Fixins

Here is our turkey jus after a full day of slowly reducing and constant skimming. Nothing in the original stock was caramelized but still we end with a dark, clean, and clear jus. Tomorrow we will butter it out lightly for some shine.



The thigh and leg braising liquid was reduced as well then mounted with butter. We added chopped sage and fleur de sel then packed it into parchment lined hotel pans. The pans were stacked and we put a weight on top of them as they were cooling. Tomorrow we will portion and sear for service.



T-day is not complete without some Blis bourbon barrel aged maple syrup which went into a foam for our pumpkin soup. After the soup was made and foamed it tasted just like a warm, slightly more savory pumpkin pie.



Now on to the cranberry fluid gel. We made a gastrique base, added the cranberries and oj then cooked them down slowly. We strained the liquid and added our agar, then pureed. It tastes just like the Ocean Spray Cranberry in a can(which is what we were going for), but in a fluid gel state. Aaron and I commented on it last year after we made it and I ended up pureeing the stuff in a can for the family when I did T-day dinner the next day and it worked perfectly. Could we have just pureed the stuff in a can? Yes! I just can't justifying serving that to paying customers, we have to use fresh ingredients and show some value for price paid. I grew up with the gelled stuff that still had the ridges from the can in the shape of a tube on the plate just sliced so for me at home I love it but couldn't do it at the restaurant. I'm hoping there will be some left over for me to take home for my day after turkey sandwich.



One of the classics is the green bean casserole. We made a mushroom bechemel, blanched some verts, folded it all together then made little bunches. These will get topped with some focaccia bread crumbs and baked.



It's all coming together. We are a seafood restaurant mainly and will sell a hefty amount of fish tomorrow for our traveling guests that have no idea what Thanksgiving is all about in the US but we have prepped about 140 portions of our "not so traditional turkey dinner" in anticipation of the people that join us year in and year out for this holiday. Now all we have to do is execute.