November 16, 2016

Clarke Chef Serves Up Thanksgiving Recipes

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Clarke, New England’s Official Sub-Zero & Wolf Showroom and Test Kitchen, is always delighted to share the cooking knowledge and expertise found within its three locations. There is no single time of year where our showroom consultants and chefs receive more questions by phone or email than in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. Most Sub-Zero and Wolf owners take great pride in preparing delicious food and Thanksgiving kicks off a holiday season with hundreds of reasons to share food with friends and family. Here you will find recipes and instructions that will help answer the questions most asked of our Clarke team at this time of year.Whether you are wondering how to brine your turkey, what’s a great traditional stuffing recipe or looking for a new vegetable idea for this year’s holiday meal, you’ll find the information below. We thank Chef Birttany Wezner, who you may meet in our Boston 7 Tide or Milford Test Kitchen, for sharing these recipes and directions.

Brine Recipe

This recipe will make enough brine for a 13-15 pound bird. I recommend brining for at least 8 hours but up to 24 hours.

Ingredients:

  • 4 Quarts water
  • 4 cups kosher salt
  • 3 cups brown sugar (or white sugar, you can also use other sweeteners such as honey or maple syrup)
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 5-10 whole peppercorns

In a large pot, combine water, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer until sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Once dissolved, remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. You can let the brine cool at room temperature or you can pour it into a large bowl with an even larger bowl filled with ice underneath.

Once cool, place your turkey in a large plastic bag or sealable container. Pour the cooled brine over the bird, ensuring it covers the bird completely. Place in the refrigerator for 8-24 hours. Once brined, remove turkey, rinse off brine with cool water and pat dry. Allow the bird to sit at room temperature for approximately 45 minutes before placing into a pre-heated oven.

Dry Brine Recipe

This recipe is a great alternative to a wet brine, and it saves times considering you not have to add water and dissolve. This will make enough rub for a 13-15 pound turkey.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Prepare your turkey by removing it from its package and setting it onto a baking sheet, at least ½ inch think in case you have any residual juice. Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. Use this dry brine as you would a dry rub and rub the mixture all around the exterior and interior of the bird, ensuring an even layer. Let the bird sit in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 8-24 hours. Once brined, rinse the bird with cool water and pat dry. Allow the bird to sit at room temperature for approximately 45 minutes before placing into a pre-heated oven.

Traditional Stuffing

It is more difficult deciding on what you want to put in your stuffing than it is to actually prepare and cook! Here is my recipe for a traditional, white bread stuffing. Make this recipe your own by adding dried cranberries, sautéed ground sausage, or diced apples!

  • 3 loafs of white beard, crusts removed and cut into ½ inch cubes (you can also you brioche, wheat bread, Focaccia bread, or a combination of any day old bread you have hanging around!)
  • 4 Stalks of celery, diced
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 4-6 garlic cloves, diced
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1-2 tablespoons fresh herbs, finely chopped (I use a combination of sage, thyme, rosemary and parsley)
  • 1-2 cups chicken or turkey stock

Preheat Wolf Electric Oven to convection mode 325° (or bake 350°).

Arrange bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake in your preheated oven until golden and dry, about 5-8 minutes. Remove cubes and cool slightly. Transfer cooled cubes to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

In a medium sized sauté pan, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add celery, onion and garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add fresh herbs and cook 1-2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and add to bread cubes. Mix bread cubes and sautéed vegetables together. Add 1 cup of stock and stir to combine. Let the stuffing sit for at least 10-15 minutes to allow the bread time to soak up any excess moisture. If the stuffing still seems a little stiff, add more stock, ¼ cup at a time until desired texture is reached.

Transfer stuffing to a casserole dish or 13×9 inch dish. Bake on convection bake mode at 350° for 35-40 minutes until browned.

***You can use this same recipe and swap white bread for cornbread for a fun twist!

Brussel Sprouts with bacon and shallots

Ingredients:

  • Approximately 2 pounds Brussel sprouts
  • ½ pound diced bacon
  • ½ cup finely diced shallots
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon balsamic glaze

Trim stem end of brussel sprout and peel off the outer layer. Place onto a small baking tray or shallow baking dish and place it into the Convection Steam oven. Select Steam mode 210◦ degrees. Set timer for 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a sauté pan over medium-high heat, sauté bacon until crispy and adding shallots just before the bacon is done.

Remove the brussel sprouts and drain any excess liquid. Add brussel sprouts to sauté pan with bacon and shallots and continue to cook for approximately 5 minutes or until your liking.

Serve with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and enjoy!

If you have a specific question about how to best utilize your Wolf cooking appliances during the holidays, always feel free to call your Clarke team in Boston or Milford, Massachusetts or South Norwalk, Connecticut. And, to all of the wonderful home chefs throughout New England, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving filled with joyous cooking.