The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (60 page)

8.
Stir in the reserved deglazed liquid and separated pan juices. Add the giblets and neck meat. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the gravy has thickened to the consistency of heavy cream, about 20 minutes. Pour through a fine sieve into a saucepan; discard the solids. Keep the gravy warm over low heat. Season with salt and pepper.

chestnut stuffing

SERVES 10 TO 12

You will need to dry the bread cubes overnight; transfer them to resealable plastic bags until you’re ready to make the stuffing, up to 1 day more.

2 loaves good-quality white bread, cut into ¾-inch cubes (about 20 cups)

1½ pounds (4 cups) fresh chestnuts, scored with an X

¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter

4 small onions, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice (about 3 cups)

1 bunch celery, cut into ¼-inch dice (about 4 cups)

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage

5 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock

1 tablespoon coarse salt

3 cups coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Freshly ground pepper

1.
Spread the bread cubes in single layers on baking sheets. Set aside to dry out at room temperature, uncovered, overnight.

2.
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the chestnuts; cook until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain; let cool slightly. Peel and quarter the chestnuts; set aside. Peeled chestnuts can be refrigerated in an airtight container 2 to 3 days.

3.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and celery; cook, stirring, until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the sage; cook 3 minutes. Stir in ½ cup stock; cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

4.
Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl. Add the remaining 4½ cups stock, the chestnuts, bread, salt, and parsley; season with pepper. Toss to combine. If not stuffing turkey, transfer to a buttered 17 × 12-inch baking dish. Cover; bake at 350°F for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake until hot and golden brown, 30 minutes more.

thanksgiving leftovers shepherd’s pie

SERVES 4 TO 6

To bake individual pies, use 6 10-ounce ramekins, and reduce cooking time to 20 to 30 minutes.

3 cups cooked stuffing

1 cup cranberry sauce, plus more for topping (optional)

1 pound sliced cooked turkey

10 ounces glazed carrots (or another leftover vegetable)

4 to 6 tablespoons gravy

3 to 4 cups mashed potatoes

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a 9- to 10-inch pie plate, mound the stuffing on the bottom; layer with the cranberry sauce, turkey, and carrots. Drizzle with the gravy; spread the potatoes over the surface to the sides of the dish. Top with more cranberry sauce, if desired.

2.
Place the pie on a baking sheet, and bake until heated through and the potatoes are golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly.

turkey meatloaf

SERVES 6

4 slices white bread, crusts trimmed, torn into pieces

8 small sage leaves

1½ pounds ground lean turkey

1 large yellow onion, cut into eighths

1 stalk celery, cut into 2-inch pieces

½ teaspoon dried thyme

1 large whole egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1¼ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

¾ teaspoon coarse salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large egg white

Cheater’s Gravy, (recipe follows)

Garlic Mashed Potatoes, (recipe follows)

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F, with the rack in the center. Place the bread and sage leaves in the bowl of a food processor; pulse to form fine crumbs. Transfer to a medium bowl, and add the ground turkey.

2.
Place the onion and celery in the bowl of the food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Add to the turkey mixture, using your hands to combine. Add the thyme, whole egg, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, mustard, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire, and salt; season with pepper. Combine well. Place in a 9 × 5 × 2½-inch nonstick loaf pan.

3.
In a small bowl, combine the egg white with the remaining tablespoon tomato paste and ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire, whisking with a fork until smooth. Spoon the mixture over the meatloaf; spread evenly.

4.
Transfer the pan to the oven; place a baking sheet on the lower rack to catch the drippings. Cook until a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the meatloaf registers 180°F, about 1¼ hours. Remove from the oven; let rest 15 minutes, covered with foil.

5.
To serve, cut the meatloaf into 12 slices, and divide evenly among 6 serving plates. Serve immediately with hot gravy and mashed potatoes.

FIT TO EAT RECIPE
PER SERVING: 200 CALORIES, 3 G FAT, 86 MG CHOLESTEROL, 13 G CARBOHYDRATE, 451 MG SODIUM, 31 G PROTEIN, 1 G FIBER

cheater’s gravy

MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP; SERVES 6

We serve this flavorful gravy over meatloaf and mashed potatoes, but it is equally good with other classic comfort foods, such as ham and biscuits.

1 cup homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock, skimmed of fat

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon cold water

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1.
In a small saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until the stock is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

2.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and the water with a fork until smooth; whisk into the simmering stock. Raise heat; return to a full boil. Boil 30 seconds. Remove from heat, and stir in the parsley. Serve.

FIT TO EAT RECIPE
PER SERVING: 5 CALORIES, 0 G FAT, 0 MG CHOLESTEROL, 1 G CARBOHYDRATE, 80 MG SODIUM, 0 G PROTEIN, 0 G FIBER

garlic mashed potatoes

SERVES 6

Garlic gives the dish a mellow flavor.

1 pound red potatoes, peeled and cut into eighths

1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½-inch pieces

5 garlic cloves

¾ cup nonfat milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

¾ teaspoon coarse salt

Freshly ground pepper

1.
In a medium saucepan, combine the potatoes and whole garlic; add enough cold water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes, and set aside in a warm place.

2.
Meanwhile, in the same saucepan, combine the milk, butter, and salt; season with pepper. Heat over low until the butter has melted and the milk is warm to the touch. Pass the potatoes and garlic through a ricer or food mill into saucepan; stir gently to combine. Serve immediately.

FIT TO EAT RECIPE
PER SERVING: 178 CALORIES, 4 G FAT, 11 MG CHOLESTEROL, 33 G CARBOHYDRATE, 259 MG SODIUM, 4 G PROTEIN, 3 G FIBER

moussaka

SERVES 6

Moussaka may be assembled 1 day in advance and refrigerated; bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the center is hot.

2 cups plain nonfat yogurt

1 pound ground turkey

1 yellow onion, cut into ¼-inch dice

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for eggplant

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, coarsely chopped

¼ cup tomato paste

¼ cup chopped fresh oregano

½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 medium eggplants (about 2 pounds)

Olive oil cooking spray

¼ cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese

1 large egg plus 1 large egg white

1.
Drain the yogurt in a cheesecloth-lined sieve until thickened, 2 hours or overnight.

2.
Heat the turkey in a medium saucepan over medium; cook until browned, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a medium bowl. Add the onion, garlic, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and pepper to the saucepan; cook until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Return the turkey to the saucepan; add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and oregano. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 1 hour. Remove from heat; stir in the chopped parsley. Set aside.

3.
Heat the broiler. While the sauce cooks, cut the eggplants into ¼-inch slices. Sprinkle with salt on both sides. Place in a colander over a bowl; let stand 1 hour to drain. Discard the liquid; rinse each slice under cold running water to remove all salt and juice. Place the slices on several layers of paper towels; press out water. Lay the dry slices on a clean baking sheet; coat with olive oil spray; broil until browned, about 2 minutes. Turn; coat with olive oil spray; broil until browned, about 2 minutes more. Repeat until all the eggplant slices have been broiled; set the cooked eggplant aside.

4.
Place the drained yogurt in a small bowl. Add the Parmesan and eggs. Whisk together briskly with a fork; set aside.

5.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Assemble the moussaka: Place a layer of eggplant on the bottom of an 8 × 8-inch baking pan. Cover with half the turkey sauce. Place another eggplant layer, then the remaining turkey sauce. Add a final eggplant layer; cover with reserved yogurt mixture. Bake until the mixture is bubbling and the top starts to brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof surface; let sit until the moussaka cools slightly and firms, about 10 minutes. Cut into squares; serve.

FIT TO EAT RECIPE
PER SERVING: 266 CALORIES, 9 G FAT, 102 MG CHOLESTEROL, 23 G CARBOHYDRATE, 510 MG SODIUM, 25 G PROTEIN, 3 G FIBER

spice-cured turkey

SERVES 12 TO 14

It may seem like a bit of trouble to brine the turkey, but it is well worth it: This is the best turkey we’ve ever tasted. If you don’t have a stockpot large enough to hold the turkey, you can use a new plastic tub instead. It is helpful to have an extra refrigerator to brine the turkey, as it takes up a lot of space.

for the brine

4 cups coarse salt

5 cups sugar

2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 onions, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 leeks, cut into 1-inch pieces and cleaned of all sand

3 bay leaves

1 head of garlic, cut in half crosswise

2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon cloves

2 teaspoons whole allspice

8 cups water

for the turkey and gravy

1 18 to 20-pound organic turkey

Apple-Chestnut Stuffing (recipe follows)

Spice Butter, softened (recipe follows)

½ cup apple cider

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock

1.
In a large stockpot, combine the salt, sugar, carrots, celery, onions, leeks, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, cumin, red pepper flakes, cloves, and allspice. Add the water, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. The brine must cool completely before the turkey is soaked in it: It can be made 1 day ahead or chilled over an ice bath.

2.
Rinse the turkey under cold water; pat dry. Place in a stockpot, breast side down. Add the brine and enough water to cover. Cover the stockpot, and refrigerate overnight. Remove the turkey from the brine; drain.

3.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Fill the cavities with stuffing, being careful not to pack too tightly. Secure the skin over the neck cavity with toothpicks or skewers, and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Rub the turkey generously with spice butter, and place on a rack in a roasting pan.

4.
Place in the oven, and roast 30 minutes. Baste, rotate the pan, and reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Continue basting every 30 to 45 minutes, until the temperature taken in the thickest part of the thigh registers 180°F, 3½ to 4 hours. Once the turkey is well browned, cover with foil, in sections, if necessary to prevent overbrowning. Remove the foil for last 30 to 60 minutes, to crisp the skin. Allow the turkey to rest 30 minutes before carving. While the turkey is resting, remove the stuffing.

5.
To make the gravy, pour the liquid from the roasting pan into a gravy skimmer; set aside. Place the roasting pan on the stove over medium-high heat; deglaze with ½ cup apple cider, using a wooden spoon to scrape up bits stuck to the pan. Set aside.

6.
In a small saucepan, combine 3 tablespoons reserved fat from the pan and the flour; cook 3 to 4 minutes, until browned. Add the reserved apple-cider mixture along with the stock and any separated juices from the pan. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Serve with the turkey.

apple-chestnut stuffing

SERVES 12 TO 14

To save time, you can complete the first three steps and chop onion and celery the day before. If you use shelled chestnuts, chop, then proceed with step 2.