SAUTÉED KALE WITH BACON AND ONIONS

TO TAL T IME : 35 MINU T ES

H ANDS- ON T IME : 35 MINU T ES

Easy to make and rich in vitamins, this is a modern Mainer’s take on the classic Southern combo of greens and bacon, only made with frost-tolerant kale.

¼ cup olive oil

1½ large yellow or white onions, sliced crosswise about 1/8 -inch thick

4 slices thick-cut bacon, sliced crosswise ¼-inch thick

3 tablespoons sliced garlic

3 bunches (approximately 3 pounds) fresh kale, stems removed, roughly chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a very large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onions, bacon, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until all are very tender with no color, about 10 minutes. Add the kale (if you’re using a smaller skillet, you’ll need to do this in batches) and increase heat to medium. Cook, periodically turning the leaves over with tongs, until tender, about 10 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm. Yields 8 servings.

Lobster Mashed Potatoes

With a pound of lobster (and, yes, all that butter), this is admittedly a specialoccasion dish. But the Walkers wouldn’t have Thanksgiving without it. And if you skip the lobster entirely, you’ll still end up with some very tasty mashed potatoes.

3 pounds medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered

2 sticks unsalted butter, divided

1 pound cooked and picked lobster meat, claws reserved, with the rest cut into bite-sized chunks

1 cup milk

1 cup sour cream

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Put potatoes in a 4- or 5-quart pot and add water to cover by about 1½ inches. Set pot on high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender when poked with a thin knife, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, melt 1 stick of butter over medium-low heat. Add the lobster meat and cook, stirring, until just heated through.

When the potatoes are cooked, drain them, reserving the cooking water in a bowl, and return them to the pot. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring, until they turn floury and begin to coat the bottom of the pot, 5 to 10 minutes. Use a potato masher or ricer to mash the potatoes until smooth.

Set a small saucepan over low heat and add the remaining butter, along with the milk. Heat until butter is melted. Using a wooden spoon, add the milk mixture to the potatoes, ¼ cup at a time, beating to combine. Add the sour cream. Stir lobster and butter into the potatoes, reserving the claws for a garnish. If the potatoes still seem dry after adding all the milk mixture, add a bit of the cooking liquid. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with lobster claws and serve warm. Yields 8 servings.

Sourdough Dressing With Roasted Squash And Sausage

TO TAL T IME : 3 HOURS

H ANDS- ON T IME : 40 MINU T ES

No stodgy stuffing here: This is a lively blend of sweet squash, salty sausage, and tart sourdough.

2 loaves (about 1 pound each) sourdough bread, cut into ½-inch cubes

3 cups butternut squash, cut into ½-inch cubes

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste teaspoon freshly ground black pepper sticks unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from its casing medium leeks, white parts only, cleaned and thinly sliced crosswise stalks celery, diced tablespoons minced fresh thyme 1½–2 cups turkey or chicken stock

Preheat oven to 250° and set racks to the upper middle and lower middle positions. Line two rimmed baking sheets with foil. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with butter and set aside.

Arrange bread cubes on the sheets and bake until lightly toasted but not completely dry, 45 to 60 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 375°.

In a large bowl, toss squash with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread it out on the baking sheets and roast until just tender, about 30 minutes.

Set a 3- or 4-quart pot over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook until no longer pink. Add the leeks, celery, and thyme and cook until very tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Put the bread cubes into a large bowl and pour the sausage mixture and 1½ cups stock over all. Gently toss the mixture together, making sure the cubes are all moistened. Taste and add stock, salt, and pepper as needed.

Pour dressing into the prepared baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake on the lower middle rack (at 375°) for 15 minutes, then remove foil and bake until golden brown on top, 15 to 20 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Yields 8 servings.

JUSTIN WALKER’S BRINED AND ROASTED TURKEY

For a well-seasoned, succulent bird, an overnight soak in a simple brine works wonders. Justin takes advantage of the chilly Maine nights by brining his larger turkeys in a well-secured cooler in the barn, freeing up valuable refrigerator space. And unlike some cooks, he doesn’t rub the skin with butter or oil before roasting. “You don’t want the skin to start crisping early on,” he says. “You want it to slowly render.” Though he cooks his turkeys in a Caja China roaster, we adapted the recipe for a standard oven. Pair it with Justin’s make-ahead gravy for the ultimate Thanksgiving dish.

2 gallons cold water

1¼ cups plus 1½ tablespoons kosher salt

¼ cup granulated sugar

6 dried bay leaves

¼ cup whole black peppercorns

1 turkey (12–16 pounds, preferably organic)

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 cups chicken or turkey stock

Twelve hours before you roast the turkey, make the brine: In a lobster pot or brining bag, stir together the water, 1¼ cups salt, sugar, bay leaves, and peppercorns until the sugar and salt dissolve. Remove the offal, wings, and neck from the turkey, reserving the neck and wings for gravy. Place the turkey, breast side down, in the brine solution, and move it around a bit to expel air from the cavity. Place the container in the refrigerator (or outside, remembering to add ice and secure the lid), then allow the turkey to stand in the brine for 12 hours.

Preheat oven to 425° and set a rack to the lower third position. Season the turkey with the remaining 1½ tablespoons salt and ground pepper and place on a roasting pan, breast up. Transfer to the oven and pour the stock into the pan.

After 10 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 325°. Continue cooking the turkey, basting with the stock every 30 minutes, until a thermometer stuck into the thigh of the bird reads 160°, about 12 to 15 minutes per pound total (2¼ to 4 hours, depending on the size of the bird). Yields 10 to 15 servings.

MAKE-AHEAD TURKEY GRAVY

TO TAL T IME : 1 HOUR , 40 MINU T ES

H ANDS- ON T IME : 40 MINU T ES

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 turkey wings

1 turkey neck

1 large carrot, chopped

1 large celery stalk, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1½ tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 quarts water

1 stick unsalted butter

½ cup all-purpose flour

In a large stock pot, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the turkey wings and neck and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add the chopped carrot, celery, onion, salt, and pepper. Sauté until the onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. Pour the water into the pot, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour. When the stock is almost done cooking, melt the butter in a 6- or 7-quart pot over medium heat. When the butter begins to foam, whisk in the flour to form a roux. Cook, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the turkey stock until it’s fully incorporated. Set the gravy on medium-low heat and slowly bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the gravy thickens, about 10 minutes. Use a sieve to strain out the turkey pieces and vegetables, then taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot. Yields about 1½ quarts.

BOURBON WALNUT PECAN PIE

TO TAL T IME : ABOU T 2 HOURS

H ANDS- ON T IME : 35 MINU T ES

FOR THE CRUST

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon table salt

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and chilled

3 tablespoons ice water

2 tablespoons vodka

FOR THE FILLING

3 large eggs

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

½ cup dark corn syrup

½ cup light corn syrup

¼ cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons bourbon

½ teaspoon table salt

1 cup chopped pecans

½ cup chopped walnuts

First, make the crust: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Sprinkle the butter over the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter to break the butter into smaller pieces, then use your fingers to smear the butter into the flour. Stop when the mixture looks like cornmeal, with pea-size bits of butter remaining.

Sprinkle the ice water and vodka over the mixture and stir with a fork until the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter, knead once or twice to form a ball, then press the ball into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to two days.

Preheat oven to 400° and set a rack to the lower position. Unwrap the dough and place it in the center of a large sheet of parchment paper. Cover with a second piece of parchment. Roll out, working from the center, to a 12-inch circle. Peel off the top sheet of parchment paper and transfer dough, peeled side down, into a 9-inch pie plate, pressing it into the sides. Peel off the remaining parchment and fold under and crimp the edges. Line dough with a piece of parchment paper or large coffee filter and fill with beans. Set the pie plate on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, then take the crust from the oven, remove the beans and liner, and reduce oven temperature to 325°. Set crust aside.

Then make the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, butter, corn syrups, sugar, bourbon, and salt until smooth. Spread the nuts in an even layer in the bottom of the prepared crust, then pour the egg mixture over the top. Set the pie on the baking sheet and bake until set, 30 to 40 minutes. Yields 8 servings.