Sunday, November 18, 2012

Thanksgiving Day Time Line

Sorry for the pause in the Thanksgiving planning guides, we took a mini trip to Malibu but are glad to be home again today

It's the calm before the storm, except for the battleground known as the grocery store we fought through today. The last mild day before cooking the Turkey Day feast. Monday and Tuesdays will be long days in the office, and Wednesday will be a day of perfecting knife skills dicing and chopping to prepare.

Today I want to share with you the day of time line for the cook. I think it's a good guide, but like I mentioned before, I've never cooked Thanksgiving dinner so I'm not sure of the results yet.

This is based on Matt and I getting a Turkey Trot in before the cooking starts, and of course it's all based on roasting an 18lb bird for 4.5 hours.

8:30 am: leave for Turkey Trot, race is at 9, home no later than 10

10:00 am:
  • Preheat oven to 450
  • Prep Bird by melting 1/2 stick of butter and soaking cheese cloth in it
  • Place in cavity: onions, rosemary, lemons. Season skin sign salt and pepper.
  • Cover breast meat area with butter soaked cheese cloth, truss and bake for 45 minutes at 450
11:00 am: drop oven temp to 325, catch up with the mornings dishes

Noon: Guest may start arriving, Matt to put out the appetizers and beverages

1:00 pm: Everyone out of the Kitchen!
  • Start and finish stuffing - goes in baking dish to be baked later
  • Catch up dishes
1:45/2:00pm:
  • Get stock on the stove (keeping stock on for gravy and it makes a great bandaid if something doesn't come out great
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Buttered turnip
2:30 - 3:00pm Bird out of oven:
  • In go the rolls and stuffing, after 25 minutes bump oven to 375
  • Matt preheats the grill and stats bacon wrapped potato spears
  • Pearl onions on stove
  • Candied carrots on stove
  • Make gravy
  • Cave bird after resting it for a half hour under tinfoil
3:30pm: Dinner!


Maybe I'm nuts, but I'm just trying to be prepared.

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