Thanksgiving Dinner Timeline: From the tv show Marilyn Denis
We make thanksgiving dinner stress-free with Christine Cushing’s guide to the perfect thanksgiving meal.
Timeline:
Start thawing turkey if purchasing frozen bird. Calculate 1 day for every 5 lbs. This is enough to thaw a 15 lb bird by Thanksgiving Day morning in the fridge. Do not thaw at room temperature!
Day before
Make individual cheesecakes, cover and refrigerate.
Make candied walnuts
The big day (to eat at 2:30 p.m. for a 12 lb bird):
10:00 am: Take several deep breaths
10:01 am: Start preparing the turkey, chopping herbs and roast at 325 D – count on 12-15 min/lb. then 20 minutes to rest before carving
10:45 am: Get turkey in the oven with meat thermometer inserted and set to 175 in the thigh
10:50 am: Start chopping and prepping stuffing mixture, place in baking dish, cover and refrigerate.
11:45 am: Wash, prep salad and make the dressing. Chop apples and rub with lemon. Cover until ready to assemble salad
12:30 pm: Set table, put out bread/ rolls get cranberry sauce ready or use prepared. Gather serving utensils and plan for place to carve and serve bird.
1:00 pm: Check turkey
1:30 pm: Put stuffing into the oven to bake alongside turkey, uncovered
1:45 pm: Turkey should be done ; Remove , transfer to serving platter and tent
2:00 pm: Put roasting pan on stove and make gravy
2:15 pm: Carve turkey and serve
Garnish cheese cakes and serve later
Simple Roasted Turkey
The key to successfully roasting a turkey is to buy a quality free range /fresh bird and keep the preparation simple. Pick a 12- 14 lb young turkey and the oven will do all the work.
Ingredients:
One 12-14 pound young turkey (about 5.5 -7 kg)
Several sprigs each of thyme, sage and rosemary whole and chopped
Several whole garlic cloves
1 apple, cut into quarters
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Butter, for rubbing the outside of turkey
Gravy Ingredients:
½ cup dry white wine (125 ml)
1 ½ cup turkey or chicken broth (325 ml)
2 tbsp. corn starch ( 25 ml)
¼ cup cold water (50 ml)
Sprigs of herbs, for garnish, optional
Method:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Remove little bag of giblets and turkey neck from turkey cavity. For additional flavour to pan drippings, roast turkey neck and giblets in roasting pan with turkey.
Place whole sprigs of herbs, garlic cloves and apple pieces inside cavity of bird and season with salt and pepper. Chop the remaining herbs and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush the bird with some soft butter and sprinkle on the chopped herbs mixed with salt and pepper.
Roast bird, on a rack in roasting pan in the lowest rack in oven breast side up, at 325 degrees F. basting every 30 minutes , until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh reads 175 D degrees F., about 2 to 2 ½ hours.
Pan gravy
While turkey is resting, place the roasting pan- with pan drippings- over medium heat on stovetop. Add wine and broth or water and scrape pan dripping on the bottom of the pan to incorporate into wine. In a small cup stir together the corn starch and water until blended. Pour it into the simmering sauce and whisk until boiling. Continue to simmer until reduced slightly, about 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and pour into a gravy boat and serve with turkey.
