So far, we’ve gotten ourselves fully appetized, and filled at least half our plate with roast turkey and gravy. What to do with the rest of the real estate on that plate, though? Enter the side dishes!
Having been a guest at more than one Thanksgiving feast, and having to come up with something stellar and delicious to wow the assembled gang with, I have no shortage of great ideas in this category. I find that Thanksgiving side dishes fall mostly into one of two categories: the traditional and the unusual. In most cases, even the unusual has to have some element of the traditional. If one is going to serve Poached Quail Eggs with Delicata and Sesame Fleur De Sel, they sure as hell’d better be served on a bed of buttermilk mashed potatoes and each topped with a dollop of cranberry relish. Such are the demands of Our Dread Mistress, Thanksgiving!
Today, I’ll present some ideas for traditional side dishes and accompaniments, and I use that word with no ill will at all. One of my favorite things about the Holidays (you know which ones I mean) is tradition, and food traditions almost most of all. They might be heavy, full of salt, full of sugar, or bought in the dairy case of the local Giant Eagle, but by golly they are delicious. And what the hell is ‘Delicata’ anyway? Feh.
THELMA’S HOMEMADE NOODLES
My parents, Denis and Thelma, are both excellent cooks and fed three rather picky eaters (my brother, sister, and me) with balanced meals, 7 days a week for something like 25 years. So, I think we were luckier than most kids that the stuff we ate was really delicious. Even a bad cook has to feed her kids – we were just lucky to have palatable food to stay alive on! (Note to self: work on a post about favorite dishes from childhood -- and do NOT leave out Macaroni & Milk.)
A perennial favorite at Thanksgiving was a specialty dish that my mom made; homemade noodles. I think this recipe was from her mother, or maybe another family member. A few other cooks in our family have made these noodles, but I’m sure you’ll realize I am not at all biased when I say that Mom’s were just plain better.
After last Thanksgiving, I made turkey stock out of the bird carcass and parts and had a fridge-load of stock afterward. I thought I’d use the stock to make mom’s noodles, but never got around to asking her for the details. This year, I got the very simple list of ingredients, a little of the technique, and I’m determined to serve them alongside the bird next week. When pondering the list, I kept having to fight the urge to think “What if I add a little ground sage to the dough” or “Maybe I should top them with some fresh scallions and parsley?” I’m going to try to fight that urge and keep them as simple as they always are.
I am a little afraid that they’ll turn into some kind of tough, doughy lump, but in a way, if that happens, it’s almost better. Mom’s noodles should always be better, right?
- 2 cups AP flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 whole egg
- 3 Tbsp cold water
- 6 + cups of chicken or turkey stock or broth
- more salt and pepper to taste
- butter to taste
In a large shallow bowl or on a work surface, sift together flour and salt. Pile up into the center, then make a well in the middle with your fingers. Place egg yolks, whole egg and water in the well, and gently stir or knead to combine. Continue to work the dough until it forms a uniform ball and all the flour is absorbed. Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and set in the refrigerator to relax, about 15-20 minutes.
Lightly flour a work surface or prepare a pasta maker. Roll out the dough to about a 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness, working in two batches if necessary.
If using a pasta maker, use the cutting bar to cut the pasta into noodles, and trim to the desired size. If you don't have a pasta maker, use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into noodles. For a more rough, rustic look, Lightly dust both sides of the dough with flour, roll it up like a jelly roll, and slice the dough crosswise every ½ inch or so. Unroll the long strips and cut again for length if desired.
At this point, you can cook them in the broth, but letting them dry will help them soak up more of whatever liquid you cook them in. To dry the noodles, hang them over a pasta-drying rack, or on a wire rack, or even on lightly floured cutting board, non-fuzzy kitchen towels or paper towels, though letting air circulate around is best. If drying the noodles flat on a surface, flip them occasionally. Let dry anywhere from 2-8 hours or overnight. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container if you're not cooking them right away.
When you're ready to cook the noodles, bring the stock up to a boil and carefully put the noodles in. Season as you like with salt and pepper. Cook the noodles, stirring occasionally, until they are as soft or al dente as you like, about 10 minutes or so. Add extra broth or water if pot dries out.
Before serving, drain of any excess liquid, reserving a cup or so. Return the noodles to the pot and mix in a Tablespoon or so of butter to taste. Add a little of the cooking liquid to loosen up the noodles if they are too gummy. Resist the urge to top them with fresh chopped parsley and serve warm.
AUNT KATHY'S CRANBERRY & ORANGE RELISH
When we had our first Thanksgiving together in San Francisco, Christopher was anxious to make one of his favorite condiments from Thanksgivings of his youth: his Aunt Kathy's Cranberry & Orange Relish. He loves the cranberry sauce part of the Thanksgiving meal, and this one that is whizzed up with whole fresh oranges is especially bright and sweet, and is a nice foil to rich foods like mashed potatoes and, erm, homemade noodles. A note: though the recipe does not call for it, I'd add a dash of salt just to help bring all the flavors out, unless your nuts are already salted. Also, C’pher has never used the optional pineapple, but there it is in the recipe, so give it a go if you like.
- 1 lb. (about 4 cups) fresh cranberries (thawed if frozen)
- 2 whole oranges (peel and all), quartered
- 1 cup sugar (or more to taste)
- 1 cup nuts (almonds, walnuts or your choice)
- 1 small (8 oz.) can of crushed pineapple (optional)
Put cranberries, orange quarters and nuts in a food processor and pulse until chunky, about 5-6 1 second pulses. Transfer to a bowl and mix in sugar (and pineapple, if using). Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours to allow flavors to combine.
CRESCENT ROLLS
Who says traditions can't come from a can? Buy your favorite brand or what's on sale... they pretty much all taste the same. And by 'same,' I mean 'delicious.'
- 1 or more cans of unbaked crescent rolls from the store
Open and bake rolls according to package instructions. Bake just before eating and serve hot with plenty of butter. Allow at least 2-3 per person.Tips for baking crescent rolls from the Pillsbury website:
- For best quality, use the dough before the "use-by" date on the package.
- Store the dough can on a shelf in your refrigerator. Temperatures in the refrigerator's door shelves or in the crisper may be too warm or too cold.
- Don't freeze the unbaked dough. Freezing unbaked dough may prevent it from rising. (You can freeze baked rolls.)
- Keep the dough refrigerated until you're ready to use it. Warm dough may be sticky and hard to handle.
- Opening the can activates the leavening that causes the dough to rise. The dough must be baked within two hours after opening.
(Sources: Mom, Aunt Kathy, and pillsbury.com. See photos for Flickr credits.)
[this is good] Oh wow! Your menu looks fabulous! (I've just read through the series) Maybe I'll just skip making T-day dinner and just head over to your house. ;)
Posted by: canarygirl | 11/15/2007 at 06:52 AM
You'd be absolutely welcome, Nikki! I wonder what fares to SFO from the Canary Islands are up to nowadays?
Seriously... you're such a prolific cook and poster -- a compliment from you is worth 10 from someone else. Thanks!
Posted by: Kyle Minor | 11/15/2007 at 09:25 AM
Oh good! What time should I be there? LOL We celebrate our Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow (so da hubs can join us)...air fares are up there, but now is usually a good time to travel to the US. ;)
Thank you so much for such a lovely compliment! I'm all gushy now. :D
Posted by: canarygirl | 11/22/2007 at 03:53 AM
Champagne and nibblies at 3... the main event ca. 4 pm. I love the idea that Thanksgiving has made its way all the way to the Canary Islands. Finally, and American import that doesn't totally f**k things up!
Posted by: Kyle Minor | 11/22/2007 at 07:57 AM
How was your dinner? :) Thanksgiving isn't really an event that everyone celebrates here, but at my house we do...gotta give my 1/2 American kids a bit of American cultural education, too, right? Especially Thanksgiving, a holiday that reinforces the value of being grateful for your blessings, and being gracious in life. :) I hope you had a wonderful day!
Posted by: canarygirl | 11/27/2007 at 02:07 AM
NIkki... it's clear you've missed the point of Thanksgiving entirely. It's designed to be a contest to see who can take in the most calories without a myocardial infarction.
And dinner was great! I over did it with the noodles (too many and too thick), but they were really delicious.
Posted by: Kyle Minor | 11/27/2007 at 01:05 PM
LMAO! That too. :P I'm so glad you had a great meal! Is there really such a thing as too many noodles, though? I think not. ;)
Posted by: canarygirl | 11/28/2007 at 06:45 AM