I’m all for the holiday season, and I know you are too.
The festive period tends to fall into four distinct categories: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Eve. The opportunities to host the holiday party are limitless: get out your guests’ full kitchen lighting by a professionally equipped dining table, turn on a video projection setup that lets you effortlessly show everyone who’s coming over and when, let the good times roll when you host dinner for 20, 50 or 250 people. The possibilities are endless.
This year, I’m feeling a little nostalgic. I could definitely do without another Thanksgiving. At the same time, I have the perfect recipe (nothing says “happy holidays” like a four-course food and drink tasting with wine, hors d’oeuvres and beverages, served in a festive atmosphere”). It includes grains, oils, nuts, fruits, pulses, salts, macadamia nuts, seeds, grains and, of course, beer.
The element that makes this recipe really stand out from other Thanksgiving spreads is booze. Two things fall together very well in my house: alcohol and hosting a holiday party, and this recipe is just that. Whether you are hosting a Thanksgiving gathering or a New Year’s Eve party, make sure you are standing up for your guests and providing the liquor they want to drink, at the right temperature, the right amount of time, with the right garnishes.
When it comes to food and drinks, I don’t really feel that a holiday party or even a New Year’s Eve party is really a party until it’s time to drink. After all, what’s the point of having the food to eat if you’re only eating water?
I’ve cooked this recipe about 50 times over the past 20 years or so. It’s probably one of the only things I’ve made that a loving girlfriend still does all the time, except she makes it just for me. It’s like sleeping with the guy that makes you incredibly happy.
It can be made ahead and served the next day, as it is at Thanksgiving, or frozen and eaten a few days later, although sometimes it tastes better served with a big crowd to accommodate. Even though I’ve gotten more and more innovative as a writer, I still love this recipe to open and serve.
The feta cheese filling should be placed between 2-3 tablespoons of whole wheat muffin tin liners. Do the same with the butter and breadcrumbs for putting the stuffing in the turkey. This is a small handful for each leg of the turkey. So the entire bird should be “crunched up” and stuffed with all the stuffing. Don’t worry about wasting what you’ve made if you are in a hurry. If you’ve got a bread stick on hand, you can use that to smash up the stuffing you’ve made and hide the excess stuffing inside the bird itself.
If you’re not making stuffing, you can omit it, serving your turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy. That’s a great end to your holiday.
Turkey New Year’s Party
Servings: 4-6
Serves 4-6
1-2 Tbsp. butter, plus more for the muffin liners
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 lb. deli turkey sausage (or any type of sausage)
4 or 5 potatoes, peeled and diced
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 sage leaves
2 cups chopped smoked ham
3/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
6 large eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
Vegetable or chicken stock or water to cover
1 cup mahi-mahi (seafood) or Alaska pan-seared cod (salmon or halibut) fillets
6 large, white button mushrooms
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently until the onion is translucent. Season the turkey with salt and pepper. Add the turkey, hot turkey stock or water, and brown the turkey on both sides for about 8 minutes, or until cooked through.
In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, mushrooms, sausage, sage, parsley, the eggs, flour, breadcrumbs and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Toss to mix, then stir in the mahi-mahi and fish fillets. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until the turkey is heated through.
Stuffing is browned and baked, along with the stuffing