cranberry sauce

 Kory and the kids always loved their canned cranberry sauce, but I made this Tyler Florence recipe for myself. I added some maple syrup at the end for a little extra sweetness. 

Ingredients

• Two 8-ounce packages cranberries, fresh or frozen
• 1 orange, zest cut into strips and juiced
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick

Instructions

1. Put all the ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat and simmer until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens, about 15 to 20 minutes. 
2. Serve at room temperature or cool and refrigerate. 
3. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.

roast turkey breast with garlic herb butter

 Maybe the best thanksgiving turkey we've ever had! Recipe from Recipe Tin Eats. 

Ingredients

•  5-6 lb single turkey breast , skin on, bone in (Note 1), NOT BRINED
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Black pepper
• Small bunch of fresh herbs - 4 rosemary sprigs , 8 sprigs sage, 10 thyme sprigs
• 12 garlic cloves , smashed with side of knife 

    BUTTER:

•  5 oz (10 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 tsp table salt or 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 4 large garlic cloves , minced
• 1 tbsp finely chopped sage , fresh
• 1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary , fresh
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves , fresh
• 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley leaves , fresh

Instructions

1.  Take turkey out of the fridge 45 minutes before cooking 
2. Preheat oven to 390F (all oven types). Put rack in the lower middle position.
3. Place garlic and bunch of herbs in the middle of a baking dish. 
4. Butter: Mix Butter ingredients together.
5. Loosen skin: Use an upside teaspoon to help loosen the skin from the turkey flesh (easiest to go under the paper thin layer under the surface skin). 
6. Smear butter under skin: Use about 2/3 of the butter, and smear it under the skin on the top half of the breast. Best to smear using hands under the skin (not on surface), to ensure it spreads as evenly as possible.
7. Turn turkey upside down. Reserve about 2 tbsp butter for the surface, smear the rest on the underside.
8. Place turkey in pan on the herbs, skin side up. Now smear skin with remaining butter - you don't want much on the skin because the herb bits burn. 
9. STOP HERE for make ahead option - the turkey can be left like this for up to 24 hours. Remove from fridge 45 minutes before serving then proceed.
10. ROASTING: Sprinkle top and sides of breast with salt and pepper all over. Place turkey in oven, turn DOWN to 350F.
11. Roast for 1 hr 30 minutes, basting all over every 30 minutes.
12. COOK TIME / INTERNAL TEMPERATURE: The turkey is cooked when the meat thermometer inserted at the thickest part is 165F. I check in several places. Allow 15 minutes per /1 lb of turkey. My 5.5 lb bone in turkey took 1 hr 40 minutes.
13. COVER turkey with foil when it becomes golden to your taste, at any point during the cook time (I never had to cover)
14. Rest - Remove turkey from pan and place on serving plate. Cover loosely with foil and rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

GRAVY: Strain the pan juices into a large saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a simmer then add 1/4 cup of plain flour. Whisk into a slurry and cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour in 1 cup of chicken/turkey broth, whisking as you go. When it heats up, it will thicken, if it's too thick, add broth. Lastly, season with salt & pepper to taste.