Top Scrumptious Holiday Meals!
Thinking of what to cook for the holidays can be stressful if you want to impress your friends and family. Well never fear Feast Your Eyes is here! (ok that was corny I know) What really gets you the well deserved attention and compliments is a well cooked mouth watering meal. Who can resist that? Here are the top scrumptious holiday meals taken from various sources for your pleasure!
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Credit: Family.Go.com
Ingredients:
1 16-20 pound fresh free-range turkey
1 tablespoon salt, for every five pounds
1 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
grated zest from one orange
1 stick butter, softened
Directions:
1) Rinse turkey and remove giblet bag (usually in the neck cavity) and neck (usually in the main cavity). Pat dry. Mix salt with herbs and zest and rub liberally on breast, then flip turkey and rub salt over thighs and back. Save some to sprinkle inside the turkey too.
2) Place turkey in a large turkey-sized roasting bag and tie shut. Must be done at least 24 hours in advance, and up to 3 days in advance. Every 12 hours or so massage salt into skin.
3) When you remove turkey from bag, the salt and seasonings should be absorbed into the flesh. If you have time, let turkey air dry, uncovered, in your fridge for 8 hours, then let sit at room temp for at least an hour before roasting. Tuck the wing tips behind the neck cavity. Secure the skin from the neck flap to the back of the turkey with toothpicks.
4) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Pat turkey dry, rub entire surface of the turkey with softened butter, and place breast down on a rack in a large roasting pan and place on the lower oven rack. Baste with drippings often. Turkey should roast for 4-5 hours. After 3 hours, turn turkey breast side up and insert a thermometer in the crease between the breast and thigh, making sure not to touch any bones. Continue to baste with the drippings. When the turkey registers 170 degrees in each thigh crease, remove from oven, remove turkey to a carving board, and cover with foil and allow to rest for up to 30 minutes. Make gravy. Carve and serve immediately.
5) While turkey is roasting, make turkey broth. Brown turkey neck in some butter in a large saucepan. Add one chopped onion, one chopped stalk of celery, 1 chopped carrot, 3 peppercorns and 6 cups of low-sodium chicken broth. Cover partially, and simmer for at least one hour. Strain and set aside.
*Ingredient Tips
Avoid kosher turkeys when dry brining, because they are already salted during processing. It's best to bake the stuffing alongside the bird, so that it doesn't become overly salty.
Divine Gravy
Hands-On Time: 5 minutes
Ready In: 15 minutes
Yield: about 3 cups of gravy
Ingredients
1/2 cup dry white wine (or turkey stock)
Drippings from turkey
1/4 cup flour, whisked into 1 cup of turkey stock until smooth
2 cups turkey stock
Salt and pepper
Directions
1) Pour off all the turkey drippings into a fat separator if you have one, or a large glass measuring cup if you don't. Place roasting pan over two burners on the stove. There should still be some brown bits clinging to the pan.
2) Turn heat to medium, then pour in wine, scraping up all those brown bits. Pour off all but a few tablespoons of fat from the drippings and return drippings to the pan.
3) Add flour/stock mixture and stir constantly until gravy thickens, about 5 minutes. Add more turkey stock to thin gravy as necessary, turn burners to low, and continue to stir occasionally until you are ready to pour into a serving vessel.
4) Taste for seasonings. You probably won't need to add salt, but a good pinch of pepper will be necessary.
Baked Ham with Cranberry Curry Glaze
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Credit: Family.Go.com
Ingredients
1 10-pound cooked ham, preferably shank end with bone
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 can whole cranberries
4 teaspoons curry
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse ham and slice off the tough outer skin, but leave behind most of the fat underneath it. Score the ham, cutting diagonal lines about 1/4 inch deep, all over the outside. Place the ham, fat side up in a roasting pan and place it in the oven.
2) Meanwhile, prepare the glaze. In a medium skillet over low heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add cranberry sauce, curry and corn syrup and heat through. Set aside.
3) After the ham has cooked for about 1 hour, remove it from the oven and coat it with the glaze, making sure it gets into all the scored portions. Pour any remaining glaze into the pan.
4) Return ham to the oven and bake for about 1 hour more, brushing it with glaze every 20 minutes or so. If the ham begins to get too dark, cover it with foil.
5) When the glaze is well browned and the ham has reached an internal temperature of 130 degrees, remove from the oven. Place it on a serving platter and serve immediately.
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Credit: Midwestliving.com
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 8 – ounce carton dairy sour cream
1 egg yolk
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate pieces
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Powdered sugar (optional)
Directions
1) In large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sour cream and egg yolk. Beat until combined. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour until combined. (Dough will be sticky.) Divide dough into fourths. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.
2) For filling: In a small bowl, combine sugar, chocolate pieces and cinnamon; set aside (or if desired, make Apricot-Walnut Filling).
3) On lightly floured surface, roll one-fourth of the dough into a 10-inch circle. Spread 1/4 of the filling over circle. Cut dough into 12 wedges. Roll up each wedge, starting at wide end. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
4) Place cookies, tip sides down, about 2 inches apart on foil-lined cookie sheets. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to wire racks to cool. If you like, sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze in freezer container for up to 3 months.
Apricot-Walnut Filling
ingredients
1 cup finely snipped dried apricots or finely snipped dried cherries
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts, toasted
Directions
1) In a small saucepan, combine apricots, sugar and water. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool. Stir in walnuts.
Well hope you enjoyed these recipes and be sure to check out our infographic on keeping your food safe this holiday. We also do catering in Toronto so don't be afraid to give us a call and place your order.