Wild rice, almond stuffing / dressing

Ingredients

* 1 cup dried cherries (about 4 ounces)
* 2/3 cup tawny or ruby port
* 2 cups (11 ounces) wild rice, rinsed
* 2 tablespoons butter (plus 3 tablespoons butter if making ahead)
* 3 medium celery ribs, finely chopped, plus 1/3 cup finely chopped celery leaves
* 1/2 cup minced shallots
* 1 cup (4 ounces) toasted slivered almonds
* 4 teaspoons chopped fresh sage or 2 teaspoons dried
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly milled black pepper
* 1/4 cup homemade turkey stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth

Directions

In a small bowl, mix the dried cherries and port and let stand while preparing the stuffing.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the wild rice and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the wild rice is tender and most of the grains have burst, 45 to 60 minutes. Drain well and rinse under cold running water. Place the rice in a large bowl.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped celery and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add the shallots and celery leaves and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the cherries and their soaking liquid. Boil until the port has almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Stir the mixture into the wild rice, along with the almonds, sage, salt and pepper. (The stuffing can be prepared up to 1 day ahead, stored in self-sealing plastic bags and refrigerated. To reheat the stuffing, melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium heat in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Add the stuffing and cook, stirring often, until warmed.

Use to stuff the turkey. Place any remaining dressing in a buttered baking dish, cool, cover, and refrigerate. To reheat, drizzle with about 1/4 cup broth and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

Broiled Polenta Sticks

SERVES6 (AS PART OF MAIN COURSE)
ACTIVE TIME:30 MIN START TO FINISH:1 HR

6 1/2 cups cold water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups yellow cornmeal (not stone-ground)
2 teaspoons olive oil plus additional for brushing
1/2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/3 cup)
Brush a 13- by 9-inch baking pan with water.

Combine 6 1/2 cups cold water with salt and cornmeal in a 5-quart heavy pot and bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking. Reduce heat to moderately low and cook, stirring constantly with a long-handled wooden spoon, until polenta begins to pull away from side of pot, 20 to 25 minutes. Pour polenta into baking pan, spreading evenly with a dampened heatproof rubber spatula. Cool in pan on a rack until polenta is lukewarm and set, about 20 minutes.

Brush a baking sheet with olive oil and invert baking pan with polenta onto sheet to unmold.

Preheat broiler.

Brush polenta with 2 teaspoons oil and sprinkle with cheese. Broil about 4 inches from heat until pale golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Cool 5 minutes, then cut into 3- by 1 1/2-inch sticks.

COOKS’ NOTE: Polenta can be cooked and unmolded 1 day ahead. Chill on oiled baking sheet, surface covered with lightly oiled parchment (oiled side down), then tightly covered with plastic wrap. Bring to room temperature before brushing with oil, sprinkling with cheese, and broiling.

http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2004/11/polentasticks

Moscatel Glazed Parsnips

SERVES8
ACTIVE TIME:20 MIN START TO FINISH:40 MI

1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 lb parsnips, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick sticks
1/4 cup Moscatel vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water

Heat sugar in center of a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it starts to melt. Cook, tilting skillet occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until golden brown. Stir in butter, then add parsnips and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add vinegar, water, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper.
Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until parsnips are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove lid and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to a glaze and parsnips are caramelized, about 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
COOKS’ NOTE: Parsnips can be cut 1 day ahead and chilled

http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2008/11/moscatel-glazed-parsnips

Five Spice Turkey

(from Gourmet Magazine)

yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

active time: 2 hr

total time: 7 1/4 hr (includes making stuffing, stock and roasting turkey)

Brine:

Stir together 8 quarts water with 2 cups kosher salt in a 5-gallon bucket lined with a large heavy-duty plastic garbage bag and soak your raw turkey, covered and chilled, 10 hours.

For glazed turkey

• 1/2 cup plum jam (preferably damson plum) or red currant jelly (6 oz)
• 2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
• 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 (12- to 14-lb) turkey (preferably kosher), any feathers and quills removed with tweezers or needlenose pliers, and neck and giblets (excluding liver) reserved for making stock
• 5 to 7 cups spinach, bacon, and cashew stuffing (see stuffed onions )
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted

For plum gravy

• Pan juices from roast turkey
• About 3 1/2 cups turkey giblet stock
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1/4 cup plum jam (preferably damson plum) or red currant jelly (3 oz)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

• Special equipment: 2 small metal skewers or wooden toothpicks; kitchen string; an instant-read thermometer

Preparation

Make glaze and roast turkey:
Preheat oven to 425°F.

Simmer jam, five-spice powder, peppercorns, water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan, stirring, until jam is melted, about 3 minutes. Pour glaze through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing on and discarding solids, then cool.

Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Season inside and out with remaining teaspoon salt. Loosely fill large body cavity (and neck cavity if desired) with stuffing and tie drumsticks together with string. Fold neck skin under body and secure with skewers, then tuck wings under.

Put turkey on a rack set in a large flameproof roasting pan and roast in middle of oven 30 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

Brush melted butter over turkey and roast, basting every 30 minutes (add a little water to pan if juices get too dark), 1 1/2 hours.

Brush turkey with plum glaze and continue to roast until thermometer inserted in center of body cavity (stuffing) registers 165°F (fleshy part of thigh will be about 180°F; do not touch bone), 1 to 1 3/4 hours more. If glaze starts browning too much, tent turkey with foil. (Total roasting time: 3 to 3 3/4 hours.) Transfer turkey to a platter (do not clean roasting pan), then remove skewers and discard string. Transfer stuffing from cavity to a serving dish and keep warm, covered. Let turkey stand 30 minutes.

Make gravy while turkey stands:
Transfer pan juices to a 2-quart glass measure, then skim fat, reserving 3 tablespoons of it. Add enough turkey stock to pan juices to total 4 1/2 cups. Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add wine and deglaze pan by boiling over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add stock mixture and jam and boil, stirring, until jam is melted. Pour through fine-mesh sieve into glass measure.

Whisk together reserved fat and flour in a large heavy saucepan (it will be about the thickness of peanut butter) and cook roux over moderately low heat, stirring, 3 minutes. Add hot stock mixture in a fast stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in turkey juices accumulated on platter and simmer 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve turkey with gravy.

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
• 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
• Whipped cream (optional)

Directions:
MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

POUR into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

NOTES:
1 3/4 teaspoons pumpkin spice may be substituted for the cinnamon, ginger and cloves; however, the taste will be slightly different. Do not freeze, as this will cause the crust to separate from the filling.

FOR 2 SHALLOW PIES: substitute two 9-inch (2-cup volume) pie shells. Bake in preheated 425° F. oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F.; bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until pies test done.

Corn Pudding

Corn Pudding

INGREDIENTS

• 5 eggs
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn
• 2 (14.75 ounce) cans cream-style corn

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 Degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 2 quart casserole dish.
2. In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add melted butter, sugar, and milk. Whisk in cornstarch. Stir in corn and creamed corn. Blend well. Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish.
3. Bake for 1 hour.

Gougeres

Gougeres

5T butter
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh blk pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1C flour
1C grated gruyere cheese
5 Lg. eggs, room temp (very important)

Preheat 425. Add butter, s&p, nutmeg and 1 cup water to med. saucepan & boil over med.high heat. When butter melts, reduce to low. Add flour all at once & cook over low heat, beating w/ wooden spoon -1 min. or until mix pulls away from sides of pan. Remove from heat.

Add cheese to pan and beat in w/ a wooden spoon until well mixed. Add 4 of the eggs, one at a time, beating each egg into the batter until thoroughly absorbed. Continue beating mix until it is smooth, shiny & firm.

Drop batter in small spoonfuls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet to form the gougeres. Beat remaining egg w/ 1/2 T water and brush the tops w/ the egg wash.

Bake in upper third of oven for 15-20 mins. or until golden & doubled in size. Remove from oven serve hot or all to cool to room temp.

Makes 3 dozen.