Nervous about Thanksgiving? Maybe it's your first, or your tenth but you still worry. Here are some of my tips and tricks to make your meal delicious AND stress-free
Thanksgiving Tricks, Tips & Cheats
- Wondra Sauce & Gravy Flour - perfect for gravy.
- Kitchen Bouquet is essentially a caramelized vegetables reduced to a browning agent with some seasoning added. A little bit goes a long way but if you like a turkey with deep mahogany color this is your key.
- Pumpkin pie tip: toast the spices before adding. Crush gingersnaps and pecans to sprinkle on the bottom of the pie. Press into and halfway up side of crust.
- Thanksgiving Spice rub – make it now. It’ll boost the flavor of your bird.
- Compound butter – this will go between the breast skin and meat. et Voilá self-basting turkey.
- Get Rainwater Madeira for gravy, Bourbon for sweet potatoes, Grand Marnier, etc.
- List now what can be done ahead of time: make spiced nuts, measure dry ingredients for stuffing and set aside in labeled bag. Make brine if you’re brining the turkey. Toast nuts for sweet potatoes, stuffing. Make a list of what you'll do each day so it's not all piled up for THE day.
- Make pie crusts now and freeze them.
- Buy extras of ingredients like low salt broth, butter, cream this week, as they may be hard to find last minute.
- If you're worried about time management, you can make dinner rolls now and freeze them, too.
- Dark green kale and small lady apples make a gorgeous bed for your turkey. Remember - first we eat with the eyes.
- Most importantly: remember the day is not about perfection. It's about sharing a feast with good friends and appreciating all you've got.
- Stay tuned for recipes and more tips.
Copyright Jacqueline Church. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.
Jacqueline Church - Award-winning writer, speaker, teacher on topics at the intersection of gourmet and sustainable food issues.
Join the Conversation