Ha! I wish i could somehow consistently eat a guilt-free Thanksgiving meal during the week 
But i do agree with you on mashed-potatoes being awesome. Although I’m not a gravy guy. On second thought…maybe you can’t come to dinner
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Post more often!
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Do you just butter them?
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Finally, I feel like I’ve found a safe place for my feelings to be shared! Thank you for speaking truth, @scottkieser
I too agree that Thanksgiving is the peculiar celebration of American culinary mediocrity; the pinnacle of which is a bird whose only evolutionary advantage is the fact that it is impossible to cook well. (Unless deep fried)
C’mon… I mean, who goes to a fancy restaurant and says, “Ya’ know, I think we should splurge and get the turkey tonight” ?
To stay on thread: lots of Champagne and Gamay
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Welcome Michael. An excellent and on-point post.
For the gastronomic rugby scrum that is Thanksgiving, I will be opening Kab/Spat Rieslings, Pinot of the Oregon and Burgundy persuasions, and some Bordelet pear cider.
Count me as one who loves Thanksgiving for its potluck atmosphere of sharing and its relative absence of crass commercialism (well, compared to say, Christmas, Halloween ands Valentines Day). Its a day when we are as likely to welcome holiday orphans and “chosen family” to the table as we do “genetic family”.
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Butter it like Robuchon!
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Yep, just butter! If they’re good mashed potato…i feel like that’s all you need!
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White truffles gild the lily
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For us it’s always California pinot noir with the Thanksgiving spread. I even like it with the homemade cranberry relish. Ive got a few bottles of Failla in mind and maybe Ojai too.
I remove the whole breast of the Turkey which is cooked en cocotte to perfect doneness. About 1/3 of the bird’s weight is breast so with a large bird you can still make plenty to serve a crowd with just the breast The liquid and aromatics in the pot are strained and make amazing gravy. The legs and thighs get thrown in the freezer for grilling or smoking some other time.
Since they can be so cheap at Thanksgiving we like to buy some extra turkeys (small ones) and throw them in thefreezer to cook some other time and just prep them like large chickens.
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This is the most important suggestion, by far.
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Gewurztraminer
Mourvèdre Rose
Carbonic wines
Counoise
Cinsault
Gamay
Grenache
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#FullNixon
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Gewurzt & Cinsault FTW!
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Great ideas for optimal turkey cooking and homemade gravy is key!
I like keeping some favorite sides in the rotation and including something new. I am planning on cooking a second turkey in a Korean fried turkey style for the first time. Debone it, cut the turkey into single serving pieces, double fry the pieces and cover them in a homemade spicy gochujang sauce. If it’s a hit, then it might become a recurring meal. If not, then at least there are plenty of people around to put a sizable dent in the mountain of fried turkey. Also a good reason to open some Champagne.
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I knew a guy who cooked all the cuts separately (breast separate from legs, etc) using different techniques optimal for each cut which were then all served together. But he cooked three legs and someone noticed midway through the meal there were more than two legs. But he played a perfect straight man by acting like there’s nothing to discuss here.
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Exactly what I do. Haven’t cooked a whole, intact turkey in several years. Sometimes I have the butcher disassemble a whole turkey for me, but lately I just buy wholesale thigh/legs, and breast separately, in whatever proportions I need.
I use something like this recipes for the breast
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I did a recipe last year where I got some pretty nicely sourced chickens and did a super flat spatchcock where all of the skin pretty much lays very flat.
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I will emphasize that this is the proper way to cook a superior bird.
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I’m not a huge turkey fan but last year I made turkey leg confit and that worked out great. I might have to try it again.
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