Flash in the Pan

Although I'm far from a wine expert, I did come across some advice and a resource. Author/sommelier Natalie MacLean offered the following suggestions in an email she sent me:

1. Start with bubbly. Sparkling wine is a great aperitif to sip while you wait for the turkey to finish cooking. It adds a celebratory note to the meal and goes well with starters like soup and salad.


2. Consider the turkey. Unlike most poultry and game birds, turkey meat is very dry in texture. So you need a mouth-watering wine to complement it. Good options are crisp whites like riesling and pinot grigio. And yes you can drink red wine with white meat: pinot noir, beaujolais and zinfandel all have juicy, berry-ripe flavors that go well with turkey.


3. Look beyond the bird. The range of side dishes means that you don't have to match your wine just to the turkey. Since Thanksgiving dinner is often a banquet-style meal, with everyone choosing the trimmings, why not do the same with your wines? Offer both red and white, and possibly more than one depending on the size of your group.


4. Complement or contrast. A big, buttery chardonnay from California or Chile can complement the roasted, smoky flavors of squash, chestnuts and pecan stuffing. But if you'd rather have a contrast to the richness of cream sauces and dressings, try a crisp New Zealand sauvignon blanc.


5. End on a sweet note. If anyone still has room left when it's time for pumpkin or pecan pie, offer a late harvest wine or icewine. If you're a chocolate fan, try serving a liqueur with complementary flavors such as raspberry or blackcurrant.

When I asked about other fruit wines - like the blueberry, apple, peach, and cranberry that you can get from some vineyards like Nashoba Valley - she said that they can also work well. I'll put in a vote for how sophisticated and complex the flavors can be.

For another view of what wines to serve, you can go to this page on the Subzero site (major kitchen appliances). I really liked the idea of serviing a Riesling.

For help in pairing specific foods with wines, you can go to Natalie's web site for pairing help. There's also the Lowes Hotela at Universal Orlando, which has set up a wine version of the turkey or pie hotline. You can email wineline@loewshotels.com or call 407.503.WINE (9463). They're apparently happy to help people pair wines with foods. It sounds like this is the first year they will do this, so I have no information about how long it will take to get a response. Remember, they're working hard at tasting wine, so I'm sure things get a little ... relaxed.

Labels: holidays, Thanksgiving, wine

I know, it's only Tuesday, there's at least a whole other day before Thanksgiving hits - so what do I mean last minute? Call it almost last minute - this is a time when, if you're in charge of cooking, you don't want things to go wrong. There are generally too many people watching, and they're all family, so any mistake is something you'll have to live with for, oh, the rest of your life.

If you want a moist and tasty turkey, I'd suggest one of two routes. The first is to get a good kosher bird. They really do taste better, and the pan drippings for gravy are unbeatable. If you can't get kosher, then look at brining the bird. You submerge it in a mix of water, kosher salt, and sugar, keeping your dinner from drying out and adding a touch of a salty undertone which improves the overall flavor. The Morton salt people have an online guide, which I had to dig out, as the press release that suggested I go to the main page didn't say where to look for the guide. Clicking on the cookbook link got some weird error, but the link I provide above should work. Or you can skip the suger, brine with salt and water (more traditional, I think), and get some hints from the Food Network and Alton Brown's Good Eats program.

For gravy, I'll provide some tips of my own, as I've often walked into dinners and heard, “Oh, there you are! Great to see you, here, let me take your coat, and could you make the gravy?” Here's a recipe:

• neck, heart, and kidneys from the turkey


• 1 medium onion, diced


• 2 stalks celery, diced


• 2 carrots, peeled and diced


• 4 1/2 Tbs. flour


• 4 1/2 Tbs. butter

1. Mix the onion, celery, and carrots together and place in the bottom of a roasting pan. Place the turkey on a roasting rack and put into the pan. Move the vegetables out of the way so the rack sits flat. While roasting the turkey, place the neck, heart, and kidneys in a small saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a simmer for an hour, making a light broth. Strain the broth and reserve.


2. When the turkey is cooked through, remove pan from the oven. Take the turkey and rack from the pan and place to the side. If there is liquid in the pan, remove it from the pan, spoon off the fat, then add enough water to make three cups total liquid.


3. Put the pan across two burners on a stove and turn the burners on. When heated, add the liquid and use a wooden spoon to dissolve any crust in the pan and to mix the roasted mirepoix. When all crust is dissolved, strain and reserve.


4. In a heavy saucepan over a medium heat, melt the butter, then add the flour. Cook and stir with a whisk until the mixture turns a golden brown and bubbles. Add all the liquid and whisk until smooth. Season to taste, though if you used a brined or kosher turkey, salt may be superfluous. Serve with the meal.

As for pie, Crisco has a hotline: 1-800-367-7438. (Actually, they say call 800-FOR PIE TIPS, probably because they thought 800-FOR PIET looked odd.) It's open 24 hours, has recorded tips, and they'll let you talk to an expert if necessary, though not on Thanksgiving day itself, so get your advice today and tomorrow while you still can. There is also information on the company's web site.

While I'm on the subject of pie, you might pick up a copy of this month's Cooks Illustrated. It had an article on pie crusts and the suggestion of using half cold water, half vodka instead of all water when moistening the flour and fat mixture. As the vodka includes alcohol, the theory is that you reduce the amount of gluten that forms when water hits flour, and so the crust is easy to roll and form, but still stays flaky. They swear by it, though I haven't had a chance to try it myself. They also mix shortening and butter, which should combine flavor and handling ability.

Labels: Complete Techniques, holidays, recipes, resources, Thanksgiving