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Excessive meat. Mashed potatoes that tastes like wallpaper paste. Hungry guests, worried hosts – despite Instagram's instinctive expectation, Thanksgiving sometimes ends with the host in the garage, dragging a pitcher of warm chardonnay. And it's not just because of political discussions or clumsy requests from uninvolved aunts.
There is a reason why the American Psychological Association maintains a separate section on its website regarding managing vacation expectations. This applies especially to the chef: you want to put your best foot forward and delight your guests. This is partly virtuous and partly about the ego.
But what if you have absolutely no idea what you are doing? If you have been called to host – or even if you have volunteered, for whatever reason – do not overdo it. Breathe deeply and read on. Here are realistic tips for civilians, given by experts.
PREPARATION WITHOUT PAIN
Get real on your abilities. Do not use Thanksgiving to propel you to a new personality. You will not turn into Ina Garten, no matter how many sophisticated ingredients you buy. You will end up spending too much money and regretting it. Go easy on yourself.
"Do not hit over your weight. This does not mean "do not make good food", it means: do not invite too many people; keep him manageable. Do not make too complicated items, "says restaurateur Tiffani Faison.
Clean your fridge. You will need space for leftovers. The time has come to abandon the old condiments and the mysterious takeaway boxes, Mei Mei Li, Mei Mei explains. "Eat stuff. Throw things, "she says.
About these remains: invest in extra-heavy plastic wrap. Li loves the SealWrap Cling Classic Zip Safe.
Concentrate on the classics. Because that's what people want, even if they're too polite to say it. Record the new technique you learned on Food Network for a small dinner.
"I have tried several times to be" creative "with the Thanksgiving menu at my Rialto restaurant, but 85% of people have inevitably chosen the traditional turkey dinner. One year, we boned, stuffed and rolled the chest. Another year, we turned the legs into candied terrine, "recalls restaurateur Jody Adams. "None of these ideas, nor others we have tried, has had the imminent success we had anticipated. Everyone was relieved when we went back to roasting in the old days.
If Jody Adams could not do it, is there hope for all of us?
Reduce your menu. Banish the thoughts of four types of squash, five pies and a table that overflows with several juices.
"Cut your menu in half," says Craigie on Main and Tony Maws of Kirkland Tap and Trotter. "A beautiful meal is a perfect vegetable, squash, stuffing, turkey and chutney. That's all! It's a lot of food! People start to pile on rice, mashed potatoes, green beans, pearl onions. What are you doing? You kill yourself Do less things do well. "
Give people a chance to become intoxicated without you. While you are in the kitchen, let people prepare their own drinks. This serves two purposes: they will be busy (instead of flying over you) and they will be happy soon.
"Have a good bar where people can do [and] mix their own drinks so they do not need to get lost, "advises Faison.
You will leave the kitchen with casual guests.
Work in front "Roasted carrots, stuffing, butternut squash, pearl onions, candied sweet potatoes can all be prepared in advance and kept under paper." [pans] with lids. Just put them in the oven on the day of cooking, says Mary Dumont of Cultivar.
SAUCE
Cheat with broth. Buy quality chicken or turkey broth from a grocer like Whole Foods, advises Robyn McGrath of Little Dipper. Reduce it and use it as a juice base. (To reduce, simmer uncovered until it covers a spoon.) Cool, store, then put in a saucepan and heat while turkey is resting. . Add salt, pepper and a touch of lemon juice, "she says.
Thicken the sauce with Wondra flour. All-purpose flour can become lumpy, says restaurateur Michael Schlow. Wondra is a foolproof alternative. "It's a grandmother's turn. It does not get stuck. It's going to thicken the sauce. Whip it, and the consistency will be finer, "he says.
POTATOES
Invest in a ricer. "Ninety-five percent of people do not have a dictator," laments Michael Serpa of the Select Oyster Bar. Available on Amazon, this crank press will make potatoes smoother and creamier. (He likes Yukon Golds.) "You're not going to work potatoes too much. They will not become gummy, "he says.
VEGETABLES
Blanch to reduce cooking time. Jared Forman of Deadhorse Hill uses this technique to reduce the cooking time of green vegetables. Let the vegetables cook in boiled salted water at the cooking of your choice. Remove them, immerse them in an ice bath and you're done: "Everything is ready for the cooking technique of your choice," he says. Vegetables can be blanched hours in advance; sauté quickly in brown butter or olive oil just before sitting down.
Try goat's butter. Uni's Tony Messina uses goat's butter – available in most grocery stores – to add weight to its roasted carrots. "It's almost a musky joke, in the good sense of the word," he says. It finishes the carrots with an easy and herbaceous charmoula, a brilliant North African marinade made of mixed parsley, cilantro, preserved lemon, capers, olive oil, lemon juice and orange peel. 39; anchovies.
Use fresh and frozen cranberries for the sauce. "The freeze [berries] help cook fresh cranberries. This releases a little water. I use star anise, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, orange, lemon zest and brown sugar for sweetness and acidity, "says Strip by Farouk Bazoune of Strega.
TURKEY
Use a wireless thermometer. "It's very important: buy a good thermometer," says Jason Cheek, of Southern Proper, who cooks his bird at 150 degrees and lets it sit for 45 minutes – he will continue to cook at rest, he says – before to put it back in the oven. bake for another 10 minutes to obtain a crispy texture. With a wireless thermometer and probe, remotely, you will not need to open the door to nervously check the bird. No timer required. He uses ThermoPro.
Cook on the back side. "I'm roasting my turkey upside down and I still have it. It's not the most beautiful bird, but when you eat breast meat, it's totally juicy, "says restaurateur Lydia Shire. She also injects her turkey breast with Sauternes butter sauce for richness. "For me, it's gilding the lily. Sauternes is an expensive bottle to buy – a nice bottle costs $ 99 – but the turkey is a modest bird so you can dress it up as well, she says. She uses a stick and a half of melted butter in two cups of wine, with a little salt and pepper.
PIE
Get creamy. Finally, if you are brave enough to prepare your own crust without mastering the art, the cold cream cheese cubes is your friend. Look for recipes that incorporate it.
"It's your insurance policy not to bother you. The butter, flour and water method is perfect if you are a master of pie dough. But since I do not make pies as often, I like adding cream cheese, "said Adrienne Wright of Urban Urban Hospitality. "It helps your crust stay flaky and tender, even if you pop it a little too much."
Finally, have a perspective. "I never left a Thanksgiving meal thinking that it was the most beautiful culinary achievement in the world (including and especially mine), but I left more than satisfied, loved and warm," says Faison.
Kara Baskin can be contacted at [email protected].
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