The turkey is broken into its primal cuts, which allows the meat to cook more evenly—in half the time! The meat turns out perfectly cooked, classically flavored, golden brown, and delicious every time—with far less babysitting than a whole turkey. This method frees up the oven sooner, plus the carcass can be simmering into stock for the gravy ahead of time.
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Beet and Pumpkin Seed Salad
Canned or refrigerated prepared beets make quick work of this robust salad. The sweet-and-sour dressing gets texture and richness from pumpkin seeds mixed with honey and vinegar. To keep the salad tasting bright and fresh, be generous with the honey and vinegar. Letting the shallots rest for a few minutes after dressing mellows their bite.
Apple Cranberry Crumble
Crumbles are not Italian, but I have learned to love them because they are very Italian in spirit—fresh fruit and a simple topping come together to create a homey dessert everyone will love. The trick to making a crisp, clumpy topping is to squeeze the clumps a little.
Blue Ribbon Deep Dish Apple Pie
When it comes to apple pie, the more fruit the merrier. Only, the more apples you pile into the dish, the more likely you are to end up with a big gap between the crust, which sets early in the baking, and the filling, which softens and shrinks by the time the pie is done. The answer, in a technique I adapted from Cook’s Illustrated magazine, is to pre-cook the apples just a bit to “set” their shape. The result is a pie that’s good enough for a bake-off: tall, beautifully domed, and filled to the very top with juicy apples.
Tuscan Turkey Roulade
Why do we eat turkey only on Thanksgiving?? If it’s prepared properly, turkey can be delicious and easy for any dinner party. This turkey roulade is actually better if you assemble it in advance because the flavors—prosciutto, fennel seeds, garlic, fresh sage, and rosemary—all permeate the turkey. This is classic comfort food with the volume turned up.