My Thanksgiving 2023
This week, we all enjoyed seeing holiday photos from my colleagues, business partners, friends, and followers - now here are some of my own Thanksgiving memories.
This year, I attended Thanksgiving lunch at the home of my friend and distinguished interior designer, Stephen Sills. He organized a big buffet for all his guests, so I brought a beautifully stuffed and roasted 20-pound organic heritage turkey to supplement the meal. I prepped and cooked it Thanksgiving morning, and it was perfectly golden by afternoon - just in time. It was a most enjoyable gathering with friends, and a wonderful feast for all.
Here are photos from my Thanksgiving Day, enjoy.
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- On Thanksgiving morning, just one day after I made 30-pies for my hard-working staff, I’m back in my kitchen preparing a 20-pound organic heritage turkey for lunch. Here is the bird on the counter before it is prepped. A turkey will cook more evenly and faster if it starts out at room temperature, so remove the turkey from the refrigerator about an hour before roasting.
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- Once the turkey is patted dry and seasoned, I spooned several cups of apple and pear stuffing inside the bird’s cavity. The capacity of the cavity will vary with every bird. Any remaining stuffing can be baked separately.
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- Then I secured the flaps with big wooden picks.
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- I decided to cook this turkey “en papillote,” or “al cartoccio” in Italian. It is a method of cooking food carefully placed into a folded parchment pouch then roasted or baked. Here is the turkey before it was buttered and wrapped.
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- And here is the turkey after it is well buttered. I spread a generous amount of softened unsalted butter over the top of the turkey – about six to eight tablespoons.
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- Next, I start wrapping it in a giant sheet of parchment. And only use parchment paper when cooking – never wax paper. Wax paper is NOT heat resistant, and could melt or even catch fire in the oven.
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- One can purchase big roles of parchment paper, but if it is not big enough, staple two long sheets together and then wrap the turkey.
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- Here, Enma helps me roll the paper tightly at the top. It is important to have enough to come up and over the turkey.
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- Once covered on top, crimp the parchment paper and staple it closed.
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- I also stapled the sides, so it was a snug fit around the entire bird.
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- Here it is just before it goes into the oven. Many of you have used my recipe, “Roasted Turkey in Parchment With Gravy.” It yields moist meat and crisp, golden skin every time.
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- And here it is – out of the oven and dressed with rosemary and grapes on the platter. It is perfectly golden.
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- And then it was off to Stephen’s home not far from my farm. Stephen’s home is exquisite. This is his newest room renovation.
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- The dappled Thanksgiving Day light through the large windows was just perfect. As a hugely celebrated interior designer, Stephen knows exactly how to transform a room, so it is both stunning and timeless.
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- I admired this gorgeous mirror above the fireplace.
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- … and this arrangement of fall leaves on the coffee table – simple yet elegant.
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- I walked in and smelled the cut peonies right away. And do you know what these gift boxes from Petrossian contained? Look closely – small Caviar Mill Crêpe cakes, where layers of crêpes are stacked to form a cake with caviar-infused pastry cream. Each cake is decorated with lemon dill gelée and fresh dill sprigs.
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- Other sides on the buffet included giblet gravy, and homemade cranberry sauce.
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- There was autumn ratatouille with couscous. Ratatouille is a French Provençal dish of stewed vegetables that originated in Nice. Couscous is a North African dish made from tiny steamed balls of semolina flour – a type of pasta. Every dish was clearly labeled.
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- Here’s a dish of classic potatoes au gratin, also known as scalloped potatoes.
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- And here I am with the delicious roasted turkey – ready to devour.
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- I was asked to carve the turkey, and Stephen insisted I use his electric knife. It worked, but you know what I would have preferred to use…
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- Here is Kevin’s plate – his first serving. Everything was so delicious, we all went back for seconds, some even thirds.
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- And don’t forget dessert! It was a terrific holiday lunch, with all the fixings. Thanks to everyone for submitting your beautiful photos. And here’s to a great continuation of the holiday season ahead.
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