No pressure or anything, but if you’re the cook this Thanksgiving, you’re about to navigate a whole minefield of potential messes.
From ingredients and techniques to timing and oven temperatures, there’s a lot to get just right on the food-focused holiday. And there’s a whole table — or house — full of people waiting to fill their plates.
Take a breath.
Five Columbus food professionals — Kathleen Day of Katalina’s, Will Hightower of Soul 2 Go, Sebastian La Rocca of FYR, Don Petito of Little West Tavern and Desi Vasquez of Littleton’s Market Bakery — gave some advice on avoiding some of the most common problems faced by home cooks on Thanksgiving.
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To avoid a dry turkey…
Hightower is willing to sacrifice the Norman Rockwell-painting presentation of a roasted turkey carved at the table in order to achieve something much better: a juicy and more flavorful centerpiece to the holiday meal.
The chef and co-owner of Soul 2 Go, a Milo-Grogan carryout kitchen that added a full-service restaurant Downtown in September, said he’s still a big fan of dishes that look as great as they taste. “Until turkey,” he added.
Here’s how he prepares his turkey and why he said it’s worth ditching the desire for a picture-perfect bird.
“I massage my turkey in salted butter, and I season it with salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and granulated garlic. I stuff my turkey with celery stalks, then place it in an oven-roasting bag and bake on 250 degrees overnight,” Hightower said.
“I usually put it in the oven around midnight and wake up to the amazing aroma all through the house. Bake for about six hours, and when you remove it from the oven bag, your turkey will be juicy and tender.”
Then, the fun starts
“Separate the legs and the wings from the turkey and then remove the bones from the breast. With the juice remaining in the pan, baste the meat and add additional seasoning to taste. Allow the turkey to rest in the juice and it will absorb all remaining broth,” he said.
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“Although it may not be the best presentation for your table, it will definitely be the most moist, delicious, memorable Thanksgiving turkey.”
To avoid lumpy gravy…
Turkey without gravy would be like Thanksgiving weekend without an Ohio State-Michigan game. Turkey with bad gravy would be like losing to them.
Petito, executive chef at Little West Tavern, the marquee restaurant at The Junto hotel in Franklinton, offered this advice for making sure your gravy is lump-free.
“After roasting the turkey, pour the pan drippings into a clear, heat-proof bowl. Let the fat rise to the top and skim it off, saving both the fat — for making your roux — and the flavorful juices. To make a smooth roux, use the reserved turkey fat or butter and all-purpose flour, whisking constantly until it’s golden and bubbling. This step prevents lumps and eliminates the raw flour taste,” he said.
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“Use warm turkey drippings, broth or stock, because cold liquid can cause lumps when it’s added to the roux. Gradually add about two to three cups of liquid to the roux, a little at a time as you whisk continuously to incorporate. Keep whisking briskly, because it helps break up any lumps immediately.”
If lumps do form, though, Petito said to pour the gravy through a fine-mesh sieve into another saucepan or serving dish.
“This step catches any clumps and ensures a smooth texture.”
To avoid bland veggies…
“For those of us who grew up with mushy Brussels sprouts and canned green beans, discovering how to make fresh veggies as yummy as the other courses is a crucial culinary milestone,” said Day, the owner of Katalina’s, Katalina’s, Too and the recently opened Katalina’s Tres.
With house-made sauces and condiments, a deft use of spices and varied cooking techniques, Day’s menu never skimps on flavor. Here’s how she said you can make sure your vegetable side dishes deliver, too.
“For almost any vegetable, roasting is not only a way to ensure depth of flavor, but it’s one of the easiest. For Thanksgiving, pop a tray of Brussels sprouts in the oven at 450 degrees that have first been cleaned and tossed in a mixture of olive oil, a bit of pure maple syrup and coarsely ground salt and pepper. (Freshly grated nutmeg is also a traditional touch in place of the syrup.) You’ll take them out 15 or so minutes later, when they’ve developed a nutty brown char,” she said.
“One vegetable that I usually cook on the stovetop versus in the oven is green beans. The secret is a quick blanch in salted boiling water (two to four minutes). Don’t skip plunging them in an ice bath immediately afterward to stop the cooking, because green beans should have a crunch, even after cooking.”
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Once they are drained, Day said to quickly sauté them in olive oil, chopped shallots and garlic, plus coarsely ground salt and pepper.
“I undercook mine just a touch so I can keep them warm in a low oven until mealtime. Then toss with chopped roasted almonds or hazelnuts and a squeeze of fresh lemon, and you’ll never eat green beans from a can again.”
To avoid gummy mashed potatoes…
Although Thanksgiving isn’t a holiday in La Rocca’s native Argentina, mashed potatoes are. They often accompany milanesa, a breaded and fried piece of beef, chicken or pork, which is a favorite throughout the country.
The executive chef at FYR, the marquee restaurant at the Hilton Columbus Downtown, offered advice for keeping mashed potatoes creamy and smooth.
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“Picking the correct potatoes is key. Yukon gold or red are great options, because they have less starch than other types of potatoes. That helps make sure mashed potatoes won’t be gummy,” he said.
“You should cut the potatoes in equal-sized pieces so they cool evenly. Start off with cold salted water when you boil your potatoes, and make sure you don’t overcook them, and don’t blend the cooked potatoes; that activates the starch.”
La Rocca recommends using a ricer, a food mill or a potato masher instead.
“After they’re smashed, put them back in the pot you cooked them in and let them steam at a low heat for two minutes. That allows them to dry,” he said.
“Warm your milk or cream and add the butter to it to melt. Add the mix to the potatoes and mix well. I like to use a stiff whisk or a wooden spoon. Season your mashed potatoes to taste with salt and pepper at that point. I personally love to add a pinch of nutmeg, too.”
To avoid a bad pie, as if there is such a thing…
“As a baker, to share my gratitude for those around me through the medium of pastries and breads is my professional calling,” said Vasquez. “But as a Midwesterner, it’s an inherited and heavily called upon skillset.”
The executive head baker at Littleton’s Market Bakery, which has locations in Upper Arlington and at North Market Downtown in Columbus, said her pie-baking tips will keep home bakers “as cool as whipped cream.”
“First things first, let’s talk crust. You must start strong with a purposefully flaky foundation. Keep it simple with an all-purpose flour. I love King Arthur flours and find the grocery-store offerings to be consistent and fresh. If you’re aiming to please a gluten-free crowd, an all-purpose gluten-free flour from the grocery store will work well for you, too,” she said.
“Next in line of importance after flour is fat. It doesn’t matter if you’re using butter, cream cheese or even a veggie shortening for a vegan crust, you’ve got to freeze your fat. Cube your fat and throw it in the freezer on a sheet tray so it doesn’t all stick together. If you’re working in a hot kitchen at home, it doesn’t hurt to have your other dry ingredients in the freezer, too. I’ll usually scale up my crust ingredients the night before I intend to bake and leave them in the freezer overnight.
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“When mixing your crust, don’t take your eyes off the mixer! You don’t want to waste all your detailed care and accidentally overmix your dough. Your goal is to bring your dough together, but you still want to see speckles of fat throughout your dough.”
Vasquez said she likes to allow the dough to rest for a couple of hours after mixing, before putting it in the pan.
“This allows the gluten to relax and helps keep the shell from shrinking. If time allows, I also like to freeze — or at least refrigerate — my crust for a couple of hours prebake, which will also help maintain its shape and keeps the fat from melting,” she said.
“In most cases, blind baking your shell is the way to go. This will help create a nice flaky crust on the bottom of your pie, even after you add your liquid fillings. To blind bake your pie, dock the bottom of your shell with a fork, line your shell with foil and use something heavy and dry like rice or dried beans filled to the brim to keep the crust from puffing up. Keep in mind: You still have more baking to do, so only a partial bake is necessary.”
For the filling, Vasquez said canned pumpkin is more consistent, more flavorful and way more convenient than processing a pumpkin to make your own puree. She recommended Libby’s over pricier (or cheaper) brands, but she said it’s worth the cost to buy new spices instead of relying on ones that have been in the cupboard since last Thanksgiving.
“If it’s your first pie or your 100th, remember to have fun with it,” Vasquez said. It’s advice that applies to every Thanksgiving course.
“The right people around your table will enjoy your offerings, no matter what,” she said.
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