Friday, November 23, 2012

Thanksgiving snapshots


How was your thanksgiving? Ours was small and mellow. Some traditional dishes, some new experiments, and the discovery that a spatchcocked turkey will not cook in a mere 45 minutes if the oven is tiny and you've wedged a large pan of stuffing directly under the turkey. I'll give it another try next year, but either use a larger oven or just quick-toast the stuffing on a baking sheet while the turkey's resting. 

Photography was somewhat limited by the fact that my hands were covered in butter, flour, or similarly camera-unfriendly substances for most of the day, but here are a few snapshots:


You may think you hate brussels sprouts, but you probably just hate overcooked brussels sprouts. Try this: shred the sprouts, toss them in a pan with hot butter or bacon fat for a few minutes, stir in some crumbled bacon, toasted walnuts, and a tablespoon of maple syrup, and eat them immediately. See? They're good. (They're even good cooked this way without the bacon, maple, and nuts. But they're better with.)


Also, who owns a silpat but not a rolling pin?



Some people trim the overhanging crust, re-roll it, and shape it into a decorative border of leaves and other seasonal iconography. Not me. Roll it up, pinch it so it stays in place, and fill it with deliciousness.

Dad trimming fronds of fresh dill into spicy pickled carrots.  

Sage, thyme, and rosemary from the garden. Some went into the stuffing, some got mixed with sea salt and rubbed under the turkey's skin.


Improvised turkey roasting rack made of celery and carrots with alternating ends balanced on onion quarters. After dinner, the carcass and roasted veggies went into the stockpot.