Recipe(tried): Thanksgiving Feast - Turkey with the Ultimate Brine, Fresh Cranberry Sauce with Bourbon, Steamed Asparagus, Baked Baby Sweet Potatoes

ULTIMATE THANKSGIVING FEAST

ULTIMATE BRINE
Brining a turkey results in a moist and juicy, not "watery bird

1 1/2 cups, Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups, brown sugar
10 whole cloves
3 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 1/2 gallons (6 quarts) apple Juice or cider (non-alcoholic)
18oz hard apple cider beer
The peel from one orange or one tangerine (colored part only - not white pith)
[optional: 3 teaspoons, dried thyme and/or 3 teaspoons, dried sage]

Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive pot, Bring mixture to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes (partly covered). Allow Brine to cool completely.
Rinse turkey under cool running water, inside and out (remove giblets from body cavity). Pat turkey dry with paper towels, then immerse turkey in cooled brine.* Turkey should be completely submerged in liquid (place a plate on top of the bird if necessary to keep it covered with the liquid).

Cover the pot and refrigerate for 8-10 hours. Remove turkey, rinse, pat dry, and roast as usual.

*Be sure container for turkey in brine is non-reactive: use enamel, glass or crockery or stainless steel - never cast iron or aluminum. The pot should be just large enough to contain the turkey (so the brine will be sufficient

Prepare glaze:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp marjoram
1 tsp lemon peel
6 oz hard apple cider
salt, pepper,
optional fresh herbs (thyme, sage, rosemary)

Combine Butter, sugar, marjoram & lemon peel in a small mixing bowl. Place towel dried turkey breast side up on rack in a shallow roasting pan. Separate the skin from breast meat. Spread half the glaze over the breast meat just under the skin. Melt the remaining glaze & cool slightly, stir in the cider beer. Brush mixture over outside of turkey. Season with salt & pepper. Lace up the turkey, tuck in the wings and neck skin. Insert the type of thermometer that can stay in the oven the whole time during roasting process OR buy yourself a very nice instant read thermometer to use towards the end of your cooking time. Tent loosely with foil. Roast at 325 for 3 3/4 - 4 1/4 hours or at LEAST until the thigh meat reads 180 degrees F. Remove foil during final 30 min of roasting to allow browning process. Besides the temp test, turkey is done with drumsticks move easily and juices run clear. Remove turkey from oven and recover with foil and allow to stand for 15-20 min before carving. This is essential to allow juices to be reabsorbed from outside back into fibers of meat. Garnish with fresh herbs for presentation if desired.

Stuffing.. Mrs Cubbisons is truly my favorite but I always dress it up add to the standard recipe diced white onion, diced celery, chopped up dried apple rings, chopped up hard boiled eggs. For part of the liquid use hard apple cider.

Fresh cranberry sauce Follow directions on Ocean Spray package substituting 2 T of the liquid for bourbon. Add to the mixture finely smashed Blue Diamond glazed walnuts and fresh orange zest.

Green Vegetable? Everyone makes that green bean casserole we are all tired of it so we are doing steam fresh asparagus. You'll also need a few green onions OR whole chive stalks. Steam the long green stalks in a wet plate in the microwave for 30 seconds until it is soft and pliable but not mushy. When the asparagus is done, tie up each serving with a wilted green onion / chive stalk. Drizzle on poor man's hollandaise (1/4 cup mayo, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 tsp prepared mustard (sweet/hot with seeds) and 1/4 tsp lemon juice heated just to the point of a few bubbles).

Sweet potatoes: We've always done the sweet potato casserole with the marshmallows on top but again we are tired of it so last year I sought out tiny sweet potatoes usually found this time of year at nicer markets like Bristol Farms. One or 2 potatoes for each guest. Bake for about 45 min to an 90 min depending on the size of the potato. Large normal ones take about 90 min the baby ones take half the time They are done when they are soft when you squeeze them (use potholders !!!) and start to split open. You can bake them along side the turkey on on another shelf. Put the potatoes on a cookie sheet because they tend to pop & boil and make for lovely hard to remove burnt sugar drops in your oven. Serve with a dollop of brown sugar butter (equal parts of each).