Cook a Big Gay Thanksgiving

Cat Cora's Beer Can Turkey

12 to 24 ounces beer (in a can if using a beer-can turkey stand)
2 teaspoons spicy mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried chopped onion
1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground smoked cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 9-to-10-pound turkey (thawed if frozen)
1/4 cup canola oil

Preheat a grill to medium (about 350 degrees Fahrenheit) on one side. Pour the beer into a turkey sitter (a ceramic stand that holds liquid). Or open the beer can, pour out a few tablespoons and place in a beer-can turkey stand.

Combine the mustard powder, garlic powder, dried onion, paprika, granulated garlic, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl.

Remove the neck, giblets, and any excess fat from the turkey; discard. Rinse the turkey under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the cavity with two to three teaspoons of the spice mixture. Brush the outside of the turkey with the canola oil and place drumstick-end down on the sitter or stand. Rub the remaining spice mixture all over the turkey.

Place the turkey (on the sitter or stand) on the cooler side of the grill. Cover and cook until the juices run clear and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 185 degrees F and 170 degrees F in the breast, two to three hours. Carefully remove the turkey from the grill, remove from the sitter or stand, and discard the beer. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest at least 20 minutes before carving.

Candace Walsh's Parmesan-Scallion Mashed Potatoes
makes 8-12 servings

3 pounds russet potatoes
1/2 bunch scallions
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While that's heating up, wash and peel potatoes (or leave the skins on), and cut into uniform slices (about 1 inch thick). Add potatoes to water at rolling boil.

Wash scallions, cut off and discard the root and top ends, and then thinly slice the trimmed stalks crosswise, all the way up. In a skillet, saute in butter or olive oil and a dash of broth.

When potato pieces are cooked through, drain and add to mixing bowl. Use a mixer on medium speed to mash the potatoes. Then, once they have come to a uniform consistency (lumps are fine), add the parmesan cheese, sauteed scallions, and broth. Blend everything together; add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Excerpted from Licking the Spoon: A Memoir of Food, Family, and Identity by Candace Walsh. Available from Seal Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright 2012.

Louis Lambert's Braised Greens with Smoked Ham Hock
makes 8 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced medium
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 pounds mustard, turnip, or collard greens or kale, stemmed and cut into 2-inch strips
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
1 smoked ham hock

Heat a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until soft, about four minutes. Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for another minute. Pour the chicken stock, water, and vinegar into the pot and bring to a boil. Add the greens in batches; as the greens wilt into the hot liquid, continue putting them in the pot until they have all been added. Add the salt, pepper, sugar, and ham hock. When the liquid has returned to a boil, turn the heat down to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and slowly simmer, stirring occasionally, until the greens are tender, about one hour. Transfer to a bowl and serve.

Country ham is a cured ham from the southern United States. They are salt-cured for one to three months and then usually smoked for added flavor, though they do not have to be smoked to be called a country ham. After curing, the hams are aged anywhere from several months to two to three years. This curing and aging process produces a ham that is very salty and somewhat dense. The hams are soaked in water and the salt and the mold scrubbed off before they are cooked whole or sliced and pan-fried. A country ham is similar to a leg of Italian prosciutto, but prosciutto is not smoked and typically a little moister. Country hams are usually sold as unrefrigerated bone-in hams wrapped in cotton or burlap bags.

Reprinted with permission from Big Ranch, Big City Cookbook: Recipes From Lambert's Texas Kitchens by Louis Lambert and June Naylor, copyright (c) 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House Inc.

Ted Allen's Chestnut Stuffing
12 servings

1 pound fresh chestnuts
8 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs, from crusty bread
4 cups diced cornbread
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 extra-large yellow onion, chopped
1 turkey liver, cleaned and finely chopped
1 cup chicken or turkey stock, preferably homemade or low-sodium store bought
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Note: You can substitute dry-packed bottled chestnuts in a pinch; you'll need 7 ounces. But your house will not smell as good.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Cut an X into the round end of each chestnut, place on a rimmed baking sheet, put in the oven and add 1/4 cup water to the pan. Roast for 10 minutes; the shells should peel back where cut. Remove from the oven, let cool for a minute or two, and then peel while the chestnuts are still warm. Chop coarsely.

Decrease the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Spread the bread crumbs on a baking sheet and bake until dry and golden, about 15 minutes. Put in a large bowl with the chestnuts and cornbread.

In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt the butter, and then add the celery, onions, and chopped liver, and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes. Add to the bowl with the chestnuts.

Stir in the chicken stock, parsley, sage, salt, pepper and eggs. Spoon into a buttered three-quart baking dish and bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until browned, about 30 minutes.

Anne Burrell's Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Apples
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, picked and finely chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes generously with some olive oil, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne. Lay the sweet potatoes out on a sheet tray, place them in the oven and roast until they are very soft and mushy, 30 to 35 minutes.

Peel the apples and cut into 1-inch dice. Toss the apples with the lemon juice, some olive oil, salt, and the rosemary. Lay them out on a sheet tray and place in the oven during the last 15 minutes of the cooking time for the sweet potatoes. When done, the apples should be soft and cooked through but still hold their shape. Sprinkle the walnuts over the apples during the last five minutes in the oven.

Transfer the sweet potatoes to a large bowl and coarsely mash them with a potato masher. Stir in the cooked apples and walnuts. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Serve immediately or keep in a warm oven and serve hot.

Art Smith's Thanksgiving Dinner Monkey Bread With Cranberry and Orange

Monkey Bread:
3 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup warm water
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1 stick butter, melted plus 2 tablespoons for greasing bundt pan
2 eggs, whisked
Canola oil, for greasing proofing bowl
1 14 ounce can cranberry sauce

Cinnamon Sugar:
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 stick butter, melted

Cranberry Orange Sauce:
1 14 ounce can cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons orange liqueur
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 orange, juiced
Powdered sugar, for dusting

For Monkey Bread Dough
1. Heat water to 110 degrees. Add honey and active dry yeast and allow to sit in a warm place for 10 minutes until the yeast foams.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the flour and salt and mix to combine.
3. In a small pot heat together the milk and butter until melted.
4. Add to the flour mixture the bloomed yeast, heated butter mixture, and eggs. Mix on medium-high speed for six minutes. The dough will completely combine, become sticky and pull away from the sides of the bowl. Remove to a floured board and knead the dough by hand until it becomes smooth. Place the dough in a bowl coated with oil, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm place for an hour; the dough will double in size.

For Cinnamon Sugar
1. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish.
2. Melt the butter in small saucepan.

To Assemble Monkey Bread
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a bundt pan with butter, set aside.
3. When the dough has doubled in size turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 32 equal pieces. Take one piece of dough at a time and slightly stretch the dough to fit into the palm of your hand. Fill the middle of the dough with one teaspoon of cranberry sauce, fold the dough over the filling, pinching it together to seal completely, then roll the filled dough into a ball. Brush the ball with butter and coat in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place seam side up in the bundt pan. Continue to form the dough and fill the bundt pan, brushing each new layer with butter before adding more dough on top. When finished assembling the monkey bread, cover the bundt pan with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to proof for one hour; the dough should double in size and reach the top of the bundt pan.
4.When the dough has proofed, place in the preheated oven and cook for one hour; the dough will become golden brown and crusty. Allow to cool for five minutes, then invert the monkey bread onto a serving platter.

For Cranberry Orange Sauce
1. Combine all the ingredients in a sauce pot and heat until warm and combined.
2. Generously spoon sauce over the monkey bread, and fill the center of the monkey bread with additional sauce. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.