Sprinkle over the sweet potato mixture.
5. Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until topping is crisp and lightly browned.

[perfect stranger]

bump and bttt

[saganite]

Pour bourbon. Insert ice.

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Bookmarking for future yummies!

Thanks for starting this thread:)

[gathersnomoss]

My giblets will be ready.

[perfect stranger]

Where's the nutmeg?

[gathersnomoss]

The best.

[Izzy Dunne]

Pour bourbon. Insert ice.

You forgot:
Rinse. Repeat.

[mcgiver38]

My first one is on brining your turkey, this is critical for me and will guarantee a moist delicious bird every time, here is the FAQ:
http://www.bbq-porch.org/brining00.asp
Here is how I do it:
Since I cant fit a big bucket in my fridge overnight I take an ice chest and clean it really well, then a week or so before thanksgiving I fill 3 or 4 gallon sized ziploc bags with water 1/2 to 3/4 full and freeze them, they take around 24 hours to freeze solid, then I put the turkey in the cooler breast down and mix the brine (kosher salt and sugar according to recipe, I use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup sugar per gallon)in a gallon pitcher, mix it well and pour over the turkey and just keep repeating a gallon at a time until the turkey is covered then I add some aromatics to the cooler, celery, garlic etc, some people use fruit but I don't.
The FAQ is full of recipes and mixtures, then I drop in two of the gallon ice bags and close it up, you want to let him soak at least 12 hours depending on the size, I try to go 18 to 24 hours for big ones (I usually cook 23-25LB) and change the bags after 12 hours or so, keeps the water below 40 degrees so it is safe for the bird, after you are ready to take him out be sure to rinse him real well to get all the brine off of the outside, if you don't you risk it being salty, the salt and sugar change the texture of the meat and make it suck up moisture, it seems like it would taste salty but it doesn't unless you forget to rinse.
I recommend taking him out a few hours before cooking to let it get close to room temperature, if you cook straight out of the cold brine your time may be off. Also if deep frying make sure to get him dry.
You can test this out with a chicken to get some confidence, try your brine mixture from the recipe list on a whole chicken for 4-6 hours in the fridge, cut parts 1-2 hours, cook as you always do and you will see the difference, you can also do pork, only thing I know for sure you cant do is beef. I believe the famous places that serve rotisserie chickens like Boston market etc. brine them first.
Be sure to use kosher salt as the measurement is different for table salt and almost all brine recipes use kosher.
Check out the FAQ link and if you have any other questions feel free to freepmail me

[Michael Goldsberry]

Hi Ma'!

[Guenevere]

bttt

[asp1]

Last year I roasted my turkey upside down for half of the cooking time. It was the juiciest and most delicious turkey ever (35 years worth).

[TASMANIANRED]

It's a little early but since it looks like I am the cook this year, thank you very much.

[saganite]

Or for a variation, insert ice, pour bourbon.

[cyborg]

[pepperdog]

Bump for when I make the shopping list for Thanksgiving.

[bigsigh]

http://www.msn.americangreetings.com/view.pd?i=382219626&m=1652&rr=y&sou

[cgk]

Good question... I tried nutmeg once, it gave it a more traditional sweet potatoes taste. I also tried pumpkin pie spice, same result but a little more pizazz. ;) The way it is, kind of resembles pecan pie.

[ladyinred]

Oh goody! I love these threads! Thanks!