Let’s talk turkey.
The golden, roasted bird has become the Norman Rockwell ideal of what Thanksgiving is supposed to be. Placed at the center of the table and surrounded by sides, it’s billed as the star of the show.
But more often than not, it’s dry — sometimes really dry, so your gravy game better be on point — and it’s not terribly flavorful. But, it’s tradition, so many people make their bird one day a year while secretly looking forward to leftover turkey sandwiches the next day.
But what if you wanted to start a new tradition? There’s no law that says you have to eat turkey on Thanksgiving, after all. And it's said that the first Thanksgiving was actually more of a seafood extravaganza, anyway.
If you’re ready to try something different, and can convince your family and friends to go along with it, local chef Joe Zazzarino has a couple of ideas to reshape your Thanksgiving menu into something that everyone will be thankful for.
SHOW-STOPPER
For a Thanksgiving host who is looking to really wow everyone at the table, Zazzarino recommends a prime rib for one simple reason.
“A prime rib is not going to dry out like a turkey will,” he said.
With more than two decades of culinary experience, Zazzarino would know. In addition to working in respected kitchens, he’s also a culinary arts teacher at the new Perth Amboy HS, which made headlines for its $284M cost and 590,000-square-foot size, making it one of the biggest high schools ever opened in New Jersey.
But back to the dinner. One plus with a prime rib is that you can keep most of the Thanksgiving sides that everyone is expecting to have; mashed potatoes, creamed spinach and green vegetables all pair nicely with the roasted beef. But cranberry sauce and stuffing might not make for good complements with this meal.
“Think steakhouse sides,” Zazzarino said. “Maybe a broccoli and cheese or an au gratin asparagus.”
Once you’ve got your menu mapped out, Zazzarino recommends planning for servings of 6-8 ounces of beef per person, and buy a little more for leftovers. He also suggests getting a good meat thermometer — there are ones that are bluetooth and send an alert to your phone when the meat hits the desired internal temperature — to make sure that the meat is cooked to perfection.
If there are leftovers, Zazzarino has a great day-after idea.
"You could do a side of sautéed onions and mushrooms and have Philly cheesesteaks."
FROM THE SEA
If you’re enticed by the idea of having an authentic Thanksgiving — picture Plymouth, Mass., 1621 — Zazzarino says that going the seafood route is an option.
"I had a client do a seafood boil two years ago when I catered Thanksgiving for them," he said. "They wanted it to be a New England clam boil. We had clams, shrimps, scallops, chorizo, corn, all in bags and everybody got a chick lobster."
Nobody missed the turkey.
STICKING WITH TRADITION
Maybe the notion of abandoning the turkey is too much to think of. That’s OK. Full disclosure: the writer and Zazzarino are both having turkey this Thanksgiving.
To maximize the moisture of the bird, cooking it spatchcock is something that could be worth trying. The way a spatchcock turkey is butchered, the backbone is removed so the turkey can be laid out flat on a sheet pan. This allows for the meat to be cooked more evenly because the breast and thighs are at roughly the same height. A big culprit for dry turkey is that the breast is getting cooked aggressively, while the thighs are cooking more slowly because they are at the bottom of the roasting pan.
"It does two things," Zazzarino said of the spatchcock approach. "It reduces the amount of space you’re taking up in your oven and it also makes it so that you aren’t cooking the heck out of the breast while not cooking the thighs."
Another plus with this type of turkey is that there is no cavity to fill with stuffing.
"That adds at least another two hours of cook time," Zazzarino said of stuffing your bird. "That's also why your white meat is all dry."
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Whatever route you choose to go, remembering why everyone is getting together is more important than what’s on the table anyway.
Or, as Marcie said in the holiday classic, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving: "What if, today, we were grateful for everything?"
Joe Zazzarino is available as an at-home personal chef for small and large groups. Based in Monmouth County, he serves all of New Jersey. You can visit his website, www.zazzcatering.com for more details.
“(Stuffing) adds at least another two hours of cook time. That's also why your white meat is all dry.”
“I had a client do a seafood boil two years ago when I catered their Thanksgiving. They wanted it to be a New England clam boil."