Turkey Day question - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Caged Great · 10-11-2009, 06:16 PM

So, in the spirit of Turkey day, how do you prepare things?

Cranberry sauce, do you make it fresh or use canned?

How do you prepare the gravy

evilcougar · 10-11-2009, 06:30 PM

All i do for gravy is once i take the ham or turkey out of the roaster, i put the roaster across 2 burners and throw in some oxo chicken and beef, and some flour pre mixed with water, stir until boiled. It's perfect and yummy.

However, today a turkey dinner was made for me and now i'm about to eat lasagna and i'm already drinking wine. But, i will be doing this for xmas. It's yummy and fast b/c it uses the juices from whatever meat you just took out of there. So good.

Happy thanksgiving everyone!

Thor · 10-11-2009, 06:39 PM

Bah only my sister celebrates this and she's in Vancouver.

I'll heat me a pizza! lol

Locke · 10-11-2009, 06:44 PM

Bachelor thanksgiving! I'm off to the pub for some beer and chicken wings with my friends! Would have been nice if there was some hockey on.

Caged Great · 10-11-2009, 06:57 PM

I make both from scratch personally. I enjoy cooking quite a lot so it's fun for me.

Anyway, it's actually really easy to make the cranberries. Add water and sugar to a pot with the cranberries, wait till they start popping and let simmer for a little while. Pull it off and let cool and you're done.

The gravy, I strain the juices drain most of the fat, but re-add two table spoons of it back in, then I add some potato water and corn starch and continue to cook it over the two burners for a while.

With the corn starch, it doesn't ever lump up. Lumpy gravy is gross.

burn_this_city · 10-11-2009, 07:08 PM

Canned cranberry jelly is the best.. Mmmmm cranberry based gelantinous goo.

JerzeeGirl · 10-11-2009, 07:18 PM

Canned cranberries is just gross and wrong.....gotta spend the whole 15mins (max) to make it fresh and it's sooooooo easy would be wrong to cheat and get the pre-formed stuff!

As for gravy, there are a million ways to make it well - I leave that to the professional tho (read: my mom) and just enjoy it.

But what about stuffing? That's of key importance as well...and takes a fine touch to make sure it's properly balanced and not that heathenish Stove Top crap.

chid · 10-11-2009, 07:24 PM

yeah I'm working all weekend so no dinner for me. I will have leftovers next week though courtesy of my boyfriend's parents. mmm

jayswin · 10-11-2009, 07:28 PM

I had an impromtu drunk turkey dinner with friends this morning at 3am, then had turkey dinner with my family today. MMmmmm Turkey.

redforever · 10-11-2009, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caged Great

I make both from scratch personally. I enjoy cooking quite a lot so it's fun for me.

Anyway, it's actually really easy to make the cranberries. Add water and sugar to a pot with the cranberries, wait till they start popping and let simmer for a little while. Pull it off and let cool and you're done.

The gravy, I strain the juices drain most of the fat, but re-add two table spoons of it back in, then I add some potato water and corn starch and continue to cook it over the two burners for a while.

With the corn starch, it doesn't ever lump up. Lumpy gravy is gross.

Potato water is the trick to making really yummy gravy. That is what I always use as well.

but I am a flour person, not cornstarch. I just mix it up real with water early in the day, keep shaking it throughout the day. If it appears any lumps remain in the flour and water, I put the mixture in the blender before I add it to the gravy liquid.

I also make my own cranberry sauce, people simply do not realize how easy it is to make and how much better it tastes. And it does not take much longer than just opening a can of cranberry sauce either.

Sometimes I make home made cranberry and mango chutney as well, usually if I make a ham because my daughter goes on strike if I serve a chutney with turkey.

drewboy12 · 10-11-2009, 09:14 PM

I didnt get thanksgiving this year... Cold pizza was my dinner...

so sad....

pope04 · 10-11-2009, 09:20 PM

As for the cranberries, go for fresh, or at least the frozen ones. The canned ones just aren't the same.

Gravy, hmmmm, I'm a bit hazy as this usually isn't my department. Take the bird out of the roaster, add the water used for boiling the veggies or spuds to the turkey juice, add flour and stir for hours and hours over minimum heat.

redforever · 10-11-2009, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pope04

As for the cranberries, go for fresh, or at least the frozen ones. The canned ones just aren't the same.

Gravy, hmmmm, I'm a bit hazy as this usually isn't my department. Take the bird out of the roaster, add the water used for boiling the veggies or spuds to the turkey juice, add flour and stir for hours and hours over minimum heat.

No, I add my flour first and whisk together to almost make a roux with the turkey drippings. Then I add potato water in small proportions until it is thinned to the thickness I prefer. I never add veggie water, especially from say brussel sprouts.

Once cooked and thickened, I turn it down to the smallest simmer possible and keep warm until ready to use. You need to whisk it periodically to prevent it from forming a skin on the top.

PYroMaNiaC · 10-11-2009, 11:44 PM

You'll never get lumps in your gravy if you put the flour in the bottom of a bowl, then add cold water and whisk it until you have a thin paste. Add that to your roaster with the turkey drippings and simmer. The trick is flour first, cold water on top.

NBC · 10-12-2009, 02:18 AM

The cranberry sauce comes from a jar. My partner likes it and I hate it so I decided that I wouldn't spend too much time on it. She's OK with it being from a jar.

Reggie Dunlop · 10-12-2009, 03:20 AM

Pretty much every day is turkey day for me. It's my main protein source, as I tend to abstain from red meat. I have turkey at least 4 times a week. Sometimes I swap out for chicken or fish, but mostly I opt for turkey. It's a nice, flavorful meat that's easy to digest, and it is quite versatile.

icarus · 10-12-2009, 05:17 AM

My mom makes the best cranberry sauce. The secret ingredient is gin... yum!

I am excited for Thanksgiving dinner tonight at the Maple Leaf in Covent Garden. It's been years since I've had a Thanksgiving, and while it won't be as good as at home, I am still looking forward to it. My girlfriend is excited too, having never had Thanksgiving before, and getting her first ever sampling of pumpkin pie.

NBC · 10-12-2009, 05:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by icarus

My mom makes the best cranberry sauce. The secret ingredient is gin... yum!

I am excited for Thanksgiving dinner tonight at the Maple Leaf in Covent Garden. It's been years since I've had a Thanksgiving, and while it won't be as good as at home, I am still looking forward to it. My girlfriend is excited too, having never had Thanksgiving before, and getting her first ever sampling of pumpkin pie.

Had I known, I'd have invited you down to mid-Sussex for a big feast tonight! Just taking the pumpkin pie out of the oven...

icarus · 10-12-2009, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NBC

Had I known, I'd have invited you down to mid-Sussex for a big feast tonight! Just taking the pumpkin pie out of the oven...

Damn! Sounds amazing, although it would have been a bit of a hike after work. Whereabouts are you? I lived a couple months near Hailsham.

NBC · 10-12-2009, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by icarus

Damn! Sounds amazing, although it would have been a bit of a hike after work. Whereabouts are you? I lived a couple months near Hailsham.

Haywards Heath. Not too far from Halisham.