Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I love preparing all the traditional food for that special day, having family and friends over to celebrate, and then having leftovers for a couple of days.
If you have bought a 20-24 pound frozen turkey, you should have thawed it in the refrigerator last Friday, November 20. A 16-19 pounder should have been in the refrigerator from Saturday, November 21, a 12-15 pound turkey from Sunday, November 22, and a small 4-11 pound one from Monday, November 23. If not, you can purchase fresh turkeys today and not have to worry about thawing them.
The turkey is the highlight of the meal so it should be moist and juicy. Fresh turkeys are generally moist as the water crystals have not been frozen, only to melt out of the turkey when thawed. Brining assures moistness as it allows water, as well as salt to enter the flesh of the turkey through osmosis. Do not add too much salt in the brine, only to the point that you would want your turkey to taste, as many have ruined their whole meal by following recipes that call for too much salt.
I also like the taste of garlic and add about 3-4 cloves of garlic in the brine.
The second most important dish, I think, are the mashed potatoes. To retain the earthy potato flavor, the best method is to boil the potatoes whole with their jackets on. This also prevents the potatoes from being too waterlogged. However, peeling hot potatoes is a chore.
Using a potato ricer instead of a masher would make your potatoes lighter and fluffier.
My grandson Quentin is so particular about his mashed potatoes. His dad and I make mashed potatoes only from fresh potatoes and never use instant, so he does not like the school’s mashed potatoes because he is so used to eating ours.
Cook’s Illustrated’s scientific explanation is as follows:
“We found that rinsing steamed potatoes halfway through the cooking produced mashed potatoes with a particularly light and fluffy texture and rich potato flavor. What was going on?
“Potatoes contain two starches, including one called amylose that can be the enemy of a fluffy consistency. If these starch granules absorb too much water during cooking, they will eventually burst, spilling a sticky gel that turns potatoes gluey. Because steaming exposes the potatoes to less water, it reduces the chance of these granules swelling to the point of bursting. However some granules will burst anyway, overfilled with water once the heat breaks down the pectin surrounding the potato cells. Rinsing midway through cooking helps remove some of this free, or escaped, amylose, leading to potatoes with a lighter, silkier texture.”
Cook’s Illustrated
Fluffy Mashed Potatoes
Serves 8 to 10
Note: “This recipe works best with either a metal colander that sits easily in a Dutch oven or a large pasta pot with a steamer insert. To prevent excess evaporation, it is important for the lid to fit as snugly as possible over the colander or steamer. If the lid doesn’t fit snugly, secure a sheet of aluminum foil over the lid. A steamer basket will work, but you will have to transfer the hot potatoes out of the basket to rinse them off halfway through cooking. For the lightest, fluffiest texture, use a ricer. A food mill is the next best tool. Russets and white potatoes will work in this recipe, but avoid red potatoes.”
5 pounds Yukon Gold or russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks, rinsed well, and drained
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2/3 cups whole milk, warm
Place a metal colander or steamer insert in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add enough water to the pot for it to barely reach the bottom of the colander. Bring water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes, cover, and reduce the heat to medium-high. Cook the potatoes for 10 minutes. Transfer the colander to the sink and rinse the potatoes under cold running water until they no longer are hot, about 2 minutes.
Return the colander and potatoes to the pot, cover, and continue to cook until the potatoes are soft and the tip of a paring knife inserted into the center of the potato meets little resistance, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Remove colander and discard water from pot.
Set ricer or food mill over now-empty pot, working in batches, transfer potatoes to hopper of ricer or food mill and process, using rubber spatula to remove any potatoes stuck on the bottom. Fold in melted butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt until incorporated, then fold in warm milk until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
Two ricers that Cook’s Illustrated recommended are:
RSVP International Potato ricer
Model: SPUD
Price $23.95 (Amazon has it for $26.59 but delivery will not be till November 30)
Comments: This rectangular, highly efficient plastic model with comfortable handles was the easiest ricer to squeeze. Its interchangeable disks neatly produce a range of fine to coarse textures, and its sturdy hook rests securely on a pot rim.
Chef’n Freshforce Potato Ricer
Model: 102-157-001
Price: $48.99 (Amazon has a Chef’n model, 14.75” for $49.81, free delivery on Wednesday, November 27)
Comments: Plenty of perforations on the bottom of this ricer’s hopper made for neat, efficiently extruded potatoes. The hopper is large enough to accommodate big chunks of potatoes and is easy to clean. While fairly heavy, weighing in nearly 1.5 pounds, this ricer has a notch at the front that allowed us to rest the ricer on pots of different sizes while we used it. This ricer only extrudes potatoes at a fixed fineness, with no coarse or finer options.
Email Audrey Wilson at audreywilson808@gmail.com.
