Thanksgiving Gravy

I'm adding this here so I don't have to keep the folded and faded piece of random paper I wrote it on some time ago. This makes enough to feed a lot of people--say, 15.

• 16 Tbsp turkey fat or butter (or some mixture)
• 16 Tbsp flour
• Chopped giblets and/or small bits of turkey or chicken meat
• 3 quarts turkey stock, chicken stock and/or water. This is best if heated to near boiling in the microwave. If that's not convenient, you can use it at room temperature. Only use it cold if you can't figure out any other way.
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• salt to taste.

The traditional way to make this is to heat the fat or butter (which has to melt) in a large pot. (The pot should hold at least 5 quarts.)

Sprinkle the flour and pepper into the melted fat but keep stirring all the time. Do not let this burn. You have to decide whether you like it to brown or not. You only must cook it long enough so the flour is no longer totally raw.

Add the giblets and/or bits of meat. Stir together.

Add the liquid stirring insistently to keep form forming lumps. (Warmer liquid means less lumps.)

Now all you do is stir until the mixture begins to boil. It will start to thicken. Use as much as another quart of warm stock if needed to thin. Boil a while to reduce the liquid if too thin. Remember it will thicken a little as it cools on the table.

Remove from the heat and add the salt at this point. It should be easy to add salt to taste. I can't give you an exact amount as much of the available poultry stock contains salt. Some more. Some less. It could be anywhere from needing no salt at all to needing a tablespoon. Taste first. Add some. Taste with a clean spoon and repeat until you get it the way you like it. (Note that gravy is typically a bit saltier than most foods since it is added to the other foods and supplies the salt for those foods as well. Think about how little salt goes into sliced turkey, dressing or mashed potatoes.)

Turkey or Chicken Stock

If you make your own stock, you avoid the problem with the stock being so salty that it changes the taste when you use it in your cooking. This works really well around Thanksgiving because you have that turkey carcass.

You are going to need some poultry. Here are some options for what you can use

• Option 1: The turkey carcass including bones, neck, skin and the remaining meat stuck to the bones. This is best if it is cooked. Either use it after you cook your turkey or use the raw turkey bones and roast them for a bit until somewhat done and, maybe, a little singed.Sometimes you can buy a package of turkey necks. These work great.
• Option 2: The turkey (or chicken) giblets including gizzard, heart and liver.
• Option 3: Chicken skin and bones. You might have used a whole chicken and cut off the breast meat or removed the bones from the thighs or legs. There's also that part I call the chicken hips. Its the part on the other end of the backbone from the ribs. The thigh bones attach to the side of it. Its not really that great fried so you can save some up that way.
• Option 4: Some chicken parts. I like to use some frozen chicken wing segments but breasts with bones or thighs/legs would work just as well.

Put the following in a big stock pot:

• Poultry (as described in the list above) 15 chicken wings or 4 thigh/leg combinations or one turkey carcass plus neck and giblets or similar amount.
• 2 carrots - broken
• 2 sticks of celery - broken
• 3 medium yellow onions - cut in quarters (other onions are acceptable)
• 18 whole peppercorns
• 3 tsp salt
• 8 cups water

Add a bit more water if needed to cover everything.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the meat is tender and falling off the bones. Turn off heat and let set for one hour.

Strain out the liquid. Store in jars or sealed plastic containers in the refrigerator. (You can freeze this if you pay attention to the container.)

Makes about 2 quarts plus whatever water you add to cover the vegetables and meat.

Bauernfrühstück

I had this years ago in Solvang, California at a little restaurant there.

The recipe is based on memory and evolution over a couple of decades. Perhaps its not authenticly German any more. Perhaps you will like it as much as I do anyway.

On Sunday's, sometimes, I will cook a pot roast with carrots, potatoes and onions. We have some left over so I do the following on Monday morning:

Begin with a skillet. I like to use cast iron for some reason. Medium heat.

• 3 Tbsp olive oil or butter

Start with the stuff leftover and already cooked. How much of each depends on what's left over and what you like best. It doesn't much matter. About a cup and a half is about enough for 4. Measure by eye.

• pot roast (beef)
• whole or halved potatoes
• half onions
• whole carrots

Chop roughly and and brown it just barely in the pan. It should all be hot but do not cook too long or it will get dry and tough.

Remove this part from the skillet. You can put it on a serving plate or drain to get rid of a bit of the oil.

At this point you have two choices. You can either cook some eggs in that same pan which I prefer for scrambled eggs or you can use another pan and forego the brown bits in the eggs.

For four people:

• 6 eggs
• 1/4 c buttermilk (or use milk or even room temperature water)
• salt
• pepper

Scramble the eggs however you like them--soft, hard or in between. (You could fry the eggs too or even poach them.)

Serve with some of the the meat and potatoes mixture topped with the egg(s). Its really good with some crispy sourdough bread toast with or without butter.

Be sure to eat it before it gets cold.

Hot Chocolate and Coffee

I have a new favorite chocolate coffee drink. This one isn't too sweet and is just chocolaty enough. You can adjust how strong of coffee you want.

Start by adding this stuff to a glass measuring cup

• 1 heaping Tbsp chocolate - Take a handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Semi-sweet is important here. Crush them with a mallet or the side of a heavy knife or a can of soup. Then you measure.
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 c milk

Microwave until hot but not boiling. In my microwave it takes about 1 minute 40 seconds.

Stir well and pour into a good sized mug.

• Fill with strong hot coffee. Remember that the milk will dilute it. Pour directly from the pot or make it directly from the Keurig (or similar) machine right into the mug.

Top with

• whipped cream

It looks nice with a pinch of chocolate dust on top. Usually there's a little left from crushing the chocolate chips.

Drink and enjoy.

Spinach Salad

This makes a big bowl of salad. It's more than enough for 6-8 people. Look to the bottom and make the croutons ahead of time so they will be ready when the salad is:

Start the salad with the greens in a large salad bowl

• 1 1/2 bunch fresh spinach sliced with root end of stems removed.
• Drizzle a little olive oil
• Sprinkle some salt

Toss this to get the spinach covered with salt and oil.

Then add the following on top. I don't mix it in at all. It forms layers that folks mix together as they dip some out for their own plate:

• 3 tomatoes sliced somehow. (I suggest about 8 chunks per medium tomato.)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Tbsp dried basil flakes
• 3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
• 1/4 c shelled salted pistachios (expensive but good)
• 1/4 c dried cranberries
• 1/4 c chopped dried apricots (slices 1/4 inch thick)
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh spearmint

Croutons

Make croutons ahead of time, but not too far ahead or they will lose their crispy.

• 1/2 unsliced loaf French bread (or sourdough or garlic bread)

Cut in cubes and spread on cookie sheet. I like large cubes about 3/4" to 1" on a side but there is not rule here. Use any size and shape you like.

Drizzle evenly with

• olive oil and/or melted butter

Sprinkle with:

• Garlic salt (or garlic powder and salt)
• Parsley flakes
• Crushed red pepper (gently)

Bake at 375 until crispy. Turn or stir occasionally

Dressing

You can make the dressing ahead of time and keep it cold.

Mix this all together in a jar or tall bowl:

• 1/2 c red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dried yellow mustard powder
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• Juice of 1 lemon. 
• 2 Tbsp honey

Stir well and then as you stir add slowly

• 1/2 cup olive oil

Pour dressing over salad at the last minute. Serve cold. 

Pesto

As I recall, we had a bumper crop of basil in the garden that year so this recipe is dated 11/4/1990 in my recipe box. Its easy to grow from seeds. Here in Texas we plant it around the middle or March. Don't let the soil get too dry, though.

Pick the leaves from the plants leaving enough so it doesn't die.

Lately, I've also bought Basil plants container grown and put them in a pot on the porch or in a window.
 
You can use Pesto for lots of things. 

1. Pizza: Use Pesto in place of the tomato sauce. No precooking required. Spread a thin layer over the bread and top with cheese. I like to use Mozzarella, Provolone, Fresh Mozzarella and feta in declining proportions. Fresh basil and a few tomato slices or tiny tomatoes on top are good.
2. Pasta: Plop a big spoonful of Pesto fresh from the refrigerator on top of fresh cooked pasta. I like it with the bowtie pasta, linquine or spaghetti. Stir and eat.
3. Cheese sandwiches: Use Pesto in place of the mayo. Spread liberally on the bread. Add some cheese slices. (Try a thick slice of Feta with a slice of Muenster for something spectacular.)

Add the following to a blender:

• 3 cloves garlic (peeled if fresh or 3 tsp from a jar of chopped garlic with oil)
• 1/2 c chopped fresh green basil (measure after chopping)
• 1/2 c chopped fresh curly parsley (Note: Really we want a cup of green stuff. Half and half is good or you can vary the proportions of basil and parsley even to the point of no parsley or no basil.) I prefer the curly parsley over the Italian variety in Pesto. Both are available in many grocery stores and are dirt cheap.
• 3/8 c pine nuts
• 1 c extra virgin olive oil.
• 1 tsp salt. (Reduce if more basil is used. Increase if more parsley.)

Drizzle this in while blending.

• 1 - 1 1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan Cheese (Parmesan Reggiano is best. Romana or Asiago will work but you may need to adjust the salt. Don't bother using the dry, dusty kind.)

Try it with a cup first and see if you need some more. More doesn't hurt but less makes the Pesto thicker and easier to deal with. And you can add more olive oil later if needed.

It will keep in the refrigerator if you make sure the olive oil covers it. If any of the green parts stick out, they will turn dark. Add some olive oil on top if you need.

Replace basil wholly or partially with parsley and it works. Maybe need some extra salt.

Pesto can be frozen. Use an ice cube tray for small ice cubes. Thaw at room temperature when you need it. (Or melt it on hot pasta.)