Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Turkey Gravy

4 tablespoons turkey fat[from the drippings]
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups turkey stock, chicken stock or chicken broth heated almost to boiling
defatted drippings from the turkey roasting pan to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat the turkey fat in a medium saute pan or pot over medium heat.
Whisk the flour into the fat and cook for two minutes.
Add the hot stock or broth whisking to combine.
Continue to heat, whisking occasionally, until the gravy shimmers and thickens, about five minutes.

Add the defatted drippings and the salt and pepper to taste and strain if desired.

Thin with a little more stock if necessary. Serve immediately. [About two cups eight servings.]

This is from the Washington Post---according to my aged newspaper clipping!

Yummy Yams

This is our all-time favorite way to cook sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving.
I read the recipe over the phone to California Girl every year. She makes it, loves it, then promptly loses the recipe. So, a few days before the next Thanksgiving [namely today!] she calls, begging for the recipe, again! So, here it is, on the blog for all future Thanksgivings!

Yummy Yams

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

3 Tbsp butter at room temperature

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1/3 cup finely chopped pecans

6 medium yams or sweet potatoes--about 3 lbs. peeled and sliced 1/2 thick

1 1/2 cups heavy cream, heated.


Work brown sugar, butter and flour 'til well combined. Work in the pecans. Set aside. Can be prepared up to eight hours in advance and kept at room temperature...

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease a 9x13 pan.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the sliced yams/sweet potatoes. Cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Do not overcook! Drain and rinse under cold running water.

Arrange yams in overlapping rows in the pan.[This can be done up to eight hours in advance of baking time, covered tightly with cling wrap and refrigerated.]

Pour heavy cream over yams and bake for twenty minutes.

Crumble pecan mixture over yams and continue baking 'til yams are tender and topping is browned, 20-30 minutes longer. Serves 8-12.