Thanksgiving 2023 was quiet and easy going in our home … with lots of cooking. Thursday evening the three of us celebrated together with a less than traditional, but all agreed, very tasty dinner. The weekend closed with a friend; we feasted on turkey. Both meals were beautiful spreads, and it was agreed by all that everything tasted delicious, even as left-overs.

Our untraditional Thanksgiving dinner centered on a roast duck. The sides were my delicious potato and duck fat potato galette, roasted brussels sprouts, salad, and cranberry sauce. The last dish has become one of Daughter’s specialties, something she enjoys preparing, strictly follows the instructions on the bag of berries; I like to add chopped orange while cooking.

Duck. Many years ago, visiting with my friend, Google, I found this recipe for duck. It is time consuming, but ever so easy. I’ve shared it with several friends; they, too, have adopted it as the go-to duck recipe.

Start by scoring the skin, cutting off all the excess fat and skin,* and poke it all over with a fork (to release even more luscious duck fat). Now patience is called for (and either working on the nearby computer or reading)… Roast the bird at 300 degree, 1 hour breast down; 1 hour breast up; 3^rd hour breast down; final hour, breast down; finally, increase the oven to 400 degrees and turn breast up to brown. All along the way, carefully remove the lovely duck fat from the roasting pan. When the bird is done, apply whatever glaze desire. We like our crispy, crusty, moist duck au natural.

*While your duck is roasting take the extra fat and bits of skin you carefully cut off. Put into a frying pan and gently cook out the fat (to be added from the fat harvested from the roasting pan). The result is more crispy, crunchy, tasty thingies. Ashkenazi Jews make this treat (gribenes) from chicken and goose fat. Daughter enjoyed this treat during dinner.

Duck Fat-Potato Galette (from Bon Appetit, December 2011, modified). Preheat your oven at 425 degrees. Put a springform ring on a lined baking sheet. Thinly slice about 2 pounds of unpeeled Yukon Gold potatoes on a mandolin. Toast ½ tsp of caraway seeds, then crush and add to about 6 tbsp. duck fat, salt, and pepper. Add the potatoes, toss and coat.

Layer about ¼ of the potatoes inside the springform ring. Thinly slice 1 small onion, add 1/3 of the onion on top of the potatoes. Repeat the layers 2 times ending with potatoes on top. Carefully remove the ring. Bake for about 45 minutes, brush with butter or duck fat and bake 5-10 minutes more. (I think I overlooked this finishing step, my potatoes did not have the usual wonderful crunch.)

Brussels Sprouts. This was simple. I halved the sprouts, tossed them in olive oil with salt and pepper and put them in the oven on the same pan scattered cut side down around the potatoes. They were quite done when I turned off the oven; maybe that’s why I did not leave the galette in for the final steps. Daughter added a dash of balsamic vinegar

For our second Thanksgiving dinner, I turned to the traditional turkey; it’s not Thanksgiving if the house is not permeated with the scents of roasting bird. I bravely used a recipe for turkey breast I’d recently seen on this year’s America’s Test Kitchen Holiday Special. It worked and will be added to the file of keeper recipes (see 9-18-23 for roast turkey breast in pomegranate and date molasses). I was equally adventurous with the sides: wild rice with chestnuts and butternut squash salad.

Turkey Breast a la America’s Test Kitchen (I think you might find this on-line). Start with a bone-in turkey breast. They had a double breast, mine was a single, enough for us and some leftovers. Pat dry, salt and pepper on both sides. Put some oil into a dutch oven, put the breast in breast side down (get all those juices into the breast which tends to dry). Add chopped onion, chopped celery, some thyme, and a bayleaf (I used a package of mirepoix from the freezer). I also added the juices of 3 sour oranges. Brown for 10-12 minutes.

Turn the turkey breast up. Turn off the heat, cover with foil and add the lid. Place into a 250 degree (low) oven for one and a half or two hours. Take the turkey out of the pot and tent. Cook down the juices on a medium high heat for about 15 minutes, then slowly add ¼ cup of flour to create a roux (2-3 minutes). Slowly add 4 cups of chicken broth scraping up everything from inside the pan. Simmer about 10-15 minutes then strain. Enjoy!

Wild Rice with Chestnuts. One of the samples I got at the Food Show (see Sept. 23 post) was wild rice, a real treat and one of North America’s indigenous foods. I covet the ingredient and should use it more often! Following package instructions prepare in 2 separate pots one and one half cup of basmati rice* (I wash this rice) and ½ cup of wild rice, set both aside. Chop two leeks, 2 stalks of celery, 2 shallots, and 3 cloves of garlic. Sauté for about eight minutes stirring from time to time. Add 1 tsp of thyme, a cup of mushrooms (I cooked these earlier in the week and remembered to add them!), and 1 tbsp. olive oil. Combine the two rices. Fold in the vegetables and 1 cup of roasted chestnuts. Add ¼ cup of chicken broth, salt and pepper, and (if you have it) 1 tbsp of white truffle oil. Combine everything. Enjoy this, too!

*This recipe makes quite a large side dish and the gentle wild rice is a bit hidden. Next time I’ll prepare only 1 cup of basmati.

Warm Butternut Squash Salad with Pomegranate Seeds and Pistachios. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel and cut 1 butternut squash into 1” or so cubes. Chop 2 red onions (the recipe recommends “chunks”). Toss both with some olive oil, salt, and pepper (I do not add the cumin because of Daughter’s preferences). Spread on a lined baking sheet and roast for 40-45 minutes. Serve in a bowl or platter with arugula, or any nice lettuce finely chopped, top with ¼ cup pomegranate seeds and ¼ cup shelled pistachios. Garnish with fresh parsley. The entire meal was Enjoyed.

We had desserts, of course, both days. I’ll save those for another day as we are still enjoying them.

Now, dear readers, brace yourselves, the Annual Art Week blogathon is soon to start. Constant Companion and I are planning to get several early starts before the official start date next week is December 5. I’ll do my best to find wonderful observations to bring to you.