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Drunken British Bucket Turkey

Or otherwise known as Orange Bourbon Tea Brined Turkey roasted with Molasses Bourbon Orange Butter.

Just… wow.

Anyway, follow the directions here for the brine, then follow these easy steps to inject your turkey full of goodness to bake.

Ingredients:

Brined turkey
1 stick of butter
Zest and juice of 1 orange
1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup molasses
Cayenne pepper
Salt
2 springs of rosemary
2 bay leaves

Put the butter, orange zest, half the orange juice, bourbon, molasses, cayenne pepper, and salt in a blender. This works better if the butter is at room temperature, but whatever. Blend. It may not combine entirely, but that’s ok. Refrigerate it for a bit if you need to.

Make a pocket under the turkey skin, and mash the butter mixture all up in there. Put 1 bay leaf and 1 sprig of rosemary on each side, over the breast. Squeeze the remaining orange juice over the skin, and season the outside, and the cavity of the bird, with salt and pepper. Stuff the orange rind into the cavity, and bake for however long a bird of the size you have needs to bake. Cover it for the first 3/4 then remove the cover for the last 1/4. Let it rest for 30 minutes, covered, before serving.

Bacon, Thyme and Mushroom Stuffing

We’re now two steps removed from the original recipe I based last years stuffing recipe off of. I forgot how different the types of things you can get in New York are, but this is ‘same same but different’. Crispy salty meat, mushrooms, and herbs.

Ingredients:

10 cooked American bacon strips, broken into pieces
1 big loaf of ciabatta, cut into half in cubes
1 cup of chicken stock
3 tablespoons chopped dried chanterelle mushrooms, soaked in the stock
2 cups chopped baby bella mushrooms
2 carrots, diced
2 celery sticks, diced
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup chopped thyme
2 sticks of butter
Salt and pepper

Melt a stick of butter, and soften the onions in it. Add the carrots, celery, and baby bella mushrooms. Cook until soft and season with the thyme, salt and pepper. Melt in the other stick of butter, then add the bread and toss to coat. Pour over the stock with the dried mushrooms. Mix well, add the bacon, and stir through. Pop into a casserole dish, and bake for 20-30 minutes at 200C / 375F.

Caramel Apple Pie

I couldn’t tell you how I did this year with the apple pie I baked. In fact, I’m not sure anyone could. We ate so much food that it sat in the corner until about 10pm, when I caught someone eating the from the center of it with a fork. I’m not sure that person remembers much.

Sweet Potato Donuts

I snuck off to NYC at the beginning of November for the majority of the month. Finished the trip off with a good ol’ fashion Brooklyn Drunksgiving, where I made my 2 favorite dishes, and tried out a new turkey technique, to be known asDrunken British Bucket Turkey. It was the best turkey I’ve ever eaten, other than the fact it was slightly overdone, since we basted the pop-up timer shut.

This time with the donuts, I tried the original recipe, compared to last time with a different icing.

How do ya’ll like the new layout?

Sweet Potato Doughnuts with Burnt Caramel Sauce

Three years ago, for Thanksgiving, we bought some sweet potatoes that weren’t yellow on the inside. While I was happy to let this slide, my good (British) friend insisted on finding “real American sweet potatoes” and went out on the hunt. She was successful, and I was determined not to let the rest go to waste. I found this recipe from Paula Dean, and have made these doughnuts every year since. Maple syrup is like liquid gold in Australia, so I went for a more cost effective glaze and tried out the burnt caramel sauce recipe here, minus the salt. I actually liked this better than the maple glaze, but go nuts and try both!

Caramel Apple Pie

I’ve made the same Thanksgiving desserts for the last 3 years, and I swear by this recipe. Tyler Florence’s Caramel Apple Pie recipe is incredible and just a bit different than your typical apple pie. Worth a try if you ever feel like baking.

Chorizo Green Beans

Another Thanksgiving side dish, is my small attempt to integrate vegetables into the meal… covered in meat.

Ingredients:

2 chorizo sausages, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
A bag of green beans, stems removed

Saute.

Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

This would have to be one of my “signature dishes” if I had to choose; I’ve been using the same recipe for years and it’s always amazing. For the cheese, use any kinds you’d like, but I really suggest using one smoked cheese. It’s great for leftovers as well!

Ingredients:

1 big bag of pasta, boiled and drained
300g bacon, fried and chopped
4 tbsp butter
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves
3 cups of milk
3 cups of grated cheese (2-3 different kinds)
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper

Melt the butter and saute onions until soft. Mix in the flour well, and then add the milk, stirring constantly. Once warm, add the 3 cups of cheese, as well as the rosemary, and stir until combine. Season well with salt and pepper, and cook until it’s thick enough to stick to a spoon. In a baking dish, mix well with the pasta and bacon, top with parmesan and breadcrumbs, and bake for 20-30 minutes at 200C / 375F until golden on top.

Honey and Banana Sweet Potatoes

Another one from the Food Network, this one is an exact copy except for a half cup of sour cream and the removal of the nuts. Despite the reviews on the site, I didn’t find this too sweet, but that’s probably because I’m not the world’s biggest sweet potato fan.

Sage, Porcini and Pancetta Stuffing

I was always a bit weird about stuffing as a kid… I mean, soggy bread? Totally gross. Eventually I figured out the top was a “safe zone” of crusty, salty goodness, and this really added to that with crispy pancetta and a few porcini mushrooms for a really rich flavor. Inspired by this recipe from the Food Network.

Ingredients:

1 big loaf of ciabatta, cut into half in cubes
1 cup of chicken stock
3 tablespoons chopped dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in the stock
250g pancetta, chopped and fried until crispy
2 carrots, diced
2 onions, diced
1/4 cup chopped sage
1/2 cup grated parmesan
2 sticks of butter (sorry, arteries)

Melt half the butter to the pan and soften the onions. Add the carrots for 3-4 minutes, and then the sage and the rest of the butter until it melts. Add in the bread, stir, and then pour over the stock with the mushrooms. Add the pancetta and parmesan in, combine well, and pour into a casserole dish to bake at 200C / 375F for 20-30 minutes.