Share

cover art for Deep South Dining | Thanksgiving Meal

Deep South Dining

Deep South Dining | Thanksgiving Meal

Thanksgiving is next week and always the most fussed over meal of the year. Today on the show we welcome the one and only Elizabeth Heiskell to talk about how she juggles the many aspects of a delicious Thanksgiving meal. Not to mention her up coming appearance on The Today Show (NBC) mixed in with all the meal planning and prepping. Also we talk with Chef Enrika Williams about her upcoming foodie event with Chef Carla Hall.


Elizabeth Heiskell's Pillowcase Turkey with Million-Dollar Gravy


Ingredients


TURKEY

  • One 12- to 15-pound turkey
  • 1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
  • 3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
  • 1 lemon, quartered
  • 24 tablespoons (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 slices smoked bacon
  • 2 cups red wine, plus more as needed
  • 1½ cups chicken broth, plus more as needed
  • 6 whole peppercorns
  • 10 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 bunch fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves


MILLION-DOLLAR GRAVY

  • 2 cups liquid from turkey roasting pan, divided
  • Red wine, if needed
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


Directions


For the turkey:


1. Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 500°F.


2. Rinse the turkey and remove the giblets and neck. Stuff the cavity with the onion, celery and lemon. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Spread 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of the butter evenly over the skin and liberally season the entire bird with salt and pepper.


3. Unfold a large piece of cheesecloth, then fold in half to create a double layer. Cut into a square large enough to wrap the entire turkey. Place a V-shaped rack in a large roasting pan. Drape the double layer of cheesecloth over the rack and lay 4 of the bacon slices on the cloth. Place the turkey, breast side down, on top of the bacon, lay the remaining 4 bacon slices on top of the turkey and fold the cheesecloth up over the turkey so it is fully covered. Completely saturate the cheesecloth and turkey with the wine and 1 cup of the broth. Scatter the peppercorns, parsley, thyme and bay leaves in the bottom of the pan. Roast the turkey for 20 minutes.


4. Meanwhile, in a sauté pan over medium heat, combine the remaining 2 sticks butter and 1/2 cup broth with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Heat, stirring, until the butter melts. After the turkey has roasted for 20 minutes, liberally baste it with some of the butter mixture, making sure the cheesecloth is completely saturated.


5. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast, away from the bone, registers 165°F and into the thigh registers 175°F, 2½-3 hours more. Baste the turkey every hour with the pan juices, making sure the cheesecloth remains saturated. If the pan dries out, pour in equal parts wine and broth.


6. Remove the turkey from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 400°F.


7. Remove the cheesecloth from the turkey and flip the turkey over so it is breast side up. Brush the breast with the remaining melted butter and continue roasting until the skin is crisp and browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the turkey to a carving board and let rest at least 20 minutes before carving.


For the gravy:


Strain the juices in the roasting pan into a large glass measuring cup. If necessary, add enough wine to total at least 2 cups liquid. Pour the liquid back into the pan, place over medium heat and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the pan bottom.


In a small bowl, stir together the butter and flour to make a paste. Whisk the mixture into the pan and bring to a simmer, continuing to whisk until thickened, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


To serve:

Carve the turkey and serve with gravy on the side.


(Courtesy of Today.com)



More episodes

View all episodes

  • Deep South Dining | The Vanillan Beth Hennington

    47:01|
    Topic: Malcolm and Carol catch up on what's coming out of their gardens and what everyone is discussing on Cooking and Coping. Then, MPB's Kevin Farrell and Beth Hennington, owner of The Vanillan, join the show to talk about cookies and cookie decorating. Kevin shares how he began baking cookies every weekend to share with his coworkers every Monday. And Beth shares how she got started decorating cookies, how she was chosen to be part of The Food Network's Christmas Cookie Challenge and won, and more!Guest(s): Beth Hennington and Kevin FarrellHost(s): Malcolm White, Carol Palmer, and Java ChatmanEmail: food@mpbonline.org
  • Deep South Dining | Coffee Shop with John Lester and Rick Cleveland

    46:50|
    Topic: Malcolm and Carol welcome John Lester from Duggan's Seafood and Rick Cleveland, sports writer for Mississippi Today, to the studio for a special "Coffee Shop" episode. They reminisce on the life of Rick's brother, Bobby Cleveland, on his birthday and discuss new seafood labeling laws, soft shell crab, and more.Guest(s): John Lester and Rick Cleveland Host(s): Malcolm White and Carol Palmer Email: food@mpbonline.org
  • Deep South Dining | National Folk Festival & Heath Riles BBQ

    48:34|
    Topic: Malcolm and Carol talk about wooden spoons and cornbread, and they welcome Thabi Moyo, Local Festival Manager for the National Folk Festival, to talk about food vending for the event. Then, Heath Riles joins the show to talk about Heath Riles BBQ, being the 2025 Memphis in May World Grand Champion, and more.Guest(s): Thabi Moyo and Heath RilesHost(s): Malcolm White, Carol Palmer, and Java ChatmanEmail: food@mpbonline.org
  • Deep South Dining - Classic | When Southern Women Cook

    51:32|
    Original Air Date: 11-04-2024Topic: Carol Palmer and Chef Enrika Williams welcome Editor in Chief of Cook’s Country, food and nutrition journalist, and James Beard Award– winning author of “Jubilee”; “Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs, and Juice” and “The Jemima Code,” Toni Tipton-Martin, back to the show. And they welcome first-time guest, Executive Editor of Creative Content for Cook’s Country, a cast member of the Cook’s Country TV show, and passionate Southern woman, Morgan Bolling, to the show to discuss their new book, "When Southern Women Cook." They discuss the 70+ women who contributed stories and over 300 recipes to the new book.Guest(s): Toni Tipton-Martin and Morgan Bolling Host(s): Carol Palmer and Enrika Williams Email: food@mpbonline.org
  • Deep South Dining | Juneteenth

    47:17|
    Topic: Malcolm and Java welcome talk about how they spent Father's Day weekend. Friend of the show, Chef Enrika Williams, joins the show to talk about the upcoming Juneteenth holiday and what she's been up to in Clarksdale. Chef Chris Washington also joins the Juneteenth conversation and talks about his catering company, Michael Cordell Eats, and some tasting events coming up in July.Guest(s): Enrika Williams and Chris WashingtonHost(s): Malcolm White and Java ChatmanEmail: food@mpbonline.org
  • Deep South Dining | Food Waste and Composting

    48:24|
    Topic: Malcolm and Carol welcome Matt Casteel, founder of wurmworks, LLC, to the show to talk about composting and the importance of worms in the process. Neil Strickland, Carol's composting partner, also joins the show to talk about Permaculture and living off the land in Mississippi.Guest(s): Matt Casteel and Neil StricklandHost(s): Malcolm White and Carol PalmerEmail: food@mpbonline.org **Recipe**Refrigerated Spicy Dill Pickles2 lbs. pickling cucumbers2 tsp pickling spice2 garlic cloves, crushed1 jalapeno pepper, mincedBrine:2 cups white vinegar (5%)1 cup water2 Tbsp sugar1 Tbsp pickling saltWash and trim vegetables; leave whole, halve, quarter, slice, or chip. Prepare brine to boil in a small stainless-steel saucepan; reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt. Tightly pack vegetables into 1 hot (1-qt/1-L) or 2 hot (1-pt/500-mL) jars. Pour hot brine over vegetables to cover. Cover jar with lid; let stand 1 hour or until cooled to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for at least 1 month for best flavor or up to 3 months. (The longer pickles stand in refrigerator, the more flavorful they will become.)Source: The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving
  • Deep South Dining | Coffee Shop with Derek Emerson and Damien Cavicchi

    46:31|
    Topic: Malcolm and Carol welcome Derek Emerson (Walker's Drive-In, Local 463, CAET, Sacred Ground, and now a new project at The District at Eastover) and Damien Cavicchi (Hal & Mal's, The Walk-In, Campbell's Bakery, and La Brioche) to the studio for a special "Coffee Shop" episode. Derek and Damien set the record straight on recent gossip surrounding their newest business ventures and chat about onion rings, knife sharpening, and more! Urban Foxes provided the coffee for today's episode.Guest(s): Derek Emerson and Damien Cavicchi Host(s): Malcolm White and Carol Palmer Email: food@mpbonline.org
  • Deep South Dining - Classic | Grills of Mississippi

    48:25|
    Original Air Date: 05-13-2024Topic: It's May, so it's time to clean off the grill or buy a new one. Today's conversation is all about BBQ, Grilling, Smoking, and Outdoor Cooking. Malcolm and Carol are joined in studio by Jonathan Huddleston from Grills of Mississippi to talk about grills and rubs and the best way to cook a brisket.Guest: Jonathan HuddlestonHost(s): Malcolm White and Carol PalmerEmail: food@mpbonline.org
  • Deep South Dining | Just Vanilla Bake Shop

    47:37|
    Topic: Malcolm and Carol welcome Guillermo "Billy" Salinas from Just Vanilla Bake Shop to share some pastries and chocolates and talk about how he grew up in Mexico and made a home in Jackson. Then, President and CEO of the Natchez Chamber of Commerce, Lyn Jenkins, joins the show to talk about Natchez Food and Wine coming in July.Guest(s): Guillermo "Billy" Salinas and Lyn JenkinsHost(s): Malcolm White and Carol PalmerEmail: food@mpbonline.org