Thanksgiving Pioneer-Style Herb Roasted Turkey

Ingredients

Turkey:
One 17-pound whole fresh turkey, rinsed well and patted dry
1 1/4 stick (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, slightly softened
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 large stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large onions, quartered
8 cups homemade chicken stock

Sage Gravy:
Turkey neck
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage

Directions
For the turkey: Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting.

Combine the butter, sage, rosemary, thyme, and parsley in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper and fill the cavity with half of the carrots, celery, and onion. Rub the entire turkey with the herb butter and season liberally with salt and pepper.

Put 4 cups of the chicken stock in a medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat.

Place the remaining vegetables on the bottom of a large roasting pan. Put the turkey on top of the vegetables, put in the oven and roast until lightly golden brown, 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue roasting, basting with the warm chicken stock every 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 160 degrees F, about 2 to 2 1/4 hours longer.

Remove the turkey from the oven, transfer to a baking sheet, tent loosely with foil and let rest 20 minutes before slicing.

For the sage gravy: Strain the cooking liquid from the roasting pan into a medium saucepan (should be about 4 cups, if not, add more stock to make 4 cups). Add the neck, bring to a boil, add the sage leaves, remove from the heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Remove the sage leaves.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until reduced. Whisk in the sage-infused stock and cook until thickened and smooth, about 5 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper and chopped sage.

SOURCE

Grilled Eggplant Caponata Bruschetta with Ricotta Salata

Ingredients

• 4 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 2 medium globe eggplants, cut into 3/4-inch-thick slices
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 large stalk celery, diced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1/2 cup Sicilian green olives, pitted and chopped
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• Pinch red chile flakes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 loaf Italian bread, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 8 ounces ricotta salata, crumbled

Directions

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.

Brush the tomatoes and eggplant with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the eggplant until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes each side. Grill the tomatoes until charred all over, about 8 minutes. Remove the eggplant and tomatoes from the heat and cut into dice.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil in a large saute pan. Add the celery and onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the eggplant and tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add the olives, vinegar, raisins, capers, sugar, chile flakes, a big splash olive oil, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the basil and parsley and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Transfer the caponata to a bowl and keep at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving. The caponata can be made 1 day in advance, covered and refrigerated. Bring the caponata to room temperature before serving.

Meanwhile, grill the bread on both sides until slightly charred, about 30 seconds each side. Remove the bread from the grill and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top each slice of bread with some of the caponata and sprinkle with the ricotta salata. Drizzle the top of each slice of bread with more olive oil and scatter basil on top.

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Chicken Wings with Red Hot Honey Glaze and Blue Cheese-Celery Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

For the wings:

• 1 cup hot sauce
• 1/2 cup honey
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 24 chicken wings, tips removed

For the blue cheese-celery dipping sauce:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup finely diced celery
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (recommended: Cabrales)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the wings:

Heat grill to medium-high.

Combine the hot sauce, honey and butter in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the butter is melted and the mixture comes together, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Pour half of the sauce in a bowl and keep the remaining sauce in the pan, warm over low heat.

Season the wings on both sides with the salt and pepper. Brush the wings with the reserved sauce in the bowl and place on the grill.Grill on each side for 5 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove wings from the grill and toss with the warm hot sauce. Transfer to a platter and serve with the blue cheese sauce on the side for dipping.

For the blue cheese-celery dipping sauce:

Whisk together all ingredients in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

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Chicken Wings