My Thanksgiving meal
I had an extremely small group for Thanksgiving, but the smallest turkey I could find was 12 pounds. And so there are lots and lots of leftovers for turkey soup and sandwiches.
Photos from the meal:
The New Neo
A blog about political change, among other things
We had Cornish game hens for our household. We’ve done that before. I don’t know how to cook them, but the distaff side does. After the meal. the cook allowed as how she didn’t much care for the taste of them and next year we’d do something else. (I didn’t notice an issue with the taste, but this intertubes thingy informs me that others have the same observation about the taste though not necessarily her evaluation of it). We’re relocating to be closer to family so we’ll have a larger group next year (if we don’t shuffle off beforehand).
That looks like your Thanksgiving dinner was a rousing success. Enjoy the leftovers!
We had chicken cooked in a clay baker, called a Schlemmertopf. This is similar to the more well-known Romertopf but has a glazed bottom. We pour water in the unglazed top so that it soaks in. Then cook the 5-6 pound chicken in the covered baker at a high temperature 400F for about an hour and a half. Then remove the cover and cook for another 15 minutes to Brown it. Take it out of the oven and measure the temperature in the thickest part of the breast with a digital thermometer to be sure it is over 165F. Comes out moist and tender.
The Internet says you can cook stuffing in the chicken, but we have never done it.
You can also cook vegetables alongside the chicken in the baker.
A great invention.
I am a firm believer that at least once and probably twice a year you should eat something disgustingly bad for your health but extremely delicious!
Ok neo, that turkey is so thoroughly evenly cooked that it looks suspicious.
Looks beautiful and delicious Neo. Nicely done.
Looks good. We had a smaller group at our annual extended family gathering than normal. Part of the problem was it was split between two houses about 30 minutes apart. We made it to both houses over the course of the afternoon.
If gratitude, love, and joy seasoned the gathering as well, then a success on every measure. I trust even the memory of the day is blessed.
Nothing to do with Neo’s excellent Thanksgiving dinner, but this still prompts a chuckle or two.
WKRP in Cincinnati – S1E7 – Turkeys Away (Segment) (SUPERSCALED)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr1cJdH6ffg
Where’s the mashed potatoes and gravy?
Wonderful Turkey. Wish I could have made ours look like that.
It is hard to find a small Turkey, for just two people, let alone one. Turkey Breast was fine. But, next yr I like the suggestion of Game Hen.
yum!
Sonny:
Gravy in a gravy boat. There are mashed sweet potatoes there. I don’t like mashed white potatoes and don’t make them unless there’s a big crowd. No big crowd this year, so no mashed white potatoes.
We all have our idiosyncrasies.
Mashed turnips are a cruel joke on food as they look like mashed potatoes.
SHIREHOME:
It was a Bell and Evans turkey. The even browning just happened; I didn’t do anything special to it at all. I got the smallest turkey in the market, but it was still twelve and a half pounds.
My favorite meal from childhood was the day or so after Thanksgiving when my mom made Turkey Chow Mein from the leftovers.
That’s a beautiful turkey, Neo. I brined ours overnight, then roasted it in a bag. It cooked nicely and was moist, but I think the plastic bag prevented it from browning as nicely as yours. I also had the issue with the cook time, a problem I’ve mentioned previously.
All three daughters made various other parts of the meal, which was lovely, delicious, and fattening. The real downside of the event was that my wife has been in the hospital all this week with Congestive Heart Failure. Terribly distressing for all of us, but not totally unexpected as she’ll turn 83 in a few weeks and has had health issues since a spinal infarct about 6 years ago. I suspect neither of us has many Thanksgivings ahead of us, so we need to be very thankful for the ones we have.
F:
I’m sorry to hear about your wife. I hope you both have many more Thanksgivings ahead.
neo:
Beautiful! Looks like the photos in recipe books.
My Boeuf Bourguignon was a bit overcooked, but it was all I wanted to eat until it was gone.
I’m going to work this dish until I get it down.
Jon baker: “[family gathering] was split between two houses about 30 minutes apart”
Republican and Democrat?
Neo, what’s in your stuffing? It looks good. AND I certainly hope you cooked it In.The. Bird.
All kidding aside, my favorite day of the year just might be the the day after Thanksgiving. Spent all day in the yard digging out plumbago to see if it transplants as easily as they say. Then shaping the Royal Poinciana I look at from the kitchen window. I’ve been waiting for a month to do this on the day the tree trimmer comes so I could dispose of the branches in his chipper instead of making a trip through traffic to the green waste section of the dump. Finally, power washed one of the the tangerine trees in preparation to more pruning later this week after I had the tree guy take the biggest branch off with his chainsaw. Anyway, heavenly to know that after a day’s hard work in the yard, there are turkey leftovers, pie and half a bottle of red wine waiting!
FYI, Physics Guy, there is very noticeable vog from the Kilauea eruption on the North Shore of Oahu this week. Looking at the horizon this morning reminded me of the LA of my childhood and everyone is complaining of a tickle in their throat.