Chefs Tell All!

If this is your first time cooking Thanksgiving dinner or your 50th and you
want some tips on making the best tasting turkey, gravy or mashed potatoes,
you’re in luck.

Some top T.V. chefs share their best secrets for making the most delicious
Thanksgiving ever and luckily for you, these secrets are all free.

So, just look below for the secrets that’ll dazzle and fill up your friends and family.

1) Turkey-
If cooking a turkey fills you with fear, put those fears aside and just think of
it as a bigger chicken. The secret to a great tasting turkey is to flavor the breasts.
And one way to ensure a great flavored turkey breast is to use flavored butter.
To make:
In a small bowl, combine 1 stick of butter (unsalted) Leave out at room temperature,
to soften. Add 1 tsp. of salt, 1 Tbs. of fresh pepper, 2 Tbs. fresh thyme, minced,
1/4 cup of fresh sage, minced 1/4 tsp. of Chinese 5-spice blend and 1 clove of garlic,
chopped finely. Mash and stir this mixture and then spread it on top of and in between
the breast meat.
More tips: Can’t find 5-spice blend at the store? Make your own, mix together cinnamon,
ginger, nutmeg and fennel. Do not leave out (the 5-spice blend) as it gives the turkey
a subtle, delicious aroma.
1 a) Get The Skin Crispy-
Remove the turkey from its plastic wrapping and let it dry out in the refrigerator, uncovered,
for the whole night before roasting. Doing this ensures that skin is nice and crispy.

2) Mashed Potatoes-
Want to save time? Peel potatoes up to three days before Thursday. Once they’re peeled,
place the potatoes in a plastic container covered with chicken stock or water with a
squeeze of lemon. When ready to cook the potatoes, just drain them and boil as you
normally would.

3) Use The Slow Cooker-
Need extra room to cook other sides? Use a slow-cooker. To use for mashed potatoes,
place 3 to 5 lbs. of potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2″ cubes: 1 cup of chicken stock;
5 cloves of garlic (optional) and 1/3 cup of butter in your slow-cooker.
Season with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. of black pepper. Mix and cover with lid.
Set on high for 3 to 4 hours (stirring several times) or low for 7 to 8 hours.
Remove lid and mash with a large fork. Stir in 1/2 cup of cream, 1/2 cup of sour cream
and 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Keep on low until ready to serve.

4) Gravy-
If the thought of making gravy frightens you, use these tips to make it taste great.
* Remove the lumps.
If you’re using flour or cornstarch, add a small amount at a time into the drippings.
Don’t add it to quickly or it’ll come out as a paste. Sprinkle in a little, whisk it
thoroughly, before adding more.
Or you can place a 1/2 tsp. of flour in a cup and add a little (very) cold water
and stir. Add this to the drippings and allow it to thicken.
* Fix Up The Drippings-
If your gravy is bland after heating it, avoid adding salt. To enhance the flavor,
add a little red wine vinegar and a dash of soy or Worcestershire sauce.
And if it’s too salty, drop a potato or two into it and heat it up for 10 mins.
the potatoes will absorb the extra salt. Remove the salty potatoes and discard
them.

5) Help For The Pie-
Crisp up the crust.
Roll out the dough for the bottom of your pie on a thin layer of finely
crushed cookie crumbs. Just pulse the cookies in a food processor
or place them in a large zip loc bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
Along with extra flavor, the crumbs will help give you a crisper crust.
Use gingersnap cookies for pumpkin pie and snickerdoodles for apple pies.

6) Homemade Apple Pie-
Tired of slicing into homemade apple pie only to have it collapse?
Try this:
In a skillet, cook half of the apple filling over medium heat for 10 mins.
stir in the remaining filling, then let cool and pour into crust. Precooking
some the apples removes the excess moisture that causes a soggy crust.
One more tip:
To really jazz up the flavor of your apple pie-add a tsp. or two of apple-flavored
liquor. You can use applejack or Calvados, (a French distilled apple brandy).

7) Tip For Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Pie-
Want to get your pie to taste more custard like?
Just add some light coconut milk to the recipe and avoid the regular milk.

7) Time Savers-
If you’re pressed for time and can’t clean a bunch of green beans or make
macaroni and cheese from scratch, just buy a bag of frozen green beans
or macaroni and cheese and add a few more spices, bacon bits or pan drippings
to the green beans and the Mac & Cheese- just add some extra cheese, bits of dark
turkey meat, heavy cream and butter.

That’s it- some tips to make this Thanksgiving meal your best ever.

Good Luck and Good Eating!

Sources:
* Ina Garten, The Food Network
* Rachael Ray, The Food Network
* Bobby Flay, The Food Network
* Alex Guarnaschelli, The Food Network
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