ThanksGiving for 27
Tara
tbecerra@barstowca.org
11/03/05 		I am cooking ThanksGiving for 27. What size turkey and ham should I do? I am planning on doing chafing dishes buffet style for all warm items. Any additional tips for such?
ellen

11/03/05 		If you are considering slicing the turkey into the trays, may I suggest you cook 2 smaller turkeys, 1 earlier in the day which you will carve and slice in the kitchen, cover and refrigerate. Make the gravy with the early turkey's drippings and all the necks, gizzards, etc., (you will just bring it back to a boil to reheat). Then do the second one with the ham on the top shelf of the oven to finish about 30 minutes before you plan to carve. The stuffing can cook on the lower shelf; when you take the turkey and ham out, you put boiling hot gravy in the turkey reheating pan, layer the sliced turkey in, cover tightly with foil, and reheat. By the time you are ready to carve, the sliced pan will be hot and delicious. Service will be very easy and faster, important with 27 people. And you still get to carve a turkey, and there are twice as many legs for the kids.

I would do 2 10-12+ pound turkeys and 1 7-8 pound ham, you will have plenty and also leftovers for the family. You will not have as much kitchen cleanup, either, and you won't be rushing around making gravy at the last minute. Also you will not be struggling to store and handle a huge 20+ pound giamongous hot turkey.

Consider some special veggies like pearl onions in cheese sauce, baked winter squash slices with cinnamon and butter, baby carrots with a ginger glaze and roasted cherry tomatoes with roasted garlic. Beautiful and a little different.

The honey raisin pound cake, about half way down on the recipebox page, is best made a few days ahead and is a simple, delicious, and inexpensive addition to the dessert table.

ellen

11/03/05 		By the way, these nice little turkeys are very easy to brine- 4 hours of overnight, they will cook about 1/2 hour faster and you wn't believe how jucy that white meat will be- instrucytions at many sites, I like Alton Browns' food networks "Good Eats "guy.