Thanksgiving Dinner in Yankton

It has been a long time since my last post, but in my defense, a LOT has been going on in my life over the past 6 months. In August I quit my job, moved back to South Dakota, and ran an (un)successful campaign for SD State House. Seamus and I are both living in Yankton now (my hometown) until we find jobs and start our next adventure.

While in Yankton we have been cooking and eating a lot of great food, but the best meal we have had by far was our Thanksgiving feast. There were only four of us in attendance (Seamus, my mom, my dad, and me), but we cooked like we were having the entire town over. Each of the recipes turned out perfectly, and together the result was a delicious, traditional, but up-scale version of the iconic Thanksgiving tastes.

This post will include the recipes we used for the Garlic Mashed Potatoes, the Sweet Potatoes, the Green Bean Casserole, the Stuffing, the Turkey, the Chocolate Pecan Bourbon Pie, and the Pumpkin Pie.  It is going to be long, but if you are looking for a great Thanksgiving meal, you have found the right place!

Carol's Orange Essence Turkey

Recipe Courtesy of my Mom, Carol

Ingredients
1 Stick of Butter
3 Cloves of Garlic
2 Oranges prepared with cloves
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 thawed turkey

Directions: Mix all of the ingredients together, and smear all over the turkey (inside and outside of the skin). Season the outside of the turkey with salt and pepper. Stuff the inside of the turkey with oranges and sage. Cook turkey according to directions per pound.

Easy Turkey Stuffing

My Mom, Carol's, recipe adapted from American Foods by Evan Jones pg. 324

Ingredients
2 tsp thyme
1 tsp sage
1/4 c parsley, chopped
6 cups bread cubes
10.5 ounces of chicken broth
1 bunch of celery, chopped
3 large onions, chopped
3 Tablespoons olive oil with sauteed garlic removed

Directions: Saute onion and celery, season with spices. mix with bread. Bake at 350 degrees until browned.

Sweet Potato Gratin

Recipe Courtesy of my Mom, Carol

Ingredients
8 medium sweet potatoes (3 pounds)
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon grated orange peel
2 Tablespoons butter
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions: Boil sweet potatoes until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain, slip off the skins, and slices about 3/4 of an inch thick. Arrange half of the potatoes in a buttered, shallow, 2-quart casserole.

In a medium sauce pan, mix corn starch, brown sugar and salt to remove any lumps. Add orange peel and butter. Mix in orange juice and cream. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until mixture is thickened and boiling. Spoon half the sauce over sweet potatoes. Cover with remaining sweet potatoes, then remaining sauce. Arrange walnuts around edge of potatoes.

Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven until bubbling and browned, 30-40 minutes.

Julia Child's Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Courtesy of  Julia Child’sMastering the Art of French Cooking: Volume 1, adapted by Savuer Magazine at http://www.saveur.com/article/recipes/julia-childs-garlic-mashed-potatoes

INGREDIENTS

• 30 cloves garlic, unpeeled

• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter

• 2 tbsp. flour

• 1 cup whole milk

• 2½ lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces

• Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

• ¼ cup heavy whipping cream

• ¼ cup minced parsley

INSTRUCTIONS
Boil garlic in a 1-qt. saucepan of water 2 minutes; drain and peel. Melt 4 tbsp. butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium. Cook garlic until soft, 15–20 minutes. Stir in flour; cook 2 minutes. Stir in milk; cook until thickened, 3–4 minutes. Transfer to a blender; purée into a smooth sauce. Cook potatoes in salted boiling water until tender, about 15 minutes; drain and pass through a potato ricer back into the pan. Stir in remaining butter, reserved sauce, the cream, parsley, salt, and pepper; cook 2 minutes more.

Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Onions

Recipe Courtesy of Deb Perlman at Smitten Kitchen Blog at http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2013/11/green-bean-casserole-with-crispy-onions/

Ingredients

Crispy Onions

2 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced1/4 cup all-purpose flour2 tablespoons panko or plain breadcrumbs1/2 teaspoon table saltFreshly ground black pepperCanola, safflower, peanut or other high-heat oil, for deep-frying

Mushroom Sauce
3 tablespoons butter
12 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced or coarsely chopped
Few gratings fresh nutmeg (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon table salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream

Assembly

Make the crispy onions: Toss onion with flour, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Heat a 1/2-inch or so of oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet until a drop of water flicked into it will hiss and sputter. Add onions, just a handful at a time in something close to a single layer, and fry until a light golden brown (they’ll get more color in the oven; I overcooked mine a bit, forgetting this). Remove with a spider or large slotted spoon, let oil drip off a little, back into the skillet, then spread onions out on paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining onions. Set aside until needed; this makes a lot.

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Prepare the beans: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and boil greens for 5 minutes (for standard green beans) or 2 to 3 minutes (for haricot vert, or skinny ones). Drain beans, then plunge them into ice water to full stop them from cooking. Drain again, and set aside. (If you are adamant about only using one pot, you can boil them in your 12-inch cast iron skillet that you use for the other steps. But a saucepan can be easier.)

Make the mushroom sauce: Over medium-high heat, melt butter in the bottom of a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and saute them until they start releasing their liquid, anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how they were chopped. Add the garlic and saute one minute more. Add the flour and stir it until it fully coats the mushrooms. Add the broth, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring the whole time. Simmer mixture for 1 minute, then add cream and bring back to a simmer, cooking until the sauce thickens a bit, about 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently.

Assemble and bake: Add cooked greens beans to sauce and stir until they are coated. Sprinkle crispy onions over the top. Bake for 15 minutes, or until sauce is bubbling and onions are a shade darker. Eat at once.

Do ahead, a few ways: Onions can be made long in advance (up to a day) and keep at room temperature, loosely wrapped (they’d get soggy in an airtight container). Green beans can be cooked and kept in fridge until needed, at least one day. Green beans can also be combined with mushroom sauce and kept refrigerated for up to a day. Add onions and bake shortly before serving. Finally, it’s less ideal, but the entire dish can be cooked, loosely wrapped (so the crispy top doesn’t get soggy) and then rewarmed in a low oven before serving. Just keep an eye on the topping so it doesn’t get too brown while reheating.

Oil Pastry for a (Slightly) Healthier Pie Crust

Recipe Courtesy of Betty Crocker

Ingredients

1 and 3/4 Cup flour, plus additional for rolling

1  teaspoon salt

1/2 cup salad oil

3-4 Tablespoons cold water

Directions: Combine ingredients and then bake for 12-15 minutes at 475 degrees. Makes one 10 inch crust. 

Pumpkin Pie Filling

Recipe Courtesy of my Mom, Carol

Ingredients

15 oz. can of pumpkin

1 can evaporated fat free milk

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 unbaked pie crust

Directions: Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl. Beat eggs, stir in pumpkin and spices. Then gradually add milk. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and bake the pie for 15 minutes. Then reduce heat to 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes. 

Chocolate Pecan Bourbon Pie

Courtesy of Food and Wine Magazine at 

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chocolate-pecan-pie-with-bourbon

CRUST

1. 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2. 2 teaspoons sugar
3. 1/4 teaspoon salt
4. 1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
5. 1/4 cup ice water

FILLING

1. 2 cups (about 7 ounces) pecans
2. 3 large eggs
3. 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
4. 2/3 cup light corn syrup
5. 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
7. 3 tablespoons bourbon
8. 1/2 teaspoon salt
9. 3/4 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

1. In a food processor, pulse the flour with the sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the ice water. Knead the dough 2 or 3 times on a lightly floured surface and pat into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 12-inch round. Fit the dough into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Trim the overhang to 1/2 inch, fold the edge under itself and crimp decoratively. Refrigerate until firm.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°. On a rimmed baking sheet, toast the pecans for about 8 minutes, or until fragrant; coarsely chop. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, melted butter, bourbon and salt until blended. Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
4. Pour the filling into the pie shell. Bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for about 55 minutes, or until the center of the pie is set. Tent the crust with foil halfway through the baking time if the edge is browning too quickly. Transfer the pie to a rack and let cool for at least 1 hour before serving.