From the White House to your house: Holiday recipes for a Presidential feast, including salad, sides and pie... President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama have welcomed family and friends to their White House Thanksgiving celebration each year since 2009. Next Thursday, Nov. 22, with four more years to be thankful for, the First Family's holiday will be even more special, and the White House for the first time has released the recipe for the glorious, brine-soaked Thyme-Roasted Turkey and Turkey Gravy that Executive Chef Cris Comerford will cook for the feast. Upholding decades of White House tradition, President Obama will spare two luckier Toms next Wednesday during the annual National Thanksgiving Turkey pardoning ceremony that is equal parts excitement and jocular nail biter, as the gathered press collectively hopes for a misbehaving bird. (Above: The President pardoned the well-behaved 'Liberty' during the 2011 ceremony, joined by Malia and Sasha)
Thanksgiving, the President said last year, "is one of the best days of the year to be an American."
"It’s a day to count our blessings, spend time with the ones we love, and enjoy some good food and some great company."
Multiple organic turkeys will be cooked for the Presidential feast by the White House chefs, because Comerford's recipe calls for a twenty-pounder to serve sixteen, and the First Couple have a large guest list. It includes their adult siblings and spouses and their children, friends from Chicago and Hawaii, and White House staff and their families. The First Wingding has always been closed to press.
The Obama Thanksgiving menu..
Like many Americans, the Obamas serve the same menu every Thanksgiving. The White House chefs make good use of the bounty growing in Mrs. Obama's Kitchen Garden, which produces crops through all four seasons. Accompanying the Presidential turkey is Honey Baked Ham, and the sides are a romp through regional delights. There's Cornbread Stuffing and Oyster Stuffing, Macaroni and Cheese, Sweet Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole and Dinner Rolls. Also released for this year's celebration is the recipe for the White House Kale Salad (above) that the First Couple will serve next Thursday.The White House has previously released the recipes for Sweet Potatoes and Greens and for Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese. Comerford's No Cream Creamed Spinach is a nice addition to any Thanksgiving feast, too.
President Obama is America's most famous pie lover, and the big finish to every Obama Thanksgiving feast is six different kinds of pie. White House Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses is no fan of what he calls "spa desserts," so his pie recipes make liberal use of sugar. Yosses' White House Apple Pie--on the Obama Thanksgiving menu--includes both butter and lard for the crust. White House Huckleberry Pie, also on the menu, includes blueberries, too. The White House Sweet Potato Pie that is served has a honey meringue topping, in an homage to Mrs. Obama's first-ever White House beehive. Cherry Pie, Banana Creme Pie, and Pumpkin Pie will also be served. (Above: The President shares his pie on the campaign trail)For the White House turkey recipe, the bird needs to soak in the brown sugar-and-garlic brine in the refrigerator for at least twelve hours ahead of roasting. A five-gallon food-grade bucket is needed for this, unless a brining bag is being used. A meat thermometer is a must, too. Check the blog sidebar for all White House recipes.
White House Thyme-Roasted Turkey
Ingredients
*20-pound fresh turkey, neck and giblets removed, rinsed
*16 Tablespoons unsalted butter (s sticks) at room temperature
*2 Tsp fine sea salt
*3 Tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the brine
*1 Gallon water
*1 bunch thyme
*4 whole heads garlic, peeled and cut in half horizontally
*1 Tablespoon whole black pepper corns
*6 Bay leaves
*1 Cup Kosher salt
*1 pound light brown sugar
*Ice, if brining in a bucket
Method
1. For the brine: In a large saucepan, heat the water, thyme, garlic, peppercorns, Bay leaves, salt and brown sugar over medium-high heat, Stir frequently until the salt and sugar dissolve.
2. Transfer brine to a clean, food-safe 5-gallon bucket. Add enough ice to total 3 gallons of liquid, and mix until incorporated. Add the turkey to the bucket and transfer to the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. Alternatively, place the turkey in a large brining bag and fill with enough of the brine to cover the turkey; seal the bag and refrigerate.
3. For the turkey: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
4. Remove the turkey from the brining liquid and use paper towels to pat it as dry as possible, inside and out.
5. Rub the turkey with the butter all over, including inside the cavity, and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Fold the wingtips underneath the turkey.
6. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan, breast side up. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and fold the neck flap under.
7. Roast the turkey for one hour to brown it, then reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees and cook for 2 more hours or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees.
Let the turkey rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before carving. Use the pan drippings for the gravy.
White House Turkey Gravy
Ingredients
*2 pounds turkey wings and/or neck bones, plus the contents of the turkey's giblet packet, excluding the liver
*2 medium onions, coarsely chopped (about 3 Cups)
*3 medium carrots, cut into large dice (1 1/2 Cups)
*1 head garlic, peeled and cut in half horizontally
*3 ribs celery, cut into 1-inch lengths (1 1/2 Cups)
*2 sprigs Thyme
*1 Bay leaf
*1 Teaspoon whole peppercorns
*1/2 Cup flour
*1 Cup Sherry
*8 Cups water
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. The first part of the gravy prep can roast with the turkey as it is cooking.
2. Place the turkey wings, bones and giblets in a single layer in a small roasting pan, and put in oven to roast.
3. When these have begun to brown nicely, after 20--30 minutes add the onions, carrots, garlic, celery, thyme, bay leaf and peppercorns, and roast for 10 more minutes.
4. Transfer the roasting pan to the stove top over medium-high heat. Add the flour and stir to coat the contents of the pan. Pour in the sherry and use a flat wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. Scrape contents of the pan into a large saucepan.
5. Add the water and bring the mixture just to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat so that it is barely bubbling. Cook uncovered for about 1 hour, until the liquid has thickened somewhat. Cover the pan and keep it warm.
6. When the turkey is done, scrape drippings from the roasting pan into the saucepan and stir to combine. Pour the gravy through a strainer into a bowl or gravy separator and discard the solids left in the strainer. Skim the fat from the surface of the gravy. Transfer to a gravy boat or other serving vessel.
*Top photo by Chuck Kennedy/White House; kale photo by Eddie Gehman Kohan/Obama Foodorama; pie photo by Pete Souza/White House; turkey photo by Deb Lindsey for The Washington Post, which has also posted these recipes.
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