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6 garlic cloves
Your guide to the year’s most important meal, with our best recipes, techniques and tricks. Consider these building blocks, then make the feast your own.
We’ve broken Thanksgiving dinner down to its essential elements. Turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce and potatoes, of course. But no less necessary, if slightly less obvious, is something orange (yams, squash or even mac and cheese). A green and snappy vegetable. And pie — at least two.
In each category, we give you our preferred recipe, a standout of its kind. But we offer alternatives, too. If your family demands creamed onions or parsnip soup as a first course, have at it. Mix and match. Those dishes make the table yours; these are the essentials that make it Thanksgiving.
Photo by Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times, Video by Jenny Woodward for The New York Times
For all the attention we lavish on Thanksgiving turkeys, the truth is more work does not necessarily yield a better bird. That’s why I swear by no brining, no stuffing, no trussing and no basting.
Instead of a messy wet brine, I use a dry rub (well, technically a dry brine) — a salt and pepper massage that locks in moisture and seasons the flesh. No stuffing or trussing allows the bird
to cook more quickly, with the white and dark meat finishing closer to the same time. And if you oil but don’t baste your turkey, you’ll get crisp skin without constantly opening the
oven.
Our essential
Time
3 1/2 hours, plus 1 to 3 days’ standing
Yield
10 to 12 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Or try ...
Mark Bittman
This popular recipe from our archives gives you an especially tender and juicy bird — if you can forgo the Norman Rockwell carving moment.
Evan Sung for The New York Times
Braised turkey might sound like a ridiculous, even heretical concept. And if you’re looking to present a glorious whole bird, it simply won’t work. But if you want a bird that’s moister and more flavorful than anything you can get from roasting, it’s the way to go.
Time
3 hours
Yield
10 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
How to Scale Up Our Roast Turkey Recipe
If you are roasting a turkey and need to scale up the seasonings for your bird, the most important rule of thumb is that you need approximately 1/2 teaspoon salt per pound of bone-in turkey. Everything else you can wing. If you are making our essential roast turkey recipe, here is a chart with the amounts you’ll need.
2 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. pepper
6 garlic cloves
Zest of 1 lemon
1 small bunch mixed herbs
Cooking time
2 to 2 ½ hours
2 ½ Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. plus ¾ Tsp. pepper
7 garlic cloves
Zest of 1 ½ lemons
1 large bunch mixed herbs
Cooking time
2 to 3 hours
3 Tbsp. salt
1 ½ Tbsp. pepper
9 garlic cloves
Zest of 2 lemons
1 ½ bunches mixed herbs
Cooking time
3 to 3 ¾ hours
3 ½ Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. plus 2 ¼ Tsp. pepper
11 garlic cloves
Zest of 2 ½ lemons
2 bunches mixed herbs
Cooking time
3 ½ to 4 hours
4 Tbsp. salt
2 Tbsp. pepper
13 garlic cloves
Zest of 3 lemons
2 ½ bunches mixed herbs
Cooking time
3 ½ to 4 ½ hours
Using Dry Brine on a Frozen Bird
You can maximize efficiency by applying dry-brine mix to your turkey while it’s still completely frozen. Just pat the mixture all over it, including the cavity. (If you can’t pull out the giblets and neck to get in there, proceed with seasoning the outside of the bird and then, after it’s defrosted for a day, empty out the cavity and season that too.) Wrap the bird in a plastic bag or two before sticking it in the fridge. As the turkey thaws, it will absorb all the good flavors, becoming thoroughly seasoned. And don’t forget, you need a day to defrost for every 4 pounds of turkey. So plan on starting your 12-pound bird 3 days ahead.
Don’t Roast an Enormous Turkey
Instead of wrestling with a 25-pound turkey, roast one smaller, easier-to-handle bird (10 to 12 pounds) and some extra turkey parts on the side. The turkey will roast faster and be less awkward
to maneuver. And it allows you to add extra white or dark meat depending upon what your family prefers. Season the parts along with the whole bird and roast them at the same time, placing
the parts in a different pan (a sheet pan works well). Drizzle with oil before roasting. The legs will take about 1 to 1 1/2 hours; a 4-pound, bone-in breast will need 50 to 75 minutes.
What About Wine?
With so many dishes on the table, this is not the time for concern over matching wine and food. Plan to have both reds and whites, wines that are fresh and lively rather than heavy and brooding. Figure on one bottle for each adult. Most likely, you will have leftovers. Give guests a parting gift. It’s far better than running out early.
Video: How to Spatchcock a Turkey
Not only is spatchcocking the turkey (removing the backbone before cooking) the fastest way to get Thanksgiving dinner on the table, but it also gives you a remarkably juicy bird with burnished skin. In this video, Mark Bittman demonstrates how to do it.Spread open the bird in a roasting pan, breast-side up, and press down on the breast to flatten it. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle on some oil or melted butter, and roast at 450 degrees until the skin browns, about 20 to 30 minutes. Then lower the oven to 400 degrees to finish the cooking. A 10-pound bird will take about 40 to 60 minutes, larger birds can take up to 90 minutes. (A bird that’s larger than 16 pounds might be too unwieldy for this method at home.) Cover the turkey with foil if it starts to get too brown.
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
You need gravy to lubricate the turkey, moisten the potatoes, douse the stuffing. But don’t let the fact that it’s made at the last minute stress you out. Here’s a secret: You can make gravy up to five days ahead. Then, as you reheat it, whisk in the turkey pan drippings for extra flavor. Mark Bittman’s version is every bit as good as last-minute gravy (I tested the two side by side to be sure) — and far less crazy-making.
Our essential
Mark Bittman
Time
20 minutes, with premade stock
Yield
5 to 6 cups
Ingredients
Preparation
Or try ...
Kim Severson
Adapted from “Cookfight: 2 Cooks, 12 Challenges, 125 Recipes, an Epic Battle for Kitchen Dominance”
For all you traditionalists, our colleague Kim Severson offers up her roux-based gravy recipe, whisked together while the turkey rests.
The lifeblood of a Thanksgiving meal is the gravy. To make it truly delicious, I think you need the hot fat and juices from the turkey and the consistency of texture that comes from pulling all the elements together just before the gravy hits the table. The addition of drippings fortified with wine then allows you to build flavor.
Time
25 minutes
Yield
About 4 cups
Ingredients
Preparation
The Secret to Great Gravy: Drippings
You can make perfectly fine gravy a few days ahead using nothing more than butter, flour and some good, preferably homemade stock. But the turkey pan drippings, with all their browned goodness and concentrated turkey flavor, are what will make your gravy great. Usually, you would use the drippings to make the roux, whisking flour right into the fat-coated pan. But you can also add the drippings to a pre-made gravy. First, pour all the drippings into a fat separator or bowl and let the fat rise to the top. Discard some or all of the fat. I usually discard about half of it, leaving a little turkey schmaltz in the gravy for richness. Then deglaze the pan. Place it over a low flame, add a little wine or water, and scrape up the browned bits stuck to the bottom as the liquid simmers. When the liquid is nearly all evaporated, pour the deglazed brown bits and the reserved drippings into the gravy.
How to Make Stock
Making your own stock is easy and worth the small effort. To make 2 quarts of stock, start with 4 pounds of meaty chicken or turkey bones and scraps (wings and backs work well). Brown the bones, if you like, by roasting them. Add them to a stockpot with a carrot, 2 halved onions, a celery stalk, a few garlic cloves, a bay leaf, some parsley or thyme sprigs, and a teaspoon of peppercorns. Add enough water to cover by an inch, then bring to a simmer. If you have a metal steamer basket, place it in the pot on top of the solids. (It will keep everything submerged and it’s easier to skim the scum; however, it’s not necessary.) Simmer over low heat, skimming the top, for 2 to 3 hours. Let cool, then strain the stock, pressing on the solids. Chill and spoon off the congealed fat. Note: If you want to use your leftover turkey carcass to make stock, use it in place of the meaty bones (but do not brown it). Just cut up the carcass so it fits nicely into your stockpot without any drumsticks sticking up, and proceed as above.
For the Richest Stock, Brown Your Bones
If you’re making your stock from scratch, consider spending an hour or so to roast a bunch of bones before boiling them. You’ve seen this technique before with beef bones to make a demi-glace, but it works well with poultry, too. It adds a deep, rich, caramelized flavor to the stock, which comes through in a gravy. Just spread out your bones (or use turkey or chicken wings if you don’t have bones) in a roasting pan and toss with a little oil. Roast at 375 degrees until they brown all over, about 50 to 90 minutes. Then use them to make stock as usual.
Video: An Even Smoother Make-Ahead Gravy
In this video I demonstrate Mark Bittman’s make-ahead recipe, but he sautés a diced onion in the butter before adding the flour. I prefer a smoother gravy, so I have skipped that step. Also, to add even more turkey flavor to your stock, a day or two before Thanksgiving when you get your turkey, simmer the giblets and neck with your pre-made stock for about an hour on very low heat. Strain and use the stock to make gravy.
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times, Video by Deborah Acosta/The New York Times
To many Americans, gravy without mashed potatoes is like jam without toast: a condiment with no consequence. No potatoes is not an option. “But we’re having sweet potatoes and squash,” the cook laments. “Do we really need another side?” Yes, you do. Our essential recipe, an archival one by Melissa Clark, is simply the best mashed-potato recipe we know, adapted to serve a large number of people and to eliminate any last-minute work. Mash a pile of potatoes in the morning, then slide the casserole dish in with the turkey as it finishes cooking.
Our essential
Melissa Clark
Time
40 minutes, plus 30 to 40 minutes’ baking
Yield
12 to 14 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Or try ...
Florence Fabricant
If you’re serving mashed sweet potatoes, mashed whites will seem redundant. Florence Fabricant solves the problem.
There is an annual color war in our household, with one faction demanding sweet potatoes with marshmallows, the other countering with a potato gratin. I parcook the potatoes in half-and-half before baking the gratin. It’s easier to fine-tune the seasonings that way. And if there are leftovers, reheat them in the microwave and serve before the end of the weekend; this is not a dish that freezes well.
Time
1 hour
Yield
8 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
The Best Potatoes for Mashing
The texture of a forkful of mashed potatoes is just as important as its taste — maybe even more so. Yellow-fleshed potatoes like Yukon Golds have more taste than white-fleshed russets, but russets are fluffier. For mashed potatoes, a combination of the two is best. Choose large potatoes to minimize peeling and save small or waxy potatoes for roasting or salad.
Avoid Chilling Cooked Potatoes
Don’t refrigerate cooked potatoes unless it is absolutely necessary. Cold temperatures make them heavy and gluey (food scientists say that the cold permanently alters the starch molecules). Julia Child wouldn’t even cover her mashed potatoes; she believed that they tasted “smothered” afterward.What you can do in advance: peel and quarter the raw potatoes the night before and keep them refrigerated, covered with cold water, overnight. Cook them in the morning and find a cool place to park them until it’s time to reheat.
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Almost everything on the Thanksgiving table might show up at another holiday meal, but cranberry sauce is a one-night-only treat. Nothing beats its puckery-sweet jolt, a sharp knife that cuts through all the starchy food on the menu. Our essential recipe, from David Tanis, is modern and fresh; it underscores the usual sour and sweet flavors with the thrum of fresh ginger and chile heat.
Our essential
David Tanis
Every year, I come up with a kicky condiment, usually made with cranberries, to offset the neutral (read: bland) yet rich nature of the meal. This time around it is going to be a hot red-pepper cranberry relish with jalapeños and cayenne. You can keep the seasoning somewhat tame, or ramp up the heat to taste. It will keep for 2 weeks or so; make it in advance, as soon as cranberries are available, and have it on hand in the fridge through the holiday season.
Time
30 minutes
Yield
About 2 cups
Ingredients
Preparation
Or try ...
We love the chile heat that our new relish brings to the table, but if that seems too revolutionary, here is a more familiar rendition.
Cranberries, sugar, water: That’s all it takes to make cranberry sauce. But if you follow the recipe on the bag, your sauce will be much too sweet; this one is more balanced. If your family tradition demands a boozy sauce, you can add Grand Marnier to the formula. Same goes with pecans or walnuts, but keep them in large pieces so the sauce doesn’t get grainy.
Time
About 15 minutes
Yield
2 cups
Ingredients
Preparation
Or ...
Adapted from Canal House Cooking
This is the cranberry sauce for cooks who secretly (or not so secretly) like the kind that comes in a can.
This quivering ruby mass has an unexpected dash of orange and spice. Guests can scoop it out of a pretty glass bowl, but it’s more fun to unmold it onto a cake plate and serve it in slices.
Time
20 minutes, plus at least 3 hours’ chilling
Yield
12 to 16 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Cranberry Sauce Basics
It’s hard to go wrong when cooking cranberry sauce, which makes it an excellent dish to assign to a guest (give it to the one who claims not to cook). The only mistake to avoid is overcooking, which releases all the liquid from the cranberries and makes the sauce runny. It will jell beautifully if the mixture comes off the heat after the first few cranberries have popped. Feel free to use maple syrup or another liquid sweetener, like agave, instead of white sugar. Brown sugar turns the mixture murky.Any cranberry sauce can be made up to a week in advance and kept refrigerated, but don’t try to freeze it.
How to Make Raw Cranberry Sauce
Fans of raw cranberry sauce, we haven’t forgotten you. This bright and bracing mixture doesn’t need a recipe — just a food processor. Put half of a navel orange (peel, pith and all) and a cup of fresh cranberries in the bowl and pulse together until everything is finely chopped. Add sugar by tablespoons until it tastes good. The white parts of the orange give the fresh sauce a pleasant bitterness that mellows over time. At my house, we like to make it a day ahead or on Thanksgiving morning.
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times, Video by Deborah Acosta/The New York Times
Discord swarms around the issue of stuffing. Should it be cooked in the bird or baked alongside, as dressing? White or corn bread? Firm enough to slice or soft as pudding? Call this recipe the peacemaker, because it’s adaptable enough to make everyone happy. You can use white or corn bread (and gluten-free corn bread works perfectly). The mushrooms allow vegetarians to nix the bacon without sacrificing all the flavor. We advocate dressing, but if you want to stuff, you can do that, too.
Our essential
Time
2 to 2 1/2 hours
Yield
8 to 10 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Or try ...
Adapted from Nancy Harmon Jenkins
Wild rice is a nutty, delightfully chewy alternative to the usual bread stuffing.
Bread stuffing is classic, but it isn’t the only choice. In this recipe by the cookbook author Nancy Harmon Jenkins, wild rice takes on the starchy role, while sausage and cranberries lend richness and tang. You can mix the elements together one day ahead, then bake just before serving.
Time
2 1/4 hours
Yield
12 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
How to Actually Stuff the Turkey
If your family insists you stuff the bird, follow these essential steps.You can prepare the wet ingredients and dry ingredients up to a day in advance. But don’t combine them until just before placing the stuffing in the bird. Stuff the bird loosely, using about 3/4 cup stuffing for every pound of turkey.You can truss the stuffed bird, but you don’t need to. Just don’t overfill the cavity. Roast the turkey immediately after it has been stuffed at a temperature no lower than 325 degrees.In addition to checking the temperature of the meat, make sure to also take the temperature from the middle of the stuffing. The magic number is 165 degrees, at which point you can be sure the stuffing is cooked through.
For Extra Flavor, Add Turkey Skin
The major downside of baking the stuffing outside the bird — that is, preparing it as dressing — is the lack of all those good, fatty drippings you get when it’s cooked inside the cavity. But you can compensate for this by topping your stuffing with some extra turkey skin. The fat renders out of the skin, flavoring the stuffing. Then the skin itself becomes crisp, crackling and wonderfully bacon-like.Just lay the skin on top of the stuffing and bake as the recipe directs. If the skin isn’t crisp when the stuffing is done, run it under the broiler for a few minutes to finish.You can often special-order turkey skin from your butcher. (Chicken skin will work too.) Or, when you are getting your turkey ready for the oven, trim off the extra skin at the neck and use that.
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times, Video by Deborah Acosta/The New York Times
Yams, sweet potatoes and squash take us back to a time when Thanksgiving was a seasonal celebration of the harvest. You need the warm glow of Something Orange on your table; it will help brighten the monotonous brown of turkey, gravy and stuffing. Our essential recipe, a gorgeous combination of roasted squash and red onions with a shower of fresh green herbs, may seem daring for Thanksgiving, but it works together brilliantly.
Our essential
Adapted from “Jerusalem” by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi
This dish can be served hot or room temperature, or even without the tahini sauce. (If you do use the sauce, and we think you should, drizzle it over the top.) Don’t worry about leaving the squash unpeeled. The high-temperature roasting softens it completely, and eliminating that step saves a lot of time.
Time
1 hour
Yield
10 to 12 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Or try ...
Sam SiftonAdapted from Bobby Flay
Sam Sifton suggests this sweet potato mash with flavor to burn; its heat and smoke fight back sweetness.
This is a Bobby Flay recipe ginned up specifically for Thanksgiving in response to a request from The Times back in 2003. Mr. Flay came through in spades: The sweetness of the potatoes is amplified by maple syrup, then taken in a completely different direction by the addition of fiery chipotle sauce. Sour cream knits the dish together perfectly.
Time
45 minutes
Yield
6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Or ...
Macaroni and cheese can also provide that orange glow. It’s a tradition in some parts of the country, an innovation in others, and beloved everywhere.
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
If it is possible to cook the macaroni right in the casserole, why isn’t everyone doing it? That question remains unanswered, but this recipe from 2005 deserves another shot at immortality. It’s easy, creamy and relatively light (some recipes have too much cheese to be a side dish). It pleases all factions, especially vegetarians; announce that it’s a main course you made just for them, but sneak spoonfuls onto everyone’s plate.
Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Yield
6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
How to Roast Any Orange Vegetable
Starchy orange vegetables can take higher heat than green ones. Dice into 1-inch cubes, toss in oil and roast at 400 degrees. Don’t go higher than that: You want them to cook slowly, until they are soft throughout and golden-brown around the edges. Garnish with fresh herbs, chopped nuts or even a crumbly cheese like blue or feta.Carrots may seem too familiar to serve for Thanksgiving, but sometimes you can find real baby carrots, with the tops attached. Trim and roast them whole for maximum impact or use regular carrots sliced into thick coins. You can use packaged baby carrots, but since they are not actually babies — just large carrots mechanically chiseled into that little peg shape — they are not as appetizing.
How to Shop for Squash
Delicious varieties of edible winter squash, like kabocha, buttercup and turban, are showing up at farmers’ markets now. Buy only squash with the stem still attached, and press the side first: the flesh should be very hard. The same rule applies to pre-cut squash pieces: they shouldn’t be soft or dried out. Pumpkins are cute but tend to be watery, so to be safe, stick to squash. And don’t even try to cook pumpkin that’s big enough to be a jack-o’-lantern. They are pretty much flavorless.
Video: Candied Sweet Potatoes
Here’s how you can make sweet potatoes even sweeter. Wash 5 large sweet potatoes and prick them all over with a fork. Wrap in foil and bake in a 375-degree oven until very tender, about 50 to 90 minutes depending on potato thickness. Let cool, then peel. In a small pot, combine 1/3 cup maple syrup, 1/3 cup apple cider, 3 tablespoons butter, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 whole cloves and 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until mixture is somewhat thickened, about 15 minutes. Pour syrup over potatoes and bake, uncovered, 25 to 40 minutes, until bubbling and golden.
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times, Video by Deborah Acosta/The New York Times
Green vegetables are the hallmark of the modern holiday table, the dish that says, “We know it’s Thanksgiving, but not everything has to be starchy, sweet or both.” The lineup cries out for something zippy and tart to cut through the richness. Cranberry sauce played this part for centuries, but you can’t eat much of it: It’s a sauce, not a side. The combination of citrus and cruciferous in this archival recipe makes it essential, but any winter green with a bit of tang, spice or ginger will do the job.
Our essential
Adapted from “The Union Square Cafe Cookbook” by Michael Romano and Danny Meyer
This is a pain-free way to cook a whole lot of brussels sprouts, so long as you have a food processor. (And if you’re cooking Thanksgiving dinner, you deserve to have a food processor.)
Time
25 minutes
Yield
8 to 12 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Or try ...
A break from all the brown on the table, green beans arrive on a gust of fresh ginger and garlic.
Evan Sung for The New York Times
This dish has the virtue of being punchy at any temperature. Whether you serve it right out of the pan, or not until an hour later, the fistfuls of ginger and garlic don’t care – they wake up your palate just the same. The trick is to cook your beans in batches beforehand, when you have the time and attention to get them right up up to the edge of crisp and sweet. And any leafy green can get the same treatment.
Time
20 minutes
Yield
10 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Or ...
Kale lovers: This lemony, crunchy slaw is your Thanksgiving dream recipe. Kale doubters: Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
We know that kale salad is a byword for boring farm-to-table menus. But, like coleslaw on a pastrami sandwich, this shredded kale functions as something between a salad and a condiment: tangy, salty, crisp and refreshing. It’s a surprisingly beautiful dish, with dark green leaves almost covered by toasted almonds and wisps of cheese. And you’ll be happy when the race to get everything on the table is on. There’s nothing to do here but dump and toss.
Time
About 25 minutes
Yield
8 to 12 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
How to Roast Nearly Any Vegetable
Almost any vegetable, properly oven-roasted, makes a good side dish. Brussels sprouts, cabbage leaves, diced fennel or turnips or parsnips — all will work. There’s no need to parcook them: just slick with olive oil on a sheet pan, and bake until tender in a 375-degree oven with a pan of water placed on the oven floor. The steam from the water ensures the vegetables won’t dry out and become leathery before they cook through. If you have been wondering what to do the smoked paprika or cumin salt in your spice drawer, this is a good place to play with them, or with other seasonings like dried herbs and orange or lemon zest. Add them (sparingly at first) along with the olive oil.
Video: Broccoli Salad With Hazelnut Romesco
Versatile Spanish romesco is brilliant on broccoli. On a rimmed baking sheet, broil 3 peeled garlic cloves, 2 medium red bell peppers (halved and cored) and 1 plum tomato (halved) until slightly charred, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn the garlic; broil 1 to 2 minutes longer, until garlic is well browned but not burned. Transfer garlic to a large bowl. Continue broiling peppers and tomatoes until well charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand until peppers and tomato are cool enough to handle, then peel.In a food processor, pulse 1/2 cup toasted, peeled hazelnuts until coarsely ground. Add peppers, tomato, garlic, 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (or 1 teaspoon honey), 1 1/2 teaspoons hot smoked paprika and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Purée until smooth. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and set aside a large bowl of ice water. Cut 2 pounds broccoli into bite-size florets and boil until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer broccoli to the ice water, then drain. Toss with enough romesco to coat well. Garnish with more chopped hazelnuts and serve warm or at room temperature.
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Thanksgiving is all about excess, and that is why you need at least two or three pies. And yes, it needs to be pie; it’s an icon of the holiday table. (If you really want cake, ice cream or cookies, serve them alongside.) Here we offer a trio of updated classics: a tangy apple-cranberry with ginger and rum; a fudgy chocolate pecan spiked with bourbon; and a particularly creamy brandied pumpkin. Choose two, or go ahead and make all three.
Our essentials
You can make this autumnal deep-dish pie for a large crowd, or scale it down to the standard 9-inch round size.
A slab pie is nothing more than a regular pie writ large. Baked in a 9-x-13-inch pan, this pie feeds 24 but is easier to make (and to carry) than 3 separate pies. The filling was inspired by an e-mail from Pete Wells, our restaurant critic, who mused about his ideal Thanksgiving dessert; the brown sugar, ginger and rum give it a complex and more autumnal flavor than most apple pies. Serve with whipped crème fraiche and small glasses of good, aged rum.
Time
2 1/2 hours, plus 1 hour chilling
Yield
18 to 24 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Our essentials
The ultimate pumpkin pie recipe is smooth and custardy, scented with brandy and plenty of warm spices.
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
You can make this pie with canned pumpkin if you’re in a hurry. But if you’ve got time, homemade roasted butternut squash purée will give you a fresher, sweeter and more distinct flavor.
Time
About 2 hours, plus 1 1/2 hours’ chilling
Yield
8 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Our essentials
Fudgy and wonderfully sticky, this pie is the most decadent of the lot.
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
If you can’t live without chocolate, this is the pie for your table. I used a combination of chocolate and cocoa powder, both to temper the usual cloying pecan pie sweetness, and to up the bittersweet factor. You can substitute walnuts, almonds or even cashews for the pecans, or use a combination.
Time
1 1/2 hours, plus at least 1 hour chilling and 4 hours’ cooling
Yield
8 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
How to Make Your Pie Ahead, in Stages
Unless you’re only making pie to bring to someone else’s house for Thanksgiving dinner, chances are you’re going to need to make it in stages in advance. Here’s what you can do ahead, and when.Make the dough up to five days ahead and refrigerate, or up to one month ahead and freeze. (If frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight.) You can make the pumpkin pie and pecan pie fillings up to five days ahead (but don’t mix in the pecans until just before baking). Store in the fridge.You can roll out the crust and line your pie plate a day before baking it. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. You can also bake your crust a day ahead, before filling and baking it again. Just leave it on the counter and cover it with a clean dish towel once it has cooled. (I like to bake the crusts and make the fillings the day before, then finish and bake the pies before the turkey goes into the oven on Thanksgiving morning.)You can fully bake any of these pies the day before. Store them at room temperature, not in the fridge.
Skip the Pumpkin in Favor of Squash
Last fall, I set out to discover which variety of winter squash is best to use in pumpkin pie. I already knew that the beach-ball-size jack-o’-lantern types were too watery and bland. And I’d played around with cheese pumpkins, sugar pumpkins and acorn and butternut squashes, but I hadn’t been very methodical about it.After carefully testing nine varieties, I now swear by butternut squash. Not only is it the easiest to handle (just slip the skin off with a vegetable peeler), but it also has the most velvety, honeyed flesh. Save any extra purée to use for pumpkin bread — or butternut squash bread, that is.
Keeping the Pie Alcohol-Free
You may have noticed that we used a dark, flavorful spirit in all of the pie recipes. There’s a reason for this. In each case, the spirit (be it dark rum, Bourbon or brandy) adds a warm top note and a slight bite to the sugary richness of the filling. And in all cases, some (though not all) of the alcohol is baked off when the pie is in the oven. But if you’d rather avoid alcohol, substitute orange juice or a combination of apple cider and lemon juice. (You need a bit of acid to make up for the lost tang, so don’t use all cider.) By the way, you can use this substitution in any booze-spiked pie recipe you like.
Ray Venezia, master butcher and Fairway Market meat consultant, shows how to carve a turkey.
There are many ways to prepare a turkey, says Melissa Clark, but none of them will make a better bird than if you rub it down with salt and put it in the oven.
This recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi and Sam Tamimi’s, “Jerusalem: A Cookbook” is a twist on a classic Thanksgiving dish.
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