We’re four days away from Thanksgiving. Which means there’s still time to organize an alternative to that annual multitasking frenzy all cooks face in those chaotic moments before the turkey is brought to the table.
My solution? Make-ahead gravy. Yep. No last minute white knuckles you usually associate with gravy making: the 10 billion starving people milling about looking over your shoulder and a 25 pound roasted turkey turning back to ice on the counter.
Nope. Based on roasted turkey wings and fabulous broth, this recipe can be prepared and refrigerated up to 1 week (or frozen up to 6 months) before your Thanksgiving feast. Of course, you don’t have one week. You’re down to days. But that’s still time to contemplate the concept. And if it’s one you like, then when you’re at the store stocking up for tomorrow, throw in these extra ingredients and make your gravy tonight.
Meanwhile if you’re still in the market for a couple more interesting recipes, the two I’m about to share are worthy of your attentions. David’s dilled havarti spread is simple to assemble and tastes absolutely fabulous. Make a large batch of it now and you’ll have enough left over for weeks of holiday partying. The harvest salad is a wonderful addition to the Thanksgiving table.
And finally, for just about everything you’d ever want to know about cooking turkey — from Cajun deep-fried to classic roasting — go to the wonderful Web site of the National Turkey Federation. Their address is www.eatturkey.com.
So on to the recipes. The make-head gravy can be made and stored in your refrigerator up to a week ahead of time (or even frozen for six months) This particular version is an adaptation from one that has appeared in Woman’s Day Magazine several times over the years.
Make-ahead gravy
4turkey wings (about 3 pounds)
3medium onions, peeled and quartered
10cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1cup water
10cups chicken broth (commercially made is OK)
1cup chopped carrot
1cup chopped celery
1cup coarsely chopped green onions
1/2teaspoon dried thyme
3/4cup all-purpose flour
2tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the wings in a single layer in a large roasting pan; scatter onions over the top and around the sides. Roast for 1 1/4 hours, or until wings are nicely browned.
Place the wings, onions and chunks of garlic clove into a 5 to 6 quart pot (or larger). Tilt the roasting pan and skim off most of the clear fat that has cooked out of the turkey (but don’t be overly obsessive about this or you’ll remove the delicious turkey juices as well). Pour the 1 cup of water into the pan and using a very wide spoon or spatula, vigorously stir and scrape the bottom and sides of the roasting pan to release all of those flavorful cooked-on particles of food. Pour this liquid into the pot with the roasted turkey wings. Add 8 cups of the chicken broth (refrigerate remaining 2 cups), the carrot, celery and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove wings to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, pull off skin and meat. Discard skin; cut up the turkey into chunks and place back in broth and continue cooking, uncovered, for another 30 minutes (to extract as much flavor from the meat as possible.
Strain broth into a 3-quart saucepan, pressing vegetables and meat to extract as much liquid (and flavor) As possible. Discard the vegetables and meat (if you have the patience to pick out the meat from this mixture, go ahead and do so, then save for another use). Meanwhile, skim the fat off the broth and discard (if time permits, refrigerate the broth overnight to make fat-skimming easier).
In a medium-sized bowl or pot, whisk the flour into the remaining 2 cups of broth until blended and smooth. Pour the cooked and skimmed broth into a large pot and bring to a gentle boil. Whisk in the broth-flour mixture and boil, whisking constantly, until the gravy thickens, then continue cooking and whisking another 2 to 3 minutes to develop the flavor and remove the floury taste. Stir in the butter and pepper. Serve, or pour into containers and refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 6 months. Makes about 8 cups.
Recipe adapted from Woman’s Day Magazine.
Because grating havarti is sort of like grating Jell-o, the trick is to make sure this semi-soft cheese is thoroughly chilled first. But this spread is worth the extra effort, because I’ve never had anything but praise for this recipe.
David’s dilled <
BR>havarti spread
1cup shredded dilled havarti cheese
1/4cup minced green onions
1tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1/3to 1/2 cup mayonnaise
Assorted crackers, baguette slices, or crostini
Combine all of the ingredients and spoon into a bowl. Surround the bowl with crackers or baguette slices or crostini. Keep the spread refrigerated when not serving.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups of spread.
Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics, edited by the Moosewood Collective.
Romesco sauce, which hails from Spain, is a delicious puree of roasted peppers, nuts and olive oil. Here it’s used as a spread for the croutons and a dip for the roasted vegetables. You can change the mix of roasted vegetables to suit your own taste. Try sweet potatoes in place of the parsnips or butternut squash (peeled and cut into pieces) in place of the acorn squash. Even Brussels sprouts are a nice addition.
Harvest salad of roasted vegetables with romesco sauce
1medium red onion, cut into quarters
2carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
2small to medium turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges
1acorn squash, peeled, cut into 1-inch rounds, seeds removed
2parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
Olive oil to coat the vegetables
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2leeks, white parts and about 1 inch of the green sliced into 1/4-inch rounds, washed and dried well
1/2cup plus 2 tablespoons of your favorite vinaigrette
2tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1head of loose leaf lettuce, such as oakleaf, red leaf, or green leaf, torn into large bite-sized
pieces (about 4 cups)
Shaved croutons (recipe follows)
1/2cup romesco sauce (recipe follows)
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the onion, carrots, turnips, squash and parsnips in a single layer on a sided baking pan or in a shallow roasting pan. Toss with enough olive oil to coat well, about 1/4 cup. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a pinch of pepper. Cook the vegetables, tossing them occasionally, until just about tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Add the leeks and cook until all of the vegetables are tender, about another 15 minutes. Let the vegetables cool briefly in the pan. Drizzle them with about 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette and sprinkle them with the parsley and thyme. Allow the flavors to combine for at least 5 minutes (or up to several hours).
To serve, dress the lettuce with just enough of the remaining vinaigrette to coat it. Divide the leaves among four plates. Divide the roasted vegetables (which are either warm or at room temperature) among the plates and top with a shaved crouton. Divide the sauce among the individual ramekins and serve with the salad.
Recipe from "Bistro Cooking At Home," by Gordon Hamersley, with Joanne McAllister Smart.
Shaved croutons
1/2round loaf of country-style French or Italian bread
About 1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lay the flat side of the loaf on a cutting board. Cut the thinnest slices you can by using long strokes with the knife and steady pressure. (Slicing the "short" way, with more crust to guide the knife, makes thin slices possible.) Cut off the crusts, if you like, and cut the slices into the shape you prefer (or leave them like they are!). Toast the slices on a baking sheet until they are golden brown on one side. Turn them over and toast the other side. Remove the slices from the oven, brush them with olive oil, and sprinkle them with salt and pepper to taste. Makes about 10 large croutons
Recipe from "Bistro Cooking At Home," by Gordon Hamersley, with Joanne McAllister Smart.
It’s great to have romesco sauce on hand because it’s great with grilled foods, as a spread on sandwiches, tossed with pasta, or drizzled into soups or stews. It will keep in the refrigerator for several days and can be frozen for up to three months.
Romesco sauce
2ancho chilies (this is a dried chili)
2whole canned tomatoes
2roasted red peppers, stemmed, seeded, and peeled
1cup any combination of the following: hazelnuts, almonds, and pine nuts, toasted
2teaspoons chopped garlic
2tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3tablespoons chopped fresh mint
4tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/2to 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3cup olive oil, more if needed
Pour boiling water over the ancho chilies and let them soak until very pliable and soft, about 20 minutes. Reserve a couple of tablespoons of the soaking liquid. Drain the ancho chilies and chop them coarsely. Seed the tomatoes and drain their juices. Chop the roasted peppers coarsely. Pulse the toasted nuts in a food processor until fairly finely chopped. Add the garlic, ancho chilies and roasted red peppers. Pulse until combined. Add the parsley, mint, vinegar, salt, pepper and olive oil, and process until medium smooth. Taste and add more oil, vinegar, salt or pepper as needed. If very thick, add a little more oil or some of the ancho-chili soaking liquid (or a little of both) and pulse again. Makes about 2 cups.
Recipe from "Bistro Cooking At Home," by Gordon Hamersley, with Joanne McAllister Smart.
Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can contact her by e-mail at janrd@proaxis.com.
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