Monthly Cooking Thread - November 2021

[Jamestown1630]

Norman Rockwell, Freedom From Want (1943)

People seem to want Thanksgiving to always be the same – there’s a lot of advice out there cautioning against trying something new for family or guests on that day. But I’ve often enjoyed very interesting new recipes at Thanksgiving, in the homes of friends and family who have ignored that advice. I recently found a recipe for turkey stuffing that is quite different from the plain type that I’ve always made; but I’m very tempted to try it. (It may be a little ‘busy’ for some who are used to a plainer bread stuffing.)

I watch a lot of YouTube cooking videos, and I think the most engaging host of all is Chef Jean-Pierre Brehier. He is extremely informative while also being fun and funny, and the kind of person you'd love to have a couple of drinks and a good conversation with.

Chef Jean-Pierre suggests using Costco corn muffins for this stuffing recipe, if you don’t want to make your own cornbread.

For those without access to fresh chestnuts to roast, there are lots of pre-roasted, packaged ones available; but the reviews for many of them are not very positive, so choose carefully. Jean-Pierre appears to use the Roland ones vacuum-packed in a jar, and he just squeezes/tears them into the mixture with his fingers. Fresh chestnuts are available from some of the nut companies if you can't source fresh ones nearby, but they seem to be tricky to buy ahead and store (if you have experience with this, let us know how you handle them.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Gvui3lIfWI

Corn Muffins & Sausage Stuffing – Chef Jean-Pierre Brehier

Serves 10

1/2 Cup Dark Spiced Rum, for soaking the raisins

1 cup Dark Raisins

2 pounds Pork Turkey or Chicken Sausage, casings removed

2 cups Yellow Onions diced small

1 ½ cups Celery Hearts diced small

1 ½ cups Carrots diced small

2 tablespoons fresh Sage chopped

2 tablespoons fresh Rosemary chopped

2 tablespoons fresh Thyme chopped

6 cups Corn Muffins or Cornbread crumbled

1 Granny Smith Apples skinned and diced small

1 cup peaches in a light syrup cut into medium dice

¼ cup fresh Parsley chopped

1 cup Roasted Chestnuts

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 cup Milk or Buttermilk

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat Oven to 375°

Spray a baking pan or dish (approx. 15"x10"x2") with a non-stick spray or brush with butter.

Soak the raisins at room temperature in your favorite liquor for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.  If you do not have the time to wait, put them covered in the microwave for 2 minutes to plump them up.

In a large sauté pan over high heat, sauté the sausage and cook until golden brown.  Add the onions and cook until light golden brown.  Add the carrot and celery and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the fresh herbs and cook for an additional 2 minutes or until the vegetable are almost cooked but not mushy.

Transfer to a large bowl with the muffins; add the apples, peaches, chestnuts, salt and pepper, buttermilk, and raisins mix well.

Pack the lasagna pan with the mixure and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

Put the lasagna pan onto a baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour or until the top is golden brown.

For those without access to chestnuts to roast, there are lots of packaged, pre-roasted ones available; but the reviews for many of them are not very positive. Chef Jean-Pierre appears to use the Roland ones vacuum-packed in a jar, and just squeezes/tears them into the mixture.

Fresh chestnuts are available from some of the nut companies, but they seem to be tricky to buy ahead and store (if you have experience with this, let us know how you handle them.)

The Chef also has a good idea for having garlic ready to go in the freezer for all of your recipes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZA2UcvnE6g

*******************************************************

Chef John of ‘Food Wishes’ has posted a recipe for Butterhorn Dinner Rolls which looks pretty easy even for novice bread bakers, and I don’t see why they couldn’t be made the day before and warmed up.

(These are very rich; but for most of us, Thanksgiving isn’t a ‘diet day’):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJUve3My3lE

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

This month: Thanksgiving! Are you doing anything different this year?

(If you would like to be on or off of this monthly cooking thread ping-list, please send a private message.)

-JT

[waterhill]

Fish or a wild hog; deer if God wills..

[Jamestown1630]

What do you do with your fish?

[waterhill]

I grill it or bake it.

[leaning conservative]

That sounds delicious, but I am embarrassed to say I use the classic bread cubes, celery, & onion from my childhood.

I have to say last year, the day before Thanksgiving I made Ina Garten’s gravy base & then just mixed in the drippings & brown bits from the turkey & GRAVY! The best I’ve ever had. The second time I made it I let the onion basically melt into the base instead of spooning out the onion. It made it richer & deeper & meatier. It’s online & the leftover gravy freezes beautifully.

[Jamestown1630]

I usually make the same kind you do. And I know my brother won’t go for this; so he’ll get the usual, if he’s here.

I’m anxious to see how well this freezes and then vacuum-packs. It’s a lot of dressing!

(I’ve never made an Ina recipe that didn’t turn out well.)

[Blurb2350]

Is Ina still on TV with new episodes? I always found her to be very likable and watchable — unlike so many other Food Network celebs.

[lizma2]

I make our traditional stuffing...out of White Castle hamburgers!

[MomwithHope]

Very nice thread. We will do our same small dry brined turkey. We gave up on stuffing years ago, too many carbs. We discovered white acorn squash this year, AKA the mashed potato squash. We tried one and yes, with the same butter, salt, pepper, roasted garlic and a little cream, tastes just like potatoes and less carbs. Veggies vary, some of our favorites are this years sweet corn, carrots, Brussel sprouts, and I must have a dry baked yam. Always scratch gravy. Dessert only if we have company, usually apple or ricotta cheese strudel.

[leaning conservative]

Ha! When my parents were poor college students they often had white castle dates because you got a lot for not a lot ; )

[leaning conservative]

I need to get a vacuum sealer. I’ve been wanting one for awhile. Almost every comment on Ina’s recipes say they come out perfect each time. She’s a common sense genius!

[Liz]

Too bad ......Ina was unveiled as a raging liberal.

People Exclusive
Ina Garten Is Hosting a Fundraiser for Joe Biden’s Campaign:

‘We Need to Stop Being Divisive’

The Food Network star will be sipping her signature Cosmopolitan with Dr. Jill Biden and virtual guests to support the former Vice President’s presidential bid

[waterhill]

Wife unit gets a turkey from work every year as well. I like my fish.

The turkey gets cut in half with generous amounts of Tony Cachere’s and goes on the grill/smoker. Its ok. Makes for good soas or with dumplings. I’m just not into farm turkeys.

Wild Turkey (Thunder Chicken) is another story.

[Jamestown1630]

I don’t think we’ve done turkey at all for the past two years; but before that, my husband dry-brined ours and it turned out the best of any before. We used the Judy Rodgers/Zuni Cafe method. (I remember that you have to be careful NOT to get a Kosher turkey if you’re going to do this kind of thing - those are already salted):

https://food52.com/recipes/15069-russ-parsons-dry-brined-turkey-a-k-a-the-judy-bird

[FamiliarFace]

The corn muffin sausage stuffing recipe sounds intriguing, but I often try a small batch of a recipe before using it for an event with guests. I’ve had enough accidents (sometimes happy, but often not) to have learned my lesson.

This year we will be guests at our son’s home, but I feel confident that I’ll be in the kitchen a lot. My son is great with his grilling skills, but in the regular kitchen they don’t feel the need to go to much food prep. Of course, I can’t do that every meal either, but I guess I have a few more years under my belt and don’t have to look up every recipe any more.

We will probably stick to many of the same comfort foods. I make killer mashed potatoes and apple pie so those will probably be my finest contributions to the feast.

[Jamestown1630]

I’m sure you could just halve that recipe.

[Jamestown1630]

And how exactly do you do that?

[FamiliarFace]

That’s what I usually do. If the gang wants me to try that, I will. Otherwise I will stick to the regular stuffing. Oh, and I make pretty good gravy from scratch. Goes great with my taters. Our son will probably smoke the turkey again this year, and it’s one part of the meal that I’m happy to relinquish! The kids gotta take over at some point, so let them learn!

[Jamestown1630]

I’m not crazy about turkey either - once a year is enough. But the dry-brined one turns out much better than the average turkey; and I like having the leftovers to do things with.

Thanksgiving meal always seems better to me on leftover days.