If patience is a virtue cooking in a NYC apartment is truly a test. I am cooking at home this morning for my wife, four dogs, two cats and one parrot, my furry, feathered family.
Having done a few things after work last night I was up early and walked the dogs had two cups of China town coffee, have my ipod on, I have taken what I watched my mother made growing up and changing things a little.
First up, I am not used to cooking for only two people. Time to scale back and think about everything involved. I started by discussing, with my wife, what we would have. Turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, baked yams with maple syrup and marshmallows, creamed pearl onions, macaroni and cheese, asparagus, and pumpkin pie.
I began by cleaning the refrigerator, it sounds like a strange place to begin and I know it has been done in the last six months but where did this stuff come from? The cabinets were next and it was the same as the refrigerator. I am not sure how things accumulate. By being organized before I began cooking, I didn’t waste money on things I already had, only bought what I needed and don’t have more stuff to try and find a place to keep.
I started at 6:00am, target dinner time 2:00pm, making pumpkin pie. I tried a different crust recipe than the one I always use, I will go back to the usual. I peeled potatoes and yams, put them in the pans and covered with water until later.
The stuffing is made from sliced white bread, celery and onion, turkey stock and sage with a little salt and pepper. It is the same way I remember my mother making it when I was a child.
Next I mixed one quarter pound soft butter with black pepper, kosher salt, and one tablespoon each rosemary, sage, parsley and thyme and spread it all over the turkey including under the skin. At 10:30 it went in a 400 degree oven for one half hour then I turned the heat to 350 degrees. It should have taken about three hours to cook, the formula is approximate but it is about fifteen minutes per pound, a 12 pound turkey cooks for three hours. Don’t ask me how but in two hours it was done. Fortunately for me I had everything ready to finish in the oven or on the stove top. I took the turkey from the oven at 12:30pm, removed it from the roasting pan to a large plate and covered it with foil to keep it warm.
The gravy was next. In the bottom of the roasting pan, under the turkey, I had put diced onion, carrot and celery. I added some turkey stock to the roasting pan that the turkey was cooked in and put the pan over a medium flame to deglaze and scrape up all the browned bits. As this cooked I mixed about one half cup all purpose flour with cold water and whipped it making sure there were no lumps and stirred it into the roasting pan of turkey drippings. It cooked for about five minutes and then I strained it and adjusted seasoning with salt and pepper. It is really quite good made this way and again is the same way I remember my mother making it.
We ate at 1:30pm, one half hour early. The best part of the day is being home with my family and cooking for them.
A few simple things that work for me and made it easier and less stressful.
Clean as you go. Make sure you have a list of everything needed. Stick to your list, making adjustments if necessary. It is better to have a few very good things rather than trying to have too much. Plan for the unexpected, for me it was the turkey cooking in less time. Don’t wait until the last minute to buy what you need, I bought the last can of pumpkin on the shelf. Your turkey needs to thaw in the refrigerator not on the kitchen counter. I recommend using kosher salt and this year used a pepper mill and fresh herbs, you will be pleasantly surprised. Most importantly remember to be thankful for what you have.
I look forward to your questions and comments and would love to hear of your successes and the close calls. Please send you emails to chef@mathhewbabbage.com .
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