My Perfect Thanksgiving

Family, food and the beginning of the festive period. What’s not to love?

I adore Thanksgiving. This year all my family are getting together and I’m hosting. I’m so excited – and a little nervous!

I wanted to talk you through my favorite elements of this holiday, what I’ll be doing to make it a perfect Thanksgiving, and even share my delicious, if maverick, Thanksgiving dessert.

Turkey Tips

I must confess, turkey has never been my favorite meat.

People all over America now deep fry their turkeys in an effort to make them taste better. But the best way to transform the boring, dry turkey into a succulent roast is to brine it. Simply soaking it in a solution of salt water overnight allows the salt to infiltrate the turkey and actually changes the molecular structure of the meat. It really is like night and day; I couldn’t believe how this one simple change transformed the overcooked, dry and desiccated birds of memory into plump, perfectly browned beauties. And all thanks to science! No deep fryers necessary.

Once I discovered this trick it completely changed our Thanksgiving turkeys- they were suddenly juicy and moist, finally the real star of the table, and had everyone going back for seconds and thirds.

Regretful Leftovers

Thanksgiving leftovers are now as much a part of the tradition as the holiday meal itself. While most leftovers are to be celebrated, I always look forward to pumpkin pie (or pudding!) for breakfast.

That said, I’ll never forget the year that my mom decided to make Turkey Tettrazini with our leftovers. Yes, it was just as bad, if not worse, than you are imagining. It was truly appalling – the only acceptable use for leftover turkey is in post Thanksgiving sandwiches. If you only take one thing away from this blog post, make sure it’s that!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving – I’d love to see the beautiful food you serve. Tag me in your pictures on Instagram.