by Lauren Townsend for The Aha! Connection
It should come as no surprise that I have very strong feelings about cranberry sauce. I have to make cranberry sauce and it is not like the stuff that comes in a can. It comes in a can, right? The good things about making your own cranberry sauce is that you don’t have to make too much and you can make it way ahead of time.
I put one bag of cranberries in a pot on low with 2 cups of orange juice, a cup of sugar, orange zest and candied ginger. You really don’t NEED anything but cranberries, sugar and water, but I like flavor. It goes low and slow and the cranberries will burst and it will thicken with the sugar. Give it a good stir regularly and add sugar and liquid as needed. Once cooled, you can store it air tight for a long while.
There are other sides that sometimes show up. My husband is a big fan of corn souffle, which he makes and is kind of a creamed corn, spoon bread hybrid. I also like Brussels sprouts. I trim them and cut them in half and then sear them flat side down with oil until they have good caramelization. Then sauté them around the pan until fork tender. Don’t overcook. NO one likes mushy Brussels sprouts.
Finally, stuffing. I also do not have a stuffing recipe. I’m sure you are catching on to that by now. I cook a pound of bacon (chopped up) and remove from fat. I then cook two pints of mushrooms and 2 onions (also all chopped) in the bacon grease. I toss a bag of dried bread with bacon, mushrooms, onions, a pound of unsalted butter cubed in 1-centimeter pieces, salt and pepper and press it into a greased baking pan. Soak with a quart of chicken stock, cover in foil and bake at 350 until the internal temperature is at least 165F. Then I take the foil off and put it under the broiler for a couple minutes until it has a nice crust.
Now for submitted questions:
- No, I don’t make and freeze anything ahead of time. You could make and freeze stuffing or green bean casserole with little to no degradation in quality.
- If you are going to use the demiglace for gravy, go slow and taste as you go. I start low in a saucepot with enough chicken stock (not broth) to cover the bottom of the pan. Stir as the demiglace melts. If it’s too salty, add more broth to get to the flavor you want. To thicken to the consistency you want, you can either let it simmer until thicker or you can add a slurry. A slurry is equal parts cornstarch and water completely mixed. Add a little at a time until you get to the right thickness.
- We make apple, chocolate and chocolate pecan pie. Basically, our pie situation is like that episode of friends when Monica has to make potatoes like 10 different ways. But my husband is Monica and we all have very specific pie preferences.
- Facebook friends chimed in with places to buy a prepared turkey for Thanksgiving. You can preorder from Popeyes, Spiced Right and Copelands. I know quite a few people who outsource their sides to Fresh Market as well. I cook Thanksgiving because it brings me joy. If it doesn’t bring you joy, then outsource it. It’s a holiday to be thankful and be with friends and family and do that however you see fit.
