Turkey, dressing take center stage just days before Thanksgiving
How far along are the Thanksgiving meal plans? Or has advanced planning gone out the window?
Supermarket managers certainly did their planning. Aisles spill over with everything Thanksgiving. Stacks of pumpkin puree and frozen cases filled with a variety of pie shells and all sizes of turkeys and hams.
Thanksgiving only is four days away. Where did the time go?
Prudent shoppers and home chefs may have side dishes, breads and pies in the freezer awaiting the feast day.
Some may just be hitting the stores for all the fixings. In addition to cooking the turkey or ham, this is the week to make the dressing or stuffing, if you prefer. Cornbread and slices of dry bread can be prepared in advance and thawed before Thursday.
Dressing or stuffing usually is made Thanksgiving morning to keep the flavors fresh. Since I use boiled eggs in my dressing, it is one of the last side dishes to be made.
Cornbread dressing is a Southern thing. Not until I was in college did I realize there was any other kind of dressing, and the turkey was never stuffed with it. Dressing was cooked separately from the turkey.
My late husband loved oyster dressing, and his grandmother who hailed from Opelousas, La., did it well.
Other friends like bread dressing or dressing made with cranberries and sausage, which they call stuffing.
Readers, if you have not started dressing prep, there is still time to turn out dressing that is firm and a little crispy on top. I will share a slow cooker cornbread dressing and Emeril Lagasse’s oyster dressing recipes today, but the turkey is the main event this week.
The most important turkey tip is to thaw the turkey safely. Depending on the size of the frozen turkey, thawing on 20- to 24-pounders already should have begun. A 12- to 16-pound turkey should be moved from the freezer to the fridge today, and a 4- to 12-pound bird Monday.
Thawing a turkey in the refrigerator is the safest way. Who wants to get sick for Thanksgiving and miss all the scrumptious dressing, sides and, yes, desserts?
Yes, your grandmother and mine thawed their frozen turkeys in the kitchen sink with cold water running on it. Please, do not do this. Too many germs can grow.
Rule of thumb: Keep the turkey in freezer until ready to thaw. Place turkey in large pan on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator. This will prevent the raw turkey juice from running out all over the fridge and into other foods.
Allow 24 hours of thaw time for every 4 to 5 pounds of turkey. Even after thawed, the bird can stay in the fridge an additional one to days before cooking. The danger zone for food is between 40 to 140 degrees.
Remember a turkey should be cooked to 165 degrees. A meat thermometer is your cooking buddy to turn out a moist, juicy turkey.
SLOW COOKER CORNBREAD DRESSING
6 cups cornbread, baked. (The box cornbread mixes make the dressing sweeter.)
8 slices day old bread
4 eggs
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons sage or 1 1/2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 (10 1/2-ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
2 (10 1/2-ounce) cans chicken broth or turkey broth
1/4 cup butter
Salt
Lay your bread out on the counter the night before you prepare the dressing.
Crumble the breads in a large mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients except butter.
Pour into sprayed slow cooker. Dot with butter. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours.
BAKED OYSTER DRESSING
2 dozen shucked oysters, with their liquor
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped bell peppers
1 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 cup water
1/4 cup chopped green onions
4 cups cubed white bread
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Drain the oysters, reserving 1 cup of the liquor. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, salt and cayenne. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until wilted. Add the bay leaves, garlic and parsley. Sauté for about 1 minute. Add the water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the green onions, the oyster liquor and the bread. Remove from the heat.
In a mixing bowl, combine the bread mixture with the oysters and the cheese. Mix thoroughly. Butter a 9-by-11-inch baking pan and pour in the mixture. Bake for about 1 hour or until bubbly and golden brown.
Remove the bay leaves and serve hot.
— From “Real and Rustic Cookbook” by Emeril Lagasse
This story was originally published November 24, 2019 at 5:00 AM.