Thanksgiving for Two Is A Lot Harder than Thanksgiving for Many

In years past, I've cooked the Thanksgiving meal for as many as twenty and as small as six, but this year's feast for only me and the hubs was harder to execute well. I bought the smallest turkey I could find. And miracle of miracles, it fit in my fridge without having to remove any shelves.              

However, I thought that almost ten pounds of turkey was way too much for two people, and so right away I decided to spatchcock and split the bird in half. I watched YouTube videos on how-to and luckily, so did the hubs. I took out my brine and rub kit I got on clearance last year and decided to break that down into halves as well.

And then hyperextended my back while lifting something and suffered spasms in my sciatica sometime this week at work. WOW. I've never had knee or back injuries, and I've so much more empathy for people who suffer these pains chronically. I did however, get some green ware bowls done before being unable to unload the glaze and bisque kilns. I'm fortunate that my friend, Meral will help with that this Monday after the holiday weekend and I'll be into week one with the healing (I'm giving my back as many as 4-weeks-break from any lifting if I can help it). 

Back to the turkey. I was stiff and suffering searing spasms and luckily had the Wednesday off to recover, and so the husband did all the butchering. He used garden shears to cut out the back bone and then hack the turkey in two. I bagged half and stuck it in the freezer, and reserved the backbone and neckbone and giblets for the gravy. I dissolved the spices and salt into water and buttermilk for a marinade.

I put the other half into a half sheet (or is it quarter sheet?)pan and cut stale bread into cubes and set them on a separate sheet pan to dry even further.

And rested my back but walked the dog because walking plus acetaminophen and ibuprofen and a heating pad made my back feel looser and more limber.  And so I got to prepping. I removed the turkey from the brining bag and toweled it dry. I cut sprigs of rosemary and sage and thyme from the herb garden and cut up a lemon and onion into small wedges and laid them all onto a sheet pan. I put the neck and back bones into a pot and started boiling them for stock.

Next I prepped the bird. I salted it and then layered on top of the citrus and herbs. I put knobs of butter under the skin and then dry-rubbed spices and salt on top of the skin. 

And then it was time to walk the dog. Hubs said the turkey should go into the oven at least by 3:00 to be done by 6:00, and I said that was too early. However, we went ahead and popped the bird into a 200 degree oven because we could just keep it warm even if it were already cooked. Once we got home, I got started on the dressing. Sautéed onions and celery and herbs in butter and drained some of the turkey drippings into the cast iron. Poured myself a glass of Chardonnay.

And looked on while the hubs checked the temperature of the turkey, for I had let him take over roasting duty. And before I knew it, I had to hustle to get the stuffing and apple pie into the oven and the potatoes boiling so I could mash them with butter and heavy whipping cream and make a roux to fold into the turkey broth for a gravy. I had already asked the hubs to sauté the Savoy cabbage which was the only green vegetable other than lettuce in my refrigerator drawer. 

 

There were some fails. A marinated half turkey doesn't produce enough crispy skin, nor enough golden brown pan drippings to flavor and make a gravy luxurious (though the marinade did produce a tender, moist meat which will make for awesome turkey sandwiches later). I forgot to buy my favorite cranberry orange relish from Trader Joe's and missed that fruity and tangy accompaniment. I put way too much broth into my stuffing and then tried to dry it out too fast which resulted in burning the bottom, but I saved it by putting what was not burnt into a glass baking dish to pop into the oven with the apple pie. I forgot chives and green onion to add the allium taste and pop of green I love on mashed potatoes. The hubs insisted on taking the cast iron from me before I could scrape all the burnt stuffing out of it, which then ended up on the cabbage though they didn't taste burnt. And I forgot to cook and add the giblets to the gravy, which I just threw into the bag of the other half of the turkey in the freezer. HOWEVER,

we were grateful that it was all savory and delicious if all brown and beige and white in color. And I had plenty of wine.

Enough wine to still enjoy my slice of crisp, Dutch apple pie with lots of whipped cream. T'was a good thanksgiving for two.

T'was the Day Before Thanksgiving....

I hurt my back. Crazy. I've been lifting and pushing and pulling heavy boxes and carts of books for over a decade, but I think I inadvertently arched my back and twisted while holding a box of books and pulled a muscle. OUCH. There wasn't any moment where I felt the pain right away but was sure as hell sore at work on Monday and still managed to walk my usual three miles. However, I was stiff and hurting when I went to work on a Tuesday, and luckily the wellness staff and the wife of an athletic trainer had me bend my knees to my chest and showed me how to take the pressure and weight off my lower back though I did take off early to take pain meds and rest. And then it was Wednesday, my day off before Thanksgiving, and I couldn't even make it to Costco with the hubs. But I had nothing I needed for our Thanksgiving feast. I just wanted the newest Barack Obama memoir and flowers I told the hubs.

And the hubs got me wine too. HOnestly, I'm so grateful for a partner in this pandemic. And my dog.

I watched Netflix, walked the dog, and my back was so much better. A twinge now and then, but none of the occasional sharp stabbing spasms of the day before. I felt so much better that I went outside into cold and wind to grill a marinated flank steak that I plunked on top of a green salad (no blue cheese for the hubs, but man is the combination of beef and bleu so yummy)along with buttered corn for a starch factor.

 

Already even before the Thanksgiving reminder, I am so grateful for the life I have even in these difficult times.

Baking: Toffee Bits Cocoa Cookies

As much as I love cooking, I am not passionate at all about baking--and I once even got myself a job as a baker in a college coffeehouse where I baked muffins and cookies. I'm even known to bake an authentically delicious scone (the trick is not to overwork a quick dough as every good baker knows). But really even more fun than baking my dried fruit cream scones or my golden raisin and walnut rugelach, is a savory strata with cheddar cheese, breakfast sausage, caramelized onions and herbs like sage and rosemary. However, it's holiday season and a neighbor gifted me part of a loaf of sourdough (another baking hobby I won't take up), and so I felt compelled to bake cookies.

Baking done, and I could finally eat bread and butter and drink wine and cuddle my dog.

With books, wine, bread and a dog, what more could anyone else ask?

Hog Island Oysters: 3 Days of Sublime Salinity

A month ago, I got an email from Hog Island Oysters offering subscriptions. My wedding anniversary is in December, and so I signed up for 3 months and so very happy I indulged in this extravagance.

I didn't think I ordered gloves and an oyster knife, well maybe gloves, but not another oyster knife which I already have. I suspect the shucking tools come with your first order and Hog Island is assuming that home cooks won't have these implements. I knew a week before delivery that the oysters were coming, and so I tried to consume leftovers to make room in the fridge for 3 days of eating oysters, and I wasn't sure how many oysters in total would arrive. The box was pretty freaking big. However, I assumed that there would be a lot of packaging and ice packs. There were a total of 36 oysters. And it had been years since I shucked oysters.

Right away I made a mignonette of chopped shallots, rice vinegar, sherry vinegar, champagne vinegar, and black pepper and then got to shucking.

I didn't have any time to cook side dishes or even make a salad. I also hadn't made any extra ice to put in the serving dish.

I did however remember to buy a sourdough baguette for our oyster feast, and we've always Irish butter in our pantry.

And remembered at last minute to cut up a lemon and take out the horseradish and seafood forks for serving. And more wine. Mustn't forget wine.

I was too impatient to look for the hot sauce in my cupboard. And it was DELECTABLE, DELICIOUS, DIVINE. Jut bread and butter and oysters.

I feared that the hubs would think the oysters were too big--his favorite oysters are Kumumato and Hama Hama oysters which are tiny. These oysters were on the medium size. And it was only afterward that I discovered we had dined on Hog Island Sweetwater oysters. Even the husband declared our dinner yummy. Raw on the half shell are the way to go when oysters are this local and this fresh.

Day 2. Hubs won't eat the same thing the very next night. Luckily, I had some rotisserie chicken, Alfredo sauce, button mushrooms and bought some frozen broccoli.  

I wanted oysters on the half shell AGAIN.

Same set-up. Same delicious repeat. On this second tasting, I tasted more salinity. And took notes in the oyster passport that Hog Island on all the nuances. I noticed more creaminess and sweetness on my first tasting, perhaps because I was so stunned at such fresh oysters.

Day 3. Seven oysters left. I had glanced at the Hog Island Oyster cookbook and remembered a recipe for grilled oysters with butter, garlic, bread crumbs (I had Panko), parsley, and Worcestershire. I had taken out a filet of sockeye salmon from the freezer to thaw the day before for our planned Saturday Seafood Supper.

I first cooked Tuscan salmon two years ago and it's my go-to if I wanna impress. So here's the inspo for this meal. Some years ago, hubs and I had one of the worst meals at a local fish house. I aimed to eradicate that bad memory of grilled fish that was meh, served alongside an equally bland pilaf with this supper. My mise en place for this hoped-for spectacular dish: chopped garlic, chopped scallions, chopped basil, chopped baby spinach, chopped Roma tomato (but cherry tomatoes are awesome too), butter, heavy whipping cream and white wine.

Before cooking the sauce, pan fry the salmon filet in olive oil: six minutes skin side down and after it's lightly crisp, turn over and cook the other side for two to three minutes. I do not like overcooked fish, and so I then removeed the fish from the pan and reserved to add to the sauce later. 

In the same pan, add a knob of butter. Sauté the aromatics until softened, about 5 minutes. Then add the chopped tomatoes and continuing sautéing a few more minutes and de-glaze with Chardonnay if you want. I wanted.

Then add the heavy whipping cream and simmer for three to four minutes to meld the flavors. Once it's thickened down a little, add the salmon and chopped parsley and basil.

Fish done. I then popped my oysters under the broiler and grilled them for about 4 minutes or until the crumbs were golden brown and the juices were bubbling.

Success! The hubs pronounced it one of the more delicious meals I'd ever cooked. He liked everything about it including oysters one more time. And I loved that I could still taste the creamy deliciousness of the oyster liquor even when grilled.

Bad restaurant seafood memory be gone!