Thanksgiving, an all-star recipe roundup

Prepare smartly and everything will be alright

Hello, and welcome to today’s Stories from Catbird Cottage! For many of us, soon it will be turkey time. If you’re bucking tradition - whether for your values, or because you refuse to get caught up in the frenzy - I admire you. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, I feel you on this meat and butter extravaganza. I admit I usually go the route of cooking this holiday’s foods, but it was never about a Mayflower fantasy, or because we partook in these indulgences as a norm. Quite the contrary, food in my home was ample, but mostly utilitarian sustenance.

I regard most holidays with a desire to conjure the nostalgia of my family’s traditions (my mom at the helm, doing much of the cooking or ritual-making), and the happy feelings these times brought us: together around the table relishing amazing dishes, a moment of lightness in our lives - even playful - and spending quality time with each other. However you are celebrating the days, I hope that front and center it is time with people you cherish, and with a way to nourish yourself.

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Pivoting to the particular feats of the holiday, I have cooked, styled, and photographed countless Thanksgiving recipes for projects spanning years at The New York Times, in addition to work with various commercial clients. In fact, in 2017, I single-handedly produced the Times’ 400º Thanksgiving holiday feature! This meant *cooking and styling 9 fabulous dishes* then photographing them ALL TOGETHER. Which meant they had to look their best, which of course meant a lot of timing strategy (with a few backups at the ready, just in case).

The whole spread! The theme for this feature was to devise a way to cook everything in a day, grouping (or sequencing) dishes to utilize the oven as efficiently as possible.

All of this to say, I got you.

There is the skill of choosing the right recipes from the outset. Then of course, are the layers of figuring out how they will all need to function, timing-wise, in your own kitchen. I *always* prepare as much in advance as possible so that the day-of, the things which require time in the oven won’t create a logjam, and everything will be ready more or less at the same time.

I confess I don’t vary my Thanksgiving menu all that much. For me, I relish certain recipes which I don’t cook any other time, and I really want them as part of the day’s festivities. I so eagerly look forward to the dishes I love… they’re kind of an unspoken must. The lineup usually includes:

✶ Dry-brined, spatchcock roasted turkey
✶ A medley of veggies roasted underneath the bird, including shallots, celery, carrots, leeks, and sometimes turnips or winter radishes
✶ sour cream mashed potatoes
✶ celery, shallot + sage sourdough stuffing
✶ cranberry relish
✶ a bright salad, to offset the rich flavors
✶ pie! This is where I will swap, for how the mood strikes me: sometimes apple pie, sometimes sweet potato, sometimes a wild card, such as cranberry curd tartlets, or a brûléed top pumpkin pie

If there is one piece of advice I can impart, it is to breathe as you go. There are many things to juggle, and sometimes, just catching your breath is the best thing. That, and likely a glass of wine (you are, after all, cooking everything to celebrate at the end - might as well get a teeny head start as you do the work…).

My second biggest piece of advice, and hear me out - though it may feel like the picturesque tradition of a whole roast bird gets sacrificed - dry brine and spatchcock your turkey!! I have been roasting my turkeys this way for nearly ten years, after I produced a Mark Bittman spatchcock bird, back in 2013.

Once I committed to that method, I have never looked back. My reasoning?

• Breast meat stays juicy.

• With all of the pieces at a similar height laid out on the pan, everything cooks at an even rate (plus you get the enviable crispy skin!).

• The whole thing takes a fraction of the time to cook, leaving more time to enjoy yourself.

These factors were enough for me to forever change my ways. And though plying the skin from the flesh is a process, I’ve found spreading the butter-and-herb mixture in that in-between space the ideal way to impart robust aromatics, keep the meat juicy, and achieve crispy skin. If you’re feeling curious now that I’ve shared this advice, here is a recipe to get you pointed in the right direction.

Yes, the bird looks different, perhaps even funny. You can always carve the turkey and serve it in parts and slices on a platter, saving you from the potential chuckles at the table. Go forth with confidence, then see how people groan with delight!

Plus the roasted veggies cooked underneath the turkey, collecting much of the savory drippings, are almost as sought after as the roasted bird…

That said, there are certain dishes I’ve made for professional work that made an impact. Here they are as you consider your menu...

This sweet potato + Gruyère gratin by Melissa Clark was sublime. You can’t really go wrong with melty cheese and layers of tender sweet potatoes - the flavors in this dish lived up to its beauty!

The buttermilk biscuits and pumpkin chili butter I produced for Food52 for the Residents’ Thanksgiving remain a huge favorite. Bonus, when you’re figuring out prep, know that the compound butter can be made 5 days in advance, and the dough can be made 3 days ahead.

This bread stuffing is one of the best recipes I produced for any stuffing assignment. It may have something to do with the generous amount of butter involved, but even if you make it using olive oil, the aromatics - and the textures - hit all the right notes.

Untraditional - and absolutely delightful - this apple and gingersnap crumble made it onto a few of my own Thanksgiving menus, it was that good.

From the archives, there’s this terrific beet+citrus salad. Looks beautiful, and so bright and delicious to eat.

Perhaps one of these will make your own celebration *just right*. What dish do you always look forward to making (or eating)? Got a prep question? Ask me in the comments and I’ll do my best to help ensure your day goes off without a hitch!

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• Catbird Cottage is our home in the Hudson Valley, NY, where I teach cooking and gardening workshops, and host intimate dinners, guided by the seasons. Drop a line to reserve a special meal or a delicious, invigorating workshop with your friends.

• My website melinahammer.com carries an archive of many free recipes through the years, featuring fresh, seasonal ingredients that always bring wow to the table.

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