Don’t Be a Turkey on Turkey Day
Thanksgiving is a time for many things, including gratitude, family, friends and food. (See “Thanksgiving Across the U.S.A.,” page 6.) One thing it’s not the time for: dinner disasters. James Beard Award– winning authors and Roadfood.com founders Jane and Michael Stern helped us come up with this list of common culinary crises—and smart hacks for how to avoid them.
1. A STILL-FROZEN BIRD The easiest—and safest—way to thaw a frozen bird is in the refrigerator. Allow 24 hours for every four pounds, or four to five days for a 16to 20-pound turkey. This
Rachael Ray Enamel on Steel Roaster With V-Shape Rack will take your bird from the fridge to the oven in style, $80, amazon.com.
2. DRY TURKEY A dry bird is often the result of overcooking. Invest in a meat thermometer for a moister turkey. Plunge it deep into the thigh (avoiding bone), and when it reads 165°F, pull the turkey from the oven, and let it rest 30 minutes before carving. Take your turkey’s temp with an OXO Digital LeaveIn Thermometer, $40, williams-sonoma.com. 3. LUMPY GRAVY Giblets are one thing, but avoid unintentional lumps by whisking your thickener with a little stock in a small bowl, then whisking that into the rest of the gravy. Still have lumps? Pour your gravy through a strainer, such as OXO’s Good Grips 8-Inch Fine Mesh Strainer, $23, amazon.com. 4. CRANKY KIDS Soothe the “Is it ready yet?” set with tableside DIY that gives a new fun meaning to “the kids’ table.” Try this Thanksgiving Napkin Ring Kit, $13, papersource.com. And the picky eaters in the crowd will be a lot happier if you help them choose or make their own side dish, such as Birds Eye pasta-veggie blends in the shape of favorite Disney characters, including Anna, Elsa and Olaf from Disney’s Frozen and Lightning McQueen and Mater from DisneyPixar’s Cars. Birds Eye Steamfresh pasta and veggies, grocery stores and birdseye.com
5. AN EXHAUSTED HOST If you’re in charge, make a game plan for the days leading up to Turkey Day and an hour-by-hour plan for Thursday. Reduce the pain with an app to manage your meal. The Pro Party Planner App, $5, iTunes, lets you set reminders for yourself, balance your budget and keep track of Turkey Day tasks, plus it allows you to delegate some to your guests. Ask them to bring side dishes, pies and appetizers to ease your burden and help them feel part of the feast, the Sterns advise.
6. STARVING GUESTS Dinner usually starts later than you plan. Put out a light snack. The most fun trend in veggies? Spiralizing. Create vegetable noodles, decorative edibles and more with this Paderno World Cuisine Spiralizer Pro, $50, amazon.com. Visit Parade.com/ spiralizer for recipes.
7. A BUTCHERED BIRD It’s sad to go to all the trouble to cook a beautiful turkey, and then attack it like you’re the villain in a slasher movie. No-brainer fix: Sharpen your knives before the big day. If you don’t have a good carving knife, Wüsthof can help you. Their Gourmet 2-Piece Carving Set will serve you well all year long; $55, williamssonoma.com. Your cutting board is just as important as your technique. This Thanksgiving centric Maple Turkey Carving Board features a continuous trench to catch juice for your gravy- or sauce-making needs. $35, crateandbarrel.com