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Issue Date: November 14, 2004
Elegant Thanksgiving Menu from Chef Cornelius Gallagher
Cornelius Gallagher, 32, is chef of New York's Oceana restaurant.
Herb and Bacon Roasted Turkey
15-pound turkey, rinsed and patted dry
1 tsp. salt
1 pound sliced smoked bacon, cut in chunks
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 stick (8 Tbs.) butter, soft, plus extra for coating the skin of the turkey
4 oz breadcrumbs
2 Tbs. sage, chopped
2 Tbs. fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
8 celery ribs
5 carrots
4 medium onions, peeled and sliced crosswise
2 heads garlic, cut crosswise
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. On a cutting board, lay the turkey, breast facing up. Using a sharp knife, remove any fatty deposits, excess neck skin and any remaining neck bone. Rub a small amount of salt inside the body cavity (this will help season the meat that is closest to the bone). Set aside.
Puree bacon in a food processor until smooth; reserve.
In a medium saucepan, add the olive oil and warm over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.
Add the pureed bacon, butter, breadcrumbs and herbs, and cook until fats have melted and combined with onion and bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper, stir, and remove the pan from the heat. With the neck cavity facing you on the cutting board, reach your fingers between the breast flesh and the skin. Run your fingers under the skin, freeing it from the flesh until you reach the middle back of the bird. Spread the bacon/herb mixture between the skin and flesh of the bird to this point, making sure to distribute the coating evenly. Generously season the skin with salt and pepper and rub skin with butter.
Prepare a large roasting pan as follows: Drizzle olive oil across the bottom then add the whole celery and carrots, plus the onion and garlic halves. Using the vegetables as a bed, lay the turkey on top, then place the pan in the pre-heated oven. Roast the turkey for approximately 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer registers an internal temperature of 165-170 degrees. (If you do not have a meat thermometer, pierce the thigh and when the juices run clear, the turkey is done.) Remove the turkey from the oven and allow it to rest for at least 1 hour before slicing so that all the juices will go back to the center of turkey and be fully absorbed into the meat.
Serves: 8 with leftovers.
Per serving: 838 calories, 78g protein, 49g fat (17g saturated), 16g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 551mg sodium.
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Candied Yams with Maple
8 medium yams (about 4 pounds)
1/3 cup orange juice
2/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon zest, minced
1/2 cup maple sugar
1/3 cup molasses
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon juice to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap each yam in foil and bake until tender, about 45-60 minutes. While the yams cook, combine all remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Stir well to incorporate. When the yams are cooked, remove foil, peel yams and place in a mixing bowl; discard peels. Pass the orange juice mixture through a strainer over the peeled yams and gently toss to coat. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Spread the yam mixture evenly in a 9- inch by 13-inch casserole dish. Bake until the yams are really soft, about 40 minutes, and serve warm.
Serves: 8.
Per serving: 374 calories, 3g protein, 0g fat (0g saturated), 91g carbohydrates, 8g fiber, 26mg sodium.
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Caramelized Apple and Hazelnut Stuffing
10 granny smith apples
1 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup butter
1 cup minced shallots
1 cup minced celery
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tsp. fresh thyme, minced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried apricots, diced
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. fresh sage, minced
8 cups white bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel, quarter and core each apple. Dust the apples with sugar. In a medium (10-inch) sauté pan, add oil and as many pieces of apple as will comfortably fit (set aside the remaining apples). Toss apples and oil to coat; cook over medium heat until the apples turn a golden brown color all over. Remove apples to a platter using a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Repeat process with remaining apples. In a separate sauté pan, warm the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots, celery, garlic and thyme; cook until the vegetables start to become tender. Add the dried fruit and chicken stock, and simmer until the fruit becomes tender. Remove the pan from heat and add the hazelnuts, sage and bread crumbs. Toss to combine well, season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. In a 9- x13-inch casserole or baking dish, arrange all of the apples in a single layer. Pour the vegetable mixture over the apples, bake until golden brown, 20 minutes, and serve warm.
Yield: 12 servings.
Serves: 8, with leftovers.
Per serving: 567calories, 6g protein, 36g fat (6g saturated), 60g carbohydrates, 5g fiber, 379mg sodium.
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Bourbon Butter Glazed Peaches
2 pounds frozen peach slices
3 Tbs. butter
4 Tbs. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 cup bourbon
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm butter. Add the brown sugar, stir until the sugar has melted. Add the spices and bourbon, and then carefully ignite the liquid to burn off the alcohol. Continue stirring until the flames die down. Add the peaches and toss until coated; cook until warmed through, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.
Yield: 8 servings.
Serves: 8, with leftovers.
Per serving: 171 calories, 1g protein, 4g fat (3g saturated), 34g carbohydrates, 0g fiber, 54mg sodium.
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Creamed Spinach with Garlic Nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream
3 pounds fresh spinach, blanched in salted water and squeezed well to get rid of excess water
10 cloves garlic, peeled and blanched in 3 changes of boiling water
1 piece nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375.
In a blender, combine the heavy cream and 1/2 cup of spinach and puree until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside. Rinse out the blender, add the garlic and puree until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
To serve: In a sauté pan over medium heat, combine the remaining spinach with the spinach-cream sauce and garlic puree. Stir until warmed through. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.
Serves: 8.
Per serving: 147 calories, 6g protein, 12g fat (7g saturated), 8g carbohydrates, 4g fiber, 183mg sodium.
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Toasted Walnut Creme Caramel
Note: Begin this recipe at least one day before serving.
2 1/2 cups walnuts, finely chopped and sifted to remove any excess powder; reserve 1/2 cup for garnish
2 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups half and half
2 cups plus 6 Tbs. sugar
2 eggs, whole 8 egg yolks
3/4 cup water
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place the walnuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven for 12-15 minutes.
In the meantime, in a medium sauce pot, combine the milk, half and half, and 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. of sugar. Transfer the walnuts to the pot and, over medium heat, bring the milk mixture to a high temperature without simmering. Remove from the heat and steep the walnuts for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large stainless steel mixing bowl, combine the eggs and yolks until smooth. Then whisk in the walnut milk mixture. Transfer to a container with a tight lid, cover and refrigerate overnight.
In a medium sauce pot, combine the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar with the water and place over low heat until the mixture becomes a medium caramel color. Working quickly, while the caramel is still hot, fill each of 12 4-ounce ramekins with 1/4-inch of the caramel sauce, making sure the bottom of each ramekin is coated. Set aside to cool. This can be done one day ahead, too.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Remove the walnut cream mixture from the refrigerator and stir to combine again. Fill each ramekin (to 1/4-inch from the top) with the mixture. Place the ramekins into a rectangular baking pan. Fill the pan with enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Place the pan in the oven and cook until custard is set, 20-35 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the oven and let cool for at least 2 hours.
To serve: Carefully release the sides of the custard from each ramekin and flip over onto a serving plate to remove the custard. Drizzle any excess caramel around the custard, sprinkle with chopped walnuts and serve.
Serves: 12.
Per serving: 436 calories, 9g protein, 25g fat (6g saturated), 48g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 55mg sodium.
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Pumpkin Sundae with Pomegranate Syrup
Note: Begin this recipe at least one day ahead of serving.
1 small pumpkin, peeled and seeded, and cut into 2-inch cubes
2 cinnamon sticks
2 cloves
1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
2 cups sugar
2 cups heavy cream
Pomegranate Syrup
1 pomegranate juice, such as Pomwonderful brand
1 cup sugar
1 granny smith apple, cored, peeled and thinly sliced
1 quart vanilla ice cream
Candied pumpkin seeds for garnish
In a medium sauce pot, combine pumpkin pieces, cinnamon sticks, cloves, grated nutmeg and sugar. Cover, place over medium heat and stew, stirring frequently, until pumpkin is tender. Turn off the heat and remove cinnamon cloves, set aside to cool. In a blender, puree the cooled pumpkin mixture with the cream until velvety smooth. Transfer mixture to a 9- x 13-inch metal rectangular pan and place in freezer overnight. Once frozen, remove the pumpkin mixture from the pan and cut into 24 square pieces. Meanwhile, place a stainless steel sauce pot over medium heat. Add the pomegranate juice, sugar and apple. Bring to a simmer, then turn down heat to lowest setting. Cook until the juice has reduced to the consistency of syrup, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Place a sieve over a bowl, strain the syrup, and reserve. To serve: Remove pumpkin mixture from freezer; cut into 24 squares. Place 3 squares in a serving bowl and top with 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream. Generously drizzle with pomegranate syrup and garnish with candies pumpkin seeds.
Serve immediately.
Yield: Per serving:
Serves: 8.
Per serving: 678 calories, 4g protein, 29g fat (18g saturated), 104g carbohydrates, 0g fiber, 78mg sodium.
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