Chef's Secrets - Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving Dinner

Courtesy of Phil Davis

SECRETS FOR THE THANKSGIVING TURKEY

The key to a succulent turkey is to put the big bird in a salt bath. This is called brining. To begin, thaw your turkey out thoroughly. For every pound of turkey meat, measure out 1 teaspoon of salt (Redmond Real salt or Pink Himalayan salt). Rub this salt into the cavity of the turkey, under the skin, around the legs, etc. Next, cover the salted turkey and let it rest in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. Then, fill a large stock pot with about two gallons of water. Submerge your turkey in this water for 6-12 hours, (no longer than 24 hrs). This infuses moisture into the meat and renders it much more flavorful and succulent. Continue cooking the turkey as you normally would.

SECRETS FOR GOOD GRAVY

For REAL gravy, use the drippings from your roasted turkey. To help thicken it, save the starchy water from boiling potatoes (from your mashed potatoes) and add it to the gravy. If more thickening is still needed, sift some flour into your potato-water, mix it, then strain it through a sieve into the gravy to eliminate any flour lumps.

SECRETS FOR FLUFFY MASHED POTATOES

Select a potato variety known for being starchy as opposed to being waxy. They are less likely to turn into a sticky mess. Russets are an excellent choice. After you’ve peeled a potato, place it into a bowl of cold water to prevent it from oxidizing and turning brown while you continue peeling the remaining potatoes.

A common mistake people make is bringing a pot of water to a boil, and then adding in the potatoes. Even though it takes longer, it is best to add potatoes to a pot of cold, salted water and then bring it to a boil. This ensures the potato chunks cook evenly, without some being over-cooked while others remain under-cooked. (Uniformly diced pieces will greatly help with even cooking.) Ricing the potatoes or putting them through a food mill is another way to get nice, fluffy mashed potatoes.

You’ll want to add copious amounts of butter and cream. For maximum absorption of flavor, don’t cool down the potatoes too quickly when adding the dairy. Allow the butter to come to room temperature before mixing it in rather than adding it when it's cold. Cream is ideal, but if you’re using milk, use whole milk instead of skim or 2%.

SECRETS FOR A FLAKY PIE CRUST

A pie crust made with real butter not only makes the healthiest and best-tasting crust, but also, it makes the flakiest crust. The key is using cold butter. Freeze your stick of butter, then grate it with a cheese grater. Then, re-freeze your butter shavings so when you add it to the flour, it is ice cold. The water you use should also be ice water. The colder you can keep the fat (butter) in your dough, the flakier your crust is going to be. After the dough is made, you’ll want to chill it again in the refrigerator for 1-3 hours before rolling it out. To do so, wrap the lump of dough tightly with saran wrap to prevent oxidation.

Another secret for divine flaky crust is adding a little apple cider vinegar. Vinegar affects gluten development, provides protection against overworking the dough, and it has the effect of preventing the dough from oxidizing. You may have noticed that pie dough without vinegar has a tendency to turn slightly gray. (This is oxidation). For this same reason, also use saran wrap while re-chilling the dough prior to rolling it out.

While mixing the pie dough, don’t be worried if it is a little bit crumbly. (As long as it’s slightly damp, it will work out beautifully). You don’t want to overwork the dough by trying to mix in all the crumbs. Doing so will only overwork the dough and turn it into a tough crust.

Another tip: if you form your dough into a disk with smooth edges before you wrap it and chill it in the refrigerator, you will almost automatically still have smooth edges as you roll it out. This is easier to work with and you’ll manipulate the dough less while rolling out. Less manipulation will contribute to a flakier crust.

Follow these tips for pie crust that is healthier, tastes better, and will be perfectly flaky.