Lynne Rossetto Kasper dispenses advice all the time. Today she's focusing on Thanksgiving, from brining a turkey to a new twist on soup. The rest is just gravy (oh, and she talks about that, too).
ROAST APPLE-BUTTERNUT SOUP WITH CHILI ALMONDS AND CREAM
Serves 10, and halves easily.
Make up to three days in advance. Heat up and top with the almonds and parsley.
1 large butternut squash (2 lb.), halved, with seeds removed
2 medium to large onions
2 Granny Smith, Zestar or other tart crisp apples, cored and cut into sixths
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2rib celery with leaves, cut into 1/2-in. dice
4 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. allspice
1/4c. cider vinegar
8 to 12 c. vegetable or chicken broth
Finish:
About 11/2c. whole-milk plain yogurt (Don't substitute nonfat -- the soup will be lost.)
1 c. whole salted almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2to 1 tsp. medium-hot pure chili powder
1/4c. coarsely chopped parsley
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread foil over a large cookie sheet. Oil with some olive oil. Lay the squash cut sides down on the sheet. Cut one onion into quarters and put them on the sheet. Dice the other one into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside. Add the apples to the cookie sheet. Sprinkle everything with salt and pepper. Roast 1 hour, or until a knife easily slips into the squash. If the onion or apples threaten to burn, remove them. Once roasted, cool everything 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a 6-quart pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the diced onion and celery until golden. Stir in the garlic, allspice and vinegar. Boil until vinegar is gone. Remove the pot from the heat.
Scoop the cooled squash from its skin into the pot along with the roasted onion and apples. Stir in the broth to cover by about an inch. Simmer 20 minutes, partially covered. Cool and purée. Consistency should be nearly as thick as heavy cream. Add more broth if needed. Taste for seasoning.
When you reheat the soup, taste it again for seasoning. Serve topped with tablespoons of the yogurt, generous sprinkling of almond, and generous pinches of chili powder and parsley.
A BASIC BRINE FORMULA FOR TURKEY, CHICKEN AND MEATS
Makes 10 cups, more or less, enough to cover a 16-pound turkey. The quantities halve and quarter easily.
2 gallons (8 quarts) ice-cold water
11/4to 13/4c. coarse (kosher) salt, or 1 c. fine salt (don't use iodized salt; it has an unpleasant aftertaste)
1 c. or more of something sweet -- sugar, molasses, honey, grape syrup, etc. (optional)
2 c. or more of seasonings (To have brine seasonings come through after cooking, use what seems to be an excessive amount.)
Directions
Immerse the turkey in the brine. Keep it cold.
Brine a turkey from 12 to 18 hours depending on its size; a chicken no more than 8 hours. Then rinse turkey and roast as usual.
GARLIC-HONEY PLUMPED TURKEY
Serves 10
This recipe draws on two techniques that cash in on everything a turkey has to offer -- it moistens with the brine, then the basting with wine brings all the seasonings into peak flavors. Don't be startled by the chili powder in the brine; it ends up being barely a tingle. For extra character, try an organic or heirloom bird. And remember: If the turkey is cooking too quickly for your schedule, you can take the oven down as far as 300 degrees to slow it.
Brine and Turkey:
2 gallons ice-cold water
13/4c. kosher salt, or 1 c. fine salt (not iodized)
11/4c. honey
1 c. medium-hot pure chili powder (Ancho, New Mexico ground red chilie, or1/2cup Aleppo Chilie)
Crushed cloves from 3 large heads of garlic (don't bother peeling them)
2 large onions, peeled and puréed
14- to 16-lb. turkey (organic preferred), defrosted if necessary, and with giblets, neck and wing tips removed and saved for the pan gravy
20 to 30 pounds ice
Roasting:
2 ribs celery cut in half
2 onions sliced 1/2-in. thick
2 carrots cut in half
3 branches each rosemary and sage
4 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 c. dry white wine, divided
Foolproof Pan Gravy (see box)
Directions
Start brining the turkey a day ahead. Have two large plastic oven roasting bags large enough to hold the bird with room to spare. Put one bag inside the other and set it in a big bowl or pot. Add the brine ingredients, stirring them to dissolve the salt. Then ease in the turkey so it is covered with brine. Close the bags, sealing them securely.
In a large cooler, spread a generous layer of the ice. Put the turkey on top and surround and cover it with ice and then the lid. Keep the bird this way 12 to 18 hours, adding more ice and removing water as necessary.
About 3 hours before serving, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the celery, onions and carrots with the rosemary and sage in a shallow roasting pan. This is the turkey's "rack." It adds flavor to the pan juices while protecting the turkey from sticking to the pan.
Remove the turkey from the brine. Pat dry. Rub it with the butter. Sprinkle with the pepper. Set the bird on the vegetables breast side down. Roast 40 minutes and baste with half of the wine. Roast another 30 minutes and baste with the pan juices and the rest of the wine.
Keep roasting another 11/2to 2 hours, basting often with the pan juices. You want to take the bird to a 175-degree internal temperature in the center of the thigh. Test with an instant-reading thermometer. During the last 40 minutes of cooking, turn to breast side up. Do this by taking the pan out of the oven and using two potholders to lift and turn the bird.
Once done, let the turkey rest in a warm spot while you make the pan gravy. Then set it out on a large platter, garnish perhaps with small apples, and branches of rosemary.
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