Cranberry-Orange Relish

3 cups fresh whole cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons orange zest, grated
1/2 cup water
Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan and bring
to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally,
until cranberries pop, about 5 minutes. Let cool and serve.
This may be made ahead and refrigerated, covered, for up to
1 week before serving. Makes 2 cups..

CHRISTMAS PICKLES

1 large jar dill pickles, cut in pieces
1 small jar pickled onions
1 small package whole candied cherries
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon cloves
1 tablespoon mustard seed

Arrange pickles, onions and cherries in four pint jars.

Combine remaining ingredients and heat to dissolve sugar. Pour over mixed pickles.

Refrigerate a few days before using.

Perfect Gravy recipe

If using giblets in your gravy, refer to the instructions below for preparation.

Remove the cooked turkey and roasting rack from the roasting pan. Pour the poultry drippings through a sieve into a container. Add 1 cup stock (poultry, meat or vegetable) to the roasting pan and stir until crusty brown bits are loosened. If you do not have homemade stock, substitute canned broth, but it is not as good. For example, if you are making turkey gravy, use chicken broth. Pour the deglazed liquid/stock into the container with the pan drippings. Let the mixture stand a few minutes until the fat rises to the top.

Skim and discard any fat that remains on top of the poultry drippings, reserving 3 to 4 tablespoons. Or alternatively, cook about 6 slices of bacon until crisp, and use the fat from the bacon.

Over medium heat, spoon the reserved fat into a 2-quart or larger saucepan. Using a whisk only (to prevent lumps), whisk an equal amount of flour into heated fat and continue to cook and stir until the flour turns golden. To produce a full flavored gravy, you must cook the flour in about an equal portion of fat until the flour has lost its raw taste (as you would a roux). A common problem is using too much flour, which decreases the flavor.

Gradually whisk in warm poultry drippings/stock mixture. Cook and stir until gravy boils and is slightly thick. Add finely chopped cooked giblets (as below). Remember the gravy will continue to thicken after it has been removed from the heat. A good rule is to use between 1 and 2 tablespoons of flour for each cup of liquid and then give the mixture time to thicken.

If you require more gravy, use a little melted butter and extra warmed poultry stock to increase the volume of the pan drippings.

For an extra rich gravy, add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup cream. You can also add vegetables such cooked onion or mushrooms for variety.

Optional Ingredients
Fresh or dried herbs (use whatever you used to make your turkey)
3/4 cup or less wine or brandy

Preparation of Giblets
Giblets, wing tips, and neck
2 quarts cold water
1 large onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped parsley

While the turkey cooks, or the day before, cover giblets, wing tips and neck bones with water in a large pot. Add onion, celery and parsley. Simmer for 2 hours. Strain broth and reserve for gravy. Pick meat from neck and wing tips. Finely chop the giblets and meat.

Add to the gravy after liquid has been blended into the fat-flour mixture as described in the Perfect Gravy recipe.

Giblet Gravy recipe

Makes about 2 cups

This is the sauce for anyone who prefers a rich, slightly sweet gravy with savory giblets for texture and body. The availability of pan drippings varies according to the size of the bird and other factors; for this recipe you should have 1/2 cup of drippings.

Turkey giblets and neck
1 medium onion, quartered
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup water
Pan drippings
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

While turkey roasts, place giblets and neck in heavy 1 1/2-quart saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming scum from the top. Add vegetables and, if needed, a little additional water to cover them; return to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer; cook slowly for about 2 hours, until liquid has reduced to a rich stock. Strain, pressing stock from vegetables; discard vegetables. Reserve stock; you should have about 1 1/4 cups.

Chop giblets in small cubes; reserve. When turkey has completed roasting, remove it from the roasting pan, set roasting pan atop two burners, and over low heat add the 1/2 cup water to pan. Blend water with pan drippings, using a wooden spoon to stir mixture and loosen browned bits from bottom of pan; the water and pan drippings together should equal about 1 cup. Reserve this liquid.

In a heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour; raise heat to medium and cook until flour mixture begins to turn golden brown (about 2 minutes). Stir in 1 cup of the reserved giblet stock and the reserved 1 cup of liquid from the roasting pan, stirring constantly until thickened. If mixture is too thick, whisk in additional turkey stock or, for a creamy gravy, add a little milk. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in giblets and serve hot with roast turkey.

Cranberry Orange Chutney

4 medium oranges 
1/2 cup orange juice
1 pound fresh cranberries
2 cups sugar 
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, diced 
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1 whole cinnamon stick
1 medium clove garlic, peeled 
3/4 teaspoon curry powder 
3/4 cup raisins

Remove outer rind from oranges to make 1/4 cup thin slivers. Remove all of membrane and remaining rind from oranges, discard Cut oranges cross wise in slices about 1/4 inch thick. Cut slices into quarters. Combine orange rind. juice, cranberries, sugar, diced ginger, hot sauce, cinnamon, garlic, curry and raisins, in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and cranberries pop open. Remove from heat. Discard cinnamon and garlic. Add oranges and mix lightly. Serve hot or cold. Store in refrigerator up to six weeks or seal in sterilized jars. Serve with turkey, ham or game.

Broccoli Bakers



Ingredients



4 large baking potatoes, baked

1/4 cup diced broccoli

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese

4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

2 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Cut a 1-inch-wide strip from the top of each baked potato. Carefully

scoop out pulp, leaving shells intact.



Mash pulp. Stir in broccoli and next 6 ingredients. Spoon into shells,

and place on a baking sheet.



Bake, covered, at 400° for 30 minutes.



Yield



4 servings

Southern Living, DECEMBER 1999

Black-Eyed Peas with Caramelized Onion and Country Ham



Ingredients



3 (15.8-ounce) cans packed from fresh shelled black-eyed peas (we

tested with Bush's Best)

1 bay leaf

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can ready-to-serve chicken broth

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large purple onion, diced

1/4 pound country ham, diced

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Garnish: fresh thyme sprigs

Preparation

Combine first 3 ingredients in a 2-quart saucepan; bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes; drain. Discard bay leaf.

Return peas to pan; cover and set aside.



Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add

onion; cook 5 minutes or until golden, stirring often. Reduce heat;

add ham, and cook 10 additional minutes or until ham is crisp and

onion is well browned. Stir in vinegar, chopped thyme, and pepper;

bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally to loosen any caramelized

bits from bottom of pan, 5 minutes or until mixture is a thin syrup.

Pour over peas; toss well. Garnish, if desired.

Yield



8 servings

Oxmoor House, JANUARY 1999 Christmas with Southern Living 1999

Black-Eyed Peas and Sweet Peppers



Ingredients



1/2 cup chopped cooked ham

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 medium-size sweet red pepper, seeded and cut into very thin strips

1 medium-size green pepper, seeded and cut into very thin strips

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 (16-ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped

1 (15.8-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained

1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

Preparation

Cook ham, onion, and pepper strips in hot oil in a large skillet over

medium heat, stirring constantly, until tender. Add tomato with liquid

and remaining ingredients.



Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 8 minutes,

stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let cool.



Spoon mixture into jars. Cover jars with lids and store in

refrigerator. Give each jar as a gift with a package of rice.



Note: To serve, remove lid from jar. Microwave uncovered at HIGH 1 1/2

to 2 minutes or until throughly heated, stirring after 1 minute. Serve

over hot cooked rice.

Yield



2 pints

Oxmoor House, JANUARY 1995 Christmas with Southern Living 1995

Orange-Glazed Pearl Onions



Suit yourself - fresh or frozen. This is a fine

addition to turkey and is wonderful on the holiday

table.



2 pounds frozen pearl onions (can use fresh*)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 cup orange marmalade

1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons chives

pinch cayenne pepper



Cook onions according to instructions on bag until

tender. Drain well. (*If using fresh; Blanch onions in

boiling water for one minute- allow to cool a little

until they are safe to handle; peel onions and boil in

water that is lightly salted for 10-12 minutes, till

the onions are tender-drain.<WBR>) Set onions aside.



Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add

garlic slivers, and cook, stirring, for less than a

minute, just until slivers are golden; add marmalade

and stir until melted.



Add onions, pepper and the pinch of cayenne, and

continue stirring until marmalade starts to thicken

and the onions are evenly coated. stir in the chives

and move to a serving dish. Recipe can be halved



Serves: 8

Kentucky Corn Pudding



Corn on the cob was sometimes served at Christmas, but

more often we had our corn the old southern way, as

corn pudding. Great for a Thanksgiving as well.



1 pint fresh corn, with pulp scraped from cob

2 egg yolks

1 1/2 tablespoons flour

1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8th teaspoon black pepper

2 egg whites, beaten to stiff peaks



Preheat oven to 350°F.



Combine corn, egg yolk, flour, milk, sugar, butter,

salt and pepper. Mix well.



Fold in egg whites. Turn into a buttered baking dish

and bake in preheated 350°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes

or until set.



Serves 6 to 8