Thanksgiving dinner is delicious, but cooking for a crowd can be stressful. What time do you put in the turkey? How do you make a flaky pie crust that’ll finally impress your grandma? And how do you get those blasted lumps out of the mashed potatoes?!
Thankfully, Gesine Bullock-Prado has the answers. She runs a baking school in the Upper Valley called the Sugar Glider Kitchen, and hosts “Baked in Vermont” on the Food Network. She's also a New York Times bestselling cookbook author — her latest is called "My Vermont Table: Recipes for All Six Seasons."
Here are three kitchen tips from Vermont Edition's Thanksgiving cooking show, which also featured Hartland baker Susan Reid:
Tip #1: Your turkey doesn't need to be in the oven all day
Many of us are probably overcooking our turkeys, leading to dried-out meat and soggy skin. Bullock-Prado cooks her bird on high heat to ensure the skin gets extra crispy. She also seasons it well with a dry brine — an overcooked, under-salted turkey is an all-too-common Thanksgiving crime.
Rather than following the cooking time on the Butterball wrapper, use a meat thermometer to know when your turkey's done. Poke your bird in the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone. Once it's out of the oven, let it sit for a while so it can finish cooking and soak in all those good juices.
Tip #2: Make your pumpkin pie ahead
Bullock-Prado and Reid agree: Making your pumpkin pie filling early will make the flavors really pop. You can also make your pie crust early and keep it in the freezer, to take some craziness out of Thanksgiving day. Just make sure to add a little acid like a tablespoon of vinegar so the dough doesn't turn gray, Reid warns.
And if pie isn't your thing, you could always try your hand at Bullock-Prado's fantastical giant pumpkin cake.
Tip #3: Make those family recipes your own
One of Bullock-Prado's most beloved recipes is her grandmother's gravy, which she recently wrote about for the Today Show. She and her sister forged their own family tradition from it — calling each other to remind one another of all the varied ingredients that go in it, lest they forget the sour cream, horseradish, turkey bits, or ketchup (you read that right). While her gravy might not be the exact same as her German grandmother's or mother's, Bullock-Prado savors her version and the family memories it conjures.
Broadcast live on Monday, November 25, 2024, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.
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