Move Over, Turkey

Let’s talk turkey (or ham, as the case may be). For anyone hosting, or anyone cooking, or anyone supporting someone hosting or cooking, Thanksgiving is a marathon. It’s a plan-ahead, list-making, crazy-making week. But it’s also a marathon of the best kind, when the anticipation and the prep can be just as much fun as the holiday itself. 

We know everyone has their favorites on Thanksgiving. In the case that you are up for – and granted permission to – adding something new to this year’s menu, here are a couple of my family favorites, and a couple of new additions. 

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy Thanksgiving full of family, friends, and lots of gratitude. 

A bracing tabouli (Photo: Andria Dilling)

Tabouli might sound odd to serve on Thanksgiving, but it has been a staple at our holiday table for at least 30 years. Our dear friends-who-became-family Dr. and Mrs. Vogelpohl (Kris Anne and Elmer) are no longer with us, but when they were, we were lucky that they chose our house to celebrate the day. Every year, Mrs. Vogelpohl brought her famous tabouli, and its light, acidy crunch (thanks to tomatoes and lemon) became the annual foil to plates piled with turkey and dressing and sweet potatoes. If you’ve ever wanted a real Greek Orthodox grandmother’s recipe for tabouli, the kind you find at the Greek Festival and wish you could have all the time, this is it. The Vogelpohls’ daughter Libby Jacobson (also our extended family) shared her mom’s recipe with us.

Mrs. Vogelpohl’s Tabouli

2 bunches parsley, including stems, chopped fine
1 large tomato, diced
½ cup bulgur wheat 
Juice of 2 lemons
4 green onions, chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Place the parsley, tomato, and bulgur in a medium bowl. Fold in the lemon juice. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight. The (uncooked) bulgur will soak up the liquid from the tomato, lemon, and parsley. If the wheat is still crunchy, add a few tablespoons of water and let it sit a while longer. Stir in the green onion and mint, then the olive oil, salt, and pepper. 

Taste for salt and pepper, and feel free to add more of what you like and less of what you don’t. “It’s all a matter of taste,” Libby says. “You will find your balance to this recipe.” 

Serve Orange-Bourbon Glazed Ham on Easter or at any gathering and enjoy the many compliments it will generate. (Photo: Andria Dilling)

Turkey might be the star of the Thanksgiving show, but we are also required to serve a glazed ham with it. My grandmother started the tradition and we’ve kept it alive, even while tweaking the recipe a bit. As for leftovers, there is no better addition to a post-Thanksgiving turkey sandwich.

Orange-Bourbon Glazed Ham

5 – 7-pound boneless spiral sliced ham, glaze packet and any packaging removed
1/3 cup bourbon
1 orange, juice and 1 tablespoon finely grated zest
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ cup molasses
2 whole star anise

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a roasting pan with heavy-duty foil. Place the ham in the pan and cover it with foil. Bake for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, make the glaze. In a small saucepan, bring the bourbon, orange juice, orange zest, and sugar to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to medium-low and whisk in the dry mustard, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, whisking out any clumps. Whisk in the molasses, then add the star anise. Simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until the glaze has reduced by about 1/3. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Remove the ham from the oven, remove the foil, and brush on 1/3 of the glaze. Return the ham to the oven uncovered, and cook for 20 minutes. Repeat, brushing on 1/3 of the glaze, then cooking 15 minutes. Brush on the remaining glaze, this time using a fork to gently separate just the tops of the slices of ham, so that the glaze drips inside and makes sticky, crusty edges. Cook for 15 minutes. Let the ham rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. Can be served warm, at room temperature, or even cold.

Savory-sweet wild rice with mushrooms and dried cherries. (Photo: Andria Dilling)

This has not been on our family’s Thanksgiving menu in holidays past, but I think it’s going to make an appearance. Perfectly fitting for fall, this wild rice is savory with mushrooms and rosemary, sweet with dried cherries and madeira, and just creamy enough thanks to a generous addition of gruyere. 

Wild Rice with Dried Cherries, Gruyere, and Madeira

2 cups wild rice blend
3 ½ cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ pound shiitake mushrooms, sliced about ¼ inch thick
½ pound cremini mushrooms, sliced about ¼ inch thick
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 cups baby spinach leaves
1 ½ cups shredded gruyere
2 tablespoons butter, divided
3 shallots, sliced thick
¾ cup dried cherries
½ cup madeira

In a medium saucepan, bring the rice and chicken broth to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 45 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

Warm the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms, garlic, rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper, and sauté until the mushrooms begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook another 4 to 5 minutes, until the spinach is wilted, and the mushrooms are soft. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the cooked rice and gruyere. 

Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the same skillet and melt it over medium heat. Add the shallots, cherries, and madeira, and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the madeira reduces by half, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and stir until it melts. Pour the shallots, cherries, and sauce into the bowl with the rice and vegetable mixture, and fold gently. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

This Classic Butter and Herb Dressing will complement everything on your Thanksgiving menu.

Dressing/stuffing is a favorite side, and people tend to have strong opinions about it. Here is one dressing that will fit the bill no matter what. It’s simple – no add-ins – and will easily complement everything on the plate from turkey or ham to sweet potatoes to cranberries. A mix of cornbread and a sturdier bread give texture. And the leeks and herbs are spot-on – flavorful but not overpowering. Cream and eggs make this dressing creamy inside, and extra dabs of butter make it crispy outside. In a menu where much can turn mushy, this dressing stands up.

Classic Butter and Herb Dressing

5 cups torn sourdough bread or baguette, including crusts (1/2- to 1-inch pieces)
5 cups coarsely crumbled cornbread
8 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large leeks, white parts only, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 ½ teaspoons dried sage
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 large eggs, beaten
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 ½ cups turkey or chicken stock
¼ cup minced flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup minced chives

Arrange the bread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and let them sit at room temperature, uncovered, overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the leeks, celery, garlic, sage, thyme, marjoram, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and are just beginning to brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, and stock. Place the bread in a very large bowl and gently stir in the vegetables. Add the egg and cream mixture and toss lightly to ensure all of the bread has absorbed the liquid.

Scoop the dressing into the prepared pan. Dot the top all over with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, until the dressing is bubbling. Remove the foil and bake another 20 minutes or so, until the top turns golden and crisp. Serve topped with a sprinkle of parsley and chives.

THE GREAT PUMPKIN Deb Perelman's fluffy pumpkin pie from her blog “Smitten Kitchen” goes over the top thanks to an easy homemade praline sauce. (Photo: Andria Dilling)

My intent here was to share a delicious recipe for Salted Caramel Apple Pie, but I’m sending you to my online “Back Porch Table” column for that, because we have just come upon the best pumpkin pie ever. Ever.

My dad loves a pumpkin pie, so I made one for him recently just for fun. I used a new-to-me recipe from Deb Perelman’s “Smitten Kitchen” blog, because who can say no to pecan praline topping? At first bite we all looked up and said this is the winner. I urge you to try it and promise you will be thrilled. Giving thanks to Deb Perelman for this one.

Smitten Kitchen’s Classic Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Praline Topping

For the crust: 1 ¼ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
1 stick cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
¼ cup ice water, plus an additional tablespoon if needed

For the filling: 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
2/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
A few gratings of fresh nutmeg (or a pinch of ground nutmeg)
1 1/3 cups cold heavy cream
3 large eggs

For the topping: ½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons heavy cream
¼ tablespoon flaky sea salt, or a little less of a coarse salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup pecan pieces

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal and the largest bits of butter are the size of tiny peas. Add the water, and pulse until the dough starts to clump together. Turn the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Gather it into a disc, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours. You can also make the dough ahead of time and freeze it until needed.

Roll the dough out (between 2 pieces of parchment paper or on a lightly floured countertop) into a 12- to 13-inch circle-ish shape. Transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate, and fold the edges under the pie crust and crimp if desired. Return to the refrigerator until ready to fill. Again, you could cover and freeze the pie crust in the pie plate at this point until you are ready to use it.  

To make the pie, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the pumpkin, sugar, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Whisk in the cold cream until smooth, then whisk in the eggs one at a time. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust. 

Bake the pie for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Bake for another 30 to 40 minutes, until the center barely jiggles and a toothpick inserted into it comes out clean. 

Let the pie cool on a rack completely. You can either serve it once it cools or cover and refrigerate for several days.

To make the praline sauce, combine the brown sugar, butter, cream, and salt in a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is thick and bubbly, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and pecans. You can serve the sauce immediately or let it cool, place it in an airtight container, and refrigerate until you’re ready to use it. To warm, zap it in the microwave for 1 minute or so, and stir.

Serve the pie with some of the sauce spooned over the top and more served on the side.

Editor’s note: For more recipes, see Back Porch Table by Andria Dilling every Friday.