Present the turkey before carving it. Try placing whole bay leaves under the skin across the breast in a fan pattern then garnishing it with fresh sage.
Giblet Broth
Giblets and neck from the turkey
1 cup extra giblets
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
Turkey
1 turkey (18 pounds), rinsed
1 orange, halved
Paprika, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Harvest Stuffing (See below)
6 tablespoons softened butter
Giblet Gravy
Pan juices from the turkey
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 teaspoon dark molasses
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon chopped sage
Giblet mixture (see Step 1)
1. Prepare the Giblet Broth a day ahead: Simmer the broth ingredients until the giblets are tender, about 1 hour, skimming off any foam. Strain broth and set aide; reserve giblets and neck. Shred the meat from the neck and mince the giblets; combine. Cover and refrigerate the broth and meats until ready to use.
2. Preheat oven to 325°F. Squeeze orange halves inside turkey body and neck cavities; sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper. Fill cavities loosely with stuffing, using about 3 cups for the neck and 8 cups for the body. Truss the turkey. Rub with softened butter and sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper.
3. Place the turkey, breast-side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Pour 2 cups of the reserved Giblet Broth into the bottom of the pan and cover the turkey loosely with foil. Place in the oven and roast for 11/2 hours.
4. Remove the foil and roast the turkey for 21/2 hours more, basting with the pan juices every 30 minutes.
5. Raise the oven temperature to 350°F and cook for an additional 1 to 11/4 hours, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 180°F. The temperature at the thickest part of the breast should be 160°F. The juices should run clear when the thigh is pricked with a small knife.
6. Prepare Giblet Gravy: Heat pan juices in roasting pan, scraping up all brown bits. Defat; pour into a measuring cup.
7. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and continue whisking for 2 to 3 minutes, or until mixture browns slightly. Slowly pour in 2 cups of the reserved pan juices, whisking constantly until smooth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and add remaining ingredients. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring, until gravy has thickened. For a thinner gravy, add more broth. Adjust seasonings; heat before serving.
Serves 16. Per 4-ounce serving: 230 calories, no carbohydrates, 32g protein, 10g fat, 95mg cholesterol.
Always cool the stuffing completely before filling the turkey.
2 pounds well-spiced bulk turkey sausage
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cups each chopped red onions and celery
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried sage leaves, crumbled
12 cups cubed (1-inch) bread, toasted
2 Granny Smith apples, diced
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup each dried apricots and pitted prunes, quartered
2 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper, to taste
Brown the sausage in a pan, breaking up clumps; remove to a large bowl. Add the oil to the pan; stir in the onions, celery, garlic, thyme and sage and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Add to the sausage along with the bread, apples and dried fruits. Toss well. Drizzle the broth over the mixture to moisten as desired and season with salt and pepper. Cool before stuffing the turkey.
Makes 12 cups of stuffing, enough for an 18-pound turkey. Per serving (3/4 cup): 330 calories, 43g carbohydrates, 14g protein, 11g fat, 45mg cholesterol.
Briefly cooking the spices brings out their oils and enhances the flavor. Before pureeing the soup, be sure the carrots are tender. Once the orange juice has been added, reheat the soup over very low heat.
2 tablespoons each butter and olive oil
2 medium-sized onions, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground mace
10 medium-sized carrots, peeled and sliced
8 cups defatted chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Snipped fresh chives, for garnish
1. Melt the butter with the oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with ginger and mace; cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
2. Add the carrots, broth and orange zest. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly.
3. Puree in batches in a food processor. Return to the pot; stir in orange juice, salt and pepper. Heat over low heat. Garnish with chives.
Serves 8. Per serving: 130 calories, 14g carbohydrates, 4g protein, 6g fat, 10mg cholesterol.
Fresh pumpkin or squash puree is always delicious but not nearly as handy as canned pumpkin.
2 cups canned or fresh pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon crystallized ginger
1 1/4 cups half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup (packed) light-brown sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 prepared pie shell (9-inch), chilled(See below)
Sweetened whipped cream (optional) (See below)
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Process the pumpkin puree in a blender with the ginger and half-and-half until the ginger is smooth, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; whisk in the next eight ingredients until well blended. Reserve.
3. Place 2 sheets of heavy-duty foil, one on top of the other, directly on the surface of the pie crust. Bake the crust in the lower 2/3 of the oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the foil; bake 5 minutes more. Remove shell from oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
4. Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake until a knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean, about 45 to 60 minutes. Cool on a rack. Serve dolloped with sweetened whipped cream, if desired.
Serves 8. Per serving (without whipped cream): 400 calories, 39g carbohydrates, 8g protein, 25g fat, 185mg cholesterol.
Fresh orange juice always makes the best cranberry relish. Zest whole oranges before squeezing them for juice.
16 ounces fresh cranberries
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup cranberry juice
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
Combine ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the berries pop open (about 10 minutes). Skim the foam off the surface with a metal spoon and discard. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 months.
Makes 10 portions. Per serving: 190 calories, 49g carbohydrates, no protein, no fat, no cholesterol.
The vegetables can be prepared ahead and finished up to the middle of step 3. Heat for 5 minutes before serving.
2 cups baby lima beans, thawed if frozen
2 cups corn kernels, thawed if frozen
2 cups green beans, cut into 1/2-inch lengths
1 cup diced (1/4 inch) red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced (1/4 inch) seeded ripe plum tomatoes
2 tablepoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup defatted chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1. Blanch the beans and corn separately until just tender in boiling water. Rinse under cold water. Drain and reserve.
2. Melt the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until wilted, about 10 minutes, stirring, adding the garlic during the last 3 minutes.
3. Stir the blanched vegetables into the onions, coating with butter. Toss with broth, adding sage. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, over medium-low heat for 7 to 10 minutes. Cook, covered, another 5 minutes. Add the parsley, adjust the seasonings and serve immediately.
Serves 8. Per serving: 200 calories, 32g carbohydrates, 9g protein, 6g fat, 5mg cholesterol.
Both the sugar and the vanilla enhance the flavor of the whipped cream.
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Beat the cream in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until it becomes frothy. Add the sugar and vanilla; continue beating until the cream holds soft peaks. Do not over beat. Refrigerate the cream, covered with plastic wrap, for no more than an hour if not using immediately.
Makes 2 cups. Per 2 tablespoons: 60 calories, 2g carbohydrates, no protein, 6g fat, 20mg cholesterol.
Both the use of butter and shortening make for a flaky pie crust. It is best to refrigerate the dough overnight if possible for ease in rolling it out between two sheets of lightly floured wax paper.
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
1/2 cup cold shortening
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice cold water
1. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and mix together with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until the mixture is very coarse-the size of peas. Then add the shortening, and continue blending with fingertips. The mixture should still be very coarse.
2. Add 4 tablespoons of the water and toss the mixture together. If the dough does not hold together when gathered in your hand, add a bit more water. Do not overwork the dough. Divide the dough in half and form it into thick disks. Wrap each disk in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
3. Remove one disk of dough from the refrigerator. Unwrap it and roll it out on a lightly floured work surface or between two sheets of wax paper to form a circle about 1/8-inch thick and 2 inches larger than the pie plate. Work quickly, as the dough can become sticky. Use a spatula to help lift the dough, and fold it loosely in half and into quarters. Gently transfer it to the pie plate, centering the corner of the dough in the center of the pie plate. Open up the dough and press it lightly into the plate to fit. If the dough should tear, just press it gently together. Trim the dough, leaving a 1-inch overhang. If making a single-crust pie, turn the edge under and flute it decoratively.
4. Repeat the rolling process for a top crust or for another bottom crust. The circle of a top crust should be 9 inches for an 8-inch pie and 10 inches for a 9-inch pie.
5. Follow the individual pie recipes for filling and baking.
Makes enough for an 8- or 9-inch double-crust pie, or 2 single-crust pies. Per 1/8 of a single-crust: 200 calories, 13g carbohydrates, 2g protein, 15g fat, 25mg cholesterol.