Go Ahead, Glaze It; No One Will Know
Thanksgiving can be hard on cooks who like a lot of creative control over their meals. For many people, the Thanksgiving meal is a sacred institution and is not to be fiddled with in any significant way. So what’s a cook to do?
Give in. Accept the fact that your guests probably want to see a big turkey on the table. Along with the bird, they want big bowls filled with stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and maybe corn bread or biscuits, along with whatever other dishes are associated with the holiday in your house. And they don’t want you to mess too much with anything, especially with the turkey.
This all has an up side. Armed with a meat thermometer and a decent oven, almost anyone should be able to make a decent turkey. No need for fancy sauces or overly complicated preparations - save the recipe for turkey en croute for another day.
Yet you can still do a little something to distinguish your bird from all the others. By using simple flavored butters and glazes, you can trick yourself into thinking you’ve done something really special while reassuring your guests that you haven’t.
Rub a flavored butter under the skin, which can be done the night before if you like, and it will baste the turkey as it cooks. Loosen the skin with your hands and rub all but 2 tablespoons butter underneath; rub the remaining butter over the top of the skin.
Then, 30 minutes before the bird is done, brush on a glaze to give the skin an extra bit of flavor and a beautiful gloss (and glaze it again 10 minutes later). The drippings in the pan will be flavored with the butter and glaze and will make your gravy extra special.
Each of the following recipes makes enough butter and glaze for a 10- to 20-pound turkey.
Spicy Apple-Flavored Butter and Glaze
2 cups apple cider
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a small pot, bring the cider to a boil over medium heat. Boil for about 25 minutes, or until the cider has reduced to 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons); it will have the consistency of a thin syrup. Let cool.
Mix together the butter, 2 tablespoons of the apple cider syrup, 1/2 teaspoon of the cayenne and the salt. Set aside until ready to use.
For the glaze, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons apple-cider syrup and teaspoon cayenne. Set aside until ready to use.
Mustardy Maple-Flavored Butter and Glaze
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix together the butter, 4 tablespoons of the maple syrup, 1 tablespoon of the mustard and the salt. Set aside until ready to use.
For the glaze, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons maple syrup and the remaining mustard. Set aside until ready to use.
Honey-Ginger-Flavored Butter and Glaze
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix together 7 tablespoons of the butter, 2 tablespoons of the honey, 1/2 teaspoon of the ground ginger and the salt. Set aside.
For the glaze, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter. Whisk in the remaining honey and ginger. Set aside.
Roasted Garlic-Flavored Butter
Hands down, my favorite. The garlic makes the kitchen smell great. Guests will be fighting for bits of the skin. And the gravy, made from the pan juices, will be richly flavored with roasted garlic. What could be better?
2 whole bulbs garlic
2 teaspoons olive oil
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cut about 1/2 inch off the top of each garlic bulb, exposing the individual cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and loosely wrap the bulbs, cut-ends up, in aluminum foil. Bake until the cloves are soft to the touch, about 45 to 60 minutes, depending on the size of the bulbs. Let cool until you can handle them easily.
Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins. Discard the skins. Mix the garlic pulp with the butter and the salt. Set aside until ready to use.