Prep Work
Thanksgiving is right around the corner and the last thing I feel like doing is stressing out over what I'm cooking. Considering I'll have a bit of a break from classes, I'm going to get in as much prep work as I can so I can spend my actual holiday stuffing my face, drinking wine, and watching Harry Potter marathons on TV. Clearly, what the holidays are about.
I went ahead and created a menu for Thanksgiving that focuses on family favorites with a more fresh and modern approach. So far, I'm planning on honey-citrus roasted Cornish hens, smashed Yukon gold potatoes with pan gravy, fresh cranberry sauce, cabbage salad, homemade green bean casserole, balsamic glazed sweet potatoes, and mushroom and leek dressing. My good friend is bringing dessert and my brother is bringing the wine.
Planning a menu ahead of time is honestly the first step in prepping. Write down all of your ingredients needed. Scan over your pantry and fridge to avoid buying things you already have. Delegate duties out to friends and family who are participating. Make sure you have everything you need BEFORE the holiday to avoid traffic, long lines and just overall grossness of holiday shopping.
Anything that can be made ahead, do it. Marinating or brining the meat? Up to 3 days prior in the fridge. Casseroles and dressings hold well in the fridge 24 hours before baking, so why not? Broth, sauce, and gravy? Make them ahead. That way, all you have to do is let the items come to room temp and then either bake or cook it before serving. Less stress!
Dry brine for last year's turkey.
Another great way to prep for making a big dinner is having your ingredients ready way ahead of time. Take stock, for instance. I constantly keep onions, carrots and celery on hand and whenever I have chicken or any kind of protein, I keep the bones and scraps and freeze them. You can easily make stock in a big stockpot and simmer away or you can even go the super-easy route and use your slow cooker (as seen below). Whichever method you choose, make sure to skim off all the gunk and fat that floats at the top to get a nice stock.
Chicken carcass underneath the mirepoix.
Using bones and scraps, mirepoix (onion, celery, and carrot), bay leaves, peppercorns and fresh herbs is always my go-to recipe. Don't add salt! I add salt when I'm cooking with the broth later on. You can always add salt later, but you can't take it away. Nothing worse that something reducing and cooking down and being too salty. No bueno.
Roasted pork shoulder stock (used the bones from class the other day).
I constantly keep stock in my freezer that way if I need a boost of flavor, it's just ready to go. Soups, stews, sauces, and I'm set. My stock is already done for next week. I've already completed my menu and I snagged some Cornish hens that were on sale from the store last week. I took them out of the freezer to thaw in the fridge on the 19th. Dry brine on the 21st. And since they're so tiny, they won't take up a ton of room in the fridge; I have them stored in gallon-sized Ziploc bags. I just completed my fresh cranberry sauce that's going to keep in the fridge until Thursday. What's left? The dressing and casserole will be done tomorrow to bake off on Thursday. The day of? Hens in the oven and the potatoes on the stove. Everything else will be warmed up. Easy!
All in all, setting up a proper menu and scheduling out your duties is the best way to plan and prepare for your holiday dinners. Take note of what works well and what doesn't so you can have a better game-plan for the next year. Practice makes perfect! I hope you guys have plans set out for Thanksgiving dinner. If so, share them! And if you're going out to eat, enjoy that as well. Either way, I hope it's a fantastic day for all of you and your loved ones.
¡Buen provecho!