Saveur, November 2008

Green beans, cranberries, sweet potatoes, mashed white potatoes, bread stuffing … along with turkey, these are the standards of many a Thanksgiving menu. In its November issue, Saveur has updated these ingredients, providing recipes for roasted cranberry sauce, a sweet potato casserole with two toppings (mini marshmallows on one side, a cashew crumble on the other), green beans with pancetta and mint, whipped mashed potatoes with celery root and an old, old favorite: oyster stuffing.

The magazine also gives modern and traditional recipes for mincemeat, offers a pie-crust tutorial, and visits New Orleans for a Thanksgiving story. In New Orleans, writers find out how Leah Chase, the chef at Dooky Chase, a well-known restaurant, ensures that her turkey stays moist. She rinses a 12-pound turkey with cold water, pats it dry, and seasons the skin and cavity generously with salt and pepper. Then she stuffs a roughly chopped onion and 3 roughly chopped ribs of celery into the cavity, and ties the legs together with kitchen twine.

She tucks the wings under the body, then places the turkey on top of an 18-by-26-inch sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. She tops the turkey with another sheet of foil of equal size, and crimps together the edges to form a packet. Next, she transfers the wrapped turkey to a roasting pan, and roasts it at 350 degrees for 2 1/2 hours.

While the turkey roasts, she melts a stick of butter along with 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon rubbed sage and 4 crumbled dry bay leaves. After the turkey roasts for 2 1/2 hours, she removes the top sheet of foil and cranks up the oven temperature to 500 degrees. She bastes the turkey every 5 minutes until it browns and the temperature in the thigh reaches 165 to 170 degrees, about 30 minutes longer. Once out of the oven, she lets the turkey rest at least 20 minutes before carving it.

Green Beans With Pancetta and Mint

Here’s Saveur’s recipe for Green Beans With Pancetta and Mint: Bring 4 cups milk, 2 tablespoons kosher salt and 2 tablespoons sugar to a boil in a 6-quart saucepan. Trim 2 pounds green beans and add to saucepan; cook until crisp-tender, 5-6 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/3 cup cooking liquid. Chill beans in ice water. Drain; set aside.

Meanwhile, combine 1/3 pound diced pancetta and 1 1/2 cups water in a 12-inch skillet; cook over medium heat until water evaporates and pancetta crisps, about 25 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to a plate, leaving 1 tablespoon fat in skillet.

Place skillet over high heat, and add beans and reserved cooking liquid. Cook until liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons each chopped mint and parsley. Cook until butter melts. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Transfer to a platter; sprinkle with pancetta, 1/4 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts and 2 tablespoons each chopped mint and parsley. Serves 6.

(Recipes, photos ©saveur 2008).