Chef Scott Downey, The Butternut Tree
The holidays are the time of year when everyone, the cousins, the aunts, the uncles, the grandparents, can all get together. It’s the time to celebrate, catch up and just spend valuable time together.
We always had the same traditional meal growing up—stuffed roast turkey, mashed potatoes, mashed turnip, gravy, cranberry sauce, broccoli casserole, sweet potato with marshmallows, tomato aspic and the cherished family Christmas pudding. It’s a most special meal, so incredibly delicious and nostalgic, part of our family history.
But it always brought the busy to the holidays. Not to mention the mess in the kitchen at the end of the night.
When I grew older and became a professional chef, I wanted to put my cheffy twist on things. Nuts and wild mushrooms to the stuffing. Clementine and clove to the turkey.
The funny thing? Before I got the opportunity to put my twist on this sacred holiday meal, my life changed dramatically. I became a dad, which is the best thing that has ever happened to me. But, between running the restaurant and being a dad, was there really time to do the traditional holiday dinner? And, our parents wanted to spend time with their grandkids. Nobody wanted to be stuck in the kitchen.
I realized it wasn’t the menu that had to change but how we did it.
The last-minute flurry of jockeying for space in the oven and on the stove top, the isolation of the folks in the kitchen while everyone is chatting and getting into the spirit of things in the living room. The staggering out of the kitchen with the massive bird on display ready to be ceremoniously carved. The messy kitchen, with counters and sink overflowing with every dirty pot, pan and utensil.
Nope, not for us, not anymore.
Now we prepare all the vegetables a few days before, ready to be roasted right before dinner. Salad dressing is made in advance. Other family members bring stuffing and mashed potatoes in serving dishes, ready to be reheated.
The turkey? We brine it before and cook the morning of. After resting we carve it and hold it in the refrigerator. (Re-heating instructions are in the recipe).
The only thing that hasn’t changed? Grandma’s Christmas Pudding. We always made that in advance. Now we make the sauce early too and freeze it.
No longer do we have the presentation of the roast bird, but that’s a small price to pay for the time gained with family. And, the house still has that same inviting smell of roast turkey.
Take it from an individual who grew up with this nostalgic, delicious and labour intensive dinner, this new method works. It even got the ‘best turkey I have ever eaten’ from my mom last year; the head curator of holiday meals in our family.
Nobody fights about loading the dishwasher. It’s so easy compared to the kitchen disaster of the past.
Here’s to spending the holidays with the people you love, not hidden away in the kitchen.
No Fuss Roast Turkey
Remember to plan ahead for the brining, then cook to time with dinner. We cook ours around 9am, to be finished cooking by around 12:30pm. We let it rest for 20 minutes, then we carve the turkey, cover with tin foil and refrigerate. This means the carving mess and clean-up is sorted prior to the guest’s arrival. When carving the bird, take off all the extra skin from the bottom of the bird and around the legs and place on top of the carved meat, skin side up. These pieces have the highest amount of fat and create a natural lid that keeps the meat moist. We re-heat right before we plan to serve.
| 12-16 lb | fresh turkey |
| 8 T | kosher salt |
| 12 sprigs | rosemary |
| 12 sprigs | thyme |
| 6 sprigs | sage |
| 2 heads | garlic |
| 2 onions | rough chopped |
| 2 carrots | rough chopped |
| 2 sticks | celery, rough chopped |
| ¼ c | butter, room temperature |
The most important step: brine your turkey! Brining keeps it moist and flavourful, even more important when you plan to reheat later.
Heat 8 cups of water and 8 tablespoons kosher salt in a large pot until the salt is fully dissolved in the water. Take off the heat, let it cool to room temp (refrigerate if you have room). Gently rinse turkey with cold water and place in a large brine bag (available at grocery stores during the holiday season) or large container such as a Canbro (even a cooler!). Pour the cooled brine over the turkey, covering completely. Add half the herbs and garlic and seal tightly. Make sure the turkey is completely covered in brine, and pop in the fridge. If necessary, add more cooled brine and weigh down the bag with a brick. Let brine for 24-36 hours.
When ready, take the turkey out of the brine and pat dry. Let it sit uncovered in the fridge overnight. This dries out the turkey skin so it will crisp up and become golden brown. Take out of the fridge in the morning and bring to room temperature (about 1-1.5 hours).
Pre-heat oven to 400ºF.
Place the chopped onion, carrot and celery in roasting pan. Fill the cavity of the bird with the remaining herbs and head of garlic. Place turkey, untrussed, onto the vegetable bed and put in the oven for 20 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350ºF, brush with all the butter and proceed to cook the turkey for 12 minutes per pound.
Brush the turkey with pan drippings about 4-5 times through the cooking process, approximately every 30 minutes. When the cook time is completed, check the temperature in the thickest part of the breast and the thigh along the bone to ensure the meat is cooked. I prefer to cook it to 170-175ºF prior to resting as it creates super-tender leg meat and the brine will keep the breast moist.
Tent with tin foil and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then carve the turkey in the roasting pan and refrigerate until you need it. To reheat: add ½-cup pan drippings, cover with tinfoil and place in 400ºF oven for 20 minutes.
To serve: arrange the turkey pieces attractively on a platter and serve with gravy and all the vegetables.
Turkey Gravy
Chef Scott Downey’s turkey gravy, hearty and gluten free.
| 1½ c | turkey drippings |
| 3 c | turkey or chicken stock |
| 5 T | corn starch |
| ⅛ t | dried thyme |
| ⅛ t | dried sage |
| 1 | bay leaf |
| 1 t | black peppercorns |
Strain the turkey drippings into a cup or small bowl and remove the grease. Bring the skimmed drippings and 2/15 cup stock to a simmer. Add in all aromatics. Mix the remaining stock with the corn starch in a small bowl, then a whisk into the simmering liquid. Cook together for 10 minutes or so, until thicker and glossy. Season to personal taste and strain.
Tip: save the potato cooking liquid from the mashed potatoes and replace ½ c of the stock with potato water for extra flavour.
Serves 10.
Brussel Sprouts with Pickled Onions and Blue Cheese
| ½ lb | bacon, cut into lardons |
| 2 lb | brussels sprouts, halved |
| 3 T | canola oil |
| ⅛ c | pickled red onions |
| 4 T | apple cider vinegar |
| ⅛ c | blue cheese |
| kosher salt and fresh-cracked pepper |
Cook the bacon until just before crispy; strain and reserve bacon fat. Toss sprouts with bacon and canola oil, season and place on sheet tray. Put in the fridge if you are doing ahead of time. To serve: Roast sprouts for 15 minutes at 400ºF; when everything is out of the oven and the table is being set with all the side dishes, turn it to broil and cook sprouts for 5-10 minutes until crispy. Toss with the pickled onions, cider vinegar and blue cheese and serve.
Serves 10.
Roast Carrots with Maple Syrup and Grainy Mustard
| 2 lb | carrots, peeled and cut into sticks lengthwise |
| ¼ c | maple syrup |
| ¼ lb | butter |
| ⅛ c | grainy mustard |
| ⅛ c | parsley chopped |
Bring butter to a simmer in a pot over medium heat and cook until lightly brown. Turn off the heat. Add maple syrup and mustard and a large pinch of salt; let cool. Mix in parsley. Toss with the carrots and place in a roasting dish. Roast in a 400ºF oven for 45 minutes, uncovered.
Serves 8-10.
Kale Salad
| 2 bunches | kale cut into ¼-inch strips. |
| ¼ c | dried cranberries |
| ⅛ c | pumpkin seeds |
| ⅛ c | sunflower seeds |
| ⅛ c | walnut pieces |
| 1 | apple, cut in small dice (best to cut just before serving) |
| ¼ c | shaved parmesan |
Make-ahead Dressing
| ⅛ c | mayo |
| ⅛ c | bacon fat, topped up with canola oil to volume |
| ⅛ c | sherry or red wine vinegar |
| 1 T | Dijon mustard |
Mix together mayo, bacon fat, mustard and vinegar. Reserve.
To serve: Toss kale with the dressing and top with seeds, nuts, dried fruit, apple and cheese.
Serves 10.
Great Grandma’s Christmas Pudding
| 1 c | brown sugar |
| 1 c | beef suet (butchers can provide during the holiday season) |
| 1½ c | raisins |
| 1 c | grated carrot |
| 1 c | grated potato |
| 1½ c | flour |
| 1 t | baking soda |
| 1 T | lemon juice |
| ¼ t | each clove, cinnamon, nutmeg |
Dissolve soda in 1T warm water, then mix ingredients in the order provided. Place in a large old soup can, cover with tin foil and place in a pot with boiling water up halfway of the can. Place lid on the pot and steam on low heat for 3 hours. Serve warm with heart sauce and vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Serves 8, recipe can be doubled or tripled if desired.
Heart Sauce
We always called it heart sauce, that goes back to my grandma making it with her mother.
| ¼ c | butter |
| 2 T | flour |
| 1¼ c | brown sugar |
| ½ c | water |
| ½ t | vanilla |
| pinch nutmeg |
Melt butter, stir in flour and add in brown sugar until paste forms. Whisk in boiling water until smooth and silky. Serve warm.