Thanksgiving Day at The Wilkins
There is no question that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Yes, there is muss and there is fuss. For me, anyway. But I just love the whole experience -- deciding on a menu, shopping for the food, setting the table, and 3 days of cooking. You heard me. And it probably takes a week to clean up but I am ok with it! This year was special, as we invited my son's new wife and her family to join us. I must say, a good time was had by all.
Thanksgiving for me is family, fun and gratitude.
Finalizing the menu involves a month of watching various food television shows and researching recipes. No lie. It also involves a clipboard and much editing. By the time I finalize it is time to get in the kitchen. Certain things stay the same, but I like to experiment with starters and desserts a bit. There must be lobster and corn chowder and there must be my homemade apple pie.
My super-duper homemade lobster and corn chowder. It's all about the stock :-)
The core meal is pretty standard, pictured from left - right, below. Herbed roast turkey (herbed butter inserted under the skin of the breast), white cheddar and sage twice-baked potato casserole and my homemade stuffing with sausage, wild rice, veggies and green apple. This year for the vegetable course I chose roasted broccoli, butternut squash and carrots with goat cheese, arugula, pomegranate seeds and balsamic drizzle. Yum. This will all be covered by THE BEST GRAVY EVER, created by roasting turkey wings on Tuesday, having one for lunch, then adding stock, water, wine and herbs for a gallon or two of killer stock. More on that below.
I have a favorite shopping spot, and no, it is not totally local but it is totally worth it. Idylwilde Farm, located in Acton, MA, has an amazing assortment of meats, cheeses, condiments, wines, charcuterie, flowers, candles, etc. AND THE PRODUCE -- OH MY!!! The best of the best, sourced locally and from around the world. No joke. Maybe an hour from our house. We often combine our shopping trip with a visit to Boston or family in the area. Many a menu change has come by seeing some amazing vegetables that are just irresistable. The turkeys are sourced from Bob's Turkey Farm in nearby Lancaster, MA. Super-fresh, super delicious. And then there are those turkey wings for the stock. A must-have. And they always have them.
Once we do an exhaustive shop (read: two trips around the store, inside and out, if not more), it is time to get the goods home so cooking begins promptly Tuesday morning. Tuesdays are for turkey stock and stuffing. The wings are slow-roasted and then drowned in stock, water and herbs for at least 8 cups, if not more, of homemade, deep brown and delicious stock that will make enough gravy for Bob to consume a bowl of his own. Which he does! I will also prep the potato dish today, as it will hold in the refrigerator for two days before it is brought back to room temperature and baked to a lovely golden brown.
Roasted turkey wings for an amazingly rich and delicious turkey stock, resulting in the best gravy ever! IMHO.
Wednesday is table setting and prep, prep, prep. There may be a little shopping and the lobster corn chowder definitely happens this day. Jared's cranberry sauce recipe and Adam's apple sauce recipe are executed and stored for the next day. The turkey is stuffed with butter and air-dried in the frig overnight. Busy busy busy!!
I make the apple pie Thursday morning using Ina Garten's Perfect Pie Crust recipe and some fancy-shmancy apples from the farmstand. I use a golden Opal variety. They are sweet with a touch of tart and hold their shape. Perfect.
The rest of the day is cooking like a fool and recruiting volunteers to help. My son Adam does the cornbread with bacon and cheddar, my daughter in law Sheri makes Cranberry-Horseradish Brie Puffs with Rosemary and Pecans (amazing!), Jared perfects the seasoning on the chowder, I make the smoked salmon toasts with all the usual toppings - chive cream cheese, capers, red onion, dill and lemon juice on a lovely piece of pumpernickel. Great with prosecco. Sheri's mom, Rita, brought a homemade, old-school custard pie, Derek brought amazing chocolate chip cookies and Sheri brought the Pioneer Woman's Pumpkin Cheesecake with salted caramel sauce and cinnamon whipped cream. More on that later, I promise!!
Ann and Rita in the kitchen. Most of the photos are courtesy of Rita. Except for this one, as she is obviously in it.
I go strictly buffet-style on Thanksgiving. Serving dishes are too heavy and too big to pass, plus the gravy stays warm on the stove. I put more gravy on the table, which inevitably ends up next to my husband :-) We try to stretch it out and make it last with limited success. People helping themselves to seconds helps!
After a resting period, I try to force-feed people dessert, again with limited success. The pies and cookies are delicious, BUT THE CHEESECAKE IS TO DIE FOR!!!! Light, whippy, great flavor, great crust, and the salted caramel sauce and cinnamon whipped cream put it over the top! It could be the best dish of the day!
Pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap crust, salted caramel sauce and cinnamon whipped cream courtesy of Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman. Simply amazing!
Disposable tupperware makes it easy to send everyone home with plenty of food while leaving enough for us. After all, it was a 26 pound turkey for 10 people. I am the queen of excess. But very little was wasted. After bringing my mom some food, and serving up leftovers, I may have fed the dog a cup of sutffing. The rest went bye-bye.
I think the reason I love Thanksgiving so much is that it is a day of comraderie in the kitchen, family around the table, and a real expression of caring and gratitude towards all. Best day of the year.