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A holiday celebration can quickly turn into a holiday hell for the host if there isn't advance planning. However, it doesn't take a lot of planning to smooth the way to jingle bells and jolly holidays. Whatever feast you're preparing, we've got your back. We'll tell you when to prepare each dish and how to cook it, plus tips and tricks that will make your family's special day joyful not only for guests, but for the feastmaster, too.
Roast Turkey with Gingered Prunes
[make in the morning]
Ingredients
For the turkey:
(in the morning)
1 10- to 14-pound turkey with giblets removed
1 red onion cut into thick rings
3 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
3 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
Kosher salt, to taste
For the marinade:
(can be made 2-3 days ahead)
5 tablespoons of freshly grated ginger
5 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
3/4 cup of cider vinegar
3 tablespoons of crushed garlic
1 stick of unsalted butter
For the prunes:
(can be made 2-3 days ahead)
12 ounces of pitted prunes, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons of freshly grated ginger
2 tablespoons of cider vinegar
3 tablespoons of honey
1/4 cup of port
Directions
Combine the marinade ingredients, reserving the butter, in a large bag, bowl or even a large pot. Save a third of the marinade in the refrigerator for the butter baste. Rinse the turkey and place it in the marinade overnight in the refrigerator. That morning, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Drain the turkey and bring it to room temperature. Sprinkle the turkey, inside and out, with kosher salt. Scatter the carrots, celery and onion on the bottom of a roasting pan and place the turkey on top.
Roast the turkey for 25 minutes until it begins to brown, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees until the thermometer reads 175 degrees at the thickest part of turkey (about 3 to 4 hours). Melt the stick of butter over medium-low heat and add the reserved marinade. Baste every 20 minutes with the seasoned butter. Remove the turkey from the oven and allow it to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
While the turkey is resting, combine all of the ingredients of the prune mixture in a small pot and simmer over medium heat until syrupy. Serve atop sliced roasted turkey or on the side.
Potato and Turnip Gratin
[make in the morning]
Ingredients
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter (softened)
1 pound of shallots, sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 tablespoon of crushed garlic
4 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced 1/8-inch thick
3 pounds of turnips, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
2 tablespoons of dry marsala or sherry
2-3 cups of half-and-half or heavy cream
2 teaspoons of kosher salt
2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoons of freshly ground nutmeg
4 cups of shredded Gruyère or Jarlsberg cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Sauté the shallots in 3 tablespoons of the butter until soft. Deglaze them with the marsala or sherry. Set aside. Grease a serving dish with the remaining softened butter and crushed garlic. Gather the nutmeg, salt, pepper, cheese and cream in an assembly line next to dish.
Begin by tiling a layer of potatoes along the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the nutmeg, salt, pepper, shallots and cheese over the potatoes. Alternating layers of turnip slices with layers of potato slices, repeat the steps until all of the turnips and potatoes are in the dish. Press down on each layer before adding the next one. Pour the cream over the top to just cover. Seal with foil and place it in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the foil and check for doneness by gently inserting a knife. Brown the top under the broiler before serving.
Creamed Spinach with Proscuitto Chips
[can be made two or three days ahead]
Ingredients
3 pounds of fresh spinach
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 cup of diced yellow onions
1/4 cup of dry sherry
8 ounces of prosciutto, thinly sliced
1 cup of half-and-half
1/2 pound of cream cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Lay the prosciutto slices flat on parchment paper on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until crispy. Set aside.
De-stem and wash the spinach thoroughly. Steam it in batches in a large pot, using the water still on the leaves as the steaming liquid. Drain the spinach. Sauté the onions in a wide, large pan, and when soft, deglaze with sherry with the onions still in the pan. Add the spinach and half-and-half. When the mixture is warm, add the cream cheese, stirring until it's melted. Season to taste with the salt and pepper and ladle into a serving dish. Carefully break the prosciutto into chips and place on top of the creamed spinach before serving.
Sweet Potato and Ricotta Gnocchi with Sage Butter
[can be made one week ahead]
Ingredients
For the gnocchi:
2 pounds of sweet potatoes ricotta
2-3 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 egg yolk
For the sage butter:
A handful of fresh sage leaves
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
Juice of one lemon
Directions
Making the gnocchi:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wrap the potatoes in foil and roast them on a baking pan for 1 1/2 hours until soft. Let the potatoes cool, unwrap them, peel and pass them through a sieve, food mill or potato ricer.
Press the ricotta into the bottom of a large mixing bowl and cover with paper towels for 30 minutes to absorb excess moisture. Combine all of the ingredients and add just enough flour to form the dough.
Roll the dough into 8-inch-long cylinders that are about 3/4 of an inch in diameter. Chill for 30 minutes in refrigerator. Remove and cut the cylinders into 1-inch pieces, and roll over a floured fork to make tine marks. (At this point, the gnocchi can be frozen to cook later.) Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil and add the gnocchi. While it's cooking, make the sage butter (see below). When the pieces float to the top, drain the gnocchi and toss with seasoned butter.
Making the sage butter:
Melt the butter over medium heat with the sage. When the butter stops bubbling, it will quickly turn brown and nutty. When this happens, remove to a bowl and add the lemon juice (this will stop the butter from cooking).
Struffoli
Crunchy fried biscuits dipped in honey
[can be made one day ahead]
Ingredients
3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar
3 teaspoons of freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons of grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon of table salt
6 eggs
1 egg yolk
5 tablespoons of unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
2 cups of honey
4 cups of canola oil
Directions
Place the flour, sugar, half of the nutmeg and half of the orange zest, plus the salt, into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix, adding the eggs and egg yolk until incorporated. Add the butter cubes and mix until the dough forms. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour. Heat about 4 cups of oil in a deep-frying pot to 350 degrees. Warm the honey over low heat, adding the other half of the nutmeg and orange zest.
Form the struffoli by separating the dough into balls about the size of your fist. Roll these into logs. Cut the logs into 1/2-inch pieces and form into small balls (or leave as is for a more rustic look). Fry in batches, removing when golden brown to drain on paper bags or paper towels. Toss with the warmed honey, then pile carefully on a serving platter and pour any remaining honey left over the top.
Plum Upside Down Cake
[can be made one day ahead]
Ingredients
For cake:
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
Pinch of table salt
1 stick of unsalted butter
1 cup of sugar
3 eggs, yolks and whites separated
1 1/2 tablespoons of dark rum
1/2 cup of whole milk
For plum topping:
1 pound of plums, sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1/3 cup of dark brown sugar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch cake pan with butter and lay parchment paper in the bottom for easy removal later. Melt the stick of butter over medium-low heat. Add the brown sugar and plums. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Arrange the plums in a circular pattern on the bottom of the cake pan.
Sift the dry ingredients and set them aside. Combine the milk and the rum. In a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together, adding the egg yolks one at a time. Alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients while mixing, ending with the dry ingredients. Scrape the batter into a larger bowl. Whip the egg whites into stiff peaks and gently fold them into the batter. Pour the batter over the plums and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool before unmolding the cake onto a cake stand.
Hosting Tips
- Don't forget to baste your turkey with butter!
- Write the menu and place it on teh table in a picture frame.
- Heat a cup of cider on the stove with a cinnamon stick for half an hour before your guests arrive, to create a festive entrance aroma.
- Ask for paper bags when shopping because they're the best way to drain fried items.
- Make at least one dish exactly the way it's always been made to ease the transition from a traditional menu to a new menu.
- The most imprtant tip of all: Accept help when it's offered.
