Recipe: Thanksgiving Main Dish Recipes (5) - 11-03-97 Recipe Swap (updated)

5 THANKSGIVING MAIN DISH RECIPES
Recipe Swap - Week of November 3, 1997

RECIPES IN THIS FILE:
Roast Turkey with Herb Rub and Shiitake Mushroom Gravy
Chicken Pot Pie
Roasted Turkey with Southern Cornbread Dressing and Giblet Gravy
Hunan Style Lamb
Mediterranean Roast Chicken

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ROAST TURKEY WITH HERB RUB AND SHITAKE MUSHROOM GRAVY
Adapted from source: Bon Appetit magazine, November 1994
Makes 16 servings

FOR THE TURKEY:
3 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 1/2 tbsp. dried)
3 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme (1 1/2 tbsp. dried)
3 tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon (or 1 1/2 tbsp. dried)
1 tbsp. freshly ground pepper
2 tsp. salt
1 (20 to 21 pound) turkey, neck and giblets reserved.
Fresh Herb Sprigs
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
6 tbsp. butter, melted (3/4 stick)
4 cups canned low-salt chicken broth

FOR THE GRAVY:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup dry Sherry
3 tbsp. butter
12 oz fresh Shitake mushrooms, stemmed, sliced
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary (or 2 tsp. dried)
4 cups (about) canned low-salt chicken broth
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried
2 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon, or 2 tsp. dried

TO PREPARE THE TURKEY:
Mix first 5 ingredients in small bowl.

Pat turkey dry with paper towels and place on rack set in large roasting pan. If not stuffing turkey, place herb sprigs in main cavity. If stuffing turkey, spoon stuffing into main cavity. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape of turkey. Place turkey neck and giblets in roasting pan.

(Can be prepared to this point one day ahead if turkey is not stuffed. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature one hour before roasting.)

TO ROAST THE TURKEY:
Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.

Drizzle melted butter all over turkey. Pour 2 cups broth into pan.

Roast turkey 45 minutes. Remove turkey from oven and cover breast with foil. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Return turkey to oven; roast unstuffed turkey 1 hour (roast stuffed turkey 1 hour 30 minutes). Remove foil from turkey; pour remaining 2 cups broth into pan. Continue roasting turkey until meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh registers 180 degrees F., or until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced by skewer, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 1 hour 40 minutes longer.

Transfer turkey to platter; tent with foil. Let stand 30 minutes. Reserve liquid in pan for gravy.

MEANWHILE, TO PREPARE THE GRAVY:
Mix flour and Sherry in small bowl until smooth paste forms.

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and rosemary and saute until mushrooms begin to soften, about 3 minutes.

(Can be made to this point 3 hours ahead. Cover flour paste tightly. Let paste and mushrooms stand at room temperature)

Discard turkey neck and giblets from pan juices in roasting pan. Transfer pan juices to large glass measuring cup. Spoon off fat. Add enough chicken broth to measure 5 cups; add to saucepan with mushrooms. Add flour paste and whisk until smooth. Bring mixture to boil, stirring frequently. Boil until thickened to light gravy, about 10 minutes. Mix in cream, thyme and tarragon. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve gravy with turkey.

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CHICKEN POT PIE
From: Kim, ONT

The ingredient portions will vary depending on the amount of people being fed but this recipe fills an 8x8x4-inch casserole dish. Also, if you didn't cook your meat in a roasting pan in order to have gravy or if you ran out of gravy, it's just fine to use powdered gravy (it actually makes the pie a little thicker with less fat and tastes a little richer!!).

5 medium potatoes
Veggies (your choice and as much as you want)
1 cup gravy
1/2 cup milk
4 cups large diced cooked chicken
Spices (your choice and as much as you want)
Pepper (to taste)
Biscuit mix (for topping)

Cut any and all veggies fairly uniform in size so they cook simultaneously (potatoes can be cut larger). Throw into casserole dish and mix with gravy and milk. During the cooking process, if you feel the pie is getting too thick, you can always add more milk, gravy or water.

Add chicken, spices and pepper (try not to add salt during cooking because if your veggies are leftovers too, they may have salt on them from when you previously cooked and served them).

Bake pie at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until heated through.

During cooking time, prepare biscuit mix as directed on the box. Depending on the size of your dish, you may want to vary the amount you make.

After 20 minutes cooking time, pull pie out of oven and either scoop biscuit batter on top of pie by tablespoonfuls or have mix cut into biscuits and place on top of pie.

Throw pie back in oven and cook at temperature and time suggested in biscuit recipe. When finished, let stand 5 minutes, scoop, serve and enjoy!!!

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ROASTED TURKEY WITH SOUTHERN CORNBREAD DRESSING AND GIBLET GRAVY
Source: Beverly Wills, Huntsville, AL, 1990's

Cornbread (for the dressing, recipe follows)
1 (12 to 14 pound) turkey
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon thyme, crushed
1 teaspoon rosemary, crushed
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf
2 onions, peeled and cut in half
1 carrot, cut in pieces

FOR THE GIBLET GRAVY:
Giblets and neck from turkey
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
Water to cover
1/2 cup pan drippings (skimmed of fat) from turkey after roasting (save remainder for dressing)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1 hard-cooked egg, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

FOR THE CORNBREAD DRESSING:
Cornbread (made earlier)
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
10 slices day old bread, crumbled
2 to 2 1/2 cups turkey or chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

The day before roasting the turkey, prepare cornbread for the dressing.

TO ROAST THE TURKEY:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove giblets and neck from turkey; reserve for gravy. Rinse turkey thoroughly with cold water; pat dry. Rub turkey inside and out with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Rub with thyme and rosemary. Put garlic clove, onion, carrot, and bay leaf inside of turkey cavity and place turkey, breast side up, in a roasting pan. Tuck legs under flap of skin around tail. Insert meat thermometer in meaty part of thigh, making sure it does not touch bone.

Bake at 325 degrees F until meat thermometer reaches 185 degrees F. If turkey starts to brown too much, cover loosely with aluminum foil.

WHILE TURKEY IS ROASTING BEGIN PREPARING THE GRAVY:
Combine giblets (except liver), neck, onion, celery, and salt in a saucepan. (Cover and refrigerate liver for later.) Cover with water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until giblets are fork tender.

Add liver, and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Drain, reserving broth. Remove meat from neck; coarsely chop neck meat and giblets. Set aside.

WHEN THE TURKEY IS TWO-THIRDS DONE:
When turkey is two-thirds done, cut the band of skin holding the legs to ensure the thighs are cooked internally. Turkey is done when drumsticks are easy to move up and down. (Approximate length of cooking is 3 hours.)

APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES PRIOR TO REMOVING TURKEY FROM OVEN BEGIN PREPARING THE CORNBREAD DRESSING:
Crumble the cornbread made earlier into a large bowl; set aside.

Saute celery and onion in butter until tender.

Remove the cooked turkey (if done) from the roaster and place on a platter. Pour giblet broth into roaster pan and stir until sediment is loosened from bottom of roaster. Measure broth. There should be approximately 4 cups of broth. Add canned broth to make 4 cups if necessary.

Pour 2 to 2 1/2 cups of broth into cornbread mixture. Add sauteed vegetables and remaining ingredients for the dressing to crumbled cornbread, stirring well. Spoon dressing into a lightly greased
13x9x2-inch pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes until very lightly browned.

TO MAKE THE GRAVY:
Continuing with giblet gravy, combine flour and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan; stir until smooth. Add remaining broth mixture; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in reserved neck meat, giblets, egg, and pepper.

Serve the gravy hot with roasted turkey and dressing.

CORNBREAD

2 cups cornmeal
1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Place a well-greased 10-inch cast iron skillet in a 450 degree F oven for 4 minutes or until hot.

Meanwhile, combine all of the ingredients for the cornbread. Remove skillet from oven; spoon batter into skillet.

Bake at 450 degrees F for 35 minutes or until cornbread is lightly browned. Transfer to a plate and cool. Cover and save for next day.

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HUNAN STYLE LAMB
From: Bill,DC
Makes 6 servings

1 1/4 pounds lamb leg meat
1/4 pound carrot, julienned
1/4 Napa cabbage, julienned
1 1/2 stalks scallion, 1-inch sticks
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
3/4 cup vegetable oil

FOR THE MARINADE:
3 tablespoons peanut oil
3 tablespoons sherry
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 1/4 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon chili pepper

FOR THE SEASONINGS:
1 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce
3 tablespoons water
2 1/4 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce

TO MARINADE THE LAMB:
Trim the lamb of all fat. Slice the lamb across the grain about 1/8-inch thick. Set aside.

Heat the peanut oil until hot. Transfer the oil to a bowl and add the rest of the marinade ingredients. Mix with sliced lamb and marinate at least 15 minutes.

TO PREPARE THE SEASONINGS:
Mix the seasonings in a bowl and set aside.

TO COOK THE LAMB:
Heat the vegetable oil in the tilt skillet until very hot. Add the garlic and saute quickly, add the lamb and cook over high heat quickly. Remove.

Leave enough oil in the skillet to saute, add all the vegetables at once. Add a little water if necessary. Sprinkle with salt, add the seasonings and put back in the cooked lamb. Give all ingredients a good stir. Serve.

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MEDITERRANEAN ROAST CHICKEN
Source: Sheila Lukins All Around the World Cookbook by Sheila Lukins
Makes 4-6 servings

"I initially thought of this dish as Greek, but in fact it embodies the best flavors of Provence as well as Spain and North Africa. I prefer roasting two small chickens rather than one large bird because they are more tender and make for more delicate eating. The briny olives infuse a one-dish meal. Seek out French Picholine, green Greek, or Spanish Manzanilla olives for their flavor and fleshy texture. Rosemary and garlic add their heady perfume to this lusty dish."

1/2 cup olive oil
Juice and grated zest of 2 lemons
4 cloves garlic, lightly bruised and peeled
8 fresh rosemary sprigs
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper, to taste
2 chickens (about 2 1/2 pounds each), rinsed well and patted dry
1 1/2 pounds small new red potatoes, scrubbed and halved
1 cup imported green olives

Combine the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Coat the whole chickens well with the marinade and refrigerate covered overnight.

WHEN READY TO COOK:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the chickens in a large roasting pan. Put the rosemary sprigs and garlic from the marinade in the cavities of the chickens. Surround the chickens with the potato halves and olives and drizzle the marinade over all.

Roast the chickens, basting occasionally, until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pricked with a knife, about 1 hour. Let rest a few minutes before carving.