Cranberry Glop Food

OPEN-FACED HOT TURKEY SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Remove turkey and butter from the refrigerator an hour or so before cooking, so that they are approaching room temperature when the turkey goes into the oven.
• Heat oven to 400. Rub turkey with butter, using your fingers to slide butter under the skin. Season the turkey with salt, pepper, sage and lemon zest.
• Place turkey thighs, skin-side down, into a cast-iron skillet or medium-size oven-safe gratin pan, and roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Turn turkey thighs over, add the wine to the pan or skillet and continue roasting for another 30 minutes or so, basting occasionally, until the turkey is cooked through, golden and crisp, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the turkey's thickest part reads in the neighborhood of 165 degrees. Remove turkey thighs from the pan, and allow to rest on a cutting board while you make the gravy.
• Heat the stock in a small pot. Drain off all but four tablespoons of the fat in the pan or gratin dish. Place pan or dish over low heat on the stove, and whisk the flour into it to make a roux. Stir the roux for 3 to 4 minutes, and then slowly start to add the stock to it, whisking as you do, until the mixture is smooth. Cook, continuing to stir, until the gravy has thickened, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Add the cream, milk or half-and-half, stir and allow the gravy to thicken again, 2 to 3 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• To make the sandwiches, carve meat and skin from the turkey thighs, and assemble two separate piles. Toast the bread, and lay one slice on each plate. Put a pile of the meat on each piece of toast, spreading it across the surface of the bread. Absolutely drench each sandwich with the gravy, and serve alongside buttered peas, mashed potatoes and a dollop of cranberry sauce. For this application, canned cranberry sauce is, by etiquette, required.

CRANBERRY GLOP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 3 quart casserole dish.
• In a medium bowl, toss together the cranberries, apples and white sugar. Pour into the prepared casserole. Mix together the oats, flour, pecans and brown sugar in the same bowl. Spread evenly over the fruit in the dish. Pinch off small pieces of butter and arrange them on top of the oat mixture.
• Bake, covered, for 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the top is toasted.

CRANBERRY JELLO SALAD

Steps:

• Dissolve Jello in boiling water. Drain crushed pineapple, reserving juice in one bowl and fruit in another bowl.
• Mix together jello, cranberry sauce, and pineapple juice until smooth; refrigerate until half set. Stir in mandarin oranges, pineapple, and pecans.
• Pour into decorative mold and refrigerate.

CRANBERRY FRUIT RELISH

Steps:

• In a food processor grind together in batches if necessary the orange, the pineapple, the cranberries, and the apple until the mixture is chopped fine, transfer the mixture to a bowl, and stir in the sugar. Let the mixture stand, covered and chilled, for at least 2 hours. The relish may be made about 2 days in advance and kept covered and chilled.

CRANBERRY SALAD

Steps:

• Combine chopped cranberries and sugar in a large, nonreactive bowl. Toss well. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.
• After 3 hours, stir apples, marshmallows, and pecans into cranberries. Combine yogurt and whipped topping; fold into cranberry salad. Serve immediately.