Turkey Tetrazzini - Crawlin' From The Wreckage

So, did you make it?

Did you survive?

It's a couple of days after Thanksgiving. While not a great time to assess all the damage to home, hearth and cooking reputation, it is time to relax and wind down a bit. I hope all of you ate something other than turkey yesterday. One of the most overrated experiences around is turkey leftovers the next day. They should be prepared today or maybe even Sunday. You want to have a little perspective on the meal before you plunge right back in.

We survived quite well here at Crab Central. Travel adventures and friends planning the wedding of one of their own caused turnout to be very low this year. We embraced this calamity by making a few "odd" things for dinner. We shunned the standard Leek Stuffing and replaced it with a chile pepper-cornbread version. (It didn't sell very well though, not enough gravy sopping ability. But I will post it in the future, since I think it would be great with either pork or beef roasts).

Today I'll offer you another Crabby tradition. I'm talking about Turkey Tetrazzini, that gloppy, soupy, must-go melange of turkey and Thanksgiving veg. Since many of you are off shopping and are "cooked out", I'll give you the cheater's version. Enjoy...


Turkey Tetrazzini
by Crabby

1 Family Size Can (26 oz.) Campbells Cream of Chicken Soup
1 bag Extra wide Egg Noodles (16 oz.)
3/4 to 1 pound chopped leftover turkey
1 red bell pepper, chopped
8 oz. peas (or other leftover veg)
Bread Crumbs
Parmesan Cheese, grated (optional)
Olive Oil

Prepare the egg noodles according to package directions, but undercook them slightly (say, 1 minute less than recommended).

Preheat oven broiler on high.

While the egg noodles are cooking, in a large pot whisk together the condensed cream of chicken soup with a equivalent amount of non-fat (skim) milk. Heat over medium. When the soup is simmering add the chopped turkey, red pepper and peas. Simmer for two minutes.

Drain the cooked egg noodles and mix into the soup. Stir well, but gently, to combine.

Remove soup from heat. Liberally sprinkle the mixture with bread crumbs. If using Parmesan cheese, sprinkle over the bread crumbs.

Drizzle a light layer of olive oil over the bread crumb-cheese layer and place the pot, uncovered, under the broiler.

Broil until the topping begins to brown, depending on the strength of your broiler, anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and serve.


There you go. Comfort food on the cheap while also helping to empty out the fridge of some of those pesky leftovers. It's not haute cuisine, but you'll be surprised how fast it sells, especially with the teenage crowd. Next time we'll get back to "regular" cooking, though I do have to start getting you ready for Christmas. Sigh, a Crab's work is never done.

Until next time, remember, you can do it, you just cooked Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. There's none of the panic about what to get 80-year-old Aunt Martha, none of the resentment for receiving an indifferent gift. There are no smarmy cards with soft focused cupids shooting arrows at lace edged hearts. Thanksgiving is basic, simple.

Thanksgiving is about going home and breaking bread. It doesn't matter if that "home" is a neighbor's, a restaurant or a soup kitchen; it doesn't matter if the family is your own or one you're borrowing for the day. Thanksgiving isn't about what or how we cook, it's about why we cook.

We stress out about recipes, about how much and what to make. We forget that it's not about the food. It's about the older generation passing the organizing and cooking onto the next. It's about adult grandchildren spending long car rides with time short grandparents. It's about college students coming through airport gates looking far older than their parents' memories.

So if you're cooking tomorrow, take a deep breath, have a glass of wine, relax and take the time to listen. No one remembers the Norman Rockwell moments, but we all, through laughing tears, can tell a story of Thanksgiving disaster. From underdone birds with lumpy gravy to Jell-O molds stuffed with shredded lettuce and sour cream, those are the memories that matter and need to be cherished.

I'm going to close with a passage by author Dorothy Allison, about the joys of gravy. This is the opening paragraph from a longer piece that appeared in the October 28, 2007 New York Times Sunday Magazine, (it's reprinted here without permission of the New York Times, the express written consent of Major League Baseball or The National Football League, so this could be my last post for awhile).


Panacea
by Dorothy Allison


Gravy is the simplest, tastiest, most memory-laden dish I know how to make:
a little flour, salt and pepper, crispy bits of whatever meat anchored the
meal, a couple of cups of water or milk and slow stirring to break up lumps.
That's it. It smells of home, the door locked against the night and a stillness
made safe by the sound of a spoon going round in a pan. It is anticipation,
the last thing prepared before the meal comes to the table, the bowl in Mama's
hand closing the day out peacefully, no matter what came before.


So this Thanksgiving I wish you peace and great gravy. Remember, you can do it, this is why you cook.

Thanksgiving Day Prep #8 - Menu & Shopping List

"Luck favors the prepared mind." - Louis Pasteur.

(He actually said, "Chance favors the prepared mind", but we can all stand a little editing.).

OK crablings, game day is almost here. The only way to get through the big event is to have everything ready to go; I'm talking about even mirepoix. So let's get started.

If you don't have turkey yet, get one today. If you pick it up tomorrow, makes sure it's nearly fully thawed. A 15-pound turkey feeds a lot of people depending on the number of sides. But if your 375 pound Uncle Herb from Sheboygan or three college aged males are coming to dinner and you like a lot of leftovers, then go big, just adjust your cooking time.

You'll need things to nibble on during the day prior to dinner. My suggestions are:

A platter of assorted crackers and cheese.

A large batch of Butternut Squash & Apple Soup. Keep it on a low simmer and have a small bowl or two as a break throughout the day.

The Main Event

Brined Roast Turkey
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Celery Root, Fennel & Potato Mash (alternate)
Leek, Mushroom, Bacon & Buttermilk Bread Stuffing
Bird's Eye Frozen Peas
Braised Brussels Sprouts in Maple-Mustard Sauce (barely acceptable alternate)
Cranberry Sauces
Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce (multiple cans)
Gravy

Quick Apple Tart with Ben & Jerry's Vanilla Ice Cream


Thanksgiving is wine hell but here are WWBob's best suggestions:

White Wine: American Gewurztraminer (Fetzer), or Trimbach Hugel from the Alsace
Red Wine: American Pinot Noir (Smoking Loon, Mark West, Bogle or AtoZ), also 2007 Italian Barberas.


As a public service to Crab Nation, I've put together your shopping list:

Butternut Squash Soup
1/2 pound bacon, chopped before cooking
1 medium onion, chopped roughly
1 large leek, white part only, washed well and roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 large butternut squash, seeded, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 medium tart apple, peeled and roughly chopped
32 ounces chicken stock, approximately
2 TBSP heavy (whipping) cream

Roast Turkey

1 (14 to 16 pound) young turkey, (if frozen, full thaw)

Brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon ice water

Aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil


Garlic Mashed Potatoes

2 heads of garlic
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon olive oil

1 pound russet or Yukon gold potatoes peeled and roughly diced
3 TBSP Butter
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup cream
Salt


Celery Root, Fennel & Potato Mash

1 large celery root (celeriac), peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
2 large fennel bulbs (1 1/2 lbs total), stalks discarded, bulbs quartered
1 pound boiling potatoes (2 large), peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice, divided
1 whole star anise, ground
4 large garlic cloves, minced (about 1 1/2 TBSP)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley


Leek, Mushroom, Bacon & Buttermilk Stuffing

1 1/2 loaves of store bought buttermilk bread (approx 36 ozs. total), crusts trimmed and cut into 1/2 " cubes
1 pound of sliced bacon, cut into 1/2 " pieces

4 TBSP grapeseed oil
5 cups chopped leeks, (white and a small bit of the green parts), approx. 4 large leeks
1 1/2 pounds button mushrooms cleaned and chopped
12 oz. shitake mushrooms cleaned and chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 TBSP dried tarragon
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 TBSP butter


Braised Brussels Sprouts in Maple-Mustard Sauce

2 TBSP Olive Oil
1/4 cup minced onion
4 cups (approx. 1 pound) Brussels Sprouts, cleaned and halved lengthwise
Salt to taste
5 TBSP water
1/4 Dijon mustard
2 TBSP good quality Maple Syrup (the real thing if you can get it)
Fresh ground Pepper, to taste


Cranberry Sauces

Cranberry, Quince & Pearl Onion Compote
1/2 lb pearl onions (preferably red; approx 2 cups)
2 cups apple juice or cider
1 cup sugar
2 TBSP cider vinegar
6 cloves
1 tsp coriander seed, ground
2 quinces, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2" cubes
1 (12 oz.) bag of fresh or frozen cranberries (not thawed if frozen)

Cranberry-Tangerine Conserve

2 tangerines (oranges are acceptable in a pinch)
1 (12 oz.) package fresh or frozen cranberries
1 tsp grated peeled ginger
1/2 cup golden raisins (chopped roughly if large)
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar (more if you like a sweeter taste)



Gravy

1 15 lb. Turkey (same one you're making for dinner)
2/3 cup onion roughly chopped
1/3 cup carrots, roughly chopped
1/3 cup celery, roughly chopped
32 ounces, no-salt/low salt chicken or turkey stock/broth
1 14 1/2 oz can of chicken stock (on standby, for thinning purposes)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Butter
Salt & Pepper


Quick Apple Tart
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17 oz package), thawed
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
2 TBSP (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 TBSP cinnamon sugar (2 TBSP sugar mixed with scant 1/2 tsp cinnamon)
1/4 cup apricot jam, melted



Assorted Cheese and Crackers
Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce
Bird's Eye Frozen Peas
Wine


There you go crablings. Highlight and print off the shopping lists to whichever recipes you're going to prepare. Obviously there is some overlap in recipes, e.g. butter, so combine the lists and go to town.

At some point every great meal hurtles towards disaster. If you're properly prepared it's much easier to keep control of the situation. Remember, you can do it, you can cook Thanksgiving dinner. On Wednesday or Thursday I'll post my Ode to Thanksgiving, until then, get prepping.

Brined Roast Tukey - Thanksgiving Prep #7

Less than a week to go. We're in the home stretch and you can feel the tension building. Time to talk about the turkey.

Over the years I've prepped turkey a lot of different ways: salt encased, syringe injected, maple coated, blah, blah, blah. At the end of the day nothing beats brining the bird. Immersion in a salt solution goes a long way toward achieving the juiciness everyone oohs and aahs about.

You can play with different brine ingredients, but in the end it comes down to liquid, salt, sugar and some spices. Experiment with various choices for liquid and spices. But know this, of all the times I've made brines, the choice among stock, water, apple cider or whatever, usually only makes the subtlest of differences. So don't sweat the details too much.

Today's recipe is from Alton Brown's "Good Eats" television show on the Food Network. This recipe has never failed us! So if you're nervous, follow it to the letter and you'll be OK. If you're adventurous, have at it, though I strongly suggest keeping the proportions the same. It means brining the bird early on Thanksgiving, but it's definitely worth it, please enjoy...


Good Eats Brined Roast Turkey
from "Good Eats" by Alton Brown

1 (14 to 16 pound) young turkey, (if frozen, full thaw)

Brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon ice water

Aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil

Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Early on the day of cooking, (at least 6 hours before you start cooking), combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement or garage) for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.

A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes, (I often skip this part, I just don't think it adds that much flavor).

Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water, dry very well with paper towels. Discard brine.

Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan. Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with canola (or other neutral) oil.

Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 degrees F. Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 1/2 to 3 hours of roasting, (Brown says 2 to 2 1/2 hours, my 14 pounders are rarely ready before three hours). Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.

While turkey is resting, prepare your gravy.

That's it crablings. The attached pictures are of a turkey breast I prepared a while ago. It takes some work ahead of time, but then there's a lot of standing around sipping wine until the panic of gravy. All in all, it's a very easy recipe.

Remember crablings, you can do it you can cook. On Monday I'll post a plan for the big day.

Braised Brussels Sprouts in Maple-Mustard Sauce - Thanksgiving Prep #6

Alright, let's get this straight right from the start. There is only one acceptable vegetable to serve with Thanksgiving Dinner: Microwaved Frozen Peas (MFP). Not canned or fresh peas. Only microwaved frozen peas. They are a basic requirement; if there was any true justice in this world, it would be a Federal Crime not to serve them.

I've been told that there are some people who don't like peas.

Surely, you're joking.

I'm not joking and stop calling me Shirley. Doubtlessly this lie is perpetuated by the Frozen Corn & Carrot Council.

But Crabby is not heartless. I am willing to concede that some people, mouth breathing troglodytes no doubt, would like to have a vegetable choice at Thanksgiving. So today I bring an elegant option. The fact that it uses one of Mother Nature's most repellent vegetables only serves to display my beneficence as well as the wisdom and glory of frozen peas; but I digress.

Today I give you Brussels sprouts in maple mustard sauce. Eeeeeooooo! Brussels Sprouts! Yuk! Yes, well, while I agree with that assessment, SSSal thinks I'm being too harsh. The sauce in this recipe does a great job at masking the flavor of the sprouts, so it works out for everyone involved. SSSal gets the sprouts she so enjoys and I get a sauce that at least makes them palatable. Enjoy...


Braised Brussels Sprouts in Maple - Mustard Sauce
from, Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without by Mollie Katzen

2 TBSP Olive Oil
1/4 cup minced onion
4 cups (approx. 1 pound) Brussels Sprouts, cleaned and halved lengthwise
Salt to taste
5 TBSP water
1/4 Dijon mustard
2 TBSP good quality Maple Syrup (the real thing if you can get it)
Fresh ground Pepper, to taste

Place a medium sized skillet over medium high heat. After 1 minute add the olive oil and swirl to coat.

Add the onions and saute, 3 - 5 minutes, until they just begin to soften.

Add the Brussels sprouts and salt, saute for an additional 5 minutes.

Sprinkle in the 5 tablespoons of water, shake the pan to distribute and then cover. Cook over medium heat for 7 minutes, or until the Brussels sprouts are fork tender. Note: Don't peek until the end of the 7 minutes. You may need to add more water and re-cover the pan if the sprouts aren't quite done.

While the sprouts are braising, using a small whisk, mix together the mustard and maple syrup in a small bowl. When the sprouts are fork tender add the sauce and stir to coat.

Transfer to a bowl and serve with freshly ground pepper.


There you go, pretty easy all in all. I have three suggestions for this recipe. First, I found the mustard a bit overwhelming, cut it back to 1/8 of a cup if you're not a big Dijon fan. Second, and I think that this would make a huge difference, instead of braising in water, use some champagne. It would add a nice dimension to the dish. Third, don't let the sprouts sit in the sauce for too long before serving, they turn "gloppy" pretty fast.

OK, crablings, a fast post with only a week to go before the big day. I know the pressure's building, but just remember, you can do it, you can cook. Next time, Bird Talk.

Leek, Mushroom, Bacon & Buttermilk Bread Stuffing - Thanksgiving Prep #5

OK crablings, we're getting down to the wire regarding Thanksgiving prep and I have to get you two more recipes after today, as well as present you with an overall plan. So something has to give. That something is going to be the more involved stories surrounding the recipes.

I know, I know, I feel your pain, but some problems are bigger than our own happiness. I promise, full blown, even over-blown stories will return, but for the next few posts it's strictly business. So let''s go.

Today we're going to prep what has become the official Crabby household stuffing. It has undergone a fairly large number of adjustments over the years. SSSal always wanted to have a more "upscale" stuffing, this idea met with a great deal of resistance, especially when this particular recipe did not initially display the gravy absorptive powers that Crab Nation demanded.

Number one this stuffing is not cooked inside the bird. I have no interest in overcooking the turkey just so I can be assured I've routed any potential salmonella from the stuffing. This is good news. The stuffing can be prepared ahead of time and baked alongside the bird. You get all the crispy goodness and none of the possible Pepto moments.

Number two, this recipe appeared in the November 1998 issue of Bon Apetit. While a good stuffing, it lacked enough bread to act as an adequate gravy transport vehicle, so our recipe now employs a great deal more buttermilk bread.

Finally, I'm told that this recipe could easily be made into a vegetarian friendly side dish by eliminating the bacon and by using vegetable stock. Though why you'd want a vegetarian friendly stuffing served next to roast turkey is beyond me. Anyway, here we go, enjoy...

Leek, Mushroom, Bacon & Buttermilk Bread Stuffing
from Bon Apetit, November, 1998 with many adjustments by SSSal and the Crabby family.

1 1/2 loaves of store bought buttermilk bread (approx 36 ozs. total), crusts trimmed and cut into 1/2 " cubes
1 pound of sliced bacon, cut into 1/2 " pieces

4 TBSP grapeseed oil
5 cups chopped leeks, (white and a small bit of the green parts), approx. 4 large leeks
1 1/2 pounds button mushrooms cleaned and chopped
12 oz. shitake mushrooms cleaned and chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 TBSP dried tarragon
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 TBSP butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread bread cubes onto 2 cookie sheets and bake until dry, approximately 15 minutes. Remove from oven, cool and then transfer to a large bowl.

Saute bacon in a large pot until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off rendered bacon fat.

Add 4 TBSP grapeseed oil to pot and heat over medium-high. When hot but not smoking, add leeks and white button mushrooms; saute until just beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add shitake mushrooms and saute an additional 5 minutes. Add celery and saute for 5 more minutes.

(Bread, vegetables and bacon can be prepped one day ahead, though they must be stored separately.)

Mix the bacon, vegetables and tarragon into the bowl containing the bread cubes. Season generously with salt & pepper. Mix beaten eggs into stuffing. Add approximately 1 cup of broth to the stuffing mixture and stir well to combine, (Note: you want to just moisten the stuffing, not turn it into a slurry. If you're using more bread then you may need to use more broth).

Return oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 15x10x2 inch baking dish. Add the stuffing to the baking dish in an even layer.

Take a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover the baking dish and butter the surface that will come into contact with the stuffing. Cover the stuffing with the foil (butter side down) and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until golden brown and crunchy on top.


Whew! This may seem a little fussy but in actual cooking it's really very simple. The result is a great way to move gravy. How many servings is this? I have no idea! I once watched a teenage male bi-ped consume half the baking dish by himself; I would think that this is enough stuffing for 12 (with very few leftovers).

Next time a vegetable and then the bird itself. I'll be back soon crablings. Just remember, you can do it, you can cook Thanksgiving dinner.

Celery Root, Fennel & Potato Mash - Thanksgiving Prep #4

Today I had planned on writing about another momentous political event from ten years ago. But as I was traveling the highways and byways of town today, I came upon an evil so pernicious, so hellish, that I had to change my plans.

Today I am here to enlist your support in eradicating a blight on our society. Yes, fair citizens of Crab Nation, the moment has come to rise up as one and to shout, "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it this anymore".

I am of course speaking about the ludicrously early appearance of Christmas Carols on the radio. It is a beautiful day here in the American Midwest, high clouds on what sadly promises to be the final day of Indian summer. Imagine my horror when I turned on my car radio and came across the cloying treacle that is "Jingle Bells".

If that weren't bad enough, this particular station has been playing "holiday classics" since October 31st. That's right, for the last 8 days people have been implored to deck their halls, while mothers, in full sight of their children, have been incited to smooch with a home-invading Santa Claus. Worse yet, the weather outside isn't frightful and I certainly don't want it snowing any sooner than it has to.

BAH, Humbug!

It's not that I hate Christmas mind you, I just hate it in October, before we've even gotten a whiff of Thanksgiving. October 31st to December 25th is 56 days. 56 days!!! Applying the same math we should start seeing Valentine's Day adds on December 21st, and you'd hear about Labor Day sales beginning June 10th.

ENOUGH!!! Stop it!!!



There, I've vented; out with the bad air, in with the good. All I'm asking is, can't we give Thanksgiving a chance?

The transition to today's recipe would have made a whole lot more sense if I'd written the political story, so you're just going to have to bear with me. Today's recipe qualifies as a more sophisticated version of mashed potatoes, or it can also be used as a warm hors d'oeuvre. It won't take to gravy as well as my garlic mashed potatoes, but it should satisfy any gravy ignoring philistine you may have invited to dinner. Enjoy CrabbyScrooge's....


Brandade of Celery Root & Fennel
Gourmet magazine, October 2008

1 large celery root (celeriac), peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
2 large fennel bulbs (1 1/2 lbs total), stalks discarded, bulbs quartered
1 pound boiling potatoes (2 large), peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice, divided
1 whole star anise, ground
4 large garlic cloves, minced (about 1 1/2 TBSP)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley

For Croutons

1 garlic clove, smashed
1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
9 (1/2 inch thick) slices good quality white sandwich bread, crusts removed and cut into triangles


Put the vegetables in a large steamer rack in a large pot. Sprinkle with 1 TBSP of lemon juice.

Steam over boiling water, covered, until very tender, about 20 minutes

While vegetables are steaming, finely grind the star anise in a spice grinder.

Cook the garlic in a small heavy duty skillet over medium-low heat, stirring, until fragrant and just starting to color, about 3 minutes. Add cream and bring to a simmer.

Puree the steamed vegetables in a food processor or in the pot using a stick blender. As the food processor is running add the star anise, garlic mixture, remaining tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 3/4 tsp pepper. Process until smooth.

Sprinkle with parsley. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Croutons

Heat smashed garlic in 1/2 cup of oil, that's right a 1/2 cup, in a large heavy-duty skillet over medium heat. Cook for about three minutes until fragrant. Remove garlic from pan.

Fry the bread triangles in the oil. Work in batches, without crowding the pan. Each batch should take 1 - 2 minutes, turning the bread pieces halfway through.

Transfer to a paper towel to drain and if necessary add more oil between batches, making sure to allow the oil to heat up for 2 minutes prior to restarting the frying process.

Note: You might be tempted to skip the croutons as too much work or too much fat, this would be a mistake. Try the croutons once, chances are I won't have to encourage you to try them again.


OK, I'm better now. Sometime soon I'll post the political story, but until then, just remember, you can do it, you can cook.

Ho, ho, ho indeed.

Cranberry Sauces - Thanksgiving Prep #3

A black silhouette in front of a white screen moving from left to right; the telltale outline of a chef's toque and apron. Suddenly a rolling pin appears on screen menacingly taking aim on our hero; in a flash of crab-like reflexes, a saute pan flies at the bad guy knocking him silly. Henry Mancini begins to play.



The name's Cook, Crabby Cook.

Martini's, shaken not stirred, caviar and the '90 Bollinger. Suave, debonair, envied by men, irresistible to women, agent 00CC cuts a dashing figure as he prepares his way through the world's finest recipes.

When the time comes for the "CrabbyCook Story" to be made into a movie it seems only reasonable that the current James Bond should play the lead role. I also think we'd need to bring back enchantress Octopussy as the evil antagonist, after all, crabs HATE octopi.

The title? Well in honor of the new James Bond film, I think "A Quantity of Sauces" has a nice ring to it don't you?

So, in further preparation for Thanksgiving, here are two, yes that's right, two, cranberry sauce recipes. One was described as "sophisticated" by Gourmet Magazine, (I found it more work than it was worth). The other is a bit more traditional. Of course, in the continuing spirit of full disclosure, Crabby prefers and only consumes Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce. Furthermore this sauce must be ejected from the can as a whole log with ridges intact. But, if you're looking for something homemade and involved, then enjoy...


A Quantity of (Cranberry) Sauces
from Gourmet, November, 2008

Cranberry, Quince & Pearl Onion Compote

1/2 lb pearl onions (preferably red; approx 2 cups)
2 cups apple juice or cider
1 cup sugar
2 TBSP cider vinegar
6 cloves
1 tsp coriander seed, ground
2 quinces, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2" cubes
1 (12 oz.) bag of fresh or frozen cranberries (not thawed if frozen)

Trim root end of each onion and cut an "X" into each. Blanch in boiling water for 1 minute. Remove from water, allow to cool slightly, then peel.

Bring juice, sugar, vinegar and spices to a boil in a medium sized heavy duty saucepan. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved.

Add onions and quinces and simmer, uncovered stirring occasionally until tender but not falling apart, about 30 minutes.

Add cranberries and simmer 7 minutes. Discard cloves. (This is a pain but necessary - be sure to count out the cloves so you know how many to extract) Transfer fruit and onions to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Boil the remaining syrup, if necessary, until reduced to 1/2 cup.

Pour syrup over compote and cool to room temperature. Can be made up to 3 days ahead; be sure to warm to room temperature before serving.


Cranberry-Tangerine Conserve

2 tangerines (oranges are acceptable in a pinch)
1 (12 oz.) package fresh or frozen cranberries
1 tsp grated peeled ginger
1/2 cup golden raisins (chopped roughly if large)
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar (more if you like a sweeter taste)

Peel a 4 by 1 inch strip of zest from 1 tangerine, making sure to only take the rind and none of the white pith.

Squeeze 1/3 cup of juice from the tangerines.

Bring juice, zest strip and remaining ingredients to a boil in a heavy-duty medium sized saucepan. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved. Simmer uncovered until the berries have burst, approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Discard the zest before serving.

The conserve can be made 2 days ahead.


There you go - a couple different cranberry sides to accompany the one true Ocean Spray. The "sophisticated" compote recipe does take some prep work, but gives an interesting flavor. The more traditional conserve recipe should satisfy the sweet-sour tooth of most of your diners.

Until next time crablings, remember, you can do it, you can cook.

P.S. I toyed with the idea of basing this post on the premise of the old television show, "The Fugitive", but somehow writing about a crab on the lam just sounded silly.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes - Thanksgiving Prep #2

A food I don't understand is Poi. My college roommate was born and raised in Hawaii, (no, his name doesn't start with Barack O), so he was always receiving CARE packages from home filled with bizarre and exotic foods. One of those foods was poi.

Poi is crushed, cooked taro root that when "properly" prepared forms a thin gruel. It's typically purple in color and is basically liquefied starch. The taste is commonly described as something close to glue or paste. I think the Elmer's people should file for an injunction; there is no way poi tastes as good as Elmer's glue.

Besides poi, my roommate introduced me to sashimi and sushi long before it became the ubiquitous presence it now is. I returned the favor by bringing him home for Thanksgiving every year. One of his favorite dishes was my mother's mashed potatoes. He loved them because they were "lumpy". To him lumpy mashed potatoes were good, it meant finding small bits of potato that you could actually identify and not just some over-processed paste.

So, with thanks to my mom, here's my recipe for Thanksgiving potatoes. I've added some roasted garlic to the basic recipe, but there isn't a ricer or hand mixer in sight. The mashed taters are a little chunky, but if you don't like that, then process them to your specifications. Enjoy...

Garlic Mashed Potatoes
by Bune and Crabby

Roast Garlic

2 heads of garlic
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the bottom 1/4" off the garlic heads, (you want to cut enough off of the base to expose all the garlic cloves). Sprinkle the water on a sheet of aluminum foil. Place both garlic heads, cut side down, onto the foil. Sprinkle with the olive oil. Close the sides of the foil, forming it into a loose pouch.

Place the pouch on a baking sheet and bake for 60 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool (while still sealed) for 30 minutes. When removing the garlic heads, you may want a spatula on hand to help lift any stray cloves from the foil. Squeeze the heads into a medium sized bowl. Remove any garlic paper that drops into the bowl. Mash with a fork.

Set aside. This step may be done 1 to 2 days ahead.







Mashed Potatoes

1 pound russet or Yukon gold potatoes peeled and roughly diced
3 TBSP Butter
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup cream
Salt

Place diced potatoes into a large pot. Fill with cold water to just cover the potatoes. Add a generous pinch of salt.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, partially cover the pot and cook for 15 - 25 minutes. Note: The cooking time will vary based on the amount of potatoes you're cooking and the size of the diced chunks. The bigger the chunk or greater the amount of potatoes, the longer the cooking time. The potatoes are done when they are tender and crumble when pierced by a fork.

Remove from heat and drain the water. Return to the stove top and allow to cool slightly (about 3 minutes) with the lid off. Add the butter and start mashing, stir the mashed contents from time to time. When the butter is melted and incorporated, stir in the milk and cream.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Add the roast garlic and mix thoroughly into the potatoes.

Serve.

Note: It's up to you to decide how smooth you want your potatoes. It's up to you to decide if you want more or less butter, or more or less milk and cream. These are the personal preferences that make this side dish your own. Play with it.

Other Notes: Bring the roast garlic to room temperature before incorporating. Also, if you remember, slowly warm the milk, cream and butter before adding to the mash.

OK, crablings, remember these are my ratios, they may not be yours. You may like things drier or moister. Also, there will be visible bits of roast garlic in the mash, (as you can see from the photo), this only adds to the homemade rustic nature of the dish. Relax, the taste is worth it.

Until next time, remember, you can do it, you can cook.

Gravy - The Nectar of The Gods

I was not always the culinary crab you now read before you. Like most male cooks, I first chose to master the techniques of immolating animal flesh over open flame. From the grill I moved onto mastering chili. There, I took to incinerating taste buds by following the time honored tradition of substituting heat for flavor, (to this day, I detest most spicy foods, not for their heat, but because too often excessive heat betrays a complete lack of cooking skill).

The time had come to seek out professional help. I started taking cooking classes. Fish classes, grilling classes, Italian classes, Chinese classes, all with mixed results. It wasn't until I took a 5 session class called "How to Boil Water", that light finally started to dawn on Marblehead. Week 1 - Vegetables, Week 2 - Stocks & Soup, Week 3 - Fish, Week 4 - Meat & Poultry, Week 5 - Put It All Together.

It was in this class that I finally learned the basics of that most mysterious of dishes - gravy. As far as I'm concerned, Thanksgiving is entirely about gravy. The turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing are merely conduits for transporting gravy to your stomach. A pox on your house if you put sausage or, God save me, oysters in your stuffing. If it can't absorb gravy, it better not be in the stuffing.

Gravy is about melding roasted flavors into a savory sauce that enhances and amplifies everything it touches (including fingers). Gravy can be touchy, but once you begin to master it, a whole new world of taste possibilities opens up. But this will require practice, which is why I'm giving you this recipe now so that you can try it a few times before Thanksgiving. Gravy is not a precise recipe, it's more of a technique that you will get better at the more you try it, so here goes...


Gravy 101
from "How to Boil Water" @ Cooks of Crocus Hill

This recipe is for basic Turkey Gravy.

1 15 lb. Turkey
2/3 cup onion roughly chopped
1/3 cup carrots, roughly chopped
1/3 cup celery, roughly chopped
32 ounces, no-salt/low salt chicken or turkey stock/broth
1 14 1/2 oz can of chicken stock (on standby, for thinning purposes)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Butter
Salt & Pepper

Scatter the onion, celery and carrots in the bottom of a roasting pan, (a good old fashioned, heavy-bottomed roasting pan, gravy is much more difficult to accomplish if you're using a disposable roasting pan). Place a roasting rack inside the pan atop the vegetables. Put the cleaned, towel dried turkey on top of the rack. Drizzle 2 TBSP melted butter over the Turkey. Roast until done; I use Alton Brown's approach.

While the turkey is roasting, pour 32 ounces of chicken/turkey stock into a saucepan and warm over low heat.

NOTE 1: THE STOCK NEEDS TO BE WARM/HOT BEFORE YOU EVENTUALLY POUR IT INTO THE ROUX!.

NOTE 2: If you don't have 32 ounces of homemade stock (a post for another day), then, by far my favorite box stock is Kitchen Basics Unsalted Chicken Cooking Stock. If you can't find that, then go for Swanson's Low-Sodium Chicken Broth. The key is to go for the lowest sodium broth/stock you can find.

When the bird is done, remove from the oven and transfer to a cutting board and lightly cover with aluminum foil. SAVE THE PAN DRIPPINGS!.

NOTE 3: The vegetables will most likely looked burned black and swimming in turkey fat and juices. GOOD!!!

Pour the vegetables, fat and juices into a large measuring cup or fat separator and return the roasting pan to the stove top. Spoon back into the pan as many of the vegetables as you can get. Allow the fat to rise to the top (approximately 2 minutes) of the measuring cup or separator. Slowly pour the collected juices into the saucepan containing the warm broth, stopping before any fat enters the stock. Save this fat!

Turn heat to medium-high under the roasting pan and sprinkle 1/3 cup of flour over the vegetables. Add 1/8 cup of fat to the mixture and start whisking the ingredients together. If there is excess fat still in the roasting pan then add another 1/8 of a cup of flour and mix to absorb. You want the vegetables and flour to congeal into small blobs without any extra fat floating around. (NOTE 4: This is the most difficult part of the process and the one that requires the most judgement and practice.)

Conversely, you don't want the roux to be too dry with unabsorbed flour flying around, if that happens then add a small amount of fat (if you don't have enough turkey fat, substitute some butter). Cook the roux for 3 minutes, if you don't cook the roux long enough your gravy will have a starchy taste and will get lumpy.

Now, with whisk in hand, quickly add the hot chicken stock, and whisk constantly. Keep whisking until the clumps of roux have all dissolved. Boil gravy for 1 minute, as the gravy boils it will begin to thicken.

NOTE 5: REMEMBER: THE GRAVY WILL THICKEN AS IT COOLS!. So if the gravy is too thick, add some additional chicken stock (from that 14 oz. can in the ingredient list - I know it's cold, but at this stage texture and consistency is the main concern) to thin it out.

Pour the gravy through a strainer into a large saucepan and keep warm over low heat until ready to serve.

I know, a lot of notes along the way. But I didn't promise you easy I promised you magnificent. Gravy takes practice, it just seems to border on black magic. This approach works with any roasting beast: Beef, Chicken, Pork, etc. I didn't get into augmenting your gravy, but, as you can see from the photos, I add sauteed mushrooms. Another good addition would be some finely diced shallots or onion.

Remember: Beast, Roast Mirepoix, Roux, Hot Broth & Whisk.

You can do it crablings, you can make gravy, now go forth and practice before Thanksgiving.