3 or 4 leaves fresh sage
salt and pepper
turkey rub from day before
aluminum foil
Bowman & Landes Fresh Turkey

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Season cavities of turkey with salt and pepper and insert sage leaves. Crumple pieces of foil into balls and place in cavities. Fold wings under and place in roasting pan. Rub all over with turkey rub. Place in oven for 20 minutes.

Reduce heat to 325 degrees and roast until done. (The instant read thermometer should register 170  degrees at the thickest part of the thigh. Do not let it touch the bone.) During roasting, remove 2 or 3 times to baste with its juices. If turkey reaches the desired brown color before it is done, place a tented piece of foil loosely over top of turkey.

When done, remove pan from oven, remove turkey carefully from pan and let stand at least 20 minutes before carving.

(This can be made the day before)

1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup salt

Mix ingredients and set aside. Bring to room temperature before using.


(Can be made two days in advance)

turkey neck, giblets and any trimming
1 rib celery
1 carrot
1 small onion
2 cloves
1 bay leaf
2 or 3 large sprigs of parsley
1 1/2 cups chicken broth (or Bowman & Landes Turkey Broth)
1 cup Madiera wine
additional water, to cover

for serving day
2 TB. Madiera wine
3 TB. butter or turkey fat
3 TB. flour

Place turkey giblets, neck and trimmings in a small saucepan. Break carrot and celery in half and place in saucepan. Cut onion in half, stick one clove in each half and add to saucepan. Add bay leaf and parsley. Add one cup wine and chicken broth and enough water (if needed) to cover. Bring to boil, lower heat to simmer, cover with lid slightly ajar and cook for two hours. Strain. You should have two cups. If not, add enough water to equal two cups. Chop giblets and add them back to stock if desired. Chill.

While turkey is sitting:

In saucepan, melt butter or turkey fat and stir in flour. Let cook over moderate heat until flour aroma disappears, about 1 minute.

Pour all juices from turkey roasting pan into tall narrow cup or fat separator. Let fat rise to top and pour brown juice underneath into saucepan with gravy. Put roasting pan over heat and deglaze with remaining 2 TB. Madiera and about 1/4 to 1/2 cup water. Let it boil, scraping up any brown bits to dissolve them. Add content to gravy and season with salt and pepper.

If gravy is too thick, add some stock or milk. If too thin, dissolve 1 TB. cornstarch in 1 TB. cool water and stir, a bit at a time, into simmering gravy until desired consistency is reached. Remember, it will continue to thicken as it cools.

Brining
(Two days in advance)

1 thawed turkey (all of our turkeys are fresh, never frozen)
Hills Own Brine*
water

In a large non-reactive bowl, dissolve brining mixture in water. This process is faster if you use warm or hot water. Be sure to bring back to room temperature before adding turkey.

Trim any excess skin (neck especially) from turkey and place in brine. Make sure you place in a container that is just slightly larger than the turkey. (Or use a brining bag.) Cover and place in refrigerator overnight.

If you are cooking the turkey before 2 p.m., remove the turkey from the brine the night before serving and place in refrigerator to allow the skin to dry.

If you are cooking the turkey after 2 p.m., do this the morning of serving.

* Hills Own Brine makes one gallon of brining solution. Depending on the size of your container, you may need two jars.


(Can be made two days in advance)

12 oz cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup orange juice (preferably fresh)

In a medium saucepan over moderate heat, dissolve sugar into orange juice, stirring from time to time. Stir in cranberries and cook until cranberries start to “pop” or open, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and pour sauce into bowl. Refrigerate. Sauce will thicken as it cools. Bring to room temperature before serving.

For one 9 or 10 inch single crust pie

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teas. salt
8 TB. (one stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small bits
1 TB. granulated sugar
1 extra large egg yolk, cold (or 1 1/2 large egg yolks)
2 TB. ice cold water, or more as needed
1 extra large egg white for waterproofing (optional)

Place flour and salt in food processor fitted with steel knife blade. Add butter and process in quick on/off bursts until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle mixture with sugar and process 1 to 2  seconds only to blend. Pour mixture into chilled bowl. Beat egg yolk and 2 TB. water and pour over flour mixture. Quickly combine using fork or fingertips to make a firm, pliable dough. Add additional drops of water if dough seems too dry or crumbly. Turn dough out onto large sheet of waxed paper, shape into rough, flat cake and wrap with paper. Refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes.

Spray pie plate with floured cooking spray.

Peel off top layer of waxed paper and cut strips of dough about 1/3 inch thick from outside of dough circle, keeping circular shape intact. Lightly brush rim of pie plate with cold water and press the strips onto the rim as desired. Prick bottom of shell with tines of fork. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line chilled pie shell with aluminum foil and fill with raw rice or beans. Place cookie sheet on rack in lower third of oven and place pie on cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, remove foil and rice, reduce temperature to 375 and continue baking for 10 to 12 minutes longer, or until baked through and medium amber color.

To waterproof, beat egg white until frothy. Remove shell from oven a few minutes before it is finished baking and brush inside of shell with egg white using soft pastry brush. Return to oven for 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Use shell with favorite pie filling according to recipe or can instructions.

from Chez Panisse Vegetables, Alice Waters

5 medium russet potatoes
10 medium turnips
butter
salt and pepper
2 cups heavy cream or 1 cup heavy cream and 1 cup Kitchen Basics Chicken Stock

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Peel and slice the potatoes 1/4 inch thick, with a knife or on a mandolin, and put them in a bowl of cold water to prevent them from discoloring.

Peel the turnips if their skin is tough and slice them 1/4 inch thick. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9 by 12-inch bakind dish. Drain the potatoes and pat them dry. Later the potatoes and turnips alternately in the abkind dish, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper. Pour in enough of the cream, or half cream and half chicken stock, to barely cover the vegetables. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes. Rotate the dish periodically for even browning.