arts&
&life

dining in

Thanksgiving Feast!

M

ost people know what
they’ll be serving as
the highlight of the
Thanksgiving dinner (see “Let’s
Talk Turkey”). Since one cannot
live on turkey alone, here are
some other dishes to complete
the meal.

Annabel Cohen

Columnist

ROAST BRINED TURKEY

I brine in a clean new bucket
from the hardware store. It’s
cheap, easy and I can use the
bucket for other uses later. If
you’re cooking a whole turkey,
figure about a half pound of
turkey per person.

1 turkey (14-20 pounds),
thawed if frozen (giblets and neck
removed)
1 large onion, peeled and cut

50

November 16 • 2017

jn

into large chunks
1 apple, unpeeled, quartered
1 celery stalk, cut into pieces
2 sprigs rosemary
Olive oil for brushing on the tur-
key
1 bottle of white wine (any kind)
or 4 cups of chicken or vegetable
stock or broth
For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
½ cup light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. black peppercorns
Water
Ice
Combine the salt, sugar and
peppercorns in large bucket.
Allow to sit for 8 or more hours
(does not need to be chilled).
Place the turkey in the bucket.
Add about a gallon of ice (use
a large zipper bag to measure).

Add enough water to cover the
turkey. Cover with plastic wrap
and chill overnight, up to a day
ahead. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Remove the turkey from the
brine and rinse with cold water.
Discard the brine.
Place the bird on a roasting
rack in a roasting pan (can be
disposable) breast-side-up. Rub
or brush the turkey all over with
oil. Place the onion, apple, celery
and rosemary in the cavity of the
turkey. Pour the wine in roaster
around the turkey.
Roast the turkey for 30 min-
utes. Reduce heat to 350°F and
cook for about 15 minutes per
pound, basting it with the juices/
wine every 30-40 minutes. Cover
the turkey with foil if it begins
to become too dark, removing

the foil for the last 15 minutes
of cooking (a thermometer
inserted into the thickest part
of the breast — without hitting
the bone — should read about
150°F). Remove from the oven
and allow the turkey to rest for
20 minutes before carving.

EASY GRAVY

½ cup turkey fat drippings or
butter or margarine
½ cup flour
Roast turkey pan drippings
3-4 cups turkey or chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Strain the pan drippings into
a bowl. Allow to sit for about
15 minutes. Use a fat separator
(looks like a measuring cup with
a long low spout) to pour about