Cook Talk

Thanksgiving Dinner
laura
11/22/15
Serving 60 people, How much do I need?
Turkey Breast ( only) decent helping
Sweet potaotes (sliced) (pans?)
Mashed Potatoes
Stuffing ( pans?)
Corn
Green Beans
Gravy
Cranberry Sauce
Jandre O'Keef
11/22/15
I want to make milk gravy enough for 12 people and extra for leftovers! I purchased turkey wings so I could make the gravy the day before. Do I use half of the liquid drippings and half of evaporated milk? Need directions how to make the gravy from wings. Also you stated to bring the gravy up to a boil before serving, so I would do this with milk gravy as well?
ellen
11/22/15
Jandre, If you boil milk gravy, it will separate and curdle.

For generous gravy for a single meal, make a quart for 12 people.

Roast those wings in a non-stick pan at 325 until roasty and brown. To enrich the gravy, you can slice up onion and a couple of carrots in the same pan, roast them all caramelly with the wings.

Pour off the drippings, see how much fat you got (I use a glass pyrex cup, then I can see the fat layer and estimate amounts. If short of fat (happens sometime when you have wings instead of carcass/giblets) add enough butter to make the amount for your recipe.

Take the wings and everything in the pan and simmer it in a quart or so of water until you have a nice broth. If you have giblets, necks, they can go in this pot also. Cook it down to about 3 cups if you are making a quart of gravy. Strain the broth, stir in the dripping and chill it till the fat layer separates and firms.

Then I take off the fat, use it to cook up the flour, then add in the the reheated broth, then the milk if I am using it. Standard gravy technique. Season to taste. Turkey gravy is usually not too thick.

Just make sure you have the right amount of fat; too little, it tastes dull, too much, it cracks and tastes greasy.

Approximate amounts per quart of gravy.

1/3 to 1/2 cup dripping (fat) or butter
18260;2 cup flour
3 cups chicken/turkey broth
18260;2 cup milk (evap OK)
salt & pepper

The simmered bones and bits is what kicks up the flavor and color.

ellen
11/22/15
Laura, 2 pounds of bone-in turkey breast serves 3 people a holiday size portion.

Everything else is covered in detail in this article:

www.ellenskitchen.com/turkey/planshop.html
A standard 9x13 pan holds 12-15 half cup servings. You could figure 15 since you have several starches and several vegetables.

Have a very fine dinner and use a meat thermometer on the turkey; you really do need to pull it out no hotter than 135 unless you want to risk the deadly dry turkey tragedy.

Gloria
11/26/15
Can you cook a 20 lb turkey at 250 degrees overnight in an electric roaster ?
ellen
11/26/15
No, not safely. Overnight at 250 is not safe for turkey, since more than 1/3 of the carcasses have bacterial contamination. Next time, see the info on cooking it from frozen, which works great and no drippy stuff.
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