It’s that time of year again, when you gather together with friends and family for a splendid slap up dinner – and you have decided to host it! Hopefully you have done all your shopping and not left it till the last minute as you may not find a suitably large turkey and the, assuming it’s frozen, it will need two fays to thaw slowly and evenly in the refrigerator. Have you invited your guests and worked out your menu?
Preparing ahead as much as possible makes it easier on the day but there is always a chance of something going wrong, Read on to find out the most common mistakes and problems and how to deal with them. Don’t leave your frozen turkey in the sink or on the countertop to defrost. It does not do so well left at room temperature, but should instead thaw more slowly in the refrigerator. This can take two or three days for a large bird so you need to allow for this. There is nothing worse than when you come to cook it on the big day it is still part frozen.
You may also want to have the stuffing made in advance but you cannot do this and expect it to keep well for a couple of days. Much better is to prepare all the ingredients beforehand and then have this “kit” ready to go for the morning of Thanksgiving.
You can dry out your bread by leaving it out for a day or two or baking it in a medium oven till crunchy. Fry off your onions and vegetables, let them cool, and then refrigerate. You may need some broth and some eggs, refrigerated. Then on the morning of Thanksgiving day you can make up the stuffing and pop it into your turkey.
When you are preparing a meal for many people, there is always the chance of something going wrong. Here are the common mistakes and how to correct them.
1. The turkey is done too soon.- If you misjudged the cooking time or your guests are late you can take the turkey out of the oven and let it rest on the counter with a covering of foil tucked in round the sides.
The turkey is done too early – Take it out of the oven and make a foil tent to cover it. It should keep warm this way for up to 45 minutes. It is best anyway to let the turkey rest for about 15 minutes after cooking as it tends to become tenderer.
Gravy is too thin -Mix together equal parts of cornstarch and water. Then add this slowly to the mixture stirring constantly to incorporate. If there are lumps they can be removed before serving by straining the gravy. An alterative is to leave the gravy on a light boil to evaporate more liquid and allow it to thicken naturally. Don’t let it boil too hard or for too long though, or you won’t have enough gravy left!
Gravy is too salty-Add a pinch or two of sugar, a little bit at a time, tasting as you go until it comes right. An alternative is to place a whole raw peeled potato into the pan and let it simmer for a while. This will draw a lot of salt out of the gravy.
The mashed potatoes are watery Potatoes can easily go soft if boiled for too long, but you can always overcome this by adding one of the following and then mixing in well: baking soda, instant potato buds, a teaspoon of powdered milk. A power blender gives a nice creamy smooth texture.
If you are prepared for any of the above mistakes that can occur you will be able to deal with them without stress or panic, and hence have an enjoyable Thanksgiving dinner.
Author: Juliette White is an skilled chef. If you don’t want to risk your Thanksgiving and you want to surprise your friends and parents with a great Thanksgiving meal don’t miss to obtain a free Thanksgiving Recipe Ebook . If you want more truly simple and free recipes and register here
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