It can be daunting to cook a meal during the holidays. You want to wow your family and friends, but it’s difficult to know where to start. With the help of Boyd Mearns, NAIT’s Artisanal Food Market team lead, here’s a guide to help you create the perfect holiday feast this year.
Roast your turkey
Turkey is best made the “traditional way,” according to Mearns. Roasting your bird in the oven is also one of the simpler ways to prepare a turkey. According to Women’s Health magazine, the steps are quite cut and dry. Simply thaw, prep by patting the turkey dry and seasoning the skin, and cook at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooking time varies based on the size and weight of the poultry, but using a meat thermometer to test if the turkey is ready or not takes the guesswork out. The turkey’s interior temperature should be between 165 and 180 degrees. It’s also best practice to allow the turkey to rest for 20 minutes to two hours.
Don’t toss the drippings
If you want to add a little more life to your side dishes, turkey drippings will do the trick. Drippings are the excess juices and fat from the meat roasting process. Drippings have a ton of flavour you don’t want to let go to waste. Mearns suggests making a mirepoix consisting of “onions, carrots and celery.” The French term refers to finely chopped vegetables cooked in butter or fat to bring out the flavours of the vegetables. Throwing these vegetables in with your turkey drippings is a great way to create an easy, and impressive, companion to your poultry.
Cook for your audience
Mearns suggests asking your group what their preferences are. After all, you’re not only cooking for yourself. “For me, [the] number one [thing] is to consider the crowd.” It’s also important to keep in mind the amount of people you’re cooking for. When preparing for a large group, keeping it simple is your best bet. Mearns suggests “[one] appetizer, one dessert and one entrée” for large numbers of guests. This way, you can easily prepare large batches for each course. When it comes to smaller groups, Mearns encourages variety, suggesting the addition of a soup and second dessert option.
Elevate traditional side dishes
Mearns had a couple tips on how to put a welcome spin on classics like mashed potatoes and asparagus. He mentions adding cauliflower to mashed potatoes “just to have a little bit [of a] twist.” He also suggests adding a small amount of acid, like vinegar, to bring out the flavour of your potatoes. You can also season your potatoes with salt, pepper and nutmeg, “and if you want any colour you can [add] parsley.”
Blanching asparagus with salt water is another helpful tip to enhance flavour. The process of blanching is simply boiling your vegetables and immediately submerging them in ice-cold water once they’re cooked. Mearns says your water “consistency should be like sea salt water.”
Don’t forget what the season’s about
As stressful as the holidays are, don’t forget to enjoy the process of preparing a meal for your loved ones. “All I can say is prepare according to what’s in your heart,” Mearns expressed. “That’s enough to be fancy.” His favourite part about cooking is seeing people enjoy his creations. “They’re eating it happily … really enjoying each and every bite.”
Still sounds like too much work? Lots of local businesses offer ingredients or pre-made meals. A close to home option is NAIT’s Artisanal Food Market. They’ll be offering butchered turkeys and have a selection of frozen soups and sides to purchase. Be sure to stock up on student-made goods before they close for the winter break!
