Thanksgiving is here! If you'd like to celebrate the day with something special, Vibhav Verma, Executive Chef, Grand Mercure Bangalore has two popular recipes to share with you.
Oven-roasted Turkey
Ingredients:
Dry fruits for the stuffing:
- 100 gm prunes
- 100 gm apricot
- 50 gm pistachio
- 1 kg chicken
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- Thyme for flavoring
For the turkey marination:
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp HP sauce
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1½ tsp garlic powder
- 1½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Whole turkey, giblets removed, washed and dried
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Fresh thyme, for garnish
Method:
- Mix the Dijon mustard, HP sauce, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, 1 tbsp salt and 1½ tsp black pepper in a bowl.
- Sprinkle some of the spice rub inside the cavity of the turkey.
- Separate the skin from the breast meat with your fingers,
- Massage some of the rub onto the meat under the skin and then stuff with chicken and dry fruits mix.
- Sprinkle the remaining rub on the turkey's skin. Place the turkey on a sheet tray and cover with silver foil. Refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours so the flavors get immersed.
- Tie the legs together and tuck the wing tips under. Place the turkey in a roasting pan. Drizzle the outside of the turkey with a few tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper.
- Roast the turkey about 3 hours for 120°degrees. Transfer the turkey to a platter, cover loosely with foil and let rest 30 minutes before carving.\
Cranberry Tart
Ingredients:
For the crust:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 150 gm all-purpose flour
- 40 gm sugar
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp salt
For the filling:
- 1 leaf gelatin
- 400 gm fresh cranberries
- 100 gm castor sugar
- 50 gm orange marmalade
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 100 gm cream
- Candied orange zest
Method:
For the crust:
- Mix butter and vanilla in a bowl. Combine all-purpose flour, sugar, lemon zest and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix until well combined.
- Roll out the crust dough and line the tart shell with the dough. Refrigerate for two hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake crust until golden brown for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely.
For the filling and assembly:
- Place 1/3 cup of cold water in a bowl; sprinkle gelatin on the top. Combine cranberries, sugar, marmalade and orange zest in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens slightly and the cranberries have softened and some have burst, for 8 to 9 minutes.
- Stir in the gelatin mixture and cool for 2 hours. Spread the mixture on the crust. Cover and refrigerate until set, for at least 2 hours.
- Whisk cream with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Serve tart with whipped cream and orange zest (optional).
