Last fall, I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for 150 people in a tiny Parisian restaurant with no oven. They have a 10-year-old portable convection oven that was dusted off once a year and I prayed to the French convection oven gods that it still worked. We started with butternut squash soup followed by a spinach-pecan-cranberry salad tossed in a warm mustard vinaigrette. Mashed sweet potatoes and regular butter-laden mashed potatoes were a must for the homesick Americans and green beans with blue cheese crumble and sliced toasted almonds filled out the plate. Dessert was individual pumpkin pies and the star of the dinner – the turkey – was brined the day before then poached to perfection.
But this year will be a much more petite Thanksgiving here in the States where it’s usually all about family, football and food. So how to do that in our new (ab)normal of a Covid world? If it’s only you this year or one or two friends or family, no need to parade out the 25-pound butterball, or fire up 25 sides and 8 different pies. For a smaller feast, a very simple way to get your turkey fix and still have a few leftovers is to poach a few-pound turkey breast. It’s fast, easy and delicious.
First, get festive! Decorate your table gourd-eously with an edible centerpiece of small pumpkins, squash, pomegranates, fall leaves from the garden and candles. Print out individual menus – make them formal or funny. Crank up your favorite festive playlist and celebrate the many things we have to be grateful for this year.
With Zoom being our new portal into our home, an easy way to feel connected is to corral friends and family to agree to a time, Zoom in early or as often as you’d like and spend the day cooking and eating together virtually. You might not be able to toss around the ol’ pigskin but you can make fun bets on the various outcomes of the game du jour. Share the recipes with everyone, decide on wines or other beverages, designate a time to toast and dine. Set a place for your laptop at the table so you’ll all feel as connected as possible. Just seeing faces and hearing voices is enough to fill our souls and our bellies. Santé!
Brine Recipe
A chef’s best kept secret to juicy poultry is simple - brine! It's very easy, requiring no special equipment other than a large sealable plastic bag or container. Brining is a popular technique that results in the juiciest turkey you’ve ever had!
- 1 cup boiling water
- ½ cup coarse kosher salt
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 gallon cold water
- 1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- 6 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 container or resealable ziplock bag
1- Bring the water to a boil. Dissolve salt and sugar in the boiling water. Let it come to room temperature.
2- Add it to the cold water and add garlic, rosemary, bay leaves and peppercorns and stir to combine.
3- Chill brine completely in the refrigerator before adding poultry.
4- Place your poultry in the container, cover with the brine – add more water if needed. It’s important that the turkey be completely submerged. Place the container or bag in the refrigerator for 5 to 8 hours. Discard the brine when you’re done.
Poached Turkey Breast Recipe
- 1 3-lb turkey breast, room temperature
- 4 ounces butter, softened
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 5 thyme sprigs
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- ¼ cup broth
- 1 large sheet parchment paper
1- Turn oven to 350F
2- Combine butter, shallots, spices and slather the chicken breast on both sides
3- Place on one side of the parchment paper and top with thyme sprigs, wrap up into a pouch leaving a small space to pour in the liquid.
4- Add the wine and broth and seal the pouch
5- Place in a roasting pan or sheet pan with sides and place in the oven.
6- Roast for 1 hour and check with an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast directly through the parchment paper. It should read 165F. Continue to check every 10-15 minutes until it reads 165F. Let the turkey breast rest 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Heureux Merci Donnant! Happy Thanksgiving! et Bon Appetit!
A few menu ideas .... this one a little more fun ...
~~~~~ or a little more formal~~~~~
