It’s that time of year again. Turkey anyone?

Thanksgiving this year seems a bit different. It is hard to prepare a feast when so many are fearful that they may not be able to feed their families in the coming weeks. It is a time for neighbors to help neighbors, to give to organizations and work in ensure that all families are fed and can celebrate.

No child should go to sleep hungry in America. Remember: The first Thanksgiving was about sharing with all members of the community, from the Pilgrims to the Native Americans. It is a good lesson to remember these days.

I always knew that most of the holiday food preparation rested on my shoulders. Since members of my extended family did not keep kosher, they could not cook for me. They did provide mevushal wine and drinks and fruit, but I did all the prep. In addition, I, ever the manager, took it upon myself to manage the serving and more, so I was always the last one to sit at the table. I am sure that this all sounds too familiar to many of you.

I often found myself exhausted. Luckily, I had many hands willing to clean up and do the dishes. Now that my kids are grown, they do help — my daughter makes a side dish or two, my older son makes a salad and vegetable and my younger son makes appetizers. But the turkey was always on me and I like it that way because I have learned a few shortcut, or hacks as they are now called, that help make turkey prep shorter and easier.

First of all, Thanksgiving is a really easy big meal to make as the menu is kind of pre-ordained. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes or yams, cranberry sauce, and whatever other sides you like. Make as many menu items as you can in advance and freeze them. I already have two pecan pies, some veggie stock and homemade cranberry sauce.

My favorite Thanksgiving trick, however, is to spatchcock, or butterfly, the turkey. When I suggested this method of cooking a few years ago, some people were horrified. How could I possibly give up taking an iconic, perfectly roasted turkey, whole and golden, to the table?

Easy.

I can cook two 12 to 14 pound turkeys in one oven in under 2 hours and then I have the oven available for everything else, so my day is actually far more relaxed. With a good pair of kitchen shears, you can butterfly the bird yourself or, have your butcher do it. Here’s another Secret. This method provides lots more crispy skin and makes a remarkably juicy bird. There are lots of sites that provide super easy directions. Also, why not try a new kind of turkey this year, a new seasoning, or glaze to bring new flavors to the table?

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Classic Butterflied Turkey (Meat)

12 to 14 lb. turkey butterflied

4 Tbsp. Canola oil or schmaltz, melted

6 cloves garlic

3 onions, cut into quarters

4 stalks celery, trimmed and washed

3 leeks, about 6 inches, white and light green part only

4 carrots, scrubbed and trimmed, left whole

Paprika

Onion powder

Garlic powder

Kosher salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

To Butterfly: Have the butcher butterfly the turkey, if you are not comfortable doing so. Use a very sharp knife or sharp kitchen shears. Place the turkey breast side down. Cut up one side of the spine, cutting through the ribs. Cut up the other side and remove the backbone. Save for broth. Turn the turkey over and press down on the center of the breast to crack the breastbone and front ribs. Place the flattened turkey in a large roasting pan.

Cut the onions in quarters and brush with canola oil. Scrub the carrots and trim the ends. Cut the leeks, slice halfway through, fan the layers and rinse thoroughly. Trim and wash the celery.

Alternate the leeks, celery, and carrots placing them across the width of the roasting pan in the center of the pan. There should be enough to reach almost end to end.

Peel the garlic cloves and place them around the bottom of the pan. Do the same with the onion quarters. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Place the turkey skin side up on the vegetables. Drizzle the oil over the turkey and rub it evenly over all exposed skin. Add some water or broth, about 2 cups, to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with a little salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder. Cover the tips of the wings and the tips of the legs tightly with about 2 inches of foil. Cover loosely with aluminum and roast at 350 until golden.

Baste often and remove the foil for the last half hour of cooking. An instant read thermometer should read 170 degrees in the thigh and 165 in the breast. You can remove when the temperature is about 5 degrees below those temperatures, as the turkey will continue to cook for a bit after removing it from the oven. Cooking should take about 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 hours, depending on the size of the turkey.

Remove the turkey and the vegetables except the garlic. Press the veggies through a sieve to extract the flavors and some of the flesh of the veggies. Discard the remaining solids. Add the pan drippings and mix well. Place into a fat separating cup and let the sauce settle.

Pour the fat-free juices into a saucepan and season with salt, pepper and maybe a bit of dry white or red wine – yes, either will work. Heat, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve. This “au jus” has far fewer calories than traditional gravy.

A 12-pound turkey will serve about 8 people.

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme Roasted Turkey (Meat)

12 to 16 lb. turkey (for a larger turkey, increase ingredients accordingly)

1 cup parsley, finely chopped

1 cup basil, finely chopped

1 cup thyme, finely chopped

1/2 cup sage, finely chopped

1/4 cup rosemary or oregano

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 stick pareve trans-fat-free margarine, melted

2 stalks celery, cut into chunks

2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

2 leeks, white part only, cut into chunks

6 to 10 cloves garlic, cut in half

1/2 cup unbleached flour

1/2 cup unfiltered apple cider

3/4 cup dry white wine

6 cups turkey stock (chicken stock if you don’t have turkey)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare the turkey and place on a roasting rack. Set aside.

Place the next five ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely minced. Add the olive oil and pulse once or twice to create a paste. Scrape into a medium bowl.

Melt the margarine and set aside.

Cut up the celery, carrots, leeks and garlic and scatter evenly around the roasting pan. Add the cooled, melted margarine evenly around the pan.

Rub the turkey with about 1/3 of the herbal paste. Place in the oven and roast, basting with the herbs every 30 minutes. Roast until about 150 degrees. Baste once more and increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees.

Roast until the temperature of the white meat reaches 160 degrees, the dark meat is 170, and the skin is golden. Remove from the oven; the temperature will continue to rise and should easily reach 165 degrees. Let rest for about 15 minutes, then carefully transfer the turkey to a platter

Remove the veggies from the pan and discard. Place the pan over 2 burners and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the flour and cook for about 2 minutes whisking constantly. Slowly drizzle in the stock, whisking constantly until the mixture is smooth. Add the apple cider and the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits that are still stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Reduce heat to a strong simmer and, mixing often, simmer until thickened and smooth, about 4 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and adjust wine and cider. You can puree the gravy in a blender or serve as is. Ladle into a gravy boat, carve the turkey and serve. Makes about 5 to 6 cups.

Roasted Turkey with
Cran-Maple Glaze (Meat)

12 to 18 lb. turkey

Herbal Rub:

1 stick softened pareve trans-fat-free margarine

1 tsp. onion powder

1/2 to 1tsp. freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 to 1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, finely minced

1 Tbsp. shallots, finely minced

2 Tbsp. garlic, finely minced

2 whole scallions, finely minced

1 small bunch fresh chives, finely minced

Mix the margarine and the rest of the rub ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Glaze:

3 Tbsp. pareve, trans-fat-free margarine

1 (12 oz) package fresh cranberries

2/3 cup pure maple syrup Grade B

1/2 cup cranberry juice

1/2 cup pomegranate juice

3/4 cup unfiltered apple cider

1/4 cup light brown sugar

Place all glaze ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a strong simmer. Let cook for about 20 to 30 minutes until the cranberries are very soft and the glaze is reduced by about 1/3. Strain through a sieve into another saucepan, pressing on the berries to push through as much fruit as possible.

Return to a simmer, taste and adjust maple syrup or sugar to taste. Baste the turkey several times with the syrup during the last hour of roasting. If the turkey browns too much, tent with foil. Pass the rest of the glaze or serve over yams.

Lemon Sage “Butter”
Rub for Turkey (Pareve)

This is my favorite “massage” for the turkey.

2 sticks softened trans-fat-free pareve margarine such as Earth Balance, very soft

2 scallions finely chopped

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh sage leaves

1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest

1 lemon, very thinly sliced

Mix the scallions, sage and lemon zest with the softened margarine. Rub half the mixture into the meat of the turkey under the skin. Place two or three lemon slices under the skin on each side of the breast. Melt the rest of the margarine mix and use it to baste the turkey as it roasts.

Citrus Sage Roasted Turkey (Meat)

1 (any size) turkey rinsed and patted dry, giblets removed

2 lemons, cut into thin wedges stem to flower direction

2 oranges cut into thin wedges, stem to flower direction

10 to 12 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

3 onions roughly chopped

2 Tbsp. fresh, flat leaf parsley, minced

1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning or mixture of rosemary, sage, oregano

1 tsp. black pepper

1 stick pareve, trans-fat-free margarine or 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 sprig fresh rosemary

4 to 5 sprigs fresh sage

3 to 4 fresh tarragon leaves

2 to 3 cups chicken or turkey stock or water

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Rinse the turkey, inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Place on a rack in a roasting pan and set aside.

Cut the lemons and oranges and place in a bowl. Chop the garlic and onions and add to the bowl. Add the minced parsley. Toss to mix. Set aside.

Place the Italian seasoning and pepper into a small bowl and add the softened margarine or olive oil. Mix well. Slide your fingers under the skin around the breast and rub the meat with half the mixture. Pat the skin down and rub the rest of the mixture over the entire bird.

Place half the citrus mixture into the cavity of the bird. Place the remaining half and any juices into the roasting pan. Add the sprig of rosemary, the sage and tarragon and the chicken or turkey stock.

Tent the turkey loosely with foil and place in the oven. Roast until the temperatures reach 160 degrees for white meat and 175 for dark meat. Rotate the pan once while roasting. Remove the foil for the last half hour and increase the temperature to 375 to crisp the skin. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes. Tip the turkey to pour any juices into the pan. Remove the citrus pieces from the roasting pan and use the drippings as a base for gravy or as au jus. If you like, garnish with orange and lemon halves or wedges. Serves a crowd.

Smoky Maple Glaze
for Turkey (Pareve)

1 stick plant based “butter,” very soft

2/3 cup pure maple syrup grade A Dark Amber

6 to 10 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 to 1 tsp salt

1/2 to 1 tsp black pepper, to taste

5 to 6 thyme leaves, minced

Splash freshly squeezed lemon juice

Mix all the ingredients together in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until blended. Taste and adjust ingredients as desired. (I like more lemon juice.)

Fill the turkey cavity with cut up lemons, maybe a cut up apple, and some fresh herbs.

Massage some of the maple butter onto the turkey and under the skin. Make sure to get the mixture everywhere on the skin. Roast, tented, until about 150 degrees. Bush again with the compound butter and roast until the dark meat is 170 and the white is 160. Brush the remaining butter on the turkey and roast for a few more minutes.

Remove the turkey and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

Write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com