Magazines offer ideas for turkey and beyond
This month, as usual, the covers of food magazines are adorned with a beautiful roast turkey for Thanksgiving.
There are some terrific ways to make turkey that require little effort but add lots of flavor. Here’s a brief look at what’s out there:
Martha Stewart Living
The bird: She dry-brines the turkey by giving it a rub with coarse salt and refrigerating it for two days. This means there’s no lifting the bird in and out of a traditional water and salt brine. Other turkey options are a rolled turkey breast and an herbed, bone-in turkey breast.
The sides: Stewart staffer Lucinda Scala Quinn talks about Thanksgiving at the Scala home in Michigan and provides a baked artichoke side dish. Stewart talks about her mother’s mashed potatoes.
The desserts: Three takes on pumpkin pie, with three different crusts including a pate brissee and one using phyllo dough.
Gourmet
The bird: Turkey three ways – from over-the-top Roast Turkey with Black-Truffle Butter and White Wine Gravy, to Latin-inspired Adobo Turkey with Red Chile Gravy, to an extra-moist turkey with traditional pan gravy.
The sides: Moscatel-Glazed Parsnips, Carrot-Fennel Soup, Poblano and Potato Gratin.
The desserts: Apple Pie with Nutmeg-Scented Rum Ice Cream, Seckel Pear Tart with Poire William Cream.
Bon Appetit
The bird: A simple salt-rubbed turkey. The magazine explains that the salt draws moisture from the turkey to the surface, where it combines with the salt, and then gets reabsorbed by the meat.
The sides: Twelve make-ahead side dishes. Also, four takes on stuffing starting with one basic recipe.
The desserts: A half-dozen pumpkin offerings from pie to cake to brulee.
Food & Wine
The bird: A Thanksgiving planner features Grilled Butterflied Turkey with Caraway-Ancho Gravy or Apricot-Glazed Turkey with Fresh Herb Gravy.
The sides: Mix and match starters such as Smoky Seafood Cocktails and Cauliflower Soup with Chorizo Bread Crumbs. A half-dozen side dishes including Grilled Roasted Vegetables with Pine Nut Pesto and Creamed Spinach with Parsnips.
The desserts: Pumpkin Tiramisu and Pear Tart with Pecan Crust.