Giangi's Kitchen

Happy Thanksgiving 2012

There are so many wonderful peoples, great successes, amazing things that had happened in my life and that I am grateful and thankful for.  Would love to list them all, but there is not enough space on this page to write them all down.

With that said, I do however want to send my love and gratitude to my family, my friends.  Your love and support is wonderful and fills my heart everyday with strength. Thank you and I love you.

To all of you my readers and followers a huge thank you for making this journey fun and exciting. Your support, comment, encouragements are greatly appreciate it.

But most of all to my sweet boy. You are growing so fast and so beautifully. I love the boy you are becoming. I love your pure heart, I love your laughter. Everyday I am thankful to be your mom. I love you.

To all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your special loved one.

Giangi

This is the menu that I will be preparing for this Thanksgiving 2012.

Thanksgiving Dinner 2012

Turkey with chestnut stuffing

Shiitake mushrooms gravy

Orange Cranberry sauce

Mashed potatoes with horseradish

Brussels sprouts with caramelized shallots

Brown butter apple tart

I am enclosing some of the recipes with today and will post pictures tomorrow.

Chestnut stuffed turkey

2 onions, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 oz. of bacon slices, cut in thin strips

8 oz. sausage meat

1 breakfast sausage, casing removed

1 apple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped

Equal pinch of: cinnamon, dry mustard, pepper, ground cloves

24 Steamed chestnuts

1 turkey, cleaned and patted dry

Thick bacon slices

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven at 375º.
In a large skillet heat the butter and add the onions and the bacon strips.  Add the sausage meat and the sausage. Continue cooking and separating the pork meats with a spatula.

Add the apple to the meat.  Season with salt and pepper. Add the spices and mix well.

Remove from the heat and add the steamed chestnuts. Work the stuffing lightly to well incorporate the meat and chestnuts, but not mashed them.

Stuffed the turkey’s neck with the above stuffing. Close the opening. Place in a large cooking pan over a roast rack.  Slightly oil the turkey with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Cover the turkey’s breast with the thick bacon slices.  Cover slight with aluminum foil. Cook approximately 20 minutes per pound.

Poke with a fork once in a while to let the juices run form the breast and tight area.

Baste with white wine and any juices from the bottom of the pan.

When done remove from the heat and let rest for 10 minutes or so.

Serve alongside apple slices sautéed with butter and warm steamed chestnuts.

SHIITAKE MUSHROOM GRAVY

½ cup all purpose flour

½ dry Sherry

3 tablespoons butter

12 oz. fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps sliced

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried

4 cups (about) low salt chicken broth

1/3 cup whipped cream

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried

Mix flour and Sherry in a small bowl until smooth paste forms.  Melt butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add mushrooms and rosemary: sauté until mushrooms begin to soften, about 3 minutes.  (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead.) Cover flour paste lightly.  Let paste and mushrooms stand at room temp.

Transfer pan juices to 8-cup glass measuring cup.  Spoon off fat and discard. Add enough chicken broth to pan juices to measure 5 cups; add to saucepan with mushrooms.  Add flour paste and whisk to combine.  Bring mixture to boil, stirring frequently.  Boil until thickened to light gravy, about 10 minutes.  Mix in cream, thyme, and tarragon.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve with turkey.

BRUSSELS SPROUT WITH CARAMELIZED SHALLOTS

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, divided

½ pound shallots, thinly sliced

Salt

2 tablespoons cognac vinegar

4 tablespoons sugar

1 ½ pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup water

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium heat.  Add shallots, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until soft and golden, about 10 minutes.  Add vinegar and sugar.  Stir until brown and glazed, about 3 minutes.  Thinly slice the Brussels sprouts with a mandoline (1/8 inch). Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sprout sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Sauté until brown at edges, 6 minutes.  Add 1 cup water and 3 tablespoons butter.  Sauté until most of water evaporated and sprouts are tender but still bright green, 3 minutes.  Add the shallots, season with salt and pepper.