Each year on the fourth Thursday of November, the air turns nippier, the celebrations get louder and the discounts become routine! Yes, we are talking of none other than ‘Thanksgiving’. Amidst all the festivity, the one thing that stands out is the grand Thanksgiving feast.
How many times has the Adam Sandler thanksgiving classic, ‘Jack and Jill’ lured you to devour that gorgeous looking Thanksgiving spread – or the grand feast in the Great Hall at Hogwarts set your tongues salivating and bellies grumbling?
If the answer is “Always”, we have you covered this Thanksgiving. From mashed potatoes to the traditional turkey, we bring you an elaborate spread that will send you on a gastronomic ride!
1. Turkey
Undoubtedly the star of the table on Thanksgiving, this dish summons celebration, feasting and a great time with family. Stuffed with chopped onions, carrots, apples and herbs, the turkey is brushed with butter and roasted until it turns a delicious golden brown. This gorgeous looking turkey pairs fantastically well with Pinot Noir and packs a punch with its aromatic flavours. You could also stuff your turkey the way Greeks love it – with beef, pork, onion, pine nuts and chestnuts. Or, if you are craving Italian, stuff it with Italian bread mixed with mushrooms, parmesan and egg.
What could be better than chowing down turkey on Thanksgiving? I can’t think of anything at the moment!
2. Turkey Gravy
Now that we are done with turkey, it’s time for the rich flavourful gravy to take centre stage. An essential part of any Thanksgiving dinner, this gravy is an absolute delight. And the good news is it is also very easy to make.
Sauté some chopped onions in butter and add chicken stock to it once the onions turn a golden brown. Then, add some cream to the mixture and flavour the gravy with white wine or bourbon or simply the turkey drippings. This recipe is sure to be a stunner with your near and dear ones.
Beware: The gravy can be so good that it might even rival the taste of turkey!
3. Buttermilk Corn Bread
I’m sure you realise that you’ll need something to go with that delicious turkey gravy? The buttermilk cornbread is your best bet.
Prepared by whisking eggs in a large skillet containing butter and combined with buttermilk and baking soda, this mixture is slowly stirred in a pan and then drizzled with cornmeal flour. It is then transferred into a baking pan and baked till it turns a beautiful golden yellow. Savour this bread with the buttery turkey gravy.
4. Broccoli and Cheese Casserole
The turkey may take centre stage on Thanksgiving but the feast wouldn’t be complete without its supporting cast of sides. The broccoli and cheese casserole is one of them.
Chopped broccoli is baked with cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, and cream of mushroom soup to produce a cheesy, creamy combination that bubbles out of the oven. You are sure to sizzle with excitement as the cheese and the broccoli enrobe your taste buds with their sumptuous earthy flavours. We’re betting you won’t stop at just one spoon.
5. Mashed Potatoes
Who doesn’t like potatoes? And when it comes to Thanksgiving, it is hard to imagine the feast table without the all-time favourite – the mashed potatoes.
To make your dish more flavourful, add some cheese and milk to the mashed potatoes and cook until it becomes thick. The earthiness and nuttiness of the cheese adds the va-va-voom to this otherwise simple dish!
6. Cranberry Sauce
This is a Thanksgiving classic! The name itself sets my taste buds aflutter. This gorgeous looking sauce is prepared by heating orange juice in a pan and then stirring the cranberries and cooking them until they begin to pop. Wait till the sauce cools and eventually thickens.
The cranberry sauce is sure to smack you in the face with its pungent tangy flavours; it also pairs perfectly with turkey. Now that’s what we call a high voltage pairing!
7. Pumpkin Pie
This one’s for those who love pumpkins – and also for those who don’t ’cause this gooey, creamy pumpkin pie boasts of great flavours that are sure to send your sweet tooth on a joy ride.
To prepare the pie crust, mix flour and salt together to make the dough and then flatten it evenly.
For the pie, slightly boil or steam the pumpkin and blend it with milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Pour the mixture on to the flattened dough, bake for an hour and then refrigerate to serve it chilled.
This savoury holiday pie makes for the perfect dessert on Thanksgiving and is bound to have a candy store-like effect on you – addictive and ambrosial!
While we sign off here and leave you to relish these dishes, here’s wishing you all bon appetite and a Happy Thanksgiving!
(A freelance food blogger, Pranjali Bhonde Pethe aims at getting people and their favourite food closer through her blog moipalate. Email her at pranjali.bhonde@gmail.com or follow her on @moipalate.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)