How can I perk up Thanksgiving dinner?
For Claire Dinhut, author of The Condiment Book, it’s all about staying within the confines of the traditional Thanksgiving menu, but giving each dish some extra zhoosh. The sides are the obvious choice for this: “My family is from Los Angeles,” Dinhut says, “but they’re also half Greek, so our creamed spinach, for example, is always spanakopita-style creamed spinach with feta and dill.” Perhaps unsurprisingly, given that Dinhut also goes by the moniker of Condiment Claire, she also leans on a variety of jars and bottles to perk things up: sure, dijon mustard will bring “brightness and a bit of texture” to mashed potatoes, but why not kick things up a gear and use smoky dijon? “Toast chilli flakes, then combine with mustard [or mayo] to get that extra depth; that also works a charm as a dip for green beans.”
Dijon is also a friend to sprouts, Dinhut says: “We go for a slaw at Thanksgiving, with dijon, apple cider vinegar, fresh herbs and salt, to contrast that hearty mash.” Red-wine vinegar, meanwhile, features in Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s family favourite, braised red cabbage: “Toss the cabbage with vinegar and salt, then sweat onions in butter in a large casserole pan until tender,” says the chef/patron of ABC Kitchens in London. Add the cabbage mix, press down, then pour in some red wine and top with sliced apple (pink lady, for preference). Cover and cook until almost dry. Carrots are another Thanksgiving must, though Dinhut breaks from tradition by roasting hers with maple syrup and pumpkin spice blend ( cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves).
We’re also thankful for stuffing, which, in the US, involves adding nuts, dried fruit or veg to chopped up bread. Tim Anderson, author of Hokkaido, recommends using cooked wild rice, cranberries and chestnuts, or crumbling in some sausage: “A good, coarse Italian fennel sausage is best, but it’s really up to you,” he says. Vongerichten, meanwhile, turns his stuffing (ground turkey, diced foie gras, chestnuts, mushrooms, sourdough) into patties for what he calls “French-American stuffing”. And let’s not forget Yotam Ottolenghi’s stuffing biscuits, where onion, garlic, rosemary, sage and celery salt are sauteed in melted butter before honey is added and the whole lot is then folded through buttermilk biscuit dough.
“Thanksgiving dinner can be so rich and monotonous,” Anderson says, which is why he keeps his cranberry sauce punchy, cooking the frozen fruit with marmalade, Kinnie (a Maltese fizzy orange drink), fresh ginger and chilli. It’s also a serious business at Dinhut’s, where there are always three types on offer: “Traditional, a variation with orange juice and peel, and one with jalapeños.” The latter couldn’t be simpler, either: just cook fresh or frozen cranberries with the usual suspects (although Dinhut ups the sugar to “get that sweet/spicy balance”) and a couple of chopped jalapeños.
The final word, as ever, goes to the bird: “This might be controversial,” Anderson says, “but to make a great Thanksgiving turkey, you’ve got to disassemble it and cook all the parts separately.” Remove and salt the skin, then roast until crisp (“That can be done a day before and reheated”), brine the crown, then roast under foil or steam gently; confit the wings and legs in a mix of butter, duck fat, walnut oil, rosemary, sage and garlic; and use the surplus carcass to make a stock for gravy. After all, make-ahead is always the name of the Thanksgiving game.
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