A Thanksgiving Feast To Remember

The Early Show And Top NYC Chef Elizabeth Karmel Share Recipes, Tips To Put Your Dinner A Cut Above The Norm

(CBS) 

STUFFING AND MASHED POTATOES 101

No Thanksgiving is complete without stuffing and mashed potatoes, and NOBODY wants to mess those up those mainstays! Many sins can be forgiven on Thanksgiving, but bad side dishes isn't one of them.

Elizabeth offered tips and recipes to make top-notch stuffing and mashed potatoes.

Stuffing 101

1. Use Plenty of Butter!
Butter makes everything better, and you simply can't use too much in your stuffing. Most stuffing recipes start by sautéing onions and celery. Elizabeth sweats her vegetables in a lot of butter, then even adds some melted butter when combing all of the stuffing ingredients.

2. Use Packaged AND Fresh Breadcrumbs:
Elizabeth admits that stuffing mix in the bag can be delicious -- it's packed with seasoning. But it's really, really dry, so she suggests mixing some fresh bread crumbs in, as well. Proportion-wise, use 1 cup packaged-to-1 cup fresh.

3. Dress Up Canned Chicken Stock:
Many people don't have homemade chicken or turkey stock on hand, so they turn to the store-bought stuff. You'll add a real depth of flavor to your stuffing if you doctor this broth up with some white wine, veggies, garlic or herbs. Simply simmer these ingredients together, then strain them out before using the stock. Adding the stock in general is the "tricky" part of making stuffing. You don't want it too dry, you don't want it too wet.

Elizabeth prefers baking her stuffing in a buttered baking dish, rather than stuffing it inside the turkey, because you get that crusty top. You can make the stuffing up to two hours before dinner is served, then serve it at room temperature if you like.

Also, you can totally change the character of your stuffing by adding just a couple of ingredients to this basic recipe. Elizabeth suggests add spicy sausage, or oysters and saltines, or raisins and apples.


Mashed Potatoes 101

1. Drain Potatoes in Pan
After boiling your potatoes, drain out the water, but leave the potatoes in the pan and the stove heat on. Shake the pan to move the potatoes around; that enables them to dry; any excess moisture that might affect the texture of your finished dish will be absorbed.

2. Don't Over-Mix!!
Over-mixing your mashed potatoes makes them gluey. You can't go wrong if you use a ricer or a potato masher.

3. Add Hot Milk:
No matter which dairy product you choose -- milk, cream, half and half -- heat it up before mixing. It will combine more smoothly, and won't cool down your potatoes.

Elizabeth also suggests a healthier version of mashed potatoes that uses olive oil and roasted garlic to achieve great flavor, rather than cream and butter.

RECIPES

Basic Stuffing/Dressing for a 14-Pound Turkey and Five Variations

2 sticks of unsalted butter
2 cups chopped onions
1-1/2 cups chopped celery and leaves
2 tablespoons sea salt
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
14 cups of bread crumbs*, divided (1 cup of bread crumbs per pound of turkey)
1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning (sage, thyme, dry mustard)
1-2 cups warm chicken stock or broth

Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onions, celery salt and pepper and cook until translucent, about 15 minutes. Season with the chile flakes and poultry seasoning and add half the bread crumbs. Mix well. Saute mixture for 5 minutes or until moist and the flavors are melded together. Remove from heat and pour warm mixture into a large bowl.. Add the rest of the bread crumbs and mix well. Add enough broth to make the mixture moist but not soggy. The amount of broth you need depends on how dry your breadcrumbs are. Note: If you use the packaged breadcrumbs, they are very dry. Cubed fresh bread is moister. Place in a buttered casserole dish and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until crispy on top.

*Packaged breadcrumbs are already seasoned and a good option, but supplement them with fresh cubed bread "crumbs."

Serves 10

Variations:

Southern Sausage:
Add 2 pounds of cooked and crumbled hot bulk sausage to recipe

Chestnut:
Add 3 cups of roasted or canned-cooked chestnuts

Oyster:
Add 3 cups of drained raw oysters and one sleeve of crumbled saltines to the bread crumbs

Cornbread:
Substitute half of the bread crumbs for day-old crumbled cornbread and add 1 cup of toasted pecan pieces

Sweet Apples and Raisins:
Chop four crisp apples such as Granny Smith and saute in butter with a little cinnamon and sugar until just tender. Add sauteed apples, 1 cup of raisins to basic recipe. Substitute cinnamon raisin bread for half the breadcrumbs to really make this variation delicious!

Classic Mashed Potatoes

Serves 8

10 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut in half
1 sticks unsalted butter
1/2-1 cup whole milk, heated
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until tender, not mushy. Drain, keeping the potatoes in the pan. Shake potatoes in the pan over medium heat until potatoes are dry and any excess water has evaporated. Mash thoroughly with a potato masher, ricer or blending fork. Add butter and heated milk until you get the desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Whip potatoes, beating by hand until fluffy.

To keep Mashed Potatoes hot: Cover and place pan in skillet of hot water or double boiler.

Mash Potatoes Tips:

"Mealy" potatoes such as Idahos or Yukon golds are best for baking or boiling for classic mashed potatoes.
New potatoes can be boiled or baked in their skins for smashed potatoes.

For classic mashed potatoes:
Peel and cook in boiling, salted water in a heavy-duty sauce pan. Keeps the water boiling to prevent pieces of potato from dissolving and sogginess.

Drain potatoes in the pan; shake over the burner on medium heat to dry them.

Cover with a cloth (kitchen towel) while they stand to prevent getting soggy (the cloth absorbs steam).

Recipe from Taming the Flame by Elizabeth Karmel
(John Wiley & Sons, 2005, $24.95)

Smashed Potatoes

Makes 6 servings

Grilling Method: Indirect/Direct Medium Heat

2 heads garlic, roasted
24 new potatoes, cleaned (about 3 pounds)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or more to taste
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

1. Build a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill.
2. Squeeze the garlic from the individual cloves into a small bowl.
3. Toss the potatoes with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place in the center of the cooking grate over indirect medium heat, cover, and roast for 25 to 30 minutes or until tender.
4. While still warm, put the potatoes in a large bowl and smash them with a large fork. Add the garlic to the potatoes and continue to smash, adding about 1/3 cup of olive oil or more to taste. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Smashed Potatoes with Cheese: Before the final seasoning of the potatoes, add ½ cup grated parmesan and ½ cup grated white cheddar to the hot potatoes. Stir until the cheeses are well distributed and melted. Taste and adjust the seasonings. You probably won't need any salt, as the cheese is very salty, but you may need to add pepper.

Smashed Potatoes with Raw Garlic and Fresh Basil: Omit the roasted garlic. Before the final seasoning of the potatoes, add ½ cup of finely hopped basil and 4 cloves of minced garlic. The heat in the potatoes releases the natural flavors of the garlic and basil, making these the freshest tasting smashed potatoes ever-season to taste and serve immediately.

For "Sexy Sides," go to Page 4.

[kurlikew]

Ugh ... as a holistic health counselor, I''m horrified by most of these recipes! They are fat and sugar laden, and for the most part very unhealthy. Nothing like adding to the already rampant epidemics of obesity and diabetes in this country. :o(

[rla23320]

I just love the Thanksgiving prayer by Billy Graham Can you please helpme to locate a written copy.

[donotto_98]

I have been watching the parade on CBS all morning as I Prep/cook for 3 daughters/husbands and 5 g/kids.
I have to say I am VERY disapointed with CBS''s choice of announcers. The guy tasked with the children''s portion of the show-REALLY dis-likes kids!! His statement "ON-AIR" was " I have been kicked in the shin and I"m covered in SNOT" He said this on live TV with everykid in the country watching the parade!!!!
Who is this idiot? And how much is he getting paid?
CBS could prob donate his salary for the day and feed about 1000 homeless familys-Then get a celb to donate their time for free-and at least the celb would be "IN-TO kids"
"Covered in snot" Give me a break!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don Otto
Phoenix

[sincity_q]

The above article was sponsored by...

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Congratulations once again, CBS and our Main Scream Media for getting it all wrong.

Thanksgiving is about... well, giving thanks for our bounty, our families and our lives.

[superiorchef]

I have been a Chef for the past 30 years. a REAL CHEF. I have never seen anything so ridiculous as what"Chef" Elizabeth told people to do this morning.Thaw your Turkey out in your bathtub?That is what she said. That is not only gross and unsanitary but totally against health codes in every state! Are you trying to poison everyone?Please think before you speak.Why not hire a real chef to dispense information to viewers?Her bird looked horribly burned as well.180 Degree thigh temp is overkill. the bird looked like an old tough shoe. 165 degrees is a suitable temperature if held for 15 minutes at that degree and the bird will remain juicy not dryed up. I have prepared thousands of birds; trust me I know what I saying. This so called chef is a disgrace. I can''t believe you let her on the air.Thaw your Turkey in your bathtub under cold water? How ridiculous! Chef John