Holiday Banquet Recipes

THAW

• 4-5 days before roasting: Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F. Fast thaw: in sink under cool running water.

MAKE BRINE

• Combine pint of water with apples, onion, celery, stock base, brown sugar, salt, sugar, peppercorns, allspice and ginger; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from the heat. Stir in apple juice concentrate. Refrigerate overnight.

BRINE BIRD

• Rinse turkey, inside and out.
• Set the turkey, breast-side down, on a large cutting board with the tail closest to you. Use heavy-duty kitchen shears to cut up one side of the backbone. Turn the bird around and cut back down the other side of the spine. Reserve the backbone for Giblet Stock. Discard any fat pockets or excess skin found inside the turkey. Turn the turkey breast-side up and use the heel of your hands to press down on both breasts, until you hear a cracking sound and the bird has flattened slightly.
• Add 1/2 cooled brine base to container. Place both split turkeys into the container, breast-side down. Add the second half of brine base. Add enough ice water to cover. Refrigerate for 72 hours, turning once each day.

HOUR BEFORE ROASTING

• Remove bird from brine. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
• Preheat convection ovens to 400*F.

ROAST

• Arrange apple, onion, cinnamon, rosemary and sage on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil.
• Arrange each turkey, cavity side down, on half sheet on top of aromatics. Rub skin with vegetable or canola oil. Season with salt and pepper. Put into oven.
• After 30 minutes, decrease the oven temperature to 325 *F, and tent each bird with aluminum foil to prevent burning. Roast until the temperature reaches 155 *F.
• Rest the bird, covered lightly with aluminum foil, for 15 to 30 minutes.

PREP TO SERVE

• Shingle thick sliced turkey in 2.5" full hotel pan with 1/8 – 1/4"spacing from top of bottom slice to top of next slice. Pour 2 cups of prepared gravy over thick sliced turkey and cover.
• Bake covered in 325° F oven for 30-40 minutes until internal temperature reaches 160° F. Rotate pans during cooking.

• Bring 2.5 quarts of water to a full rolling boil.
• In a separate container, combine 1 quart of cool tap water and 1 package of gravy mix. Stir with a wire whisk until lump free.
• Pour water and gravy mix blend into boiling water. Stir until gravy returns to a boil. Simmer for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
• Whisk in 2 cups of shredded turkey and 1 cup of pan drippings.
• Pour gravy into serving container and maintain internal gravy temperature at 165ºF during service.

• Melt butter in large stock pot. Saute onions and celery on low until translucent
• Add amount of stock called for on package directions. Bring to a boil.
• Add packaged seasoning blend, remove from heat, and cover for five minutes.
• Stir in breadcrumb mixture until moistened. Spoon into hotel pan. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Cover, label, refrigerate.
• If heating from warm: bake in a 400*F convection oven 35 minutes or until temperature reaches 155 °F
• If heating from cold: bake in a 375 °F convection oven 60 minutes or until temperature reaches 165°F
• Remove lid, stir, and bake additional 20 minutes
• Right Before Serving: Stir in parsley. Fluff with fork.

PREP

• Allow butter and cream cheese to come to room temperature.
• Chop green onions or chives, reserve for garnish
• Peel potatoes, rinse, and cut into large chunks. Store in clean water overnight.
• COOK
• Place potatoes in a large stockpot and fill with enough fresh water to cover the potatoes by about 2 inches. Add two tablespoons of salt per stock pot. Bring to a boil on high, then reduce heat and simmer until tender. Test for donenesses by crushing with a pair of tongs.
• While potatoes cook, heat half and half to a low simmer with garlic and rosemary. Remove from heat and allow to steep until potatoes are done.
• Drain cooked potatoes and return to pot to steam dry.
• Add potatoes to large stand mixer. Top with butter and cream cheese. Process with paddle attachment on low until butter and cream cheese are well incoporated. Add pepper. Strain Half and Half mixture into potatoes. Discard rosemary and garlic solids. Set stand mixer speed to medium and process until creamy.
• Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Cool uncovered, then press plastic wrap into mashed potatoes and seal tightly. Refrigerate for up to two days.

REHEAT AND SERVE

• Reheat at 250*F stirring frequently, for about 2 hours or until potatoes are 135*F. Dot with butter and sprinkle minced chives for garnish.

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Make roux: melt butter, add flour and stir, then cook over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes while stirring constantly. Set aside to cool.
• Cook macaroni until al dente, being VERY CAREFUL not to overcook. Drain, cool under running water, and put into hotel pan
• While macaroni is cooking, heat 2 quarts of milk to a bare simmer. Add the roux and stir until well thickened. Add the Colby and Cheddar cheeses and cook over medium heat while stirring to melt cheese.
• Add the salt and white pepper to the cheese mixture. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add this cheese sauce to the cooked macaroni and GENTLY mix well to coat macaroni. Pour in the remaining 2 cups milk.
• Cover tightly and refrigerate.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30-45 minutes or until bubbly in the middle.

• Saute onions on low heat until translucent
• Pour beans into prepared 2.5″ hotel pan
• Blend soup, milk, sauteed onions, and seasonings
• Pour soup mixture over beans and GENTLY combine
• Cover, label, and refrigerate
• Remove from cooler one hour before baking; bake uncovered at 350 for one hour or until 145 F. Stir VERY, VERY GENTLY HALFWAY THROUGH TO AVOID BREAKING UP GREAN BEANS. Add fried onions on top and bake additional 10 minutes.

• Spray 2.5 hotel pan with nonstick spray
• Drain sweet potatoes
• Using stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat sweet potato at low speed one minute until roughly smashed
• Add sugar, spices, melted butter, eggs and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until combined. Add cream and beat until smooth.
• Cover, label, and refrigerate.
• For the topping: Combine the flour, brown sugar, butter and salt in a medium bowl until just moist and the mixture clumps together. Stir in the pecans. Reserve, tightly covered.
• Remove casserole from refrigeration 1 hour prior to baking. Sprinkle topping over the sweet potatoes.
• Bake without lid at 375*F, high fan, until casserole reaches 135*F, about 30 minutes.

• Open cans; Drain, reserve half the liquid
• Add corn to sheet pan; add enough liquid to come 1/3 up the pan. The corn should not be “swimming”
• Season well with Salt and Black Pepper to taste
• Slice butter into chunks, dot surface.
• Cover and refrigerate.
• Bake covered in preheated 350 oven till 135°F, stirring frequently.
• Hold hot for service.

• Add warm water to mixer bowl.
• Sprinkle in the yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar.
• Stir gently until combined.
• Proof until foamy.
• Add remaining sugar, warm milk, salt, and butter.
• Using a hand whisk, blend until well combined. Add half the flour, the dough hook attachment, and knead for 5 minutes on low.
• Add the eggs in three batches, mixing after each until incorporated.
• Add the rest of the flour in three batches. The dough should be soft and elastic, but not sticky. Knead for 5 minutes. Add additional flour VERY cautiously. It should clean the bowl (but still be sticking to the bottom).
• Transfer to a large, greased container.
• Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free area for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.
• After rising time has passed, divide the dough into equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, and place it on a half sheet pan covered with parchment paper, sprayed lightly with nonstick spray.
• Brush rolls with eggwash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Loosely cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm area until rolls are doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375.
• Remove plastic wrap and bake for 14-20 minutes or until golden.

• Five days before roasting: Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F. A medium-sized turkey will take three days to fully thaw in the refrigerator.
• Three days before roasting: Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, carrots, celery, onion, apple, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. Remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.
• Two days before roasting: Line a food-safe bucket or large stock pot with a brining bag. Combine the cold brine and very cold apple cider. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. Squeeze out any air and secure the brining bag closed. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed and refrigerate for 48 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.
• Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.
• Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1/2 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.
• Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

BROTH:

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.
• Add the leek, turkey neck and giblets; cook, stirring, until the giblets are browned, about 15 minutes.
• Add the chicken broth, herb sprigs and bay leaf; cover and simmer for 2 hours.
• Strain and use immediately or cool.

GRAVY:

• Separate pan drippings and fat. Reserve all clarified drippings for later; reserve 1 cup of turkey fat for roux.
• Make a roux: Add turkey fat to large pan. Sprinkle flour into the pan and cook, stirring constantly until the flour browns slightly, about 4 minutes.
• Gradually add the hot broth to the roux, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low.
• Pour the dark, degreased pan drippings into gravy
• Shred the neck meat; add to the gravy. Shred 1 cup of dark meat into gravy.
• Simmer, whisking occasionally, until the gravy thickens, about 20 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper.

Preparation:

• Peel potatoes and cut into rough chunks, about 1 to 2 inches cubed.
• Transfer to a container of cold water to rinse. Change water 2 or 3 times until it runs clear.
• Store overnight in refrigerator covered with water.

Cook:

• Place potatoes in large pot and cover with cold water. Add 2 teaspoons of salt to the pot, cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
• While potatoes cook, combine the buttermilk, cream, butter, garlic, and rosemary in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a bare simmer over low heat, watching to make sure the mixture doesn’t boil over. Keep the mixture barely bubbling until the potatoes are done.
• When potatoes start to boil, ditch the lid, drop the heat to a simmer, and cook until EASILY crushed with tongs, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Drain the potatoes, pop them back to the hot pot to dry, then add to stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment.
• Strain Cream Mixture, then add to stand mixer. Blend until JUST smooth.
• Season with Salt and Pepper.
• Add to hotel pan and hot hold for service.

MAKE VELOUTE

• In a large saute pan, melt the 6 tablespoons of butter and saute the onion and garlic until the onion starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
• Sprinkle the flour over the top, whisk to combine, and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until a blond roux forms
• Pour in broth, whisking constantly, then cook until the sauce thickens, whisking frequently. Reduce the heat to low and add the salt, pepper, seasoned salt, and paprika. Stir to combine until the sauce is nice and smooth. TASTE and adjust seasonings. Keep warm.

MAKE TOPPING

• In a small bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs and melted butter. Set aside.

ASSEMBLE

• Layer half the broccoli in a hotel pan. Pour on half the cream sauce, sprinkle on half the cheese, then using two spoons, distribute the cream cheese over the top in chunks. Repeat with another layer of broccoli, sauce, cheese and cream cheese.

SERVICE:

• Right before baking, cover with topping.
• Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25-45 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly and the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Serve warm.

• Heat oven to 400° F. Pierce each sweet potato several times with the tines of a fork. Place the sweet potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes.
• Cool. Scrape the pulp out of the skin, transfer to a large bowl, and mash. Reserve
• In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.
• Add eggs, one at a time; mix well.
• Add milk, sweet potatoes, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; mix until very smooth.
• Pour into pie shell.
• Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 350 degrees; bake 35-40 minutes longer or until pie tests done.
• Cool; Store in refrigerator.

• Warm milk to 100-110 degrees. Add to bowl of stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and all the yeast. Proof until foamy.
• Add the pineapple juice, melted butter, eggs, the rest of the sugar, and salt to bowl of stand mixer. Add 2 cups of the flour and stir with a spoon until the dough forms a rough, shaggy mass. Attach the dough hook to the mixer and turn to medium-low speed. Gradually add the remaining flour, kneading until a soft, smooth dough forms, about 8-10 minutes.
• Place the dough in a clean bowl. Apply a VERY thin coat of oil. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
• Bring dough to room temp two hours before you intend to portion.
• Apply a thin coat of cooking spray to pan. Gently deflate the dough. Use a bench scraper or knife to divide the dough into equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and place in the prepared pan. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Bring rolls to room temp two hours before you intend to bake them.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Once they are at room temperature and have doubled in size, brush with egg wash.
• Bake the rolls for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter. Serve warm.