My first Thanksgiving dinner 2009 我第一次做的感恩节晚餐

We always go to my mother-in-law's home for Thanksgiving since we met and got married. For all these years, we enjoyed the delicious dinners and great visiting. Never thought about how to cook or what to cook for the Thanksgiving if we decide to have our own. Now that day has come. We decided not to travel this year and wanted to have a quiet, sweet and private Thanksgiving holiday...
从认识到结婚，每逢感恩节我们都回他父母家。这么多年来都是这样和家人一起团聚品尝他妈妈做的感恩节大餐。从来还真没有想过如果我们自己在家过要怎么做，做什么。这一天到来了，今年我们决定不外出旅行，在自己家里过一个安静，甜蜜的感恩节，只有他和我。。。


Since this is our first Thanksgiving dinner, we decided to have a classic and traditional one. So, the manu was very simple:

Main course: Herb Roast Turkey
Side dish 1: Chestnut Stuffing
Side dish 2: Mashed Potatoes
Side dish 3: Twice Baked Sweet Yams
Side dish 4: Homemade Cranberry and Apple sauce
Bread:  Homemade Butter Dinner Rolls
Dessert: Classic Apple Pie

既然这是我们第一个感恩节，我们决定过一个传统的感恩节。菜单简单如下：
主菜：香料烤火鸡
配菜1：栗子stuffing
配菜2：土豆泥
配菜3：双烤红薯
配菜4：家做的Cranberry和苹果酱
面包：自己家做的奶油晚餐面包
甜点：传统苹果派

Didn't want to stay in kitchen all day for the Thanksgiving day. So, I started to prepare some of dishes the day before Thanksgiving day. Here are the high lights from our traditional Thanksgiving Dinner.
不想在厨房里度过感恩节，所以感恩节前一天晚上下班后开始准备东西。下面是一些我准备的东西。

主菜：香料烤火鸡
I bought a smallest turkey I can find. It was close to 8 lb and pre injected with salt water. Most of the turkey from the super market have already injected with salt water. So, I didn't have to brine it... I guess it is good thing. Maybe not...
I took it out of the freezer and put it in the fridge on Tuesday. I took it out on Tursday morning. It was completely unthawed. Dryed it with a paper towel and let it warm up in the room temperature for a bit. In the mean time, combined olive oil and fresh herbs together and made paste. Using hands carefully seperated skin and meat and inserted the herb paste there. Let it marinate for 30 minutes. Then rub the turkey surface with butter and olive oil. Line the roasting pan with foils, put the turkey breast side down and roast for 30 minutes at 325F. Fliped the turkey breast side up and continue bake until the turkey dark meat reached 160F, and surface is golden brown. Remove it from oven and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.
买了一只接近8磅的火鸡（最小的，挑花了眼），超市买的火鸡大都是（99％）注射了盐水的，所以也不用我来 brine它。没有必要再添加盐和糖了。星期二把火鸡从冻箱里取出放入冷藏箱中化冻。星期四（感恩节）上午已完全化冻，取出用厨房用纸擦干水分，放室温暖和，将橄榄油和多种意大利香料混合成酱，用手将火鸡皮和肉分开，抹入香料酱，腌30分钟，然后外表抹上奶油和橄榄油，鸡胸朝下，放入325F的烤箱烤，30分钟后把火鸡翻个，鸡胸朝上，烤箱温度调至350F, 当火鸡的厚肉温度达到160F时，取出火鸡，让它休息30分钟，然后再切，开吃。


Turkey is ready to carve:
我的火鸡烤好的样子：




Look at the inside, it is very moist and juicy.
看看切开的鸡胸肉，很moist 和juicy.


配菜1：栗子stuffing
Side dish 1: Chestnut Stuffing
My mother-in-law likes to make stuffing inside the turkey. Since this is my Thanksgiving, I tried making chesnut stuffing alone. I made French bread on Monday just for this. Cut the bread into cubes and dry them in the room temperature for half day.  (See picture A) The rest of the ingredients were celery, onion, a big apple, chestnuts peeled and 2 strip of bacon. Cut bacon into small pieces and cook them until golden brown. Add chopped celery, onion and apple. Cook them until they start to soften and cool. When you are ready to bake the stuffing, mix in with bread cubes, chestnuts, with 1.5 chicken stock along with salt and pepper. Bake it in a preheated oven at 350F until golden brown on the surface.
先生的妈妈总是放入火鸡肚子里烤的，我没有，（这是我的感恩节晚餐，我做主！）我自己星期一烤的面包，切了块状，放入室内自动干燥了(看下图A), 洋葱，芹菜，再摘一只苹果切块状，取2条bacon,要厚的那种，切块，锅里煎香，油煎出来，放入洋葱，芹菜，和苹果，中小火炒软，取出凉凉，烤之前，放入面包块，栗子，加盐和胡椒粉拌匀，再加1.5杯的鸡汤，搅拌均匀，放入350F的烤箱烤至表面金黄脆皮，取出既可食用。


We think it is the best when we bake it alone... Crispy outside and soft inside. Chestnuts gave the sweet and creamy touch. It was delicious.
这是烤好的：我们认为这是最好吃的做法。。。外表脆，里面软，栗子好甜。


配菜2：土豆泥
Side dish 2: Buttery Mash Potatoes
Everyone knows how to make it. I don't need to say anything here. The only difference I did was that the potatoes were from our own garden. It gave extra creamy texture. It was the best we never had!
这道是很传统的，谁都会做，我就不多说了。来看看我做的，又松，又软，又绵。。。


配菜3：双烤红薯
Side dish 3: Twice Baked Yam
Traditionaly, candy yam is the classic dish for Thanksgiving. We alway thought it is too sweet and couldn't taste the flavor of delicious yam. I gave it a twist this time. It turned out really well. See below pictures for procedures. We love it so much. Can't wait to do it again.
这道是我没有遵守传统的做法，我们觉得棉花糖烤的红薯太甜，盖住了红薯的香味，我就给了一个twist.红薯在450F的烤箱里烤好，上面切一刀，挖出瓤，拌入coby jack cheese，再放回红薯皮中，上面撒些挂了糖的核桃仁。吃之前，放入烤箱再烤热，大约15－20分钟。


Take a look at it one more time. It had creamy texture and full flavor of yam.
吃起来红薯味道很浓，又比较creamy. 挖一勺还带拉丝的，他觉得很奇怪，为什么这么creamy, 这种 garnet yam 还真好吃，哈哈哈。。。你不妨也试试。


配菜4：家做的Cranberry和苹果酱
我一直不明白为什么Cranberry酱罐头会有市场。自己家做的Cranberry酱美味无比。做法特简单。
Cranberry洗干净，放入水和糖煮开，关小火再煮10分钟，离火，趁热倒入你所喜爱的模子中，加入切小块的苹果丁，放入冰箱中冷却。


脱摸后既可食用，特点是爽口，清香，和烤火鸡是绝配


面包：自己家做的奶油晚餐面包
这是我家不可缺少的，不管什么节日，必须有的一道，贴过多次了，这里不多说了。


甜点：传统苹果派
家里苹果树上摘了些苹果，自己做的双层派皮, (2.5杯面，3/4杯白油，1/4杯冷水, 2大勺糖, 一点盐）一切都很传统，唯一的twist 是加了些cranberry. 派进烤箱之前刷上蛋液，撒上粗粒蔗糖。


烤好后是这样的：


切一块让大家尝尝，很好吃！加一勺香草冰激凌更是完美了。Life is good!!!


整个晚餐制作时间表：
星期一：烤面包，
星期二：火鸡从冻箱里取出放入冷藏箱中化冻
星期三：晚上下班做cranberry酱并放入冰箱冷藏(15分钟)，做部分栗子stuffing(15分钟)，做苹果派(10分钟做派皮,10分钟派馅, 烤1.5小时), 烤红薯(和苹果派一起烤)，连清洁加制做一共不到2小时。
感恩节(星期四): 早上简单早餐：法国土司和煎香蕉，配自己做的黑莓果汁和咖啡


感恩节（星期四）：早餐后从后山散步回来，先腌火鸡，发面做面包，
下午2:30 PM:
1. 火鸡进烤箱，混合栗子stuffing, 组装二次烤红薯。
2. 栗子stuffing， 红薯，晚餐面包进烤箱
3. Cranberry 酱脱模子，先生调鸡尾酒
4. 做土豆泥

下午 3:00 PM:
喝饭前鸡尾酒 (just warm up...)

下午 4:00 PM:
1. 火鸡烤好了，装盘，装饰
2. 做火鸡酱汁
3. 全部摆上餐桌

下午 4:30 PM: 老公开瓶酒，倒酒, 切火鸡，开饭了，







有人相信吗？我吃这么多。。。是真的！


What a quiet, sweet and private Thanksgiving! We love it!
好个安静，甜蜜的感恩节，只有他和我。。。