Thanksgiving!

WARNING! there are no turkey recipes in this post. 

For a brief period of time, Thanksgiving was my favorite holiday. Why? Because, at its heart, it's all about food. And y'all know I love to eat. And cook. We never really celebrated Thanksgiving in my immigrant Polish childhood home. In fact, I have no memories of it. Zero. Zilch. None. The only turkey we ever ate was in deli meat form and I wasn't fond of it. Smoked turkey was too dry, and unsmoked turkey was too wet. Both, unfortunately, tasted like turkey. My unpopular opinion: you can keep the bird. The sides were and still are more interesting to me. 

I roasted my first turkey in my parents' house as a new wife at the ripe old age of 35. Mr Minx had skipped his own family's celebration to start a new tradition with my clan. Because his family did the whole turkey-and-multiple-carbs thing, his new bride would do the same. I used Alton Brown's recipe, minus the brine, and to be perfectly honest--it was a triumph. I didn't (and still don't) understand why anyone made dry turkey when a moist and juicy one is so easy. 

Sadly, my mother died the following February, so we Minxes, plus my younger brother but minus our dad, started celebrating with my mother-in-law and her regular holiday crew. After my first Thanksgiving there, which included turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing, supplemented with canned corn, canned peas, and canned cranberry sauce, frozen rolls, and sweet potato casserole made with frozen glazed yams, I decided to take over help with the cooking. The following year, I brought a corn pudding and homemade cranberry sauce. In subsequent years I started making the sweet potatoes and the gravy, and added brussels sprouts and green bean casserole. If the holiday was about food, then I wanted it to be tasty and abundant. I loved my mother-in-law dearly, but in her later years she cooked primarily for sustenance purposes. I, on the other hand, loved to cook and eat delicious things and truly enjoyed preparing my contributions. 

A few years later, we moved the celebration to my brother-in-law's house as my MIL had various ailments and became too ill to cook. BIL Craig made the stuffing and provided the kitchen, and Mr Minx and I made everything else. I took off from work the day before Thanksgiving in order to get as much cooking done as possible in advance so it only needed rewarming the next day. Lugging bags of cooked food, raw ingredients, and some cooking implements, we started to feel like caterers. After my MIL passed, Thanksgiving finally moved to Minx Manor. Dad's girlfriend had dumped him, so he became part of the crew. And while it was more convenient to cook and serve food at our own house, going from caterer to restaurant owner involves more expense, decision-making, and house-cleaning, and much less enjoyment. One year, after vowing never to wash so many dishes again, we made lasagna and salad. It raised slightly less furor than the year I decided to make roast duck. 

Then Craig got married and Dad died. Buh-bye Thanksgiving feast! Seeya never, turkey! The holiday crowd that once included Mr Minx's 99-year-old grandfather and MIL's work friend Wayne in addition to five other family members was down to Mr Minx, Minxbro, and moi. In 2019, we started a new tradition: the grand Thanksgiving meal was pared down to a giant charcuterie platter that we grazed upon as we watched football and drank copiously all day. That first year, I cooked nothing, though I did make a cheeseball. Our coffee table became a buffet of cheese, crackers, sausage, and stuff like olives and cornichons. We used paper plates which we refilled over and over again. It was great, and we weren't stuck with 3 pounds of leftover turkey in the fridge. We did the same in 2020, and I added broiled bacon-wrapped dates to the party. 

Then my brother announced that it seemed wrong not to have a cooked poultry product on our holiday table.

There was no way I was going to make a turkey for three people, one of whom wasn't even going to eat it. I decided to make chicken wings, which seemed appropriate considering we'd be eating them in front of the annual Lions and Cowboys games. But I couldn't find reasonably priced wings last year. Chicken legs, however, were budget-friendly, with more meat and less waste. I coated them with a seasoning based on the wings served at Earth, Wood, and Fire and baked them. And since I had the oven on, I roasted brussels sprouts and tossed them in a spicy-sweet sauce of gochujang and maple syrup. We still had charcuterie, but much less of it. This year will be a repeat of last year, with the addition of stuffing. I know what you're thinking--in a year or two, I'll be back to making the whole holiday shebang again. No! I promise I won't go back to that. The only reason I'm making stuffing is because Olivia's Croutons sent me a box of products that includes both regular and gluten free stuffing mixes. So I'll make a small pan of each. Stuffing is simple: sauteed mirepoix; broth; herbs; bread. Maybe a little pork. We'll see what I feel like tossing in. Bake until crusty. Hey, the oven's gonna be on anyway....

For those of you who read this far and are still looking for Thanksgiving recipes, I'm including some here at the end. Please remember that I'm not like those bloggers who make turkeys in June just to have something to post in advance of the holiday. BO-RING! There are 109 million hits on the google for "roast turkey recipes," so you don't need mine. Sides is where it's at, people, so here's a handful of recipes for good stuff to eat on the side of a nasty ol' turkey. (Yes, I realize most of the recipes are for brussels sprouts. We like brussels sprouts!)

Corn Pudding

This is the corn pudding that I made every Thanksgiving for 15 years. I could have sworn I posted it here at some point in the past, but I couldn't find it. Luckily, I have the original printout safely tucked away someplace I can actually find it.

3 large eggs, beaten

1 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2 cups frozen corn kernels, defrosted

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, mix the eggs, cream, and milk. Stir in the salt, sugar, and corn.

Pour into a greased 8" square baking pan. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.

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Blackened Carrots with Harissa Yogurt I didn't make this for Thanksgiving originally, but I think it would make a great side dish. 

Celery Root Remoulade Try something totally different and make a cold salad. It's like cole slaw, but not at all like cole slaw.

Cheesy Drop Biscuits are much better than heat-and-eat dinner rolls.

Collard Greens are traditional in some homes. I do believe I made them to accompany my first turkey.

Spicy Sweet Potato and Bacon Casserole Make this at your own risk. I posted it on Food52 and someone commented that it was a "hot mess." I thought it was pretty tasty, and far better than the stuff with mini-marshmallows on top.

The Brussels Sprouts Collection

Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Apple

Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate and Walnuts

Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts

Raw Brussels Sprout Salad

Shaved Brussel Sprout, Meyer Lemon, Quinoa Salad

* Any products in this post that are mentioned by name may have been provided to Minxeats by the manufacturer. However, all opinions belong to Minxeats. Amazon links earn me $! Please buy!

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Firehouse Subs

Tuesday night is grocery night at Casa Minx, but since every supermarket has its own pros and cons, we tend to vary where we shop depending on what we need to buy on a given week. One of our frequent go-to markets is Shop-Rite on Aylesbury Road in Lutherville. While we're in the area, we try to find a place to eat dinner, but we've become a little bored with the usual haunts. So it was a great surprise to us when we received an invitation to try out the new selection of cold deli heroes at the Firehouse Subs right down the street from Shop-Rite.

We were unfamiliar with the fast-casual chain that was started over 20 years ago in Jacksonville, Florida by Robin and Chris Sorensen. Both firefighters, the two decided to start a family business based on something they love: subs made with high quality meats and cheeses on toasted bread with a wide range of toppings. There are now over 850 locations nationwide and two happen to be in Baltimore County in Owings Mills and Lutherville. They are both owned by Ayaz Moledina, a former financial planner who wanted to start his own business. Moledina not only loved the product but the charitable work Firehouse Subs does within their respective communities through the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation.

Battalion Chief Sub

Although Firehouse has offered hot subs like their barbequed brisket and pastrami subs for years, they recently decided to cool things down with a line of cold sandwiches. Baltimore is one of only 100 markets where the six new subs are currently offered. While the meat and toppings are served cold, they are still nestled in a toasted bun.

Hook and Ladder Sub

The Battalion Chief is a roast beef sub with cheddar cheese, onion straws, lettuce, tomato, and a horseradish mayo. The meat and cheese are substantial and the horseradish mayo adds just enough heat to keep things interesting. The Hook and Ladder combines smoked turkey and honey ham and Monterey Jack cheese. I was concerned the Italian dressing would make the sandwich too tangy, but the sweetness of the ham adds a nice counterbalance and the turkey is quite smoky,

Malibu Sub

Smoked turkey breast and bacon highlight the Malibu, but the avocado and spinach really made the sub special. As the name implies, the Sicilian is Firehouse's take on an Italian cold cut with capicola, ham, pepperoni, salami, and Provolone cheese. This would be a great sub for a really hungry meat lover.

Sicilian Sub

That's not to say that a vegetarian couldn't be equally satisfied with their loaded Mediterranean sub, which includes feta, hummus, marinated artichoke hearts, olive mix, cucumbers, lettuce, spinach, tomato, and onion. It's topped off with a balsamic vinaigrette and placed on Asiago cheese bread. (This sub is also available with grilled chicken breast.) The crusty layer of Asiago cheese on the toasted bread adds a whole new dimension of texture and flavor. The Asiago bread is also used with the Chicken Caesar sub: grilled chicken breast with romaine lettuce, tomato, and Caesar dressing. It's basically a salad wrapped in bread, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Mediterranean Sub (with Chicken)

All the subs are well packed with ingredients and the meats are shaved thinly so they melt in your mouth. Unlike some sub chains who will go nameless, you can actually see the abundance of ingredients overflowing the bread. Also, the bread is flavorful and has a slight crunch from toasting.

Chicken Caesar Sub

I can honestly say there was not a single dud among all the subs we tried, although I think the Minx was partial to the Hook and Ladder and I enjoyed the exotic flavors of the Mediterranean. Next time grocery night finds us heading to the Shop Rite in Lutherville, I'm sure we will be making a stop at Firehouse Subs for dinner.

* Any products in this post that are mentioned by name may have been provided to Minxeats by the manufacturer. However, all opinions belong to Minxeats. Amazon links earn me $! Please buy!



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Happy Thanksgiving!

Turkey and pumpkin pie, photo by Jean-Francois Riviere. Gorgeous.



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Sloppy Joes

When I was a kid, my mom would make Sloppy Joes once in a while, using a can of chicken gumbo soup and some basic condiments. I enjoyed it, and I didn't - I thought the gumbo soup (which tastes nothing like actual gumbo, by the way) tasted odd. But...that's the only choice we were given; we tried Manwich exactly once, Mom hated it, and that was that.

Sloppy Joes seem like a pretty no-brainer idea for a quick weekday dinner, yet Mr Minx and I have made them about twice in the past 12 years. Recently, I spotted a can of Campbell's Chicken Gumbo Soup at the soon-to-disappear Superfresh. It was "light," but since I hadn't seen this soup in years, I thought it might be nice to use it to make a healthier version of my mom's old recipe.

Excited about the prospect of tasting something from my youth, imagine my surprise when I dumped the can of gumbo soup into the skillet only to find that it contained rice. (I didn't remember the original containing rice, but according to this, it does.) Rice, some orange-ish stock, bits of what appeared to be bell pepper, and not a whole lot else. Not even flavor. With the addition of ketchup and mustard, the turkey mixture tasted like...ketchup and mustard and nothing like the flavor memory I've been carrying around in my head for 35 years or so. At that point, realizing I was not going to have a madeleine moment, I decided to doctor the Joe, adding much-needed spice and some sweetness other than ketchup.

The result was pretty good, definitely sloppy, and ultimately nothing like Mom's. Sigh.

Spicy Sloppy Joes

20 ounces ground turkey or chicken
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) light chicken gumbo soup
1/2 can water
1 tablespoon Sriracha (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon maple syrup
6 hamburger buns

In large skillet over medium heat, cook onion and turkey, breaking up turkey with edge of a spatula, until meat is cooked through and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Turn up heat and stir in ketchup, mustard, soup, water, Sriracha, paprika, garlic powder and maple syrup. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until meat is tender and much of the liquid has evaporated. Serve on hamburger buns.

Posted by theminx on Minxeats.com.

ลาบไก่ ไก่งวง

I adore Thai food and wish I had the opportunity to explore it more often. I don't always leave happy when I visit the Thai restaurants in the area, so more often than not, if I want Thai flavors, I have to create them at home. Recently, during one of my regular tours of teh Internets, I spotted a recipe for laap mu, or Thai ground pork salad, that struck me in that, "I have to make this now" way. After checking out several variations on the recipe, including Top Chef Season 1 winner Howard Dieterle's version, I concocted one of my own. I wanted a salad that was spicy and tangy, but also filled with the aromatics like galangal and lemongrass that have made me such a fan of the cuisine.

We are still dealing with that triglyceride thing, so of course pork was out. Chicken (gai) is another meat that would have worked in the dish, but I could only find ground turkey at the Wegman's. (I've purchased sweetbreads there, and they had whole quail, so it seems odd not to have such a basic cut of meat. I probably didn't look in the right place.)

The Thai word for turkey seems to be ki ngwng. Say that five times fast. Hell, say it once. Gai is so much easier.

Pronunciation aside, the problem with turkey - particularly breast meat - is that it is dry. Chia seeds are of no help for this recipe, so if you can find ground turkey that contains some dark meat, or if you can grind up some chicken thighs in the food processor, you'll have a much moister dish. In any case, even with dry turkey breast the flavors were quite nice - aromatic, refreshing, and tart, with a nice chile kick. Serve the laap with lettuce leaves to make wraps, or on a bed of lettuce if you want a more salad-y thing. It's a great meal for a hot summer night and it involves relatively little cooking.

The rice powder and the sauce can be assembled ahead of time, but for the best results, the salad should be dressed just before eating.

Laap Ki ngwng

2 tablespoons raw rice
1 pound ground turkey
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2-3 teaspoons chile sauce (I used Sambal Oelek; Sriracha works too.)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon galangal powder
1 tablespoon lemongrass paste (Gourmet Garden)
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 scallions, chopped
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped mint

Toast the raw rice in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until the rice has started to brown and emit a nutty fragrance. Remove from skillet, allow to cool, and pulverize in a coffee or spice grinder. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine fish sauce, chile sauce, sugar, galangal, lemongrass, and lime juice. Set aside.

Cook the turkey meat in the vegetable oil until cooked through and no longer pink, breaking up clumps with a wooden spoon or the edge of a spatula. Turn off heat. Add half of the fish sauce mixture while the meat is still hot, tossing to combine. Allow the meat to cool for 15 minutes before adding remainder of sauce, plus scallion, shallot, cilantro, and mint. Sprinkle with toasted rice powder before serving.

Serve over lettuce, or use large lettuce leaves as a wrapper for the laab.

With the laab, we ate a simple cucumber salad - sliced cucumber, splashes of lime juice and fish sauce, chopped scallions, cilantro, mint, and peanuts - and steamed Jasmine rice.

Posted by theminx on Minxeats.com.

Chicken Milanasian

Veal Milanese is a Italian dish of pounded veal cutlets coated in bread crumbs and fried, a dish that is both tasty and quite plain. A bit of investigation on teh Innerwebs reveals that some cooks like to top the breaded meat with something a bit more flavorful, for example Nick Stellino's version with tomato pesto, or Rachael Ray's tomato/onion/basil sauce.

An Italian preparation topped with tomatoes seems like a real no-brainer, only I wasn't in the mood for Italian flavors. When the weather starts to get warmer, I really start craving the bright, exciting flavors of Southeast Asian food, particularly Kaffir lime and lemongrass. Why not add a healthy dose of the latter to some fresh tomatoes?  I wasn't going to use veal for a couple of reasons (I've long eschewed eating veal because of the barbaric practices involved in production; this site claims that things are different these days) and though I usually avoid boneless, skinless chicken breasts, this application is one of few that actually makes sense for that otherwise flavorless meat.

Chicken Milanasian 

Tomato topping
1.5 tablespoons lemongrass paste (Gourmet Garden)
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 teaspoons honey
dash garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon fish sauce
salt
1 pint cherry, grape, or other miniature tomatoes, quartered
3 scallions, white and light green parts, finely chopped

Cutlets
3/4 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups panko bread crumbs
salt and pepper
1 lb boneless skinless chicken or turkey breast scalloppine
2 tablespoons olive oil
additional chopped scallions or chives for garnish

Instructions:
Tomato topping:
In a medium bowl, stir together the first seven ingredients; season with salt to taste. (If the sauce seems too tangy, add more honey.) Gently fold in tomatoes and scallions. Set aside to marinate for about an hour at room temperature.

Chicken:
Create a dredging station: Season flour with salt and pepper and place on a plate. Put the egg in a bowl, and the panko on a separate plate. Dip each piece of poultry into flour first, patting off excess, then into beaten egg, then coat with panko crumbs. Set each piece on a clean plate until all are finished.

Heat one tablespoon of oil over high heat in a large sauté pan until oil sizzles when a couple flakes of panko are added. Add half the coated poultry pieces. Cook 2 minutes, then turn and cook other side an additional 2 minutes. Remove poultry to a paper-towel-lined plate and repeat with remaining oil and meat.

Serve cooked cutlets with a few spoonfuls of tomato topping. Garnish with chopped scallions or chives.
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I served the chicken atop leftover pasta that had been warmed up with a couple of tablespoons of leftover peanut sauce. Mmm!

Posted by theminx on Minxeats.com.

Ghost Meatballs

Somebody in the Minx household has high triglycerides, so we're cutting back on red meat a bit and trying to eat more lean protein, like tofu and turkey. And you all know how much I love turkey. [gag] The things one does for love, huh?

Because this person is a pasta fiend, and spaghetti and meatballs can NOT be removed from the dinner repertoire, I thought it would be healthier to make turkey meatballs instead of using the usual triumvirate of beef, pork, and veal. To keep them moist, we employed a technique learned from watching America's Test Kitchen: mashing bread and milk together to create a mushy substance known as a panade. This both moisturizes the meat and coats the proteins so they don't bind together tightly, acting rather like the fat in other types of meat. Fat also acts to enhance flavor, so turkey meatballs need to be seasoned well.

A turkey meatball will never be as tender and juicy as one made from other animal proteins; increasing the amount of panade might help a bit, but as with a crab cake, you don't want to notice the breading. This recipe makes about 10-12 balls with a nice meaty flavor (ok, they taste like turkey), but that are scarily white on the insides, like ghost meatballs. If you like, you can add some chopped herbs to the meat mixture - basil and parsley would be nice - but then they might look like moldy ghosts. :)

Simple Turkey Meatballs

2 slices white or wheat bread
2 tablespoons milk
1.5 lb ground turkey breast
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large egg
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Moisten bread with milk, mashing with a fork to create a homogeneous paste. Mix with turkey, garlic, egg, and Parmesan, plus salt and pepper to taste. Form into balls, about 1.5" in diameter (mixture will be quite moist) and brown on all sides in a bit of canola or olive oil.

Serve with pasta and your favorite sauce. Serves 4.

Note: these actually taste better - and seem moister - after sitting in the fridge a few days.

Posted by theminx on Minxeats.com.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving dinner is such an ordeal anymore since Mr Minx and I basically act as caterers. I miss the days when we could lounge around in our pajamas and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade before leisurely packing up and heading to our dinner destination! Things have changed, however, and for the past two years we've headed over to my brother-in-law's at 9am in order to get the poultry started.

Despite our issues, the food is always good. :)

After last year's duo of turkey, I decided that this year I would instead make duck. Oh, and a turkey breast. But first, the duck. I used Sally Schneider's recipe from A New Way to Cook, minus the thyme, because I wanted to serve the meat like Peking duck, with tortillas in place of Chinese pancakes, plus hoisin sauce and scallions.

Looks like the real thing, no?

To keep things Thanksgiving-y, I made cranberry hoisin. And to keep with the Asian theme, the traditional green bean casserole became Sichuan green beans. Everything else was basically the same as always: corn pudding, steamed Brussels sprouts with lemongrass oil, mashed potatoes, and dressing - two kinds this time: my colorful concoction of veggies and Martin's Potatobred cubes, and my BIL's regular overly-squishy recipe. Dad contributed a sweet potato casserole with roasted pineapple and toasted macadamia nut toppings, and we had bakery-bought pies for dessert. (Thank God for bakery pies! Ours were from Yia Yia's, in Rosedale - their pumpkin pie is quite rich and delicious.)

Oh yeah - I forgot the turkey breast. Despite my dislike for turkey, I have to admit that this was pretty good. Mr Minx found a recipe for grilled turkey in a Steven Raichlen book; it involved injecting the beast with a mixture of chicken stock and Cajun seasoning, and cooking it over indirect heat with a packet of wood chips. The resulting body part was wonderfully moist and juicy with a subtle smoky flavor. I'll admit I would have eaten it, were it not for the duck.

You can find the duck recipe at the link above, and here are a couple of others:

Chock-full of Veggies Dressing

giblets from two ducks
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 tablespoons butter, divided use
4 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 leek, washed and chopped
4 oz mushrooms, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh scallions
16 cups stuffing cubes
4 cups vegetable, chicken, or pork stock

Saute the giblets (except the livers) in 1 tablespoon butter until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add livers and cook an additional five minutes. Allow to cool and chop finely.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and remaining butter to skillet. When butter melts, add celery, onion, leek, mushrooms, and carrots. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover skillet, and cook 15-20 minutes until vegetables soften, then add scallions and giblets to the pan and combine. Place the bread cubes in a large bowl with vegetables. Moisten the dressing with stock until all of the bread is moist but not wet (you may not need all of the stock).

Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with release spray. Pour in dressing and do not smooth top (you want more nooks and crannies for more crunch). Bake, covered, 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes to crisp top.

Cranberry Hoisin sauce

3 tablespoons black bean sauce
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons soy
3 tablespoons jellied cranberry sauce

Mix together all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Apricot Ginger Cranberry Sauce

6 canned apricot halves, chopped
1/2 cup orange juice
12 ounces fresh cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon minced ginger

Place ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until the cranberries have popped and the sauce has thickened, 10 minutes. Pour into a bowl or other glass container and refrigerate until chilled. Serve cold.

Turkey Tetrazzini

Two turkeys at Thanksgiving means tons of leftovers. Tons. And with me not really loving the taste of turkey, I had to find ways to disguise it a bit. On Thanksgiving Friday, I made kung pao turkey (recipe here). Sunday we had turkey nachos (I mixed chopped turkey with Mexican chorizo and onions, which I then dolloped on tortilla chips). Tuesday we ate turkey in a more traditional manner with the leftover Thanksgiving sides - Mr Minx had his plain, but I ate mine on a sandwich with Kewpie mayo and cranberry sauce on marble rye. By Wednesday there were still several pounds of the beast left, so I suggested to Mr Minx that he make Turkey Tetrazzini, a casserole of pasta, mushrooms, and Swiss cheese.

It was the perfect comfort food meal for a rainy evening. Nice and creamy, with crispy bread crumbs and chunks of turkey and mushroom. Look at those browned and crispy edges!

It tasted like more. And there was plenty of it, too. Made a great Thursday lunch.

Thanksgiving - The Turkey

This Thanksgiving we made two turkeys. We usually have one 16-lb beast from the Amish market, but this year's bird, at a mere 13 lbs, seemed a little skimpy to my brother-in-law. He took it upon himself to buy a second, larger, supermarket bird and broke this news to us on Wednesday evening.

So what to do with two birds? Cook them both! There can never be enough leftovers.

Even though we were having Thanksgiving dinner at my brother-in-law's, I took over the Cooking of the Birds. Why? Because he had never cooked a turkey before and well, I'm bossy like that. Plus I'd been eating weird dried-out turkey (cooked in an oven bag or an electric roaster) for about 7 out of 8 years now and *needed* to do it, for my own sanity. I wanted to follow Alton Brown's recipe, sans the brining because we didn't have time for it. But now that we had two turkeys, I thought it would be the perfect time to experiment with....spatchcocking.

Notice my Iron Chef t-shirt.

Here I am wrestling with the backbone. The blades on my shears are too small, and the knife wasn't cutting it (ha!), so Mr Minx ripped it out the rest of the way with brute force. He also got the job of breaking the breastbone so the bird could lie (mostly) flat.

Here it is in its herb-buttered, spread-eagled glory. It doesn't look all that flat, but it was.

And here it is, GBD (golden brown and delicious). The 13-lb bird took approximately 1.5 hours to cook at 350F. The breast was juicy and moist, but the dark meat was slightly underdone. Another 15 minutes would have probably done the trick. No matter - we weren't going to eat this bird anytime soon. And time was a-wastin' - we still had another turkey to cook!

The second turkey was cooked more conventionally and was done in 2.5 hours. Miraculously, when I took the bird's temperature, the breast was at 160F and the legs at 181F. That seems impossible, but there you have it - perfectly cooked all the way through. And the meat was moist and juicy, even the white meat, because this supermarket critter was of the salt-injected variety, hence it was brined. It had far more flavor than the Amish market bird which had been rubbed with the same herbed butter mixture (parsley, sage, rosemary - no thyme because the supermarkets were out and I didn't grow any this year).

What a beauty! Mr Minx isn't so bad, himself. ;)

And here's our Thanksgiving feast in all its glory. Looks paltry, but the table was huge. And we dispensed with the frou frou "tablescapes" because they just get in the way.

The Pattersons (apart from me) like to festoon their turkey with mini snausages for the last 20 minutes or so of cooking time, hence the toothpicked wieners around the edge of the plate.

I normally eat mostly sides and the barest scrap of dark meat, but the turkey was so good, I had second helpings of white meat. And I'm thrilled that for once we have several pounds of leftover turkey in the fridge. Turkey sandwiches, turkey pot pie, turkey soup - here we come!