You've invited over family and friends for Thanksgiving but you're getting a little worried as there are only a few days to go and you want everything to be right. When you're cooking for a good number of people and it's a special occasion there is more to worry about - more can go wrong. There is however no need for anxiety if you know how to deal with any problem that might arise and this article will put you wise.
Probably the most common mistake is to not properly thaw out your frozen turkey in time and then there is a last minute panic. A turkey should not be left out on the counter at room temperature, but should be thawed very slowly in the refrigerator. Depending on how large your bird is this can take up to three days, so do prepare your bird ahead of time.
You may also want to have the stuffing made in advance but you cannot do this and expect it to keep well for a couple of days. Much better is to prepare all the ingredients beforehand and then have this "kit" ready to go for the morning of Thanksgiving.
You can let the bread dry out up to two days ahead of time, or, make breadcrumbs and pop the on a baking tray on a low oven for 20-30 minutes. Let them cool and put them into an airtight container and they will be fine for a day or two. Saute the vegetables and herbs that you plan to use, and then let them cool and refrigerate. Consider having your stuffing "kit" ready to hand to save time on the big day. Besides the bread and vegetable mix, your kit should include broth and eggs (eggs should have been kept refrigerated). On the morning of Thanksgiving you just need to make up the stuffing ready for the bird.
The 5 common things that can go wrong are as follows:
The turkey is too dry - Slice the breast meat into serving slices and place in a roasting tin. Then cover with some of the fat from the roasted turkey plus some chicken stock. Add a few knobs of butter around the pan, cover with foil and then warm in the oven for a little while until the butter is melted.
2. The turkey is too dry - If it's dry cut the breast into serving slices and place in a roasting dish with some of the meat juices and some chicken stock. Slice a slab of butter and place around the pan. Then cover with foil and leave in a warm oven until the butter is melted.
The gravy is too thin. This is a common occurrence that can be corrected by continued simmering to boil off more liquid or by the simple expedient of adding in a little cornstarch. You should mix the cornstarch with equal parts of water first, then, add slowly, stirring all the time. You may find you get a few lumps but these can easily be removed with a strainer.
Gravy is too salty-Add a pinch or two of sugar, a little bit at a time, tasting as you go until it comes right. An alternative is to place a whole raw peeled potato into the pan and let it simmer for a while. This will draw a lot of salt out of the gravy.
The mashed potatoes are watery Potatoes can easily go soft if boiled for too long, but you can always overcome this by adding one of the following and then mixing in well: baking soda, instant potato buds, a teaspoon of powdered milk. A power blender gives a nice creamy smooth texture.
If you are aware of what can go wrong and are prepared to deal with any problems that may arise you will be under less stress and more able to enjoy the dinner!
Probably the most common mistake is to not properly thaw out your frozen turkey in time and then there is a last minute panic. A turkey should not be left out on the counter at room temperature, but should be thawed very slowly in the refrigerator. Depending on how large your bird is this can take up to three days, so do prepare your bird ahead of time.
You may also want to have the stuffing made in advance but you cannot do this and expect it to keep well for a couple of days. Much better is to prepare all the ingredients beforehand and then have this "kit" ready to go for the morning of Thanksgiving.
You can let the bread dry out up to two days ahead of time, or, make breadcrumbs and pop the on a baking tray on a low oven for 20-30 minutes. Let them cool and put them into an airtight container and they will be fine for a day or two. Saute the vegetables and herbs that you plan to use, and then let them cool and refrigerate. Consider having your stuffing "kit" ready to hand to save time on the big day. Besides the bread and vegetable mix, your kit should include broth and eggs (eggs should have been kept refrigerated). On the morning of Thanksgiving you just need to make up the stuffing ready for the bird.
The 5 common things that can go wrong are as follows:
The turkey is too dry - Slice the breast meat into serving slices and place in a roasting tin. Then cover with some of the fat from the roasted turkey plus some chicken stock. Add a few knobs of butter around the pan, cover with foil and then warm in the oven for a little while until the butter is melted.
2. The turkey is too dry - If it's dry cut the breast into serving slices and place in a roasting dish with some of the meat juices and some chicken stock. Slice a slab of butter and place around the pan. Then cover with foil and leave in a warm oven until the butter is melted.
The gravy is too thin. This is a common occurrence that can be corrected by continued simmering to boil off more liquid or by the simple expedient of adding in a little cornstarch. You should mix the cornstarch with equal parts of water first, then, add slowly, stirring all the time. You may find you get a few lumps but these can easily be removed with a strainer.
Gravy is too salty-Add a pinch or two of sugar, a little bit at a time, tasting as you go until it comes right. An alternative is to place a whole raw peeled potato into the pan and let it simmer for a while. This will draw a lot of salt out of the gravy.
The mashed potatoes are watery Potatoes can easily go soft if boiled for too long, but you can always overcome this by adding one of the following and then mixing in well: baking soda, instant potato buds, a teaspoon of powdered milk. A power blender gives a nice creamy smooth texture.
If you are aware of what can go wrong and are prepared to deal with any problems that may arise you will be under less stress and more able to enjoy the dinner!
About the Author:
Author: Juliette White is an skilled chef. If you don't want to risk your Thanksgiving and you want to surprise your mates and parents with a great Thanksgiving meal don't miss to obtain a free Thanksgiving Recipe Ebook . If you want more amazingly simple and free recipes and register here
No comments:
Post a Comment