3rd annual sf thanksgiving

having a theme really helps with planning your meal, from which recipes you choose to what wines you drink. and most people are attracted to themes. it helps pull things together. my 1st annual sf thanksgiving was all over the place; i had traditional mashed potatoes competing with sweet potatoes with goat cheese and cilantro. learning from that experience, last year i stuck to a southern theme which produced an soulful menu including cranberry-chestnut-sausage cornbread stuffing, buttermilk mashed potatoes, and hours-long stewed ham hocks and collard greens.

for my 3rd annual thanksgiving dinner in sf, i decided to give my menu a slight italian slant to it. while the turkey was my usual brined, honey-roasted affair, i tweaked the stuffing recipe to use sweet italian sausage and italian country bread, and traded fluffy mashed potatoes for rustic, smashed red potatoes with olive oil instead of milk and butter.

i felt most of this turned out pretty good. there were 12 of us total enjoying the feast and i received rave reviews for the turkey, stuffing, and red onion marmalade. yay! oh and 10 bottles of wine and champagne really helped. here was the menu for the evening:

hors d'ouevres
plate of port salami, parmesan wedge and baguette
roasted figs with proscuitto, stilton and pomegranate glaze
grilled shrimp with garlic, lemon and italian parsley

prosecco champagne toast
radicchio and arugula with roasted red onions, crispy pancetta and fresh parmesan

honey-roasted turkey served with port giblet gravy and Zuni red onion marmalade
cranberry-chestnut country bread stuffing with sweet italian chicken sausage
smashed red potatoes with garlic and thyme-infused olive oil
caramelized brussel sprouts and pearl onions with garlic and nutmeg

dessert
bustrengo (polenta and apple cake) with creme fraiche
nadeau late harvest zinfandel

some select pictures from the evening...

a quick and tasty starter. i marinated butterflied, shell-on shrimp in olive oil, garlic, chile flakes, italian parsley and lemon, then quickly grilled them in a grill pan for a couple of minutes.

the salad was a blend of raddichio and arugula leaves tossed in balsamic and olive oil, topped with roasted red onions, crispy pancetta, and a lot of fresh parmesan cheese.

the stuffing (my own recipe developed over the years) starts with browning a couple pounds of sweet italian sausage and sauteeing onions, celery and carrots, delgazing with white wine and creating a stew with chestnuts, cranberries, stock and herbs. the stew is then mixed with stale bread cubes and finished in the oven.

about 6 or 7 pounds of whole red potatoes went into a pot of cold salted water until they "fell off a fork." this was then mashed with olive oil infused with smashed garlic and thyme leaves. to make a chunky, rustic potatoes side dish.

the table setting for 12 included floor length white linens with an golden orange overlay, square plates with silverware from abbey rentals, 2 self-arranged floral centerpieces, an array of glassware and tealights, and chianti flasks for that slight italian feel.

shot of the potatoes and leslie getting a helping of the zuni red onion marmalade, a 3-hour concoction of red onions, honey, merlot, and herbs. way, way better than cranberry sauce.

the 13 lb turkey pre-roast. this was brined for several hours using a combination of alton brown and wolfgang puck's recipes.

i roasted it in a 500* oven for 30 minutes, then lowered the temperature to 350* for another 2 hours or so.

the chef presenting his masterpiece.

and the turkey plated.

amazing how the turkey disappears after you've carved it.

dessert brought the very dense and hearty bustrengo, a polenta and apple cake that also had figs and raisins mixed into it.

served with a dollop of creme fraiche and sips of the 2004 nadeau late harvest zinfandel from paso robles, it topped off a very hearty meal.

thank you to all the friends who made it to the dinner. it was a fun and delicious little trip over to italy. happy thanksgiving!