November 16, 2021 by Marisa Olsen
Thanksgiving is officially around the corner and it’s time to start thinking about cooking (and eating). While some may argue that turkey is the tried and true centerpiece, others would argue that the sides are the way to go. Whatever your favorite part of the meal is, we’re not judging. We are thinking and dreaming of a juicy, tender bird, creamy mashed potatoes, fluffy stuffing, and lots and lots of sweets, and some wine, of course. So, we asked a few local chefs to share some of their favorite Thanksgiving recipes, including a simple way to tackle that turkey from Chef Brian Houlihan--we like to think of his recipe as a humorous ode to cooking the “bird.” We also have several dessert recipes featuring none other than the prized pumpkin, and wine pairings from Ralph’s Hingham Wine Merchant in hopes of sparking some inspiration for your upcoming Thanksgiving table, plates, and wine glasses.
Wishing you a safe, healthy, and happy Thanksgiving 2021. Make sure to tag us in your Thanksgiving meal photos @HinghamAnchor!
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The Bird
By Brian Houlihan, Owner/Chef, Trident Galley & Raw Bar
Do not wake up at 6 am to cook it... unless you’re having Thanksgiving breakfast.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Hopefully, you have an app and you can just do it from bed.
Remove all that foil from Turkey, it’s going in uncovered.
Season with salt pepper and herbs.
Roast it for 30 minutes at 375 degrees F.
Turn the oven down to 350 degrees F and let it go. Rotating your Turkey every 45 mins or so (rotate the turkey horizontally, do not rotate vertically...) Let it go for 2 hours or until it’s 165 degrees F.
*Cooking times will vary depending on your oven and Turkey size
If it is not a convection oven, add another 30 minutes or so.
If you keep opening the oven door to look at it add 40 mins.
If you insist on basting it every 20 mins (which you shouldn’t!!!), add another 40 minutes.
The temperature of the Bird is more important than time in the oven!!
With a meat thermometer check for 165 degrees F in a couple of spots.
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Alma Nove Pommes Aligot (Cheesy Mashed Potatoes)
By Sean Fitzgerald, Sous Chef, Alma Nove
This recipe is popular in my family around the holidays. While the richness and quality of ingredients make it something that only gets made once or twice a year, whether pairing with a great turkey and gravy, or sitting alongside a Christmas roast, it’s a mainstay and a crowd pleaser for sure. The addition of the crème fraiche brings a little acidity to cut through the richness of all the cheese and butter. The horseradish stands up to the main course and gives a familiar feel but a fresh take on a traditional mashed potato. Enjoy, and happy Thanksgiving!
Alma Nove Pommes Aligot
Ingredients:
5 pounds russet potatoes
6 quarts cold water
¾ pound unsalted butter (3 sticks)
1-½ cups heavy cream
¼ of a freshly grated nutmeg seed
1 pound grated Comte cheese (hard cheese from the Jura region of France, could substitute gruyere or cheddar if unavailable)
1 cup crème fraiche (could substitute sour cream if unavailable)
2 tablespoons freshly grated horseradish (could substitute prepared horseradish if unavailable)
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Peel and halve russet potatoes, transfer to a large saucepan or stock pot and cover with the 6 quarts cold water. Bring pot to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium, and allow to simmer, checking potatoes with a paring knife until just tender enough to pass through with little resistance. The key is turning down the heat, keeping the potatoes in larger pieces (halved), and just cooking until cooked through; limiting water absorption allows more richness from the dairy to be folded into the potatoes without the mixture being watery. Strain through a colander, allowing potatoes to dry out in the colander while preparing dairy. The potatoes will have a powdery looking exterior as they dry.
Meanwhile in a saucepan, combine butter, heavy cream, and nutmeg. Warm over medium to medium high heat until the butter is just melted and the cream is simmering. Remove from heat. Using a food mill or ricer, process the potatoes back into the pot they were cooked in. Stir in the cream and butter mixture with a wooden spoon. Place the pot over low heat. At this point add the creme fraiche, grated cheddar, and grated horseradish, and season to taste with salt and pepper. The potatoes can be left on low heat, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking, to keep warm until serving.
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Cornbread with Cinnamon Butter
By Alexa Jackson-Presley and Morrell Presley, Owners, Morrell’s BBQ
Our family loves cornbread! It pairs well with so many of the dishes we make, such as beef stew or chili, collard greens, and of course, our smoked meats. This is one of our favorite recipes for cornbread and an easy cinnamon butter to smother on top.
Cornbread with Cinnamon Butter
Ingredients:
1-1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cornmeal
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
½ salt
5 tablespoons salted butter, melted
1 - ¼ cup milk
¼ cup of vegetable oil
2 large eggs
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, add butter/non-stick spray to a 19 inch pan or use a muffin pan. In a large bowl, mix ingredients until mixture is smooth and pours into pans. Bake for 30 – 45 minutes and check for the muffins to be golden brown. Use a toothpick to ensure that the inside is cooked all the way through.
Cinnamon Butter
Ingredients:
½ cup of salted butter
¼ cup honey
¼ cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon (or more if you like) of cinnamon
Directions:
Let the butter soften at room temperature, then blend softened butter until smooth, add honey, cinnamon, and whip until smooth and creamy.
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Kate’s Simple Herb Dressing (Stuffing)
By Kate Driscoll Papaleoni, Executive Chef/Owner, Kate's Table
I tend to be a simpleton when it comes to stuffing. I am not ashamed to admit that I like the taste of Stovetop Stuffing . This is my version of Stovetop, with just a little bit of zing from the white wine and lemon juice. There are so many other dishes that families enjoy during their Thanksgiving meal that I was always a believer that a simple, buttery, moist (yes, I used that word) stuffing would be the best complement to all the flavors, and it makes for an excellent turkey sandwich the day after (french bread, sliced turkey, warm stuffing, mayo, and lots of cranberry sauce).
Note about the bread cubes: You have options here. Stale or toasty bread works best. The first option is that you can cut 1-½ pounds of bread into cubes, place it in a large baking dish, loosely tent with foil, and let it sit overnight. You can also cut the cubes and put them in the oven, toasting them at 350 degrees F until they are like croutons, about 15 minutes or so. Finally, you can buy the toasted bread cubes in bags from the store. It’s your choice! You can also choose the size of your cubes. They can be small, or larger for a more rustic stuffing.
I like to use a mixture of stale and fresh bread. Also, I like to use different kinds of bread (usually two), like a multigrain and French, and mix the cubes. I’ll even use challah for a sweet note to the dressing.
Kate’s Simple Herb Dressing
Ingredients:
18 to 24 ounces bread cubes, (1.5 loaves of bread, or about 12 to 14 cups) preferably toasted or stale
1 cup unsalted butter (I like to use ½ cup chicken fat and ½ cup unsalted butter)
3 cups diced sweet onion, roughly 2 large onions
2 cups celery, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
kosher salt and pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
½ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2-1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 large eggs
**OPTIONAL: 1 ½ pounds ground (out of casing) sweet or hot Italian sausage
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a 9” x 13” baking dish with room temperature butter. Place the bread in a large mixing bowl. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the onion, celery, and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper - at least ½ to
1 teaspoon each. Cook until the onions and celery soften, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the sage, parsley, and rosemary. Cook for another minute. Stir in the white wine and lemon juice and turn the heat up a bit to reduce the wine (about 5 minutes). Stir in 1 cup of stock. Pour the onion celery mixture over the bread crumbs and toss well to coat.
** If adding sausage to your stuffing: Cook your ground sausage over medium heat in a skillet until almost cooked through. Drain the fat and then add the sausage crumbs to your stuffing mix here. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the remaining 1- ½ cups stock and 2 eggs.
Pour that mixture into the bread cubes and stir and fold the bread cubes until thoroughly combined. Bake the stuffing for 45 to 50 minutes, until the internal temperature registers 160 degrees F. If the stuffing is getting too browned, you can tent it with foil.
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Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Hazelnuts
By Corylynn Byrne, Kitchen Supervisor of Clandestine Kitchen
Brussels sprouts are not usually the first thing grabbed at my family's dinner table…especially at Thanksgiving! But these have quickly become a favorite and a Thanksgiving staple. They’re sticky, sweet, and super comforting. These are the perfect way to introduce picky eaters to Brussel sprouts. Move over candied yams…maple balsamic Brussels sprouts are here!
Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Hazelnuts
Ingredients:
1 lb Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed, and cut in half
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Raw unsalted hazelnuts
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°
Prepare Brussels sprouts and toss with all of the ingredients minus the hazelnuts in a large bowl until well distributed.
Place Brussel sprouts on a lined baking sheet (this gets very sticky!) Cook until tender, about 10-15 mins. With about 5 minutes left to cook, add hazelnuts to a separate baking sheet and toast.
When everything is out of the oven, roughly chop the hazelnuts. Add Brussels sprouts to desired platter and top with chopped hazelnuts. Add a splash of balsamic to the hot Brussels sprouts for a bright finish.
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Mixed Whole Grain Rice with Caramelized Onions, Cranberries, Pecans, and Herbs
By Jen Mullen, Chef/Owner of The Whole JAM
This is great alone as a side dish or stuffing for Acorn Squash as a vegetarian main or hearty side. It is also good stuffed in a game hen.
Mixed Whole Grain Rice with Caramelized Onions, Cranberries, Pecans, and Herbs
Ingredients:
2 cups mixed whole grain and wild rice blend (Trader Joe’s has a good one and Lundberg Wild blend is great)
1 onion, peeled and sliced thin
2-3 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt (plus pinch for cooking rice)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup dry cranberries (I try to find fruit juice sweetened if I can)
1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans
1/4 cup mixed herbs (parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, marjoram...all good for a fall dish, I like to choose 3)
Directions:
In a medium to large saucepan, bring rice, pinch of salt and 4 cups of water to a boil. Lower to a simmer, cover and cook for 40-45 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is al dente tender.
While rice is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Stir to coat, lower heat to low, and cover. Let steam saute about 15 minutes, or until the onions are soft and almost saucy looking. Uncover the pan and raise the heat to medium. Stirring often, continue to cook onions until they are a deep brown and sweet. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to the cooked rice and stir in with a fork to loosen the grains. Add caramelized onions, cranberries, and herbs. Stir again to mix well. Add pecans last and serve.
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Pumpkin Seed Brittle
by Maria Cavaleri, Pastry Chef of Tosca Restaurant
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1-1/2 cups green pumpkin seeds (pepitas), shelled
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Butter a sheet pan or silpat.
In a heavy saucepan, place butter, corn syrup, and sugar over medium high heat. Stir to dissolve and bring to a roiling boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Add seeds and cinnamon and stir. Return to boil and cook to a deep caramel color. Remove from heat and carefully stir in baking soda (the mixture will start to bubble and foam). Pour mixture into prepared butter sheet pan and spread out. Sprinkle mixture with salt. Allow to cool completely. Break into pieces and store in an air-tight container in a dry place.
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Pumpkin Ice Cream
by Maria Cavaleri, Pastry Chef of Tosca Restaurant
Yields about 3 quarts
Ingredients:
4 cups milk
2 cups canned pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
16 egg yolks
1/4 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Heat a saucepan with milk with pumpkin, white sugar, spices, salt, and corn syrup until hot and steamy.
Mix brown sugar with egg yolks and slowly whisk some of the hot milk mixture into the yolks. Pour everything back into the saucepan and cook, stirring 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, add heavy cream and vanilla extract. Chill immediately. Strain when cold and put filling into an ice cream maker and follow ice cream maker instructions.
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Pumpkin Cheesecake
By Kira Chipman, Culinary Manager of Clandestine Kitchen
What is more ‘fall in New England’ than pumpkin everything? The smells of spice in the kitchen makes you think of Thanksgiving-time and being with family. Elevate your traditional pumpkin pie with a decadent pumpkin cheesecake this year at your holiday table!
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients:
Gingersnap Crust
2-1/2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs (use crunchy gingersnap cookies and grind in food processor)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Pumpkin Filling
Ingredients:
24 ounces brick-style cream cheese, softened to room temperature*
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions:
Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position, and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
Make the crust: Using a food processor, pulse the gingersnaps into crumbs. Pour into a medium bowl and stir in sugar and melted butter until combined. (You can also pulse it all together in the food processor.) Mixture will be sandy. Press firmly into the bottom and slightly up the sides of a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan. No need to grease the pan first. I use the bottom of a measuring cup to pack the crust down tightly. Pre-bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the hot pan on a large piece of aluminum foil. The foil will wrap around the pan for the water bath in step 4. Allow the crust to slightly cool as you prepare the filling.
Make the filling: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on high speed until completely smooth, about 1 minute. On medium-high speed, beat in pumpkin, egg and egg yolk, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. On high speed, beat in sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla until combined. To help prevent the cheesecake from deflating and cracking as it cools, avoid over-mixing the batter as best you can.
Prepare the simple water bath (see note): Boil a pot of water. You need 1 inch of water in your roasting pan for the water bath, so make sure you boil enough. As the water is heating up, wrap the aluminum foil around the springform pan. Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the crust. Use a rubber spatula or spoon to smooth it into an even layer. Place the pan inside of a large roasting pan. Carefully pour the hot water inside of the pan and place in the oven. (Or you can place the roasting pan in the oven first, then pour the hot water in. Whichever is easier for you.)
(Note: if you notice the cheesecake browning too quickly on top, tent it with aluminum foil halfway through baking.) Bake cheesecake for 55-70 minutes or until the center is almost set. When it’s done, the center of the cheesecake will slightly wobble if you gently shake the pan. Turn the oven off and open the oven door slightly. Let the cheesecake sit in the oven in the water bath as it cools down for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and water bath, then cool cheesecake completely uncovered at room temperature. Then cover and refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Use a knife to loosen the chilled cheesecake from the rim of the springform pan, then remove the rim. Using a clean sharp knife, cut into slices for serving. For neat slices, wipe the knife clean and dip into warm water between each slice. Serve cheesecake with desired toppings. Cover and store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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Ralph’s “Perfect Pairings” for Thanksgiving!
As you plan on your Thanksgiving menu, thinking and selecting wine to pair with your meal is important (and fun). We asked Ralph’s Hingham Wine Merchant for some of Ralph’s favorite picks:
Below are some of our favorite wines to pair with the holiday bird with the hope that we can make your Thanksgiving as wonderful as possible!
Andre Blanck Pinot Gris 2019: A “wow” of a white wine from Alsace, France made from 100% Pinot Gris from a family estate that’s been making wine for seven generations! Super versatile as a pairing wine this unoaked white is a perfect match for the flavors on your Thanksgiving plate.
Shea Wine Cellars “Shea Vineyard” Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2017: “The estate bottling brings together the various clones planted at this iconic vineyard. Offering a complex weave of plum, marionberry, and blackberry, it matches its delicious fruit with 40% new French oak, adding a seam of coffee and dark chocolate. The tannins are polished to a fine gloss.” Editors' Choice. 93 Points Wine Enthusiast.
Neyers Vista Notre Zinfandel 2018: The 2018 Neyers Vista Notre Zinfandel is aged for a year in neutral French oak barrels, then bottled without fining or filtration. Aromas of bright red fruits with a hint of spice combine beautifully in the glass and make it the perfect red for the Thanksgiving table!