Yield: 32 appetizers

• 8 large, whole dill pickles
• 1 recipe Pimento Cheese

Using an apple corer, make a whole in one end of each pickle so that the corer bores a hole lengthwise through the pickle.

Using a spoon, a pastry bag, or whatever implement of destruction you deem appropriate for the task, fill the hole in each pickle with pimento cheese (this is best done with very cold pickles and room temperature pimento cheese).

Refrigerate stuffed pickles at least several hours or overnight. Stand pickles on end on a cutting board, and using a sharp knife, slice them lengthwise into quarters and serve.

Yield: 3 cups

• 16 ounces aged white Cheddar
• 1 (2 ounce) jar diced pimentos, drained
• 6 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Cayenne pepper to taste

Grate the Cheddar by hand or in a food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir lightly to mix.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Serve with crackers.

Recipe notes: I use Duke’s mayonnaise and Kraft Cracker Barrel Aged Reserve for the cheddar.

Fried croaker is served from Maryland to Mississippi; add a little Cole slaw and some hush puppies and you have a real Lowcountry feast.

Yield: 2 servings

• 2 whole croaker
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup flour
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1⁄2 – 3⁄4 cup canola oil or peanut oil
• 4 tablespoons parsley, minced

Gut and scale fish, remove heads and wash thoroughly; season with salt and pepper.

Mix flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a baking dish. Dredge the fish in the seasoned flour and fry until golden brown on each side, turning once. Serve over spoon bread and garnish with minced parsley.

Pilau, or Purloo as the Gullah call it, is one of the classic chicken and rice casseroles of the South Carolina Low Country.

Yield: 4 servings

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divideed
• 1 chicken, cut up
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 4 strips pork side meat or bacon, diced
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 2 cups long-grain white rice
• salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup tomatoes, peeled and chopped

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, brown the chicken in two tablespoons of the oil.  Remove chicken and set aside. Add half of the onions to the drippings, and sauté until tender.

Place the chicken back into the pot, and simmer in one cup of the chicken broth until the chicken is tender, about 40 minutes.

Remove chicken, pour off and reserve the pan juices. Allow chicken to cool, skin and debone.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and the salt pork or bacon and sauté until brown. Add the remaining onion and celery and sauté until tender.

Add the rice and sauté, until it looks opaque. Add the salt and pepper, pour the reserved pan juices back into the pot and add the tomatoes. Cover and simmer until the rice is tender, adding more chicken broth if needed. Add the chicken pieces to the rice; heat 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

• 4 or 6 pieces cubed steak
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

In a shallow bowl, whisk together egg and milk. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, salt and pepper.

Dip steak one piece at a time in egg wash; dredge in flour and place on a wire rack.

In a 10- to 12-inch cast iron skillet, add about 1/2 inch of vegetable oil. Heat the oil over medium heat until it shimmers but does not smoke (about 365 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer). Carefully place each piece of steak into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 5 to 8 minutes per side. Turn only once and serve with milk gravy or onion gravy.

1. The organizational abilities of Bill Gates.

2. The pre-planning proclivity of the White House Chief of Staff.

3. The confidence under fire of Robert E. Lee.

4. The homemaking skills of Martha Stewart after 2 double espressos.

Actually, with a little planning, making a memorable holiday feast isn’t that hard. You’ll need to start a little ahead of time, though. Here’s a helpful step-by-step guide to make your feast an easy and enjoyable time.

One week before Thanksgiving

• Gather the necessary battle gear and make sure everything is in operating order; roasting pan, baster, turkey lifter, platter, and carving set. Sharpen the carving knife- there’s nothing worse than trying to attack bird-zilla with a dull carving knife.
• Clear the decks for action- make sure your refrigerator and freezer are cleaned out to make room for all the food.
• Make a guest list and figure out  how big a turkey to buy.  Figure about 1 pound of uncooked weight per person. In other words if you are having 12 guests, get a 12-pound bird.  If you’re doing a ham instead,  figure 3/4 pound per person.

Six days before Thanksgiving

• Plan the rest of the menu.  Carefully check recipes and your list of who’s bringing what before the next step:
• Make a shopping list. Get out your recipes and see what ingredients they call for, and check them against what you have on hand. Check the quantities called for, add them up and see if buying larger sizes will save you money. Make sure your  pantry has the basics: stuffing mix, sugar, flour, salt and whatever you’ll need for baking.

Five days before Thanksgiving

• Shop for groceries. To save time, shop early in the morning or late at night, and don’t forget your coupons!

Four days before Thanksgiving

• Make a Thanksgiving Day timetable of what needs to be done when. Start with what time you want to serve the meal and work backward. How long should your turkey cook> What should you prepare first? Are the rolls the last thing you want to take out of the oven?
• Take out napkins and tablecloth. Launder if necessary. Spray with a fabric protector for easier cleanup of spots and spills.

Three days before Thanksgiving

If you’re serving a frozen turkey, take it out of the freezer  and put it in the refrigerator to thaw. It will lake about 24 hours for each 5 pounds of bird, or three days for  a 12- to 15-pounder.

Check serving pieces you wish to use; check glassware and china. Clean or polish if needed.

Two days before Thanksgiving

• Shop for fresh produce.
• Double  check the guest list and menu. Make absolutely sure you have every ingredient called for in every recipe, and enough of that ingredient to make each recipe.

The day before Thanksgiving

• Buy fresh bread, produce, and a seasonal bouquet of flowers.
• Make your pie or cake today. Also, sweet potatoes can be made in advance and refrigerated. But don’t try this with mashed potatoes -  they get too  starchy.  Also, green bean casserole can be made ahead of time and refrigerated.
• Figure how long the meat will need to cook. Plan on 20 minutes per pound for a stuffed turkey, about the same for a Smithfield ham.
• Plan seating arrangement and make place cards for a more formal affair.
• Fill salt and pepper shakers.

D-Day

• Put the turkey or ham in the  oven.  Let’s  say you’re cooking a 15-pound turkey at 20 minutes per pound. That’s about five hours, plus a half hour for the bird to rest before carving.  Let’s say we want a late lunch, about 2 p.m. This means the meat goes in the oven at 8:30 a.m.
• Around 1 p.m., start getting your fresh vegetables prepared. Go ahead and put them in the pots they’ll be cooked in.
• At 1:30 p.m., check the meat’s  internal  temperature. Poultry should be cooked to 180 degrees. Get ready to take the meat out of the oven if it is done.   Put potatoes on to boil and start cooking fresh vegetables. Place any dishes made in advance in the oven or microwave to reheat.
• At 1:45 p.m., drain potatoes and mash. Check vegetables for doneness and adjust heat accordingly. Make gravy.
• At 2 p.m., start someone carving the meat. Take everything off the stove and begin the feast!

]]> http://www.chefrick.com/thanksgiving-101-how-to-cook-your-first-thanksgiving-dinner/feed/ 2 http://www.chefrick.com/onion-rings/ http://www.chefrick.com/onion-rings/#comments Sat, 23 Oct 2010 14:53:49 +0000 Chef Rick http://www.chefrick.com/?p=374 p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Arial}

• 4 large yellow onions
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup self-rising cornmeal
• 1 cup beer
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 4 cups vegetable shortening

• 1 (5 to 6 pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 onions, diced
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 4 cups warm water
• 2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
• 1 recipe Basic Rice

In a 6- to 8-quart Dutch oven over medium heat, brown chicken pieces in oil. Remove from pot and allow to cool. Remove meat from bones and set aside.

Sprinkle flour in pot and stir until brown. Add onions and celery; cook until tender. Add a little of the water slowly, scraping brown bits from bottom and stirring to combine. Add remaining water, chicken and poultry seasoning.

Reduce heat and simmer until tender (about 1 hour), stirring occasionally as stew thickens. Serve over rice.

Yield: 4 -6 servings

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Peel sweet potatoes, and using a chef’s knife, carefully cut them into bite-sized pieces.

In a 6- to 8-quart Dutch oven over high heat, bring sweet potatoes and enough water to cover to a depth of 2 inches to a rolling boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.

In a 2-quart sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar together. Add orange juice and stir until smooth. Add the sweet potatoes and cook slowly, turning occasionally until the sweet potatoes are caramelized, about 20 minutes. If syrup is too thin, add a little more brown sugar. Garnish with the raisins and nuts.