I enjoyed a busy day at work on Thanksgiving Day. As the chef in a institutional program, holiday meals give me the chance to cook a special meal for the residents. The holiday meal provides a break from the routine of the standard menu.Prep work began on Monday morning when I placed two 12- to 13-pound turkeys in the refrigerator to thaw. On Tuesday morning, I wrote a list of a dozen tasks that had to be completed in two days. I worked on most items on the list while cooking the regular meals.
Here's a list of the prep work for the Thanksgiving Day meal. Even though the holiday has past, it gives you an idea of how to organize prep for any large meal.
MONDAY:
- Thaw turkey
- Finish shopping for the meal
- Cut carrots and celery for relish tray; place in ice water
- Prepare orange cranberry relish from 2 (12-ounce) bags of fresh cranberries
- Prepare 1 quart of cilantro lime vinaigrette
- Dice 3 pounds of cracked wheat sourdough bread for stuffing
- Prepare 1 cup of green salt by whirling 1 cup kosher salt with fresh parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme in the food processor; the salt was used to season the turkey
- Thaw turkey
- Peel 9 pounds (A.P.) of fresh sweet potatoes
- Gently simmer sweet potatoes in salted water until al dente
- Prepare about 3 quarts of turkey stock from the necks, giblets and hearts
- Remove plastic wrapping from turkey and set in roasting pan
- Baked 4 pumpkin and 2 pecan pies with assistance from a team of residents
- Remove turkey from refrigeration and season at 9:15 a.m.
- Place turkey in oven at 10 a.m. Two residents assemble the relish tray appetizer at noon
- Complete the rest of the meal meal between noon and 2 p.m. with assistance from a team of residents
- Pull turkey from oven at around 1:30 p.m.
- Carved turkey two residents mashed the potatoes and the rest of the hot dishes
- Served the meal at 3 p.m.
- Traditional relish tray with carrot and celery sticks, radish roses, stuffed green olives, pepperoncini peppers and gherkin pickles
- Tossed green salad with cilantro lime vinaigrette
- Roast hen turkey
- Giblet bread dressing
- Mashed garlic potatoes
- Candied sweet potatoes
- Braised collard greens with smoked turkey necks
- Mustard herb gravy
- Orange cranberry sauce
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