Thanksgiving

November 30, 2024

The full production. Built around a sous vide porchetta-style turkey (turchetta) and the classics done right. Most components can be made ahead — the timeline below is how it actually runs.

The Menu

The Bird

• Turkey Porchetta (Turchetta) — Fried & Sous Vide

• Sous Vide Turkey Legs

• Turkey Gravy

Bread & Starch

• Amish Dinner Rolls

• Stuffing / Dressing

• Mashed potatoes with sour cream

Vegetables

• Cranberry Sauce

• The Ultimate Green Bean Casserole

• Roasted Brussels Sprouts

• Roasted Mushrooms

• Sous vide carrots

• Sweet potatoes

Timeline

Wednesday

• Spatchcock and salt the turkey (3 tbsp kosher salt + 1 tbsp baking powder)

• Make cranberry sauce (refrigerates fine)

• Make gravy stock

Week ahead (can do)

• Break down turkeys into legs and breasts. Sous vide and refrigerate. Reheat day-of at 130°F for ~1 hour.

• Make gravy, store and reheat.

• Stuffing: combine everything, hold in fridge, crock pot the day of.

• Mashed potatoes: vac-pack, reheat sous vide.

Day of

• Roasted Brussels sprouts (go in hot oven)

• Roasted mushrooms

• Rolls (bake off)

• Finish carrots in frying pan

• Bake green bean casserole (hold fried onions for the finish)

Note on the turchetta: It needs to be really crispy or the skin isn’t worth the effort. Get the temperature up more than you think. Slice ahead and hold in a hotel pan.